"Reaper" season finale recap: "The Devil and Sam Oliver"

I'm finally getting caught up on all the stuff I missed while I was away on vacation. Yesterday, I watched the last two "Reaper" episodes of the season. These also might be the last two episodes ever, as the CW hasn't picked "Reaper" up for a third season. The show's production company is still shopping the show around, possibly for syndication (see details here), but I think it's unlikely. Even if the show does return, it will be without creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, which means it could have a totally different feel.
With all that in mind, I had mixed feelings watching the season two finale "The Devil and Sam Oliver." On the one hand, it did set up some good questions for a possible season three, mainly just what is God's plan for poor Sam (and now Andi, who also lost her soul to the devil)? On the other hand, the episode was strong enough, both from an entertainment perspective and from a mythology perspective, that I'm OK if it doesn't come back.
The finale was kind of a greatest hits of all the things I love about this show. We had Sam dancing like a monkey at the devil's behest; Sock turning back into the season one Sock we loved; Andi showing some spine and, best of all, the returns of both Steve and Gladys. Good stuff.
Here are a few more of my thoughts on the finale:
* In his blog recap, The Star Ledger's Alan Sepinwall took issue with the fact that we suddenly learned that Sam is good at quarters -- something we'd never seen evidence of before. It's a good point, but that twist worked for me, as it was totally in character. It's not like we suddenly found out he had a secret gift for organic chemistry.
* Sam's monkey dance was a highlight, as was the Devil's delighted reaction to it. But, for me, the best moment was Sock describing his trip after accidentally ingesting chemicals given off by Ben's hallucinogenic toad: "I tasted music. And it tasted like garbage."
* I really like the character of Nina. Her relationship with Ben was both sweet and funny, and gave a little more depth to a show that was sometimes lacking it. It was surprisingly touching when she volunteered to go through with the exorcism, even though it might send her back to hell, just to restore Ben's relationship with his grandma.
* How come we didn't get to see Andi actually offer up her soul to the Devil? Hearing about it secondhand seemed like a cop-out and robbed that plot turn of some of its power.
* If this show is gone for good, the thing I'll miss most is Ray Wise's brilliantly naughty and hilarious turn as the Devil. All of his moments in this episode were gold, from his deadpan sadness over the loss of his favorite monkey, to his malicious glee at defeating Sam in competition. Please find him a new show.
* I'll also miss Rick Gonzalez's clever work as Ben and Bret Harrison's solid, everyman charm as Sam. "Reaper" was a show that didn't always work, but was always worth watching, if only for its charming slacker vibe and the likable performances by most of its cast. Like everyone, I'm still on the fence about Tyler Labine's performance as Sock, but, truth be told, I liked it more often than I didn't like it, so I'll miss him, too.

Returned!

Ok, all -- I'm back from my journey to the Indianapolis 500 and, aside from camping alongside the racetrack and sharing a set of port-a-potties with a bunch of drunken hooligans, it was pretty good.
But, of course, I missed the blog. And, really, could I have left at a worse possible time? I've barely gotten to write anything about the new fall lineups, about which I have some strong feelings. So, even though all my fellow TV writers have moved on to arguably more important things (like the steaming train wreck that is "Jon & Kate Plus 8), I'm going to write a few quick thoughts on some of the broadcast networks' recent announcements.
* Does anybody else get the idea that Fox was only allowed to renew one of its low-rated, acclaimed cult sci-fi series. How else to explain why the network renewed "Dollhouse" and not the equally worthy "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles?" I really would have liked to see them both come back, especially since "TSCC" was just hitting its stride with a great finale. But I'm glad that at least one of them will return. "Dollhouse" just got better as it went on, and I'm interested to see what Joss Whedon and co. will do with a second season.
* NBC renewed the cult series "Chuck," but canceled "Medium" and "My Name is Earl." CBS has announced it will pick up "Medium" and another network might pick up "Earl," but I'm thinking the latter is unlikely. Where would "Earl" go? The show, which I loved in its first two seasons, is running out of steam. And where would it go? ABC picked up "Scrubs" when NBC dropped it, but that show still had some creative juice left (at least, that's what I've been told. I don't actually watch it.) "Earl's" returns are diminishing, and I'm not sure anyone else wants to jump on board.
* OK, for me, this was the saddest announcement: The CW canceled "Reaper." Well, maybe. ABC studios is still trying to sell the show, and syndication is a real possibility. Check out all the details here at the ReaperDMV fan site. They encourage writing to your local CW affiliate, and I second that.
I know "Reaper" never really lived up to the promise of its pilot, but I was really fond of it. I loved Ray Wise's cheeky performance as the Devil, and Bret Harrison had a nice Everyman charm as reluctant soul-hunter Sam Oliver. I still held out hope that it would gel a little better as it went on, but I always enjoyed it. I'm not surprised it's gone, but I'm still really sad.
In fact, I was so distracted by "Reaper's" cancellation, I barely noticed that The CW didn't pick up the "Gossip Girl" spin-off with Brittany Snow. That was a little surprising, as the show's had a lot of buzz. But, judging from the back door pilot that aired as a "Gossip Girl" episode, I can't say not picking it up was a great loss.
Well, that's it for now. I'll have more on the new shows once I get a chance to see some. I also plan to start watching the summer shows soon, so I'll have reviews on those in the near future as well.

Going on vacation...

Yes, I know this is a terrible time for a vacation, what with the networks announcing their new schedules, and many shows wrapping up their seasons. Alas, my race fan husband and I are traveling to Indy this weekend for the Indianapolis 500, so I'll be away from my blog for several days.
However, I will be back by mid-next week, at which time I will post thoughts on the coming fall season (yay! to the return of "Dollhouse"; boo! to the cancellation of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") and other pressing TV issues.
Till then, please enjoy this video of Jim Nabors singing at last year's Indy 500. It's not technically TV-related, but it's still damn entertaining.

"Gossip Girl" finale recap: "The Goodbye Gossip Girl"

Last night's second season finale of the CW teen soap "Gossip Girl" really felt more like a series finale, didn't it? I mean, I know the show is coming back, but there were certain moments that felt final or, at least, like the passing of a torch. Jenny and Blair had a detente, and Blair forced Jenny in as the new queen bee. Chuck finally declared his love for Blair. The kids went off to college. Lily and Rufus finally decided to get engaged. All felt like something was ending.
Were it not for a couple of dangling plot threads (the arrival of Dan/Serena's half brother; the discovery of Serena's dad; Georgina's resurgence), I would wonder just what the heck was going on.
Anyway, here are some more thoughts on the season two finale of "Gossip Girl," titled "The Goodbye Gossip Girl."
* Gotta say, this episode's overlying plot was ridiculous. Really, Serena? You and your boobs are going to bring down Gossip Girl. No. It wouldn't happen. Not even with Blair and Chuck helping you. Look Serena, I know you mean well but you're on a show called "Gossip Girl." You can't get rid of the title character. No.
* Can I just say how much I loved that, instead of wearing a cap to graduation, Serena just attached her tassle to her long, blond extensions? Perfect. I just can't decide whether Serena did this because her fashion sense is so bad, or because she simply didn't realize that the tassle goes on the hat, not the head.
* Also loved that Jenny's "crown" as queen is a diamond studded headband. Because of course that's Blair's idea of a crown. Perfect that Jenny's first rule as queen is "No more headbands. Except for this one.
* Here are a few more things I loved about the episode: that when Lily announces that she found pot in Chuck's room, Rufus's only reaction is "Then I bet it's good"; that when Blair makes the outgoing mean girls scoot over to make room for her, she employs a Cyrus-ism, "Not enough;" that stupid Nate thinks that everyone who comes into the bar is Gossip Girl; that Dan's name was spelled wrong in the program, and that it was eventually corrected as "Don"; and yes, loved the Chuck/Blair love pronouncement, even if it can only end badly.
*Here are some things I didn't love about the episode. First, why was the whole Poppy/Georgina story pushed into the background? We got almost nothing on it. Plus, Michelle Trachtenberg is on a new show for NBC next year, so I don't know how much we'll even see of her in season three. We better get more on this story, though. I feel shortchanged. I also didn't love that we saw little to no Dorota. Please! Like she wouldn't be buzzing around Miss Blair like a bee throughout the whole graduation event. Also, I thought it was totally unrealistic that Blair had a heart-to-heart with Chuck after Gossip Girl's reveals about them. Blair is a teenage girl. When she hears that her true love slept with her mortal enemy, she doesn't step back and wonder what she's really angry about. She just kicks said mortal enemy's ass.
* Overall, an OK episode, though it really did shortchange that whole Poppy/Georgina plot. What did you think?

"24" season finale recap: "6:00 a.m. to 7 a.m."/"7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m."

You know what was the most ridiculous moment in last night's season finale of the Fox action drama "24"? No, it wasn't when Tony got all mad scientist and theorized that his madcap band of terrorists could recreate the bioweapon by harvesting Jack's infected organs, though that was pretty insane. Nor was it when we learned that Tony wasn't really a turncoat, but the world's most vengeful widower, murdering an innocent FBI agent and plotting the deaths of a bunch of innocent people, all to avenge the murder of his wife and unborn child (though I did adore Carlos Bernand's over-the-top delivery of the line "THEY KILLED! MY! SON!!!!" Fabulous.)
No, the most ridiculous moment of last night's "24" finale was when Renee told Chloe that Kim Bauer was in danger and...Chloe looked surprised. Really? I mean, I could understand Renee or Janis being shocked that Kim Bauer was under terrorist watch, but Chloe? Chloe, who's known Kim for years? Chloe, who is well aware that trouble follows Kim Bauer like dust clouds follow Pigpen from the Peanut comics? Chloe would not be surprised. Not only that, but Chloe, upon hearing of Kim's latest setback, would roll her eyes, puff out her cheeks and say something snide like "Oh great. Now we have to save Blondie again."
But that character inconsistency aside, last night's "24" finale wasn't bad. There was a decent amount of action, and we finally learned the reason for Tony's crazed behavior. It was all about getting close to Alan Wilson, leader of the terrorist syndicate and the man responsible for the assassination of David Palmer and, of course, Michelle Dessler. I liked that Jack just wounded Tony, instead of killing him. It would have been really ridiculous for the show to bring Tony back just so it could kill him. Still not sure how I feel about them bringing Tony back only to make him an evil mastermind, though.
I also kind of liked the way it ended, with Renee deciding whether to torture Alan Wilson for information. I liked that the show didn't show the answer. I believe she didn't do it, especially since she knew how ashamed her late buddy Larry would be if she did, but we won't know until season eight, I guess. And yes, the 11th hour decision by Kim to save her poor daddy was cheesy, but believable, and totally consistent with Kim Bauer's inability to do anything her father tells her to.
Overall, this season wasn't on a par with the show's best (season five remains its high water mark), but it was a vast improvement over season six.
Some more thoughts on the finale:
* Maybe the best moment of last night's two-part finale was when a dying Jack miraculously busted through his restraints in the terrorist operating room and proceeded to kill everyone in it with his bare hands. Fantastic, old-school "24" stuff. Yes, Jack Bauer's body might be slowly failing him and yes, he's convulsing with seizures, but the man can still bring it when needed. Because he's Jack.
* Also loved when Kim's cell phone died during her conversation with Renee and she emitted a solid, Jack-style "Dammit!" in response to the setback. Like father, like daughter, I guess.
* OK, does anybody else get a homoerotic vibe from the Jack-Tony relationship? All those longing glances; all the touching; all the wounded rage when one of them betrays the other? Last night's episode contained one of the season's more eyebrow-raising moments, when Jack, on his hands and knees, tried to chase down the flare that he threw, and Tony followed him -- not walking beside or behind Jack, but straddling him! Does anybody else get the feeling that all of the nation's problems would be over if Tony and Jack could just resolve all this sexual tension?
* Could have done without the whole President's daughter plot, though it did provide a few more glimpses of my beloved Aaron Pierce, perhaps the most honorable, competent and intelligent character in the "24" universe. Can we get a spinoff for him? Preferably one in which we learn what happened to poor Martha Logan?
* One last note: though I think this show has one more season left in it, I'm hoping that's it. Season seven was decent enough that I'd like to see what they'd do with a season eight, but after that, I'm probably done.
What do you think?

Juliet's cleavage: A farewell

There's been a little bit of controversy over what happened to Elizabeth Mitchell's character, Juliet, in the season finale of "Lost." The day after the finale, several blogs and web sites printed stories stating that the character had been killed off. Other sites refrained from pronouncing the good Dr. Burke dead just yet, pointing out that, if detonating the hydrogen bomb did indeed work the way it was supposed to, then all of the events following the plane crash -- including Juliet's tumble down the swan hatch and subsequent obliteration by hydrogen bomb -- didn't happen. That would mean she's alive and well.
I'm hoping that's the case, as I've always liked the character of Juliet, and admired Mitchell's tough but tender performance in the role. But, if she is indeed dead, there's one thing I won't miss: all those gratuitous shots of Juliet's cleavage. Don't tell me you didn't notice. More than any other character on this show, Juliet was all about putting the girls on display.
She didn't wear a single top that didn't show three-quarters of her rack. And she was ALWAYS bending over. Like always. Sometimes for no reason. I never really noticed it until the season four episode "The Other Woman" when Ben takes Juliet out to view the body of her dead lover, Goodman. She crouches over the corpse crying, and wails to Ben "Why did you bring me here?"
My husband shouted back at the TV "To look at your cleavage!"
Indeed, you could see nearly everything. And, if I recall correctly, she was crouched over that body even more than necessary.
Yes, I know Elizabeth Mitchell is beautiful, and yes, she has a lovely figure. But enough is enough. If the character does come back to life, I hope she covers up a little.

"Prison Break" series finale recap: "Rate of Exchange/Killing Your Number"

The Fox action drama "Prison Break" came to a close last night after four seasons and, I must say, the ending was a fitting one for this often-overlooked series.
Unlike other recently concluded shows, such as "The Shield," "The Wire," or "ER," "Prison Break" has never been called iconic or groundbreaking. In fact, most critics eschew the series as fast-paced, brain-dead trash. Point well-taken.
But I've always had a soft spot for the show, and not just because of the stunning good looks of series star Wentworth Miller. "Prison Break," which focused on a gang of lovable criminals on the run from both the law and a nefarious agency called "The Company," was just plain entertaining.
With its crazy plots, pulpy dialogue, and ridiculously macho characters the show was often hilarious. Unintentionally, perhaps, but entertainment is entertainment. Besides, I can't believe the series' creators didn't have their tongues just a little in cheek. I mean, come on -- the show had a character named T-Bag! Clearly, no show with a character named T-Bag is meant to be taken with complete seriousness.
However, the show also had moments of genuine quality, mainly centering around the character of disgraced ex-FBI agent Alex Mahone (William Fichtner). Fichtner was by far the best actor on the show, and is one of the best character actors around, able to convey the huge reserves of pain under Mahone's often-stoic exterior. Miller also brought a lot of grace to the character of the highly intelligent and overly empathetic Michael Scofield, the ultimate crook with a heart of gold. And a lot of the action sequences on the show were well-shot, quick-moving and thrilling (in many ways, I think it's actually a better action series than "24," but I might be alone in that).
Anyway, the show came to a poignant, and appropriate, end last night. Escaped con Michael Scofield and his friends finally were exonerated, and escaped the grasp of The Company (and of Michael's evil ex-Company agent mom, Christina). It looked like everyone (with the exception of my beloved T-Bag) would get to stop running and live a life of freedom. Even T-Bag, who went back to prison, got a sort of happy ending, finally finding the respectability that had escaped him in the outside world.
It also looked like Michael and his lady love Sarah would finally get to settle down and be parents to their unborn child. But, just as they're gushing over that fact, Michael's nose bleeds. Yes, in spite of the surgery he had earlier this season to fix his rare brain ailment, Michael was still sick. Yet he and Sarah decide not to focus on that. They embrace (though Sarah is noticeably upset) and vow to start their new life together. We skip ahead four years and see T-Bag in prison, the General on death row and our beloved ex-cons off to some mysterious engagement. Turns out they're -- gasp! -- visiting Michael's grave.
Sigh. Poor Michael. He died not long after freeing his brother, lover and friends (I'm hoping he at least got to see his son, also named Michael, before he died). It was sad, but it made sense. Michael was so concerned about others, it's no shock that he would drive himself to an early grave. After all, the whole show started with Michael purposely getting arrested so he could break his lunkhead brother Lincoln out of jail.
But it was sad nonetheless, and it's a testament to the show that I actually cried a little when I saw Michael's headstone. I hadn't realized that I'd gotten that attached to him.
Anyway, here are some more of my thought on the two-hour series finale of "Prison Break," titled "Rate of Exchange/Killing Your Number."
* Though he said good-bye to his buddies in the middle of the season, I was pretty sure we'd see Fernando Sucre again before the show ended. However, though I dreamed we might get to see C-Note again, I didn't think it would actually happen. But it did! I almost squealed when it was revealed that the big C was the mysterious person following Sucre through the streets of Chicago.
All right. I did squeal. Loudly. I'm only human!
* Refresh my memory -- was C-Note always such a badass? I remember him being tough in the first two seasons, but not necessarily kill-happy. Yet here he was, dispatching company men left and right. Maybe he was always that way, but I remember him being a bit more sensitive. After all, the whole reason he went into witness protection was to help his sick little girl. It's hard to believe he all of a sudden became a cold-blooded killer. Oh well. I guess someone had to be the heavy, and with T-Bag working for the general and Lincoln bleeding to death, C-Note was the toughest of the remaining Prison Break-ers.
* So, not only did we get to see C-Note and Sucre again, but Kellerman popped up. Woo-hoo! I loved Kellerman, and the show hasn't been the same since he was killed off. Wait. That's right. He was killed. Soooo....how did he come back to life? Michael does ask that, but doesn't get much of an explanation. Oh well. I loved that he came back, and that he was the one to give the gang their walking papers. After all, he was turning on The Company right before he "died."
* Though C-Note, Kellerman and Sucre all returned, there was no sign of Gretchen. Not that I'm complaining, really. I was never a big fan of Jodi Lynn O'Keefe's character. But I was pretty sure we never saw her die after she got shot in that parking lot. It would have been nice to have some closure on that story.
* Aside from the return of some beloved characters, there were few other nice callbacks to the show's early seasons. For instance, T-Bag asks a captive Sarah to take his pocket, just as he did with the boys he dominated at Fox River (and just as he would do again upon his return to prison). Also, it was nice touch that the widow of Kellerman's old partner -- the one Kellerman killed -- showed up to spit on him at the end. Nice reminder that, though Kellerman has changed, he still did some pretty terrible things once upon a time, including trying to kill Sarah.
* Quick note to Christina: when starting a day that you know could possibly end in bloodshed and explosions, maybe a white suit isn't the best wardrobe choice.
*Glad that Mahone hooked up with his ex-partner, Lainie. She always had his back and my Mahone deserves to be taken care of.
* So, are Michael and Lincoln really brothers or was Christina telling the truth about Linc's adoption? I think it's the latter, but Michael doesn't seem to care. He's devoted to his brother no matter what, which gave a nice weight to this sometimes silly show.
* Loved Sucre asking Kellerman if he could keep the pen after signing his exoneration deal.
* Also loved that our first glimpse of Michael Jr. is of him getting a fake tattoo. Like father, like son.