Jamie talks Series Finales

So my sisters are off or about to be off on crazy exciting adventures, but I don't want to talk about that yet.  I think I have my fave five for August ready, but I'll get to that a little into September, you know, for the sake of consistency.  This summer I watched three TV series come to an end, two in "real time" and one on Netflix. There are so many ways the writers can go when a TV show wraps up (assuming the writers are aware they need to finish up).  They can opt for happily ever after with a little room to imagine new adventures, send everyone to heaven, or to jail, blow up the town, or simply fade to black.  Generally you aren't going to please everyone, but that's okay.  Most likely for those who are upset their frustration is more about their favorite show being off the air than anything else.   I just wanted to share a few thoughts on these three finales I watched this summer (with very limited spoilers as Kacey has not seen them):

Eureka: This delightful SyFy channel show finished up with its fifth season mid-summer.  The writers were given the budget to add one last episode to wrap things up after they were told they were being cancelled.  And they did it brilliantly. While giving us one last crisis in the little town of Eureka, they also managed to give the characters we have come to know and love over 5 seasons their own happy ending. Something I love in a finale or final season is when a show can nod its head at its beginnings, and bring things back around to its first season or, in this case, the very first episode.  It shows us how much our characters have grown and provides a little bit of nostalgia.  I hope that SyFy continues to make original programming of this quality and isn't completely lost to cheap gimmicky reality TV.

The Closer: It was probably time for the Closer to say goodbye. However it is one of the most popular cable TV shows and it is hard for a channel to say goodbye to good ratings and the corresponding ad revenue. So TNT spun this cast of characters into a new show, Major Crimes. But before that could happen they had to say goodbye to their fearless leader, Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by the fantastic Kyra Sedgwick.  Her departure was fitting, she got the bad guy and a gift from her team (ding dongs were involved), who over 7 seasons had gone from distrusting co-workers to a family. While I love this cast of characters, I don't have much interest in watching Major Crimes.  They seem to be grasping to hold onto something that is done.

Battlestar Galactica: Yes, I am aware this ended a few years ago.  But I just watched it, so for me, it ended this summer.  Thank you, Netflix.  The series finale of this show was a perfect fit for the series itself. It was intense, emotional, heart-breaking, but ultimately hopeful.  I was slow to get into this show, leaving it to watch other things after the first season.  But when I returned to it a few months ago, I became completely invested in the fates of these characters and their beloved ship.  Throughout most of season two you were sure to find me in tears on the elliptical. And that one part in late season three? You know the one.  I was holding back sobs.  I opted to watch the three part series finale on my couch, so I could cry in peace.  And cry I did.  But even though things weren’t wrapped up with a pretty bow, there was still an overall feeling of hope at the end.   I like that in a show.  Of course I am that person who actually liked the end of Lost too.

Now I’ve moved on to a show I had been avoiding despite Netflix’ constant badgering, Friday Night Lights.  To say I was skeptical would be a gross understatement; however I was hooked within the first 15 minutes of the pilot.  And now instead of sobbing (although there are certainly some tears) at the gym, I find myself cheering for the Dillon Panthers.  I’m not exaggerating.  When Coach Taylor pulled Voodoo at halftime and put in Sarenson, you would think that I was watching a real football game during that second half.  And when they went for two,  well let’s just say I am mentally ready for football season.  Just watch it.  Hopefully the series finale is as good as the pilot, but as you might have noticed, I’m pretty open to however the writers want to end things.  If they weren’t good at what they had been doing, I wouldn’t be so invested in the show in the first place.

Books read: 34

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a treatise on ladder safety.