This was a busy week in television as most shows tied up their seasons. While there are a few shows outstanding for next week, and May sweeps don’t end until Wednesday, May 20th, three shows I watch regularly, and mostly look forward to week to week, ended their seasons. Because I want to spend a little bit of time with each show, my week in review this week will be limited to those three shows only – Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, and Grimm. iZombie continues to be enjoyable, and got a little darker and more dangerous this past week, and Supernatural certainly went dark with its penultimate episode, which, for the record, I very much enjoyed for it delivered on all the evilness that the Mark of Cain has promised but thus far kept in check, and it also served to counterbalance the lighter aspects of the MoC as seen at the beginning of the season (karaoke, women, booze, and bar fights – Dean without a care but also without vengeance). The Prisoner made it clear, Dean with the MoC and vengeance on his mind is dangerous to, almost, everyone. I’ll make a prediction that next week Death meets his end at the hands of Dean Winchester. I might be going out on a limb here, but that’s my guess (mostly because I’m not wanting to lose anyone else, especially Crowley who just got his mojo back and assuredly will be a force come Season 11 – I hope).
Well, now that that digression is out of the way, let’s delve into this week’s three shows that served up their finales, some successfully, some were more of a mixed bag, and happily, for me, all remain on my viewing schedule next season, if for no other reason than to see what’s next, and hopefully that means an improvement to the storytelling.
Arrow
Season 1 of this show was must-see TV for me. I waited eagerly for each new episode. Last season it wobbled a bit, mostly because I thought Slade Wilson’s devotion to Shado came out of nowhere and didn’t serve this potential enemy well. Still, the team came together quite well, Sara was a fantastic addition to the team, and Detective Lance’s grudging acceptance and perhaps even respect for the Arrow was a progression I enjoyed.
This season I found I disliked more episodes than I liked, and in the end I’m left with hope for the future, mostly because so much of what happened this season is finally behind us. While I enjoyed the Flash crossovers immensely, and am happy there will be more, especially if they are done as well as in the finale — Barry just finds the right amount of levity in a truly dark situation: You guys have a hot tub? Cool. Thank you, Felicity, for outing my secret identity to the villain. No offense (Merlyn) — I found much of the rest of the team dynamic to be messy, chaotic, and at times annoying. Now, perhaps with Oliver and Felicity finally a couple, putting the will they or won’t they stupidity silliness to rest; and Oliver perhaps at peace with who he is, a long time coming that resolution; as well as the team of heroes left behind integrated and competent in their roles, perhaps Season 4 will concentrate on building on that foundation, all while bringing in the next villain.
I think HIVE will make an appearance and I’m wondering if Damien Dark (hope I got that right) is also part of the next season, whatever mysteries he holds. I enjoy Nyssa and certainly hope to see more of her, and Malcolm struggling with his new role as Ra’s with the League promises to be intriguing especially as he finally has what he has wanted and we’re no longer wondering why he’s hanging around. I hated that Sara Lance was killed, but understand it was necessary to bring Laurel into the fullness of her character. I am very glad that that transition has taken place for it was three long, ponderous years to get to this point, and now she seems completely in control, standing up to her father, admitting her alcoholism, and embracing the training under Nyssa’s very expert tutelage.
I’ve always enjoyed the flashbacks and while at times this season they were boring, and Waller’s disappearance for long stretches interrupted what, I think, we were supposed to learn about her and Oliver, in the end the flashbacks served to neatly dovetail right with the present as Oliver in the flashbacks is now free from the island, from Slade, from Waller, from basically everyone, and goes on a solitary journey to discover who he is. This ties in with the present, although the present is much more hopeful will Oliver realizing he has friends, he has family, and while his identity as the Arrow is gone forever, he is content with who he is and where he is and able to go on a journey with Felicity to discover what’s next. If that’s not enough, Oliver is happy. Fairly certain that’s a first in his lifetime. To be certain, it will not all be rainbows and unicorns come Season 4, but the producers do promise a lighter feel, so I’m intrigued with what’s next.
The Vampire Diaries
This show has remained on my watch list for a couple of reasons, first, I have nothing else to watch on Thursday nights, and second, I remain hopeful for Damon and Stefan’s brotherly moments to increase. The third reason I watched was Nina Dobrev’s turn as Katherine – to me a far better character than Elena Gilbert could ever hope to be. (and that I put down to writing, not Ms. Dobrev’s work.) Granted Katherine finally was put away forever midway through last season, so that reason departed, but the other two reasons remained. Now, with Elena Gilbert safely ensconced away for the next six decades, give or take, the show promises to focus back to what Julie Plec has stated on more than a few occasions is her favorite relationship of the show: the Salvatore brothers. I say hooray. I love the brothers, and with Elena gone until sometime in the future Damon will not be suffering immense grief, although missing his love will surely be part of the package, and Stefan has more than come to terms with his relationship with Elena as he realizes (in what was an excellent scene for this viewer) that the best part of his relationship with Elena was watching her love Damon and showing him, Stefan, that Damon was someone to love – something Stefan had lost. In the end, Stefan realizes that while he does love Elena, it is Damon he needs more in his life, which only makes sense. They have been their one and only constant their entire lives; and one without the other is clearly lost.
The season finale has much gore and loss of life, no surprise for this show, although the killing of Jo in the middle of her wedding to Alaric, as well as killing their two babies was horrific, it ultimately led to the end of the Gemini coven – making next year’s battle with the heretics more difficult. Enzo has made a complete 180 (thankfully because the writers realized they fumbled the ball with that Enzo-revenge-Stefan storyline) and has now become much more of an ally, and I am beginning to be hopeful for what this character will become next season. Bonnie’s life will also likely remain off the imminent death list for the foreseeable future, because we all know that if Bonnie dies, Elena awakens and that isn’t in the cards right now as Nina Dobrev is pursuing other projects having done what she came to do with TVD.
Creatively, I think the departure of Elena is good for the show. It can shake things up, all while keeping much the same. More focus on the Salvatore brothers, focus on Lily and the heretics and the carnage they will surely bring (especially if that flash forward of an unknown length of time is any hint) and the relationship drama and love triangles appear to be a thing of the past – something even Ms. Plec admitted had worn thin on the actors and the writers. Good. Riddance.
I’m looking forward to Season 7 of TVD. Give me Damon and Stefan bromance/brotherly moments, and I’ll be pretty darn happy.
Grimm
They did it. They killed the weakest character on the show. About. Darn. Time. Now, for the record, I enjoyed Bitsie Tulloch on the show. She did very good work with really poor material. When Trubel came through the door and said, Good bye, Juliette, I cheered! I can’t believe that I’m happy she’s dead. I did like her in Season 1, and enjoyed that in Season 3 she embraced Nick’s life and jumped in to help each and every time it was asked of her. I also liked it early on this season when she and Nick were both trying to figure out whether or not to continue and try to find a way to get his Grimm powers back, and loved it when she stood by and did what needed to be done. Then the fallout came, and Juliette went darker and darker to the point of, well, no return.
David Giuntoli did an excellent job selling Nick’s shock and horror last week, and then in this episode when he nearly choked Juliette to death, I was amazed. I almost thought he would do it. I’m glad he didn’t though, because although these events will no doubt change him forever and push him further along the journey of his Aunt Marie and his mother, I didn’t want him to have that on his hand. Enter Trubel, who has a lot less of an emotional attachment due to her life prior to meeting Nick, with one look and a determination born of a lack of such emotional attachments and Juliette was dispatched. It’s all over. Now just what does Agent Chavez have going on with Trubel? It’s clear Trubel has been busy since she left Portland.
I am very hopeful for next season on Grimm with much of the Royals in shambles, Juliette gone, Adalind de-hexenbiested (at least for now) and Meisner has baby Diana! The Portland team around Nick remains strong and no doubt committed to each other, and that kind of team dynamic is the draw for me to this show. With the weakest link for the writers now out of the picture, I’m looking forward to what’s next as Nick attempts to rebuild. He will have a lot of explaining to do; however, as just about all his neighbors were massacred last week in the trap to catch Kelly. It’s clear that nothing will be the same in Portland for Nick Burkhardt – and that says a lot, actually.
That’s if for this week’s reviews. All three of the shows exited their seasons in similar places, either hitting the reset button or completely jettisoning their premise all together. Let the countdown begin…20 weeks, give or take and the new stories will begin.
Thanks for reading, Elle2.