PALEYFEST: Five Reasons you should be watching Jane the Virgin

In honor of  the final day of PaleyFest or as I like to call it TV Nerd Comic Con, I thought I would revisit what is easily my favorite new TV show to arrive this season. I wrote about Jane the Virgin after it's third episode, because that is all it took to realize what Jennie Snyder Urman and her team were creating was something special. Jane the Virgin is a show that manages to entertain first and endear its audience. It honors the cultural nuances and realities of the Latino community that are so often exploited, exaggerated and misrepresented in service of a joke or to lean into stereotypes. It is clear from the first episode that the writers and actors here have taken the time to understand that stereotypes exist for a reason and go about dismantling them with humor and poignancy.

There are many reasons to watch Jane the Virgin, but here are five I think are most salient and the reason to make this show Monday appointment television.

5. Latin Lover Narration - Like many shows before it (Ally McBeal and Eli Stone immediately come to mind) Jane the Virgin breaks fourth wall reality to remind us that in the very serious emotions we navigate as people, there needs to be a break for humor and the ability to see the absurdity of a given situation. Jane the Virgin is particularly deft at this styling and when they chose to use it. The show fundamentally understands how important it is to not take itself too seriously. The plot is fantastical and absurd, that is a fact. It is drawn from the great traditions of telenovelas and is unapologetic about those roots. I believe what makes Jane the Virgin successful is how they choose to let the audience in on the irreverence. They smartly created a modern day Greek chorus via a stereotypical Latin lover narrator (voiced to perfection by Anthony Mendez) who embodies the flare of the heighten realities of a soap opera with grounding logic in his observations to guide the stories the show is telling. The narrator serves as the voice in the audience's head. He is the mirror that calls out the obvious or blatant mishaps that occur. It provides a vehicle for the audience to abandon the fantastical pieces of the plot and fully invest in the characters and underlying stories of lived experiences that exist for families and in particular, Latino families.

4. The Writing - The team putting together these episodes has really tapped into something wonderful. They have found a voice that rings true to a broad audience but happens to be told through the eyes of a multi-generational Latina family. In my group of TV watcher friends who adore the show, we have found the common links of larger families and the influences they can play. The traditions vs. the stereotypes exist in all cultures. What continues to impress me 15 episodes later is the sheer bravery of the writers. Whether it is discussing the real ramifications of immigration on a family or the ridiculousness of a melodramatic father you've never known this group provides dialogue that I can easily imagine taking place in my own living room. The ability to bridge pop culture references with cultural touchstones is used with razor like precision. They also use every facility at their disposal to tell this story. The episodes are chapters, Jane is an aspiring writer, and embedded within the narration are often typed clues and commentary across the screen as though the story is being written as we go along. That combination offers huge laughs, open questions and certainly whenever any of the women wind up on the porch swing a piece of wisdom and familial love that touches into the very real vulnerabilities we all navigate with the people we trust most in the world.

3. Affairs of the Heart - There is a core love triangle embedded into Jane the Virgin and it is a testament to the show that two-thirds of the way into the season I still haven't picked a side. The combined talent of the actors who bring us Rafael, Jane and Michael with the fact that the show smartly made none of these characters innocent or pure creates a wonderful dynamic that leaves viewers conflicted about who to root for at any given moment. They use a common trope of third parties seeing something and misinterpreting what transpires to actually open up real questions about the characters feelings rather than merely create drama. That ability to layer a moment of doubt with an ounce of truth works wonderfully because there truly are no villains in this trio so there isn't a clear end game for these characters and that is what makes it feel honest as well as keeps it interesting.

2. Authenticity - No where else on TV will you find a show that is more accurately portraying Latinas on screen. Period. Jane the Virgin is not only calling out Latino stereotypes, they are dismantling them with humor and poignancy that honors our culture and speaks to the competency of everyone involved in the show. Jane the Virgin does something I've rarely seen for Latinos or women on television. It has established characters who bring their whole identities into the storytelling and does so in a surprising and genuine way. The show not only provides a character's point of view, but the experiences that inform it. I so deeply appreciate that Jane the Virgin takes the time for the audience to understand that perception is so rarely reality. It embraces the idea that our values are formed by a lived understanding of what it takes to navigate the world and protect that which is most important, those we love. Jane the Virgin also gets the little things right. The most prominent example being that Alba only speaks Spanish while both Jane and Xiomara respond in English. It would be easier for the show to merely have Alba speak in a heavy accent, choosing to have her speak Spanish honors who we are as a community. It reflects the world I personally grew up in and doubles down on what Gina Rodriguez so rightly declared in her Golden Globe acceptance speech, "This award is so much more than myself, it represents a culture that wants to see themselves as heroes." Every episode of this show has provided dignity to a community that hasn't often been displayed on television as much more than gang members and maids. It is what quintessentially makes this show special.

1. The Villanueva Women - At the end of the day the real love story of Jane the Virgin is that of the three women who make up the Villanueva family. It's a story of life told by mothers and daughters and the very real conflicts that come from navigating the duality of being a parent and child simultaneously. Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Navedo and Ivonne Coll have tapped into something truly special. They have created complex, flawed, vulnerable women whose love for one another is the lifeblood of their personal strength and conviction for how they navigate their lives. They are the honest mirrors and confidants that keep the unrealistically structured Jane, the flamboyant dreamer Xiomara and the traditional Alba grounded and ultimately hopeful. The center of their relationship is often on display in the scenes that take place on the porch swing. Here we are given the wisdom and unconditional love that is indicative of mothers and daughters. I was struck early on in the series when Xiomara's character gives advice to Jane to be selfish about what she needs. It speaks to the bravery of the writing and willingness the show has to allow their characters to display introspection on regrets and understanding that choices and decisions, regardless of being the right ones have moving consequences with lasting impact and influence. I had the great privilege to visit the set of Jane the Virgin on a day when they were shooting a porch scene. Watching these three women work and evolve a scene over a series of takes only cemented my thinking that the soul of this show is grounded in these three women and the great care and respect they bring to these characters. Each implicitly understands they represent much more than a positive take on Latinas in television. They represent a different way of looking at women inherently. They embody the truth that women are not monoliths - Latina, immigrant, single parent, mother or daughter. We are all of those things at all times. It is a beautiful depth of emotions and experience that has powerful resonance beyond plot and dialogue.

In a TV age where the anti-hero is revered and cynicism holds center court for many TV show plots, Jane the Virgin is a cool Miami breeze with the cadence of a great salsa band. It is loud, jubilant and honest. Jane the Virgin is quietly changing the game with its boisterous irreverent joy. Tonight the cast and creators take the stage at PaleyFest. Do yourself a favor and join them and then tune in Monday, you won't be disappointed.

EMMY PICKS: A laymans guide for those of you who have betting pools to win

This post has one explicit purpose. To set up the viewing pleasure that comes from betting pools. So lets get into it - the great divide of who will and who should win.

NOTE:  A word about Breaking Bad and Bryan Cranston in particular. I appreciate the momentum the show has picked up recently and concede this final season has been mind-blowing. However, the nominations on Sunday are for Season 4 which was less than its best. My picks reflect my thoughts about season 4, not it's currently running final season.

DRAMA

Outstanding Drama Series

Should Win: Game of Thrones

Will Win: House of Cards

This one is a tough call. Breaking Bad or Homeland could easily win based on momentum. I think of the nominated shows, Game of Thrones had the best season, but House of Cards feels like a show people want to reward.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Should Win: Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, Homeland

Will Win: Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, House of Cards

Spacey is an actor people love to vote for, in a series that broke ground in TV viewing with Netflix. In spite of a weak 2^nd season the acting on Homeland remains among the best that television has to offer. So I would like back to back wins for Lewis.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Should Win: Robin Wright as Claire Underwood, House of Cards

Will Win: Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, Homeland

Claire Danes is actually my least favorite thing in Homeland, but she’s nearly a lock to win. For me Robin Wright WAS the reason to watch House of Cards.

***** A moment of silence for the robbed Tatiana Maslany, who actually gave the best performance, hands down. **********

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Should Win: Anna Gunn as Skyler White Breaking Bad

Will Win: Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess Downton Abbey

Anna Gunn deserves it, but I don’t bet against Maggie Smith and she was at her very best last season. She broke my heart simply by leaning into a wall.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Should Win: Mandy Patinkin as Saul, Homeland

Will Win: Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman Breaking Bad

I hope I am wrong and that Patinkin deservedly wins here on Sunday night. He is the backbone of Homeland and his performance a master class.

COMEDY

Outstanding Comedy Series

Should Win: Louie

Will Win: Modern Family

Louie is better than Modern Family, but Modern Family is poised to make history in consecutive wins and join a prestigious group of comedy with multiple wins in this category. It will do both.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Should/Will Win: Louis C.K. as Louie, Louie

This is the way the Emmys will reward this terrific show. It won’t win for best comedy and this is the next best thing. Jim Parsons has an outside shot at spoiling.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Should Win: Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope Parks and Recreation

Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer Veep

Poehler is due, but the Emmy’s love Louis-Dreyfus and she is great in Veep so it’s hard to deny her.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Should Win: Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow Nurse Jackie

Will Win: Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy Modern Family

Emmy’s history is repetitive especially in the comedy series categories so logic dictates Bowen gets a second statue.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Should Win: Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett, Modern Family

Will Win: Ty Burell as Phil Dunphy Modern Family

O'Neill has long deserved Emmy love, he's just unlikely to get it here. Look for Tony Hale to spoil for Veep if the Modern Family vote splinters off voters.

REALITY

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

Should Win: So You Think You Can Dance

Will Win: The Amazing Race

Since they started the category the Amazing Race has won all but one time (losing to Top Chef). Good money says stay with the travelogue show.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program

Should Win: Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance

Will Win: Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars

Cat Deeley is completed overshadowed by bigger names in shows that get more press. Bergeron however makes a show long past its expiration date palatable.

MINISERIES/MOVIE

Outstanding Miniseries Or Movie

Should Win: Top of the Lake

Will Win: Behind the Candelabra

This too is a lock. Top of the Lake was terrific but Behind the Candelabra was an event.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Will/Should Win: Michael Douglas as Liberace Behind the Candelabra

This is the lock of the night. Period.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Will/Should Win: Elisabeth Moss as Robin, Top of the Lake

The Emmy’s finally has a mechanism for honoring Elisabeth Moss outside of Mad Men and logic says they’ll take it. It helps that she deserves it for this role specifically.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Should Win: Alfre Woodard as Ouiser Steel Magnolias

Will Win: Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters American Horror Story

Woodard was the best thing in a good remake of Magnolias, but Paulson is loved and was robbed last year for Game Change.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Should/Will Win: Peter Mullan as Matt Top of the Lake

Mullan was terrific and is likely given the makeup of the category, however James Cromwell could spoil.

One final note: I had an extensive catharsis around the Emmy's when the nominations came out. You can read it here. I have one final gripe to make before the fun begins. Earlier this week it the Emmy's announced they were going to single out James Gandolfini, Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton, Gary David Goldberg and Corey Monteith outside the traditional In Memoriam scroll that happens annually. My personal opinion, the memoriam is a time to honor all in the industry who passed. But, if the academy is going to single out a handful of people it should be for a significant and/or impacting body of work. Monteith doesn't meet that threshold. Furthermore, the cynic in me thinks it's a ploy to pull in younger demographics which is gross. 

Now bring on Neil Patrick Harris... 

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: My memo to the Emmys on my wish list of nominees

Emmy nominations come out later this week and while I will have much to say once we have actual nominees, I thought I would offer my best hopes regarding the 2012-2013 television season when it comes to dramas.

LEAD ACTRESS:  Two words: Tatiana Maslany. That it is all. Yes Claire Danes is terrific on Homeland. Yes Orphan Black was a series that came out of no where. That does not diminish the fact that Maslany's work as a series of clones was the singularly best thing to happen to TV this past season. She deserves not only the nomination, she deserves the statue come September. Along side her I would immediately place Robin Wright in House of Cards. It may not have been a great series, but she was a bright light in it. Her character as the driven and ruthless wife of Kevin Spacey was a relentless and stole every scene she was in. Kevin Spacey and Corey Stoll have gotten a lot of attention, I don't understand how Wright has been left out of the praise.

BEST DRAMA: Two more words: Orphan Black. At a bare minimum the show deserves one of the best drama slots this year. The series is innovative, smartly written and balanced an implausible plot with equal parts sci-fi, thriller and humor. There is nothing else like it on television and it had a near flawless first season. Of the nominees from last year - Homeland, Mad Men and Downton Abbey all had weak seasons. I realize Homeland, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad are a lock for a nominations, the other two could drop off and take Boardwalk Empire with it. That leaves three slots up for grabs. The new shows that are contenders include The Americans, Newsroom, House of Cards and Scandal. If any of them makes the cut and Orphan Black doesn't there is no justice in the world.

BEST ACTOR: Bryan Cranston has done amazing work in Breaking Bad, that's been reinforced loud and clear with 4 Emmys. Perhaps it is time to take a pause and forgive the fact that Justified airs on a third tier network in F/X. Timothy Olyphant is LONG overdue for his subtle, mesmerizing work at the center of that series. Yes honoring Margo Martindale a couple of years ago was terrific, but there is no reason to put Olyphant on the Kyle Chandler Emmy track and waiting for the series to end to recognize the body of work. Both Kevin Bacon and Jeff Daniels deserve a nod in spite of the hot mess that their shows were.  Daniels was compelling even when he was slogging through Sorkin's overworked dialogue and Bacon made me care about his character in sea of bodies and bloodletting. If I am picking from the crop of oft nominees I am going to vote no to Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Steve Buscemi and yes to Bryan Cranston and Damian Lewis (although I suspect Hamm is a lock). Kevin Spacey will round out the nominees not because he was great, but because he's Kevin Spacey.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Game of Thrones may not offer job security, but it should offer up a best supporting actor nomination for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Jamie had the biggest trajectory shift on Game of Thrones. When you strip away the Red Wedding and look at the performances no one was stronger, not even Peter Dinklage (although he's a lock to be nominated) I would like to see Coster-Waldau joined by Mandy Patinkin, Homeland had a very rough second season however watching Patinkin's scenes you would never know it. He is stellar even when he was given little to work with and his performance in the closing scene of the season set me completely on edge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: The best supporting actress category is equally jammed packed with strong contenders. Yes, Maggie Smith will get nominated. It is my hope that Mad Men and Good Wife nominees will drop off and make way for some deserving nominees and fresh faces in the category. My lead contender would be Michelle Fairley. As the matriarch of the now decimated House Stark Fairley's work in the Red Wedding was a master class. In my opinion, Fairley has been a standout for the entire series thus far, but now is the time to recognize it. Rounding out this group I think will be deserved nominations for Morena Baccarin and Monica Potter.

Emmy nominations come out on Thursday and I am sure there will be surprises and disappointments among them. For me, if even a fraction of this wish list *cough* Tatiana Maslany *cough* makes it onto ballots I will be a happy fan girl.

AUTOPSY REPORT: Why SMASH Failed

 

Two years ago when the buzz began about SMASH I could not have been more thrilled. A TV show that was going to take a look behind the curtain at the interworking of making a Broadway musical. Yes I had grave concerns about casting Katherine McPhee (which proved right). A musical about Marilyn Monroe was also subject matter that left me cold. However, this was a show about Broadway littered with folks from the Great White Way including a personal favorite of mine - Brian D'arcy James.

Then when it premiered there was this:

This closing number to episode one was glorious. It also established an expectation that this show was actually onto something. The core cast (save for McPhee) seemed primed to take us on a ride through the intricacies that go into getting a show to Broadway. Sadly by episode three the show quickly and horrifically squandered its opportunity (and audience) by never living up to its promise. Some have indicated the subject matter centering on Broadway didn't have an audience. I think the popularity of Glee (a grossly erratic show) says otherwise. So then the question is what happened? Here are my thoughts on where it went wrong.

Side Swiped by Side Plots

Almost immediately the show gave far too much weight and screen time to secondary plots that had no connection to the Marilyn musical they were creating. Julia’s character was the major source including an ill-conceived adoption plot, her troubled marriage and her annoying teenage-son. That along with random scenes with Karen's politico boyfriend and any scene that included Ellis the show’s episodes quickly became disjointed.

I believe those of us who tuned in wanted a show that looked at a process your average theater fan doesn’t know about. How does a musical get written, story-boarded and mapped out in a rehearsal studio? What does the casting process look like? How does the creative team come together and what is the power play that happens between the director, writers and producers? All of those aspects were there, but more often than not felt crowded out by the drama happening outside the studio, which was far less interesting.

Wasted Talent

As a long time Broadway junkie nothing about this show made me happier than the parade of talented stage actors who were a part of this show. Yes Bernadette Peters was a fun touch as Ivy's mother, but it was folks like Christian Borle and Brian D'Arcy James that made me most excited. How disappointing to find James in particular relegated to a peripheral role that didn't tap one of his greatest talents - his singing voice. It was criminal to watch. The same can be said for Raza Jaffrey saddled with the pathetic exercise of being Karen's lame boyfriend who’s most memorable action all season is a drunken one night stand with Ivy - yuck! By the time we hit season 2, we moved from wasted talent to stunt casting. There is a long list of Broadway/Theater vets who are immensely talented, all of whom I’ve had the pleasure to see perform elsewhere. All of them were unceremoniously underused and miscast. If it was a drinking game, I’d still be drunk from Sunday’s finale.

Characters that were a waste of time

Much has been written this season about the misguided plot turns, competing musicals and awful character embodied by Jeremy Jordan and the mishandling of Kyle’s character as a would be Jonathan Larson. While all true, I do not believe this is the reason the show failed. It was merely the final nail in a coffin filled with characters that served no purpose.

Season 1 gave us Will Chase, a waste of time that served only as part of Julia’s infidelity plot. Uma Thurman came in as the ‘star power’ when the show within the show sought out a 'stunt casting', which is not uncommon. It didn't work because SMASH built the first half of its season around the premise that the role of Marilyn was going to come down to the newcomer and perennial chorus girl. Regardless of Thurman’s abilities, it torpedoed everything that came before it and felt like a bait and switch to the audience. And then there was Ellis Boyd. Poor Jaime Cepero, the actor who had the great misfortune to play Ellis a unilaterally and immediately despised character who’s plotting and lurking was both absurd and pointless. That he got his comeuppance from the delectable Angelica Houston was little compensation for an entire season of stolen time from a character that added no value to a show that didn't have minutes to waste.

However the worst offense in casting was thinking that Jennifer Hudson’s brief story arc was a good plan this season. Her character was highly promoted and completely disconnected from all other aspects of the plot and purpose of the show. I understand that somewhere in a studio this must have made sense on paper. But it represented everything that SMASH did wrong – a storyline removed from the primary plot, poor casting and terrible writing. The one thing this arc did prove is how limited Hudson's acting ability is.

Season two also ushered in a second musical, “Hit List” and with it a parade of characters no one cared about. Kyle and Jimmy certainly the most prominent of the bunch. Frankly the second show premise might have worked if it wasn’t written so implausibly and with such a disagreeable character at its core.

Plausibility 

Speaking of implausible, that is what I think ultimately killed any hope of SMASH seeing a season 3. I was willing to give SMASH a second season to course correct because the pieces of season one had promise. I thought a new show runner, paring down the cast and resetting the trajectory could have worked. However, instead the show completely derailed when Karen quits Bombshell. The character of Karen was problematic from jump and Katherine McPhee's poor acting did not help her cause.  Karen was vulnerable and naïve but also ambitious. The idea that any actor, especially one who has not established a career would leave a lead role on a Broadway show to do a showcase, black box show at Fringe would NEVER HAPPEN. Period. Not in any way shape or form is this choice plausible. It was a preposterous plot shift to get us to dueling musicals. The shame of it is they could have accomplished this plot shift by simply having Karen fired from Bombshell. Having her quit betrayed the audience’s intelligence and it led to a series of ridiculous moments throughout season 2 that made the character of Karen look pious, delusional and ultimately unlikeable.

It makes me sad that SMASH died an early death. Not because it was a good show that didn’t get a shot at success, but because I love Broadway and live theater in general. I adore musicals and I think it is an art form that deserves exposure to a larger audience. At the end of the day this show became its own worst enemy. It had talent and topic that it didn’t know how to translate to a small screen as a continuing series. After sitting through the final two hours of this series on Sunday and given its chosen plot course this season some might call it a mercy killing.  I would call it a missed opportunity.

The Clone War: Why you should be watching Orphan Black.

Saturday marks the second to last episode in what has been a balls to the wall first season for Orphan Black. This episode promises to pick up moments after where we left off last week. It was a moment that made me scream out loud at the TV in a way I hadn't since Teri Bauer was summarily executed by Nina at the end of 24's first season. 

Any show willing to open up the central aspect of their mystery in episode one has confidence in their storytelling and is bound to take you on an unpredictable ride. The show is sharp tongued, moody and often feels like it is flying by the seat of its pants. A sentiment that could easily describe our central character Sarah, an ex-con punk who finds herself in the middle of a shit storm she never saw coming the night she decided to take on her lookalike Beth Child's persona. This is no mere tale of doppelganger gone wrong. The series outlines several mysteries that have a direct line to the core premise that both Sarah and the audience quickly discover. Sarah is one of several clones who are being targeted for murder. To go into more depth than that would take away the pleasure that it is to watch this high octane and addictive series. 

What grounds Orphan Black's outrageous premise is the revelation of a performance given by Tatiana Maslany. Her seamless work weaving between five complex characters is distinct in the nuances of her body carriage and voice inflections that round out the more obvious make up and costuming differences. She hits emotional notes and finds threads that link the myriad of characters in a manner that is fresh and authentic. Her yeoman efforts could easily skirt the line of melodrama given the sheer amount of screen time she has, but Maslany’s shrewd choices make her quiet moments and reaction shots advance the characters substance and often just a joy to watch. Speaking of joy, the supporting cast led by her brother/confidant Felix  (played with scrumptious, scene stealing precision by Jordan Gavaris) round out the carnival cast of unique characters all of whom are not what they seem. The writing is witty at many junctures and is fluid enough to allow the characters to voice the absurdity some of the plot twists have laid out before them. The direction and editing is a cornucopia of styles that include action paced short cuts and stop motion sequences. Often there are patterns in mood, color palate and pacing that accompanies and now on the back end of the season enhances the different personalities of the clones. As a bonus treat for those of us who are Downton Abbey fans you are treated to a wonderful turn by the sinister Vera Bates (actor Maria Doyle Kennedy) in a role that couldn’t be further removed from that character.

All told, Orphan Black is hands down the most original, darkly funny, well cast, intriguing show to hit the small screen this year. Period. It is equal parts mystery, sci-fi and thriller. The type of show that grabs hold of your attention and stimulates more questions when providing answers. Not nearly as obtuse as the mysteries in LOST Orphan Black deftly walks the fine line of plausibility and suspension of disbelief. What you are left with is a crop of characters, half of whom are played by Tatiana Maslany that you are desperate to know more about and understand how they fit into the mosaic of this overarching story. Yes it is a show centered on who these clones are and how they came to be, but to say that is all there is sells this show short.

It is rare that I have no sense of where a show might be heading. Orphan Black has been a wonderful surprise at many points along the way and I have no clue what these final two episodes will hold for our family of clones (by the way, they don't use the 'c' word). What I do know is we have a second season to look forward to and 2014 feels like it's an eternity away.  

SEASON FINALES: Grey's Anatomy and Nikita the oldies but goodies addition

 
Grey's Anatomy
The perennial ABC drama has shown its age over the 9 seasons it has been holding up post on Thursday nights. Many shows have come and gone around it (including shows its creator Shondra Rhimes has been behind). What makes Grey's Anatomy work is the original core characters. We have watched Meredith and Christina mature from the dark and twisted sisters to complicated, driven  doctors capable of being mentors even Miranda 'The Nazi' Bailey would be proud to call her own. When Meredith tells her intern that she likes her, but she loves Alex we see how far this cocky carefree motley crew has come and how they function as a loyal family. The show has seen its share of missteps over the last decade, primarily letting Izzie’s character overstay her welcome and introducing the merger of another hospital.  Rhimes smartly took care of both problems in season 6. A bloodbath shooting rampage that served as a much needed character housecleaning catapulted the show into a positive trajectory and the last three seasons have been among the show’s best. I don't pretend to understand Shonda Rhimes sick fixation with killing off major characters in her season finales, but Richard's electrocution in the closing scene certainly sets us up for the loss of a great patriarch.

What makes Grey's so utterly watchable, even in the face of some of their most outrageous storylines is that it always manages to touch into the central theme of the struggle to find humanity among these surgeons whose professions beg for them to check it at the door. We leave this season with a great amount of uncertainty, no easy feat for a show that has lasted a decade. All our central characters are facing unchartered territory. Meredith and Derek’s second child, April’s admission to Jackson in the wake of believing he could have died, Christina letting Owen go knowing if they stay together they will never live to be who they really are and Callie discovering not just Arizona’s infidelity, but her lack of forgiveness for the decision to amputate her leg. Richard’s potential death was obvious the moment Jackson emerged from the bus fire. What makes the move interesting is the loss of Richard represents the guardian of this dysfunctional family. While Richard may be the voice in our characters’ heads and Meredith serves as our narrator it is Miranda Bailey who is the show’s soul. Over nine seasons she has remained the moral compass for the many doctors who walk the hallways of Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan. Her story arc in the final four episodes this season reminded us of the strength and fierce acting chops of Chandra Wilson. Bailey’s meticulous nature being called into question when several patients die and her descent into crippling fear around operating was played with heartbreaking truth. Overhearing Richard dress down her professionalism without knowing it was an act only adds to the repercussions of his possible death.

Yes Grey’s Anatomy is over the top. Yes, the show’s storylines can extend well past the realm of reality. However after nine seasons it still manages to tap into a visceral truth in displaying the balancing act that comes with living in a world where life and death is your daily reality. So while Grey’s Anatomy may no longer be ‘must watch TV’ or DVR priority, I look forward to what will likely be its last season next fall. As a show that recovered from a downward spiral it remains an entertaining steadfast drama with solid acting and scripts that in my opinion surpass that of the flashy schizophrenic over marketed sister show Scandal.   

  
Nikita

Everyone has questionable DVR choices. Some people chose bad reality TV, I chose Nikita. Now mind you, I love Nikita and have been a loyal watcher since it premiered. That said I can appreciate why people find the show absurd. However, rather than justify my love I am just going to take a look back at an uneven season that had a great season premiere, a confused and muddled middle and a fantastic season finale setting the table for a final season. 

 

As a fan of the 90s ‘La Femme Nikita’ I have most appreciated the approach this incarnation has taken. We start the series with Nikita on the outside seeking revenge on Division. Slowly over the course of the season she regains the internal connections to what would become the team seeking to unseat Percy and bring an end to underground operation that made her an assassin. We have spent three seasons navigating various layers of revenge and redemption. It’s a high octane, kick ass hour of pure escapism television. When I sit down to watch Nikita I am merely looking to be entertained. Nikita delivers on that promise and has managed to get me to care about the survival of the core six characters. High points of the show included their willingness to kill Percy at the end of season 2. In a nod to the original series I was particularly pleased with the casting the original Madeline as oversight to Division. Lower points have been the rabid, sadistic obsession that Amanda’s character morphed into this season. With six episodes left to wrap up this series, I was glad to see them blow up Division (literally and metaphorically), establish a new enemy that will likely have Amanda caught in the crosshairs and bring us back to where the series began, Nikita on her own. The difference being this time instead of seeking revenge, she is seeking redemption. Redemption, to know she is more than what Division created both during her time inside and since being their pawn. She has something to live and fight for because ultimately Michael, Berkoff, Alex and Ryan are going to be fighting to get her back. It’s been a fun three season ride and I will look for the last 6 episodes to push the accelerator to an explosive conclusion.

What's your favorite Season Finale of all time? Here's my top 5

It's May, which means we are in the throws of season finales. Will we be given a satisfying closure to our favorite comedy or be left with a nervewracking cliffhanger to ponder all summer long? Some shows have already completed their runs, most will come over the next few days. While I will certainly continue to breakdown all my favorite shows I thought it a good time to look back on some of my personal favorite season finales.

Now for the purpose of equity, none of my top 5 are series finales and all are from broadcast networks. There is no good answer as to why I did that, but it seemed like a reasonable set of parameters for crafting the list. What show made your jaw drop open or scream at the television in their final episode? What show left you completed pissed off that you were going to have to wait a full summer (if not year) before learning the fate of a beloved character? What is your favorite Season Finale?

Just a quick observation on my best season finales - all but one have a common thead - they were game changers.

5. Castle: Always (Season 4) I have been on the Castle bandwagon since Season 1. I bought into the destiny of Richard Castle and Kate Beckett from that first interrogation scene and have never doubted this couple’s eventual coming together. What made this love story work is that it is built on a natural progression, terrific chemistry between the leads and character flaws and strengths that make the culmination of this particular arc feel earned and satisfying. More importantly it felt like a beginning, not an ending. Yes the scene that consummates this transition is fantastic, however it is 33 minutes into the episode that the leads share a confrontation that ticks of all the emotions this series had built towards. It was an exhilarating scene the perfect payoff for the viewer.

4. Designing Women: Reservations for 8 (Season 2) This comedy had so many well written episodes in building out these four women of the south. But crafting a finale that brings the women together with the men they love and pitting them into a Venus vs. Mars showdown gave everyone a turn in the spotlight and fed the qualities we most loved in these women and most wished we had in ourselves. Dixie Carter’s delivery of Julia’s monologue possesses a cadence that is both extraordinary and hilarious. It is a classic moment because even if you never saw an episode of this show this exchange would ring true. It is one of the singular best runs in TV history.

 

 

3. Law and Order: Aftershock (Season 6) This episode marks Jill Hennessey’s last in the series. She wasn’t the first replacement in the show and her departure was far from the last this two decade procedural would endure, it was however the best one. One of the elements that made Law & Order a great procedural that was ‘cast proof’. The creators found a way to form depth and complexity to the series regulars without ever giving us much in their back histories. This episode is a departure from that rule because the entire episode is based on the fallout of an criminal execution. We see for the first time in the show’s history an episode without a new case and wholly based on the personal reflections of our main characters. We get a peek behind the curtain of their lives through how they come to terms with the issue of capital punishment. It is a raw look at the sacrifices and compromises ‘the job’ has caused for all our main characters. It also marks the last time the strongest primary cast was together in an episode. It’s a thoughtful, ponderous and shocking episode that punched the viewer in the gut and left us to ponder all that had transpired for the duration of the summer.

Sorry folks, I couldn't find a clip. But trust me it's worth watching.

2. LOST: Through the Looking Glass (Season 3) Regardless of LOST’s faults and missteps (I could have easily selected the Season 1 or 5 finale for this list). They knew how to close a season. Walt being ripped from the raft as our introduction to the "Others", Juliette falling down the shaft after her devesatating declaration of love for Sawyer or something as simple as the light in the hatch turning on. LOST set a mood for the unknown like no other series and the mysticism while confusing and fascinating did not hold a candle to the emotional connection they built with their character development. So for that reason I chose Through the Looking Glass for best LOST finale. As a viewer we were put through the ringer by the surprise of learning that Penny had found Desmond, that she was not on the boat and that Charlie would not survive. Charlie's death was wrenching because it was heroic, understated and devestating all at the same time. Say what you will about LOST, but this show understood how to draw the viewer into emotionally investing in their characters. This was a great payoff to that investment.

 

 

1. 24: 11:00PM - 12:00AM (Season 1) Nobody, and I mean nobody saw Teri dying. In a show that made a point all season long of giving us unexpected twists and turns so we didn't know who or what to trust the creators put an exclamation point on that fact in the finale. So at the end of season one we end watching Jack cradling Teri who was executed at the hands of Nina. It was a game changer. The producers brilliantly proved to the audience in no uncertain terms that no character was sacred and that this was a show that was changing the rules of storytelling on television not just in its use of the real time device, but in it's willingness to be bold and buck traditional sacred cows of television. Unlike the crass disposibility of people in the Following, 24 went on to use character demise in a way that was both shocking and pivotal. This final act for a season freshman was a stroke of genius. Just look at the clip below and I ask you would 24 have been the same show if Teri had lived?

 

 

Honorable Mentions:

Desperate Housewives: Free (Season 4) Marc Cherry found one of the single best ways to write his show out of a hole and hit the reset button on a show that had failed to recapture the quirky intrigue of Season 1's central mystery around Mary Alice's death. Jumping the show forward 5 years was a bold move and a great surprise twist that nobody saw coming.
 

Murphy Brown: Birth 101 (Season 4) Murphy Brown was a great show for a host of reasons. Independent of the political lightning rod this show became, Candace Bergen’s portrayal of a woman whose life is monumentally shifted as a result of her child’s birth stands the test of time. The last shot in the episode of Bergen singing Natural Woman is both gut-wrenching and poignant. It is 23 minutes that hit all the right notes of comedy, sincerity and believability. It was the best season finale for the series and one of the show’s best episodes ever.

Charmed: Witch Way Now (Season 4) I will not apologize for two things, loving this show and loving it even more after Shannon Doherty left. The show had an uncanny knack for creating really strong season finales with and without cliffhangers throughout its run. I ultimately chose this episode because after a good deal of suffering has happened to these characters the Angel of Destiny provides an opportunity to start fresh and it becomes a surprisingly thoughtful episode about how our identities are intrinsically tied to all the experiences we endure and relish, ultimately concluding that changing course changes who are, regardless of that change. Pretty profound for a show about witches.

The West Wing: Two Cathedrals (Season 2) Mrs. Landingham was the surprising conscience of the show and all the characters who were occupying the West Wing. This episode is also Martin Sheen at his very best and sadly the last time in this series that the show felt clear and focused in its storytelling. I think the first two seasons of West Wing are some of the finest in TV, this episode while being a great season closer also marks the end of its greatness.