Tag Archives: Season Finale

May 12, 2008 · 12:55 pm

Season Finale – Brothers & Sisters – “Prior Commitments”

“Prior Commitments”

May 11th, 2008

Based on spoilers, we’ve known for weeks that the truncated second season of ABC’s Brothers & Sisters would include a wedding between Kevin and Scotty. In the end, you knew that these two would have to have a happy ending – their journey, and Kevin’s journey, would be tarnished beyond repair if something went wrong at the last moment, so we knew that the drama was to be found less in their love and more in the circumstances surrounding the whole event.

Smartly, this drama was subtle as opposed to broad: Nora’s reaction to the news of Rebecca not being a Walker was understanding, Rebecca and Justin’s eventual spiral into love was slowly paced, and the end of episode revelation is naturally set up by a series of flashbacks with the return of William Walker. I still have issues with the whole Rebecca/Justin scenario, and I think that the added drama could drag down parts of this story, but the finale was well-paced enough that I am still on board.

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May 8, 2008 · 10:31 pm

Season Finale – 30 Rock – “Cooter”

“Cooter”

May 8th, 2008

Last year, the season finale of 30 Rock was a disappointment: it was a slow half hour that dealt more with two outlandish storylines (Jack’s fiance Pheobe and Kenneth’s crazy cousin kidnapping Tracy) which never clicked outside of moments between Jack and Liz, and the fabulous appearance by Elaine Stritch as Jack’s mother. Storyline-wise, the first season just didn’t end on a creative high note.

And, to an extent, the same could be said for the second season if you ignore the circumstances. However, considering that there was so little time post-strike to get things moving, this episode did a great job at tying up some loose ends, providing something for almost every single members of the cast to do, using its characters right, and still centering the episode around the relationship between boss and employee.

It might have paled in comparison to the episode of The Office that preceded it, but I definitely think that “Cooter” trumps “Hiatus” as the superior finale for one of television’s best comedies.

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May 8, 2008 · 9:08 pm

“Season Finale” – Scrubs – “My Princess”

“My Princess”

May 8th, 2008

It is, perhaps, the most confusing finale in recent years: Scrubs is ending its seventh season tonight, and NBC has no plans on bringing it back. So, there is the thought of series finale in the air, but this is not true: although it won’t be confirmed until after the show concludes its run on the peacock, ABC has already ordered 18 episodes of the series that are filming now, and that will air next season. The result is an episode that exists purely in limbo, a false goodbye for a series we’ll be seeing more of.

As I’ve noted, I really am not that enamoured with the series as of late, but the last few episodes have showed potential – if anything, their only major flaw is their decision to continue the forced march towards J.D. and Elliot reconnecting romantically. I like the sendoff given to Ken Jenkins’ Dr. Kelso, I’ve enjoyed our time spent with the Janitor, but with a certain lack of faith in the show’s central romantic storyline I certainly need to be convinced that those 18 episodes next season will be worth my time.

If there is any way to do it, though, perhaps this is it: Zach Braff’s second epic take-off of a classic fairy tale, this time cult classic The Princess Bride, and if his work on the charming Wizard of Oz episode that signaled the show’s 100th episode was any indication this kind of thing is right up his alley. Scrubs is a show that often works well within event formats (The Musical episode was a highlight dramatically, if not perhaps musically, for the sixth season), but has Braff managed to do the inconceivable?

Has he actually created an episode of Scrubs that cuts through my jaded cynicism for the future?

Not so much.

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January 24, 2008 · 11:59 pm

Season Finale: Chuck – “Chuck Versus The Marlin”

“Chuck Versus The Marlin”

January 24th, 2008

I’ve decided to actually post this after the episode airs, as a courtesy considering that it is a bit of a suspenseful ride of sorts. After “Chuck Versus The Undercover Lover” was amongst the best episodes of the series yet, it’s hard not to see this as a bit of a step backwards in terms of its comic timing in particular. The first episode was certainly funnier, and perhaps more enjoyable, but I think that “Chuck Versus The Marlin” is nonetheless an important and entertaining episode of the series.

It’s particularly strong as a cap of sorts to the first 13-episodes of Chuck’s existing 22-episode order. Both of these episodes do an admirable job of marrying the show’s three elements (Chuck’s Spy Game, Chuck’s Family, the Buy More), and here it comes together in a plot that seems meaningful at this stage of the season. I worry that things will prove largely repetitive if this formula continues, and I hope that the magical hopefully seen this season back nine addresses this, but for now it’s a solid if unfortunately early season finale for the series.

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January 20, 2008 · 10:19 pm

Who Won The Amazing Race Season 12, and Did They Deserve It?

[Looking for the winner of Season 14 of The Amazing Race featuring Tammy/Victor, Luke/Margie and Jaime/Cara? Click this link!]

[Looking for details on who won Season 13 of The Amazing Race between Nick & Starr, Ken & Tina and Dan & Andrew? Cultural Learnings still has you covered, click here to find out!]

I’ve posted a full recap, but for the sake of further analysis let’s take a look at the question on everyone’s minds:

“Who Won The Amazing Race Season 12?”

It was…

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January 20, 2008 · 10:02 pm

Season Finale: The Amazing Race – Season 12, Episode 11

“The Final Push”

January 20th, 2008

[Looking for the finale of Season 13 airing in December 2008? Well, Cultural Learnings still has you covered: click her for all the details!]

If not for Viva Laughlin’s early exit from CBS’ Fall Schedule, we would just be starting Season 12 of The Amazing Race. We would just be meeting the dating goths, saying goodbye to Ari and Staella, and pondering whether the entire race would be defined by angry animals making Nate and Jennifer’s lives hell.

Well, it turns out that they didn’t need animals but only each other, as Nathan and Jennifer were the last time to be eliminated before we head into a three-team showdown as the teams return to the U.S. in tonight’s finale. Will Ronald and Christina’s tenuous father/daughter bond be strong enough to survive the final leg and propel them to one million dollars? Or is it TK & Rachel’s laidback style that will allow them to nonchalantly waltz over the finish line and win the prize? And, can Nicholas drag his Grandfather Donald across the line at the same speed as the other teams and become the generational winners?

Well, only time will tell. For now, it’s time for the final leg of the Amazing Race.

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January 11, 2008 · 3:30 pm

Strike Finale Night: Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty

Last night saw three shows (Two I rarely blog about) finish their seasons prematurely due to the Writers’ Strike. It is unfortunate, of course, because this means two and a half less hours of television each week (Thursdays will never be the same). Alas, let’s take a quick look at how these shows managed with finales which were, well, not meant to be finales. (I’ll be back with Friday Night Lights tonight and Golden Globes nods tomorrow, assuming this cold doesn’t destroy me).

Grey’s Anatomy – “Lay Your Hands On Me”

This quasi-finale was a solid episode which at least felt like a conclusion to a story or two. Central to the episode is Bailey’s son being injured in an accident, extenuating the marital issues we saw before the break. Bailey blames herself, blames Hahn for keeping her out of surgery, and eventually accepts a healer who is able to pull Tuck back to life.

This was fine, but I actually felt like it felt too much like Emmy bait for Chandra Wilson, even when her character is as great as she is. We’ve had a lot of Bailey in recent weeks, ever since the Gizzie backlash became apparent. We had her fantastic episode with her childhood crush, we had her altercation with the Nazi in “Crash Into Me,” and now we have this tearful and emotional storyline here. I’d actually argue she was far more likable in the first episode, and thus it would be the better choice. Wilson was as great as ever here, but it felt a little bit too melodramatic.

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January 8, 2008 · 8:59 pm

Gossip Girl – Season Finale – “The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate”

“The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate”

January 8th, 2008

[As you may be realizing, this is the review of Gossip Girl’s mid-season finale that aired in January. The show’s first season finale, “Much ‘I Do’ About Nothing” aired on May 19th, and Cultural Learnings has all the details in its full detailed review!]

While I can think of greater losses thanks to the Writers’ strike, Gossip Girl is somewhat unfortunate considering that it is still struggling to find its creative stride. Gossip Girl mentions that all a story needs to blow up is for an unexpected twist, but I really don’t think that this is the solution to the series’ problems. The O.C. didn’t become exemplary teen programming when it gave people pregnancy scares, but when it made us care about these people more than we were really intended to. And while Gossip Girl has made strides in this direction, there are important steps it seems to be skipping in its desire to raise the “with child” question.

But in the end the skipping of these steps was perhaps in the best interest of certain of the series’ characters – Chuck, Serena and Blair finally regained some of their humanity that has occasionally been absent. Nate is a lost cause, and Dan is pretty well consistent, which leaves these three individuals as the characters that need to be resolved. They are all over the map when faced with this crisis, but it also differentiates between their true colours and their affected personalities. The episode also returns Jenny to our central narrative, and signals a sign that Gossip Girl might be creatively on the right track when it returns post-Strike.

To discuss the thinning of the line, read below for the details.

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December 17, 2007 · 1:34 am

Season Finale: Dexter – “The British Invasion”

“The British Invasion”

December 16th, 2007

I don’t quite have time for a complete analysis of Dexter’s 2nd season finale, but I was going to be making this argument anyways and felt that it would be best served here. In short, Dexter’s 2nd season was a strongly-conceived second season which features more fantastic acting from Michael C. Hall and a continued commitment to suspenseful television. Unfortunately, I was not wholly pleased with how the potential foreshadowed early in the season was lost.

This is not to say that “The British Invasion” was bad, but rather that it did nothing to resolve the problems with one key storylines, or make me feel like another decision was necessary to the development of the season. While it may have been visceral, Dexter’s second Season Finale ultimately lacked the complexity and depth of its first.

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