Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women and nonbinary folks who inspire us. These characters are prime examples of empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.

DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for the US version of Being Human, specifically Sally Malik’s arc. 

Sally Malik 

Fast Facts: 

Sally Malik wears a purple satin spaghetti-strap dress while holding a clutch and standing in the middle of a party in the fantasy series Being Human.

Sally Malik (Meaghan Rath) was a ghost who lived with vampire Aidan Waite (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh Levison (Sam Huntington) in Boston. Not much is known about her childhood, save she grew up with her parents and younger brother Robbie (Jesse Rath). She was an ambitious student with dreams of attending grad school and working at the UN. Unfortunately, she was murdered by her fiancé Danny (Gianpaolo Venuta) when he pushed her down the stairs, cracking her head. 

Season 1

Sally spent seven months residing in the house she died in before Aidan and Josh moved in with her. Of course, humans can’t see ghosts, but Josh and Aidan could interact with Sally. The three quickly became best friends. Sally spent much of her time in Being Human Season 1 trying to communicate with Danny before discovering he killed her. Then, she sought revenge. 

RELATED: Looking for another badass crush? Check out our Geek Girl Authority Crushes of the Week here!

Sally befriended a few ghosts during her tenure on the show, including Stevie (Robert Naylor) and Nick (Pat Kiely), whom she also briefly dated. She learned how to teleport to various locations inside the house and outside of it and how to move matter. At the end of Season 1, Danny attempted to burn down the house to rid it of Sally. However, he wasn’t successful. Sally’s door appeared, but she missed it to help Aidan kill his maker. 

Season 2

In Season 2, Sally learned, thanks to Stevie and his ghost friends, that they could possess humans for a spell. She became addicted to it, though, jumping into bodies ranging from the girlfriend of a handsome doctor to excited partygoers. 

Then, she was visited by a reaper (Dusan Dukic), who claimed she was abusing her ghost abilities. He made her an offer: she could take over his job, or he would shred her. Later in the season, Sally learned she was actually the reaper, and she had shredded countless ghosts, including Stevie and Nick. Sally traveled to Limbo to save them in the season finale. 

RELATED: 8 Ineffable Questions We Need Answered in Good Omens Season 3

Season 3

Josh and his girlfriend Nora Sergeant (Kristen Hager), who’s also a werewolf and now living with them, made several attempts to revive Sally. They approached Donna (Amy Aquino), a witch who brought Sally back to life with blood magic. Sally was human but with a caveat. If she saw anyone from her past life, they would die. 

Unfortunately, her humanity was short-lived. Her body started decomposing gradually; however, the only way to stave off the decomposition was to feast on live animals. Her hunger for human flesh grew stronger by the day. Inevitably, Sally died (again) — this time, on her bed, surrounded by her friends. After her second death, Sally encountered Donna (whom Sally defeated). Donna pushed Sally down the stairs (her “Death Spot”) and pulled her into Limbo. 

Season 4

At the beginning of Season 4, Sally created various versions of “purgatory” for her and Donna. She learned the truth about her second death, that Donna destroyed her Death Spot by dragging them to purgatory. Sally trapped Donna there, escaping through the latter’s Death Spot. 

RELATED: 5TL: Your Favorite Actors Telling Incredible and Hilarious Stories

Sally helped free Josh from his perpetual werewolf state by using magic, which she gained from Donna, including all her knowledge of spellwork. But there was a catch to this. Every time she performed magic, she traveled in time. Later, Sally spent time in the past, months before Danny killed her. This time, she saved herself from death and forced him out of the house, altering the timeline. In this timeline, she and Aidan had a romantic relationship. Once Sally returned to her original time, she expressed her feelings to Aidan, which he reciprocated. 

When the house was in danger from a malevolent spirit, Sally sacrificed herself to resurrect Aidan as a human. After he passed, we saw Sally waiting for him on the other side of his door. 

The Real Deal: 

Sally Malik wears a white shirt, forest green army jacket, coral-colored shorts and ankle-high black boots while standing on the front porch of her house in the fantasy series Being Human.

Sally is sunshine personified. Despite spending most of Being Human as a ghost, she epitomizes optimism and joy. She doesn’t let anything dampen her spirit, nor any obstacle deter her from accomplishing her objective. Sally’s also immensely loyal to her loved ones. She’s always willing to fall on her sword to save them, even traveling to Limbo to revive her friends and sacrificing her existence to make Aidan human again. Our ghost gal loves with all her heart, too. 

RELATED: Real-Life Audio Stories From Your Favorite Geek Celebrities

She possesses a quick wit, sharp intellect and cleverness in spades. No matter what happens, you’ll usually find her rattling off a joke to defuse the tension. Sally is an extrovert through and through and can make friends with ease. Most find it difficult to resist her charms. 

Additionally, Sally can admit to her mistakes and is aware of her flaws, even if it takes her a while to reach that realization. She’s a force of nature, mainly because of her supernatural abilities. After all, she’s been a ghost, a zombie, a witch and a werewolf. Hell hath no fury like a Sally scorned, so it’s best to stay out of her way. 

Why She Matters: 

Aidan Waite, Sally Malik and Josh Levison stand in the living room of their house while facing forward in the US version of the fantasy series Being Human.

Sally is a multifaceted, complex, luminous soul who radiates positivity and remains human even after death. She’s a bona fide hero, fighting tooth and nail to save her loved ones while never losing her sense of humor. If you look up the word “tenacious” in the dictionary, Sally’s picture is next to it. 

So, be like Sally. Try to see the glass as half-full when you can. Always be armed with a witty one-liner. When adventure calls, answer it. Love with every ounce of your being. Never give up. Oh, and let yourself fall for the brooding vampire. 

Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: ANNIE SAWYER

Melody McCune
Follow me!
Latest posts by Melody McCune (see all)