------------------------------------------------------
Show: 24
Finale Title: "Day 8: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM"
Transmission Date: 24 May 2010
Planned/Unplanned: Unplanned
Episode #/Season #: 192/24
Plot: Jack vs. the President
Review: Gawd, Day 8 was SO HORRIBLE!!! 16 episodes of boringness, repetition, and utter shit. Sorry Jack Bauer, Howard Gordon & co., I just felt really let down. Like, mega. So how does one remedy that? How does a showrunner end the season - and the series - on a highnote taking into account the colossal badness of the previous 16 episodes? Go back to what made the most riveting season so damn good. What did Day 5 offer, arguably the most creative and awesome season of the shows entire run? It had Jack Bauer seeking justice for the deaths of close friends. So from Hour 17 of Day 8 all the way to the finale, they did exactly that, but brought it one step further. Jack Bauer went ape-shit. He was to the point where we didn't know if Jack had lost all sense of right and wrong, of his own sanity as he mercilessly killed everyone involved in a government cover-up. Bauer was loony, and I LOVED it! I still haven't finished my third part in my Day 8 editorial of months and months ago, mainly because I want to do the episodes justice, but suffice it to say, I am utterly perplexed how this crappy season was saved by the sheer utter awesomeness and raw emotion that resided in those final episodes. Gripping, intense, and jaw-dropping. That's how Day 8 ended. And the series finale, "3:00 PM - 4:00 PM", was a very nice, very satisfying series finale for Jack Bauer. He's a character that continually gives up everything to do what he believes is right, and in this case, he gave up more than he ever had before. The U.S. government wants him, the Russians want him, and [perhaps] a few members of the Chinese are still interested in having his head after the Day 4 dibocal. Characters were sorta redeemed, and Jack finished the series appropriately. Some cry foul, that it really is a repeat of Jack's status at the end of Day 4. OK, I get that, and I can even acknowledge that, but simultaneously, in a season where there were so many dull plotlines and repeated gags, why shouldn't we rejoice when the show concludes on a note that was just as powerful and poignant as before? Whatever problems of the overall season, I applaud the creators for giving 24 a appropriate and gripping series finale. Rank: 7.5/10
Why the Rating: Writing, acting, editing, music - all off the charts excellent. Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Gregory Itzin, and Mary Lynn. I love you guys, and every single one of you gave us powerhouse performances that truly deserve recognition. The writing is solid. Indeed, President Taylor's transformation from "2:00 PM - 3:00 PM" to "3:00 PM - 4:00 PM" isn't entirely sold well script-wise, but Cherry Jones was somehow able to make Allison's change of perspective plausible. 24 ended very 24-like. Kudos.
Show: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Finale Title: "Daybreak"
Transmission Date: 20 March 2009
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 75/20
Plot: Admiral Adama makes a dangerous decision: to engage in battle with the Cylon Colony to retrieve Hera, who just might be the key to everyone's continued survival.
Review: Gods, destiny, family, home - with four seasons of a dozen and change characters, a journey to locate a mythological planet, and the possible existence of a One True God maybe or maybe not guiding the Galactica fleet to safety, plus the ever-present danger of a pissed off Cavil leading the Cylons to exterminate the last remaining human beings in the galaxy...yeah, executive producer Ronald D. Moore had a lot on his plate. As the story goes, he was struggling and struggling with "Daybreak", until one day in the shower he had a epiphany that he wrote on the white board the next morning: "it's about the characters, duh." Or something like that. But basically, "Daybreak" is all about the characters and answering lingering questions. Back when it aired, I was less than totally pleased [although the shoot-out fight was awesome], but now I have only one real giant disappointment with it. SPOILERS. So Kara Thrace, seemingly resurrected from death, was a corporeal human being sent by the One True God to help guide the Galactica crew to this new "earth"? OK, cool. However, writers, there is a little something called foreshadowing. Yes, the Gods of Kobol and the One True God have been referenced plenty - in fact, they're a major part of the story from the get-go - but the episodes leading up to "Daybreak" make it seem like she's something else entirely, something none of us but the brilliant writers could possibly think up. So her true resurrection was unsatisfying. However, as a finale, "Daybreak" rocks. A space battle that rivals the cinematic millions-dollars CG fests, Bear McCreary's riveting score, flashbacks that help reveal more about our characters [minus the stupid part with Lee and the bird], a beautiful final act, A game performances, and a mostly happy ending for everyone. Good finale, Mr. Moore. Rank: 7.5/10
Why the Rating: This is a difficult one; with shows that place a emphasis on lingering questions, expectation is that resolution is found for the majority of those questions by the final episodes post-credits. Although Ronald D. Moore did answer a good chunk, as well as returning a plotline for a prior episode that I thought was going to be ignored for the rest of the series, it did nonetheless feel a little sloppy. The fact that God played such a instrumental part in the fate of the Galactica, and became the explanation for the two visages of Baltar and Number Six - well, it did feel like a cop out. It was a fine, quick explanation, but like most fans, I wanted more out of that answer. Plotlines aside, "Daybreak" was meticulously crafted, written, directed, edited, and acted.
Finale Title: "Bringing Down the House"
Transmission Date: 16 March 2009
Planned/Unplanned: Unplanned
Episode #/ Season #: 43/10
Plot: Kyle initiates his plan to bring down Latnok, but it just might cost him more than he bargained for.
Review: For the majority of its third and final season, KYLE XY was sorta boring. It began with a bang, with Kyle learning to harness and control his super cool powers and save the girl of his dreams. And then they broke up. And then Kyle started hanging around Latnok. And for awhile, it just sorta felt...underwhelming. A great dramatic moment with Kyle's mom was left with unfulfilled potential, and it became very relationship-oriented with the sci-fi elements left in the backburner. The two episodes leading up to the finale were fantastic, and "Bringing Down the House" is a pretty alright finale on its own right. It's just disappointing it took 9 other episodes to bring us to this point. Kyle is becoming a adult now, and is even growing a bit of a dark side - which I love; characters with dark sides are awesome. But as a series finale, it is totally lackluster. Nothing is resolved, and Kyle's future and purpose is still unclear. Rank: 4/10
Why the Rating: Keep in mind, the rating only reflects the series finale, not the episode as a whole. I have no doubt that if the writers were allotted the proper time to craft a series finale, we the fans would have been given something extraordinary, so I can't fault the producers at all for going the route they did. After all, they had strong season 2 ratings, and the entire third season was in the can by the time the first episode even aired in '09. Not like they could have prepared for it. Nevertheless, as a final episode of a series, it does suggest that Kyle's personality will continue to grow, and that he will need to continue fighting to have freedom. The very human superhero. At the very least, I'm glad the producers included a little 'what would have happened' on the season 3 DVD.
T
Finale Title: "The End"
Transmission Date: 23 May 2010
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 121/17
Plot: The Man in Black intends on destroying the island once and for all, so the surviving Losties fulfill their destiny to protect not only the island, but the world.
Review: 700 mysteries over 121 [114, according to some] episodes, how could the LOST series finale, "The End", possibly live up to fans expectations? In a lot of ways, it doesn't live up to expectations. In other ways, it works splendidly well. As I'll explain: in the final season, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were quite public about the fact that not everything will be explained, and that the story and characters are first and foremost important. Understandable, and even respectable. However, there are still answers I feel we as a audience deserve, and didn't get. The primary one being, of course, what is the island, and where was it located, as asked by Charlie all the way back in the "Pilot." I would have appreciated a attempt at answering this - say, Jacob was a cursed immortal by God and created the island using his mystical powers, but the use of such power created his opposite equal, the Man in Black. See? Sorta crazy but acceptable-by-my-standards answer. Just something. That's all I really cared about, the island itself. I don't care about the fact six seasons boiled down to Jack putting the cork/core of the island back in its place before it destroyed itself - in fact, Jack saving the island from total destruction is a rather cool idea. The whole seasons storyline of a chaotic force hellbent on getting of the island and is supposedly 'pure evil' is utterly electrifying in its awesomeness. As a finale to that season, "The End" works great; as a end to the series, it works alright. The whole afterlife Sideways reality was a nifty idea, granted, but how it was executed in the episodes leading up to the finale leaves much for debate. I just think they went the wrong way with it, is all. But hell if I didn't get all emotional during the last 15 minutes, especially the final two. Rank: 5/10
Why the Rating: The biggest, most pivotal question of the series, the one every character, actor, and viewer has asked, was never truly answered. What the hell is the island? Why is it like it is? Alright, two questions, but you get my drift. So in relation to answering the big lingering questions of the series, "The End" and season six in general is a disappointment. But as a resolution to these characters the audience have grown to love for the past six years, for wrapping up a storyline in a engaging, intelligent way, then yes - "The End" was pretty good. Pacing issues here and there, and I wager there could have been some stuff cut for time, but good all the same. Do understand that my viewpoint of 'The End", like so many other viewers, is subject to change at any time.
Finale Title: "Family Meeting"
Transmission Date:
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 88/13
Plot: Seven seasons and three years of pain, double crossing and double dealing, and Vic Mackey makes a bargain that will cost more than he's willing to give.
Review: Taking into account all the shit that happened with the Strike Team for seven whole seasons, and all the lingering threads and the emotional payoffs that NEEDED to happen, I don't know how Shawn Ryan did it, but he crafted a utterly SUPERB series finale. Su-freakin'-perb. If you have any intent of watching this show in the near future, I beseech you to stop reading right this second, because I don't want to spoil a single damn thing for you. Gone? Alright, good. Oh, how this finale was a success. Vic Mackey's ultimate fate is so sweet and well deserved; Ronnie gets fucked and imprisoned for the rest of his life; Shane comes up with one final solution with dire consequences; and Corrine and the kids vamanos. The beauty of this show is that even though our primary cast of characters do bad things constantly, they are possibly some of the most enjoyable yet sympathetic characters I have ever seen. This finale satisfyingly and beautifully tie up plenty of threads that have been dangling for seasons, culminating in a grand finish. But in true SHIELD fashion, the final twenty minutes aren't happy, they aren't big explosion-y awesomeness. It's quiet, it's tragic, it's grainy, and it's perfect. Rank: 9.5/10
Why the Rating: "Family Meeting" stayed true to the entire series, answering questions, providing a satisfying and logical resolution to the biggest question of the series, and is still captivating a year and so later. The series feels complete. One long finite storyline, told brilliantly.
Show: 24
Finale Title: "Day 8: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM"
Transmission Date: 24 May 2010
Planned/Unplanned: Unplanned
Episode #/Season #: 192/24
Plot: Jack vs. the President
Review: Gawd, Day 8 was SO HORRIBLE!!! 16 episodes of boringness, repetition, and utter shit. Sorry Jack Bauer, Howard Gordon & co., I just felt really let down. Like, mega. So how does one remedy that? How does a showrunner end the season - and the series - on a highnote taking into account the colossal badness of the previous 16 episodes? Go back to what made the most riveting season so damn good. What did Day 5 offer, arguably the most creative and awesome season of the shows entire run? It had Jack Bauer seeking justice for the deaths of close friends. So from Hour 17 of Day 8 all the way to the finale, they did exactly that, but brought it one step further. Jack Bauer went ape-shit. He was to the point where we didn't know if Jack had lost all sense of right and wrong, of his own sanity as he mercilessly killed everyone involved in a government cover-up. Bauer was loony, and I LOVED it! I still haven't finished my third part in my Day 8 editorial of months and months ago, mainly because I want to do the episodes justice, but suffice it to say, I am utterly perplexed how this crappy season was saved by the sheer utter awesomeness and raw emotion that resided in those final episodes. Gripping, intense, and jaw-dropping. That's how Day 8 ended. And the series finale, "3:00 PM - 4:00 PM", was a very nice, very satisfying series finale for Jack Bauer. He's a character that continually gives up everything to do what he believes is right, and in this case, he gave up more than he ever had before. The U.S. government wants him, the Russians want him, and [perhaps] a few members of the Chinese are still interested in having his head after the Day 4 dibocal. Characters were sorta redeemed, and Jack finished the series appropriately. Some cry foul, that it really is a repeat of Jack's status at the end of Day 4. OK, I get that, and I can even acknowledge that, but simultaneously, in a season where there were so many dull plotlines and repeated gags, why shouldn't we rejoice when the show concludes on a note that was just as powerful and poignant as before? Whatever problems of the overall season, I applaud the creators for giving 24 a appropriate and gripping series finale. Rank: 7.5/10
Why the Rating: Writing, acting, editing, music - all off the charts excellent. Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Gregory Itzin, and Mary Lynn. I love you guys, and every single one of you gave us powerhouse performances that truly deserve recognition. The writing is solid. Indeed, President Taylor's transformation from "2:00 PM - 3:00 PM" to "3:00 PM - 4:00 PM" isn't entirely sold well script-wise, but Cherry Jones was somehow able to make Allison's change of perspective plausible. 24 ended very 24-like. Kudos.
------------------------------------------------------
Show: ANGEL
Finale Title: "Not Fade Away"
Transmission Date: 19 May 2004
Planned/Unplanned: Sorta Kinda Planned/Unplanned
Episode #/Season #: 110/22
Plot: Angel and Gang plan a suicidal fight against the Senior Partners, basically jump starting a Apocalypse of their own.
Review: No matter how much I love the hell out of the SHIELD series finale [see below], "Not Fade Away" is the epitome of perfect as far as series finales are concerned. For a fairly thorough write-up of my feelings towards the finale, I'd direct your attention to this page, which I wrote as part of the 30-Day TV meme a few months ago. In a nutshell, "Not Fade Away" is a perfect tribute to everything that has been established before, and concludes on a note that sells the main theme of the show, and honors every single one of the characters through and through. The final fate of Angel, Illyria, Gun, Wesley, and Spike - all perfect. The final fate of the Shanshu prophecy, which foretold a vampire being granted a soul after saving the world - that's resolved in such a profoundly appropriate and heroic fashion, there isn't any possible scenario that would have been as satisfying. Co-writer and director Jeffrey Bell and co-writer Joss Whedon were hiring on all cylinders when they wrote this. One can only imagine how even more awesome it would be on the big screen. Rank: 10/10
Why the Rating: Dude, just read this page. In essence, the best series finale evah. I would really love the opportunity to write a 30-page paper on this episode for some creative writing class - perhaps I should propose that.
Finale Title: "Not Fade Away"
Transmission Date: 19 May 2004
Planned/Unplanned: Sorta Kinda Planned/Unplanned
Episode #/Season #: 110/22
Plot: Angel and Gang plan a suicidal fight against the Senior Partners, basically jump starting a Apocalypse of their own.
Review: No matter how much I love the hell out of the SHIELD series finale [see below], "Not Fade Away" is the epitome of perfect as far as series finales are concerned. For a fairly thorough write-up of my feelings towards the finale, I'd direct your attention to this page, which I wrote as part of the 30-Day TV meme a few months ago. In a nutshell, "Not Fade Away" is a perfect tribute to everything that has been established before, and concludes on a note that sells the main theme of the show, and honors every single one of the characters through and through. The final fate of Angel, Illyria, Gun, Wesley, and Spike - all perfect. The final fate of the Shanshu prophecy, which foretold a vampire being granted a soul after saving the world - that's resolved in such a profoundly appropriate and heroic fashion, there isn't any possible scenario that would have been as satisfying. Co-writer and director Jeffrey Bell and co-writer Joss Whedon were hiring on all cylinders when they wrote this. One can only imagine how even more awesome it would be on the big screen. Rank: 10/10
Why the Rating: Dude, just read this page. In essence, the best series finale evah. I would really love the opportunity to write a 30-page paper on this episode for some creative writing class - perhaps I should propose that.
------------------------------------------------------
Show: BATTLESTAR GALACTICAFinale Title: "Daybreak"
Transmission Date: 20 March 2009
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 75/20
Plot: Admiral Adama makes a dangerous decision: to engage in battle with the Cylon Colony to retrieve Hera, who just might be the key to everyone's continued survival.
Review: Gods, destiny, family, home - with four seasons of a dozen and change characters, a journey to locate a mythological planet, and the possible existence of a One True God maybe or maybe not guiding the Galactica fleet to safety, plus the ever-present danger of a pissed off Cavil leading the Cylons to exterminate the last remaining human beings in the galaxy...yeah, executive producer Ronald D. Moore had a lot on his plate. As the story goes, he was struggling and struggling with "Daybreak", until one day in the shower he had a epiphany that he wrote on the white board the next morning: "it's about the characters, duh." Or something like that. But basically, "Daybreak" is all about the characters and answering lingering questions. Back when it aired, I was less than totally pleased [although the shoot-out fight was awesome], but now I have only one real giant disappointment with it. SPOILERS. So Kara Thrace, seemingly resurrected from death, was a corporeal human being sent by the One True God to help guide the Galactica crew to this new "earth"? OK, cool. However, writers, there is a little something called foreshadowing. Yes, the Gods of Kobol and the One True God have been referenced plenty - in fact, they're a major part of the story from the get-go - but the episodes leading up to "Daybreak" make it seem like she's something else entirely, something none of us but the brilliant writers could possibly think up. So her true resurrection was unsatisfying. However, as a finale, "Daybreak" rocks. A space battle that rivals the cinematic millions-dollars CG fests, Bear McCreary's riveting score, flashbacks that help reveal more about our characters [minus the stupid part with Lee and the bird], a beautiful final act, A game performances, and a mostly happy ending for everyone. Good finale, Mr. Moore. Rank: 7.5/10
Why the Rating: This is a difficult one; with shows that place a emphasis on lingering questions, expectation is that resolution is found for the majority of those questions by the final episodes post-credits. Although Ronald D. Moore did answer a good chunk, as well as returning a plotline for a prior episode that I thought was going to be ignored for the rest of the series, it did nonetheless feel a little sloppy. The fact that God played such a instrumental part in the fate of the Galactica, and became the explanation for the two visages of Baltar and Number Six - well, it did feel like a cop out. It was a fine, quick explanation, but like most fans, I wanted more out of that answer. Plotlines aside, "Daybreak" was meticulously crafted, written, directed, edited, and acted.
------------------------------------------------------
Show: BUFFY, THE VAM
PIRE SLAYER
Finale Title: "Chosen"
Transmission Date: 20 May 2003
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 144/22
Plot: Buffy and the Scooby Gang come up with a idea to stop The First, and unfortunately it sorta takes Sunnydale down with 'em.
Review: When you watch "Chosen", one realizes that it is a perfect sequel to the pilot, "Welcome to the Hellmouth." In the very first episode, Buffy Summers was a teenager girl who so didn't want to be the Slayer, and just wanted to be your normal everyday gal who didn't stake dead folks at night. By the finale, not only has Buffy Summers fully accepted the mantle of Slayer, but gives a gift [or curse, depending on your viewpoint] to the many potential Slayers of the world, enabling them to fend for themselves, to gain self-confidence, to be a better human being, to be what have you. In the final scene, Buffy smiles, something that has been a long time coming given the events of the previous two seasons. So "Chosen" concludes the series on a high note, with Buffy and the entire Scooby Gang [well, the survivors, that is] peaceful and content, closing the Sunnydale chapter and opening a brand spankin' new one, full of endless possibilities [which is another achievement for the Scooby Gang, now free of destiny and being told what to do by older organizations]. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, "Chosen" also boasted the usual relationship dynamic and quick-wit dialogue that makes the series so remarkable. Additionally, Whedon went a bit Helms Deep with a seemingly unwinnable battle being fought, everything concludes in a happyily satisfying way. The ANGEL finale finished on a similar note - with the characters embarking on a suicidal fight with no hope of winning - but there's a distinct difference between the two shows: BUFFY, although it most definitely has a over-arching theme, doesn't live or die by that, but is instead greatly defined by the characters that inhabit that world. ANGEL, on the other hand, represents a theme. No matter the brilliantly detailed characters or the utter awesomeness of the show in general, the finale and the show reflected the theme from the very first episode, and the finale ended the way it did to service that theme that Whedon & Co. wanted to go out on: helping the helpless, and fighting the fight that needs to be fought, no matter what. Nonetheless, Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson - great show, great finale. Rank: 7/10
Why the Ranking: I honestly don't know why I ranked it as such. As you can tell from my minreview, I really dug the episode. Joss Whedon did a great job. Just felt the right rank, damnit! Alright, when I go back home next weekend, I'm gonna rewatch this episode, and then make up a more intelligent decision.
Show: KYLE XYShow: BUFFY, THE VAM
PIRE SLAYERFinale Title: "Chosen"
Transmission Date: 20 May 2003
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 144/22
Plot: Buffy and the Scooby Gang come up with a idea to stop The First, and unfortunately it sorta takes Sunnydale down with 'em.
Review: When you watch "Chosen", one realizes that it is a perfect sequel to the pilot, "Welcome to the Hellmouth." In the very first episode, Buffy Summers was a teenager girl who so didn't want to be the Slayer, and just wanted to be your normal everyday gal who didn't stake dead folks at night. By the finale, not only has Buffy Summers fully accepted the mantle of Slayer, but gives a gift [or curse, depending on your viewpoint] to the many potential Slayers of the world, enabling them to fend for themselves, to gain self-confidence, to be a better human being, to be what have you. In the final scene, Buffy smiles, something that has been a long time coming given the events of the previous two seasons. So "Chosen" concludes the series on a high note, with Buffy and the entire Scooby Gang [well, the survivors, that is] peaceful and content, closing the Sunnydale chapter and opening a brand spankin' new one, full of endless possibilities [which is another achievement for the Scooby Gang, now free of destiny and being told what to do by older organizations]. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, "Chosen" also boasted the usual relationship dynamic and quick-wit dialogue that makes the series so remarkable. Additionally, Whedon went a bit Helms Deep with a seemingly unwinnable battle being fought, everything concludes in a happyily satisfying way. The ANGEL finale finished on a similar note - with the characters embarking on a suicidal fight with no hope of winning - but there's a distinct difference between the two shows: BUFFY, although it most definitely has a over-arching theme, doesn't live or die by that, but is instead greatly defined by the characters that inhabit that world. ANGEL, on the other hand, represents a theme. No matter the brilliantly detailed characters or the utter awesomeness of the show in general, the finale and the show reflected the theme from the very first episode, and the finale ended the way it did to service that theme that Whedon & Co. wanted to go out on: helping the helpless, and fighting the fight that needs to be fought, no matter what. Nonetheless, Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson - great show, great finale. Rank: 7/10
Why the Ranking: I honestly don't know why I ranked it as such. As you can tell from my minreview, I really dug the episode. Joss Whedon did a great job. Just felt the right rank, damnit! Alright, when I go back home next weekend, I'm gonna rewatch this episode, and then make up a more intelligent decision.
------------------------------------------------------
Finale Title: "Bringing Down the House"
Transmission Date: 16 March 2009
Planned/Unplanned: Unplanned
Episode #/ Season #: 43/10
Plot: Kyle initiates his plan to bring down Latnok, but it just might cost him more than he bargained for.
Review: For the majority of its third and final season, KYLE XY was sorta boring. It began with a bang, with Kyle learning to harness and control his super cool powers and save the girl of his dreams. And then they broke up. And then Kyle started hanging around Latnok. And for awhile, it just sorta felt...underwhelming. A great dramatic moment with Kyle's mom was left with unfulfilled potential, and it became very relationship-oriented with the sci-fi elements left in the backburner. The two episodes leading up to the finale were fantastic, and "Bringing Down the House" is a pretty alright finale on its own right. It's just disappointing it took 9 other episodes to bring us to this point. Kyle is becoming a adult now, and is even growing a bit of a dark side - which I love; characters with dark sides are awesome. But as a series finale, it is totally lackluster. Nothing is resolved, and Kyle's future and purpose is still unclear. Rank: 4/10
Why the Rating: Keep in mind, the rating only reflects the series finale, not the episode as a whole. I have no doubt that if the writers were allotted the proper time to craft a series finale, we the fans would have been given something extraordinary, so I can't fault the producers at all for going the route they did. After all, they had strong season 2 ratings, and the entire third season was in the can by the time the first episode even aired in '09. Not like they could have prepared for it. Nevertheless, as a final episode of a series, it does suggest that Kyle's personality will continue to grow, and that he will need to continue fighting to have freedom. The very human superhero. At the very least, I'm glad the producers included a little 'what would have happened' on the season 3 DVD.
------------------------------------------------------
Show: LOS
TFinale Title: "The End"
Transmission Date: 23 May 2010
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 121/17
Plot: The Man in Black intends on destroying the island once and for all, so the surviving Losties fulfill their destiny to protect not only the island, but the world.
Review: 700 mysteries over 121 [114, according to some] episodes, how could the LOST series finale, "The End", possibly live up to fans expectations? In a lot of ways, it doesn't live up to expectations. In other ways, it works splendidly well. As I'll explain: in the final season, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were quite public about the fact that not everything will be explained, and that the story and characters are first and foremost important. Understandable, and even respectable. However, there are still answers I feel we as a audience deserve, and didn't get. The primary one being, of course, what is the island, and where was it located, as asked by Charlie all the way back in the "Pilot." I would have appreciated a attempt at answering this - say, Jacob was a cursed immortal by God and created the island using his mystical powers, but the use of such power created his opposite equal, the Man in Black. See? Sorta crazy but acceptable-by-my-standards answer. Just something. That's all I really cared about, the island itself. I don't care about the fact six seasons boiled down to Jack putting the cork/core of the island back in its place before it destroyed itself - in fact, Jack saving the island from total destruction is a rather cool idea. The whole seasons storyline of a chaotic force hellbent on getting of the island and is supposedly 'pure evil' is utterly electrifying in its awesomeness. As a finale to that season, "The End" works great; as a end to the series, it works alright. The whole afterlife Sideways reality was a nifty idea, granted, but how it was executed in the episodes leading up to the finale leaves much for debate. I just think they went the wrong way with it, is all. But hell if I didn't get all emotional during the last 15 minutes, especially the final two. Rank: 5/10
Why the Rating: The biggest, most pivotal question of the series, the one every character, actor, and viewer has asked, was never truly answered. What the hell is the island? Why is it like it is? Alright, two questions, but you get my drift. So in relation to answering the big lingering questions of the series, "The End" and season six in general is a disappointment. But as a resolution to these characters the audience have grown to love for the past six years, for wrapping up a storyline in a engaging, intelligent way, then yes - "The End" was pretty good. Pacing issues here and there, and I wager there could have been some stuff cut for time, but good all the same. Do understand that my viewpoint of 'The End", like so many other viewers, is subject to change at any time.
------------------------------------------------------
Show: THE SHIELD
Finale Title: "Family Meeting"
Transmission Date:
Planned/Unplanned: Planned
Episode #/ Season #: 88/13
Plot: Seven seasons and three years of pain, double crossing and double dealing, and Vic Mackey makes a bargain that will cost more than he's willing to give.
Review: Taking into account all the shit that happened with the Strike Team for seven whole seasons, and all the lingering threads and the emotional payoffs that NEEDED to happen, I don't know how Shawn Ryan did it, but he crafted a utterly SUPERB series finale. Su-freakin'-perb. If you have any intent of watching this show in the near future, I beseech you to stop reading right this second, because I don't want to spoil a single damn thing for you. Gone? Alright, good. Oh, how this finale was a success. Vic Mackey's ultimate fate is so sweet and well deserved; Ronnie gets fucked and imprisoned for the rest of his life; Shane comes up with one final solution with dire consequences; and Corrine and the kids vamanos. The beauty of this show is that even though our primary cast of characters do bad things constantly, they are possibly some of the most enjoyable yet sympathetic characters I have ever seen. This finale satisfyingly and beautifully tie up plenty of threads that have been dangling for seasons, culminating in a grand finish. But in true SHIELD fashion, the final twenty minutes aren't happy, they aren't big explosion-y awesomeness. It's quiet, it's tragic, it's grainy, and it's perfect. Rank: 9.5/10
Why the Rating: "Family Meeting" stayed true to the entire series, answering questions, providing a satisfying and logical resolution to the biggest question of the series, and is still captivating a year and so later. The series feels complete. One long finite storyline, told brilliantly.
------------------------------------------------------
Random Thoughts: So what do I want from a series finale? #1) The characters and their many moral decisions and subplots be wrapped up in a fashion that remains completely true to the character established in prior episodes. #2) Just enough closure is given to significant plotlines that have weaved in and out throughout the series. #3) If a show has multiple questions, the most pertinent of them are answered. #4) The series finale doesn't feel overly 'special', like a EVENT episode, but is a tonally logical conclusion to the established paradigm. #5) If characters have a destiny/inevitable fate, AT LEAST make sure they reach that destination by the characters' OWN choices made by their own free will, not as directed because they were 'supposed to'.
Series finales are a hard business. I sympathize for the folks crafting that final storyline, tinkering with all the little nuggets of subplots upon subplots and character arcs that need to be tied up. It's a grizzly business, and I respect every single one of these writers, directors and actors for making some quite successful finishing episodes. No matter my ranking, no matter my feeling about 'em, kudos to all of you. And yes, even you two, Damon and Carlton. Cheers!
Random Thoughts: So what do I want from a series finale? #1) The characters and their many moral decisions and subplots be wrapped up in a fashion that remains completely true to the character established in prior episodes. #2) Just enough closure is given to significant plotlines that have weaved in and out throughout the series. #3) If a show has multiple questions, the most pertinent of them are answered. #4) The series finale doesn't feel overly 'special', like a EVENT episode, but is a tonally logical conclusion to the established paradigm. #5) If characters have a destiny/inevitable fate, AT LEAST make sure they reach that destination by the characters' OWN choices made by their own free will, not as directed because they were 'supposed to'.
Series finales are a hard business. I sympathize for the folks crafting that final storyline, tinkering with all the little nuggets of subplots upon subplots and character arcs that need to be tied up. It's a grizzly business, and I respect every single one of these writers, directors and actors for making some quite successful finishing episodes. No matter my ranking, no matter my feeling about 'em, kudos to all of you. And yes, even you two, Damon and Carlton. Cheers!
1 comment:
This is an awesome write-up!!! I will need to rewatch the Angel finale to see if I agree - I remember liking it, but not that much. And I liked the Lost finale a lot more than other people.
Post a Comment