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Forgotten Finales
Jul. 6th, 2002 08:03 pmAh, months ago I wrote my thoughts on the season/series finales. It's been too long, and now I finally remembered-- and feel like writing them. So here I am, keeping my promise!
Felicity: To the tell you the truth, I missed the series finale of Felicity. I lost interest in the show after the second season, when Felicity a) changed times, and b) went around the country with BEN. From the start, I didn't like Ben-- he had no personality, wasn't that much of a looker, and I honestly could NOT see what Felicity saw in him. When I finally found my Thursday nights free, (I no longer get NBC) I started to watch it again... but the schedule was so sporadic (more like half-seasons than full ones) that I lost interest once more. I watched the few episodes that featured Felicity going back in time-- to "redo" the time she had spent with Noel. As someone obsessed with time-travel theorems and possibilities, I had a gut feeling that Felicity wouldn't get what she wanted. She'd have to learn that life without a guy wasn't so bad. I always saw her character as rather flat and clingy.
The highlight of the 'Countdown to Goodbye' segment had to be the tiffs between Sean and Megan, since I didn't even know they were married. Their contrasting characters made everything so interesting that the time-travel (which brought Tangi Miller's character back to life, erased Zoe from history, and saw Sean interested in Amy -former Pink Power Ranger and Felicity's best friend... who apparently was *using* Sean to get to BEN *again*... sheesh.) Now, from what I saw of the ending previews, NOEL dies- in a fire! Can you say LAME?
There's a little thing writers in fiction have to remember: the implicit promise. It's the one thing that you say (whether obviously or subtlety) in the VERY BEGINNING of every story, that says "you're going to feel ___" and "you're going to see the world ____" Screenwriters do it a little differently, starting *and* ending every season with an implicit promise, while [hopefully] resolving the old one, or at least closing some loopholes.
Felicity did that-- at first, but then failed miserably. It lost it's appeal too quickly, and I hope that Fall's new shows make up for several of the disappointments of last season (which sadly, came from the WB).
Enterprise YES! Another new Star Trek series! I've only watched entire seasons (and shows) of Voyager and Enterprise, and both have engaging, interesting characters. I was a fan of Scott Bakula when he was doing Quantum Leap, and now he's still interesting-- though monotone. My absolute favorite characters are Trip, Reed, and Hoshi. Oh, and I can't forget the adorable beagle Porthos! I want a beagle! In the last episode, the ever-present and seemingly omniscient Suliban reappeared, along with a time traveling Crewman Daniels. I missed TWO episodes throughout the entire season, and I think it threw me off kilter! In any case, Daniels gave Captain Archer some haunting dreams, intending to prevent the destruction of an entire planet. However, the plan fails- and while the ship is on the run from several heavily-armed vessels, the Captain is transported (he thinks he's being taken to the vessels demanding him as a hostage) to the 31st century (after ANY OTHER Star Trek series)-- but it's in a state of total destruction. Now there's no way to send Archer back. I like the series because it's not focused entirely on who the Captain's going to DO that episode. I do have some quirks about it though-- it being set 150 years before Kirk's time, why are the uniforms so modern? Why aren't there more girls in minis on the ship? And above all, what's with the modern transporter (however rare they use it) sequence? I suppose "going retro" would decline the audience some, but at least it would stay true to the Star Trek timeline. I can't wait until Nemesis, the 10th ST movie, starring the TNG crew, comes out this month.
Alias: Quite easily my new favorite show, this season finale literally kept me on the edge of my seat-- when I wasn't running back and forth in the kitchen for some much needed snacks. I adore the simmering romance between Sydney and Vaughn (STUD!) and could easily see the implicit promise being made throughout the season-- that Sydney, on a constant search for her mother (though the fact that she was really alive only became clear towards the last few episodes, regardless of how predictable it was) would have to meet her. She'd end up in a worst-case scenario situation-- in the hands of The Man (the irony there is finally realized) -- and then meet her mother. The entire last episode was packed with drama, romance, comedy... there are so many unanswered questions, and that's what makes a finale great. Vaughn isn't DEAD-- more likely captured. After all, the water flooded a building-- doubtless there was SOME place that had air or a window or a manner of escape. It's unlikely that he could have been captured, unless there was a way for the water to be drained at such a fast rate that he wouldn't have drowned, and, possibly passed out, could have been taken in. BUT, we're still wondering about the effects of Will finding out Syd's secret, WHAT in the world Syd is going to say to her mother... and probably a million other questions I'm not remembering at the moment.
Charmed: I used to watch it, then I stopped, then I started watching it again. Rose McGowan successfully completes her first season as half-sister Paige, and I must commend her on a job well done. I recently re-watched the season premiere where she made her debut, and though hints were aplenty, and the emotional tension was high, she made a good entrance into a fun and engaging show. It was the only show that I saw that didn't leave you nail-biting -the ending was HAPPY, what with the Angel of Destiny (an admiral in ST, too?) and everything. Now, we're wondering what's happening with Cole, now that he's got a mesh of demon powers inside him. What's more, since The Source is gone, who will the girls fight? There has to be *some* source of evil, right? Or are all the baddies in the world just rebelling now?
Overall, I'd have to say this season's finales were about a 6 or 7. Some were very engaging, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, emotional roller coasters, while others... let's just say they left much to be desired. Stay tuned (and I mean it this time) for the season PREMIERES, coming up in September/October or November.
Felicity: To the tell you the truth, I missed the series finale of Felicity. I lost interest in the show after the second season, when Felicity a) changed times, and b) went around the country with BEN. From the start, I didn't like Ben-- he had no personality, wasn't that much of a looker, and I honestly could NOT see what Felicity saw in him. When I finally found my Thursday nights free, (I no longer get NBC) I started to watch it again... but the schedule was so sporadic (more like half-seasons than full ones) that I lost interest once more. I watched the few episodes that featured Felicity going back in time-- to "redo" the time she had spent with Noel. As someone obsessed with time-travel theorems and possibilities, I had a gut feeling that Felicity wouldn't get what she wanted. She'd have to learn that life without a guy wasn't so bad. I always saw her character as rather flat and clingy.
The highlight of the 'Countdown to Goodbye' segment had to be the tiffs between Sean and Megan, since I didn't even know they were married. Their contrasting characters made everything so interesting that the time-travel (which brought Tangi Miller's character back to life, erased Zoe from history, and saw Sean interested in Amy -former Pink Power Ranger and Felicity's best friend... who apparently was *using* Sean to get to BEN *again*... sheesh.) Now, from what I saw of the ending previews, NOEL dies- in a fire! Can you say LAME?
There's a little thing writers in fiction have to remember: the implicit promise. It's the one thing that you say (whether obviously or subtlety) in the VERY BEGINNING of every story, that says "you're going to feel ___" and "you're going to see the world ____" Screenwriters do it a little differently, starting *and* ending every season with an implicit promise, while [hopefully] resolving the old one, or at least closing some loopholes.
Felicity did that-- at first, but then failed miserably. It lost it's appeal too quickly, and I hope that Fall's new shows make up for several of the disappointments of last season (which sadly, came from the WB).
Enterprise YES! Another new Star Trek series! I've only watched entire seasons (and shows) of Voyager and Enterprise, and both have engaging, interesting characters. I was a fan of Scott Bakula when he was doing Quantum Leap, and now he's still interesting-- though monotone. My absolute favorite characters are Trip, Reed, and Hoshi. Oh, and I can't forget the adorable beagle Porthos! I want a beagle! In the last episode, the ever-present and seemingly omniscient Suliban reappeared, along with a time traveling Crewman Daniels. I missed TWO episodes throughout the entire season, and I think it threw me off kilter! In any case, Daniels gave Captain Archer some haunting dreams, intending to prevent the destruction of an entire planet. However, the plan fails- and while the ship is on the run from several heavily-armed vessels, the Captain is transported (he thinks he's being taken to the vessels demanding him as a hostage) to the 31st century (after ANY OTHER Star Trek series)-- but it's in a state of total destruction. Now there's no way to send Archer back. I like the series because it's not focused entirely on who the Captain's going to DO that episode. I do have some quirks about it though-- it being set 150 years before Kirk's time, why are the uniforms so modern? Why aren't there more girls in minis on the ship? And above all, what's with the modern transporter (however rare they use it) sequence? I suppose "going retro" would decline the audience some, but at least it would stay true to the Star Trek timeline. I can't wait until Nemesis, the 10th ST movie, starring the TNG crew, comes out this month.
Alias: Quite easily my new favorite show, this season finale literally kept me on the edge of my seat-- when I wasn't running back and forth in the kitchen for some much needed snacks. I adore the simmering romance between Sydney and Vaughn (STUD!) and could easily see the implicit promise being made throughout the season-- that Sydney, on a constant search for her mother (though the fact that she was really alive only became clear towards the last few episodes, regardless of how predictable it was) would have to meet her. She'd end up in a worst-case scenario situation-- in the hands of The Man (the irony there is finally realized) -- and then meet her mother. The entire last episode was packed with drama, romance, comedy... there are so many unanswered questions, and that's what makes a finale great. Vaughn isn't DEAD-- more likely captured. After all, the water flooded a building-- doubtless there was SOME place that had air or a window or a manner of escape. It's unlikely that he could have been captured, unless there was a way for the water to be drained at such a fast rate that he wouldn't have drowned, and, possibly passed out, could have been taken in. BUT, we're still wondering about the effects of Will finding out Syd's secret, WHAT in the world Syd is going to say to her mother... and probably a million other questions I'm not remembering at the moment.
Charmed: I used to watch it, then I stopped, then I started watching it again. Rose McGowan successfully completes her first season as half-sister Paige, and I must commend her on a job well done. I recently re-watched the season premiere where she made her debut, and though hints were aplenty, and the emotional tension was high, she made a good entrance into a fun and engaging show. It was the only show that I saw that didn't leave you nail-biting -the ending was HAPPY, what with the Angel of Destiny (an admiral in ST, too?) and everything. Now, we're wondering what's happening with Cole, now that he's got a mesh of demon powers inside him. What's more, since The Source is gone, who will the girls fight? There has to be *some* source of evil, right? Or are all the baddies in the world just rebelling now?
Overall, I'd have to say this season's finales were about a 6 or 7. Some were very engaging, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, emotional roller coasters, while others... let's just say they left much to be desired. Stay tuned (and I mean it this time) for the season PREMIERES, coming up in September/October or November.
