NBC aired three episodes of Community to finish off the season today, and whilst this apparent burning off (and the #sixseasonsandamovie hashtag at the end of the season finale) would ordinarily fill fans like me with an impending sense of doom, NBC has in their infinite wisdom renewed Community for a 13 episode 4th season.

Read on to see my thoughts on this triple header end to the third season.

Season 3 episode 20 – “Digital Estate Planning”

I don’t usually like the overly meta pop culture parody episodes of Community, and instead prefer episodes like “Modern Warfare”, “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” and the brilliant “Paradigms of Human Memory”.  However, being a ’90s kid and a lifelong believer that the 16-bit Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis (Megadrive) will forever be the best video game era, how could I not love “Digital Estate Planning”.  Not only were the group reduced to ’90s RPG avatars for pretty much the entire episode but it was damn funny too thanks to the racism and generational gap of Cornelius Hawthorne.

The group are attacked by jive turkeys and hippies, Pierce suffocates in a hole, Annie sets someone on fire and then bludgeons him to death, Troy and Pierce lose at strip poker, and Abed marries a women who spawns a million babies which then allows Abed to reimagine the game Matrix style.

On top of all this, Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring from Breaking Bad) guest stars and Pierce isn’t quite as racist as he typically is.  There’s nothing to dislike about this episode.

Rating:  8/10

Season 3 episode 21 – “The First Chang Dynasty”

She may look like something out of an asian horror movie but I think Gillian Jacobs (Britta) looks hot as hell in this episode as some weird goth chick.

This is the episode where “The Greendale Seven” finally set about bringing Chang’s misdeeds to light after he assumed power by kidnapping Dean Pelton and replacing him with a doppelgänger, and it’s another parody episode with obvious ties to Ocean’s 11.  However, thanks to Ken Jeong, Jim Rash and Donald Glover it rises above some of the previous overblown parody episodes (I’m looking at you “Basic Lupine Urology”) and brings an enjoyable end to the otherwise uninteresting arc of the group’s expulsion.

I’m actually disappointed that the rise of Chang didn’t lead to more screen time for Ken Jeong.  He’s by far my favourite person on Community and I always feel he’s underused.

Rating:  7/10

Season 3 episode 22 – “Introduction to Finality”

I don’t see how this episode couldn’t have fit at any point this season after Shirley decided she wanted to open a sandwich shop in the Greendale cafeteria.  It’s essentially a standalone episode in which Jeff gets to say that he wants to be a good person.  It certainly functions as a series finale instead of a season finale, and I can’t help but feel that it was produced to actually be a series finale.  Hell, it even had that #sixseasonsandamovie hashtag at the end.  Everyone got a little bow tied on their story at the end of an otherwise forgettable episode about Pierce and Shirley arguing over who would sign a lease for their sandwich shop.

Given that all fans of Community know it’s coming back for a short order 4th season, that bit of melancholy nostalgia at the end of the episode doesn’t hit as hard as it would of if the show had been cancelled.

All this isn’t to say that the finale was without any redeeming qualities.  After all, we did get to see a good amount of Evil Abed, including him taking Britta down a peg or two and attempting to cut off Jeff’s arm.

The problem is the other story involving Troy being forced into air conditioner repair school and discovering he was their Messiah was equally unimpressive.  Plus there was nothing for Annie to do.

As a season finale this was a letdown and I think “The First Chang Dynasty” would have worked better as the finale.

Rating:  6/10

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TITLE: “The End”
WRITTEN BY: Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof
AIR DATE: May 23rd 2010

I was going to write a review of the series finale as soon as I’d finished watching it but when it was over I found myself going over everything in my head.  After that I went online and had a look at some of the reactions.  Needless to say they were at both ends of the spectrum.  Some were calling it the worst thing ever and that it made six years of the show worthless, which in itself is a ridiculous notion, and other were proclaiming it the best episode of TV ever.  Hell, E! just named Lost the best show of the last 20 years, which I have a feeling the finale played a strong part in.  After reading all this and with everyone weighing in on the finale I kinda lost interest in having my say.  However, my friend Crystal just called me and voiced her disappointment that I hadn’t given my opinion on the end of the show.  With her in mind here are my thoughts on the end of one of the best shows ever.

First off, I don’t buy Darlton’s claim that Lost has always been about the characters.  That may have been the writers intent all along but a healthy dose of fans followed the show for the mythology first and the characters second.  This season was certainly more focused on the characters with the mythology episodes seemingly used to answer questions raised in previous seasons, and I think now that the sideways world has been revealed as some sort of purgatory that side of the story also plays strongly towards the character side of things.  Being an atheist I wasn’t particularly happy with the idea that now all the characters had awakened they could all go on to heaven together, but I can appreciate what the show was going for.  When all the characters started to get together at the church I was sure it was the same church with the lamppost station that Eloise Hawking used to send the Oceanic 6 back to The Island.  I figured they were all going to go back and live happily ever after.  Guess I was wrong.

Lost has from the very beginning been able to introduce new characters and make them feel like a part of this universe.  They’ve never felt like addons or third wheels.  That’s a testament to the writers and the amazing actors.  Chief among all the new additions to the show was Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus).  My understanding was that the character was written for a two or three episode arc but Emerson impressed everyone so much that he was written into the show fulltime.  I loved Ben’s apology to Locke outside the church, and him commending Hurley on being a great #1 and I really feel like Ben found peace with everything he’d done.  It was also great that Locke forgave Ben.  That short scene between the two was absolutely fantastic.

Aside from the skillful writing and the mystery surrounding The Island, Lost was a success because of the stellar acting of everyone involved.  I’ve harboured a grudge against Heroes since the show came on the air because fanboys insisted that it was a better show than Lost.  I’d like to think that the 1st season finale of Heroes and the 3rd season finale of Lost which aired a few days later proved conclusively that Heroes wasn’t worthy to like the shit off Lost’s shoes but if you need further proof you should look to the quality of acting on the two shows.  One of the many reason why Heroes was so God-awful was the absolutely terrible acting.  Lost never suffered from this problem and this is one of the reasons why so many new characters could be introduced and all be embraced by the audience.  Just off the top of my head after the 1st season the show was able to introduce Ben, Juliet, Mr Eko, Anna Lucia, Libby, Desmond, Penny, Charles Widmore, Eloise Hawking, Charlotte, Lapidus, Miles, Daniel, Richard, Jacob, the MiB, and probably more that I’m forgetting.  All of these characters were superb additions and each actor portraying them did an outstanding job.

Despite my misgivings about whether or not Lost has always been about the characters I have to admit that this was a very moving episode.  I haven’t cried once during the entire run of Lost, even when episodes are structured to bring about those kinds of reactions (like the one where Sun and Jin died), however I couldn’t help but tear up during some of the awakenings.  Of particular note was the whole Kate/Claire/Charlie scene.  I’ve never been a big fan of Charlie, he was always kind of a whiner, but for some reason that whole scene really got to me.  However, my favourite awakening was the Sawyer/Juliet one.  Those two were so great together and that scene was played brilliantly.  I always liked the chemistry between Sawyer and Kate but it was more of a lustful relationship than one of love.  Juliet and Sawyer loved each other.  Whilst we may not have seen their relationship develop they effectively spent 3 or so years together living with the Dharma Initiative.  They belonged together and I was extremely happy when it was those two who awakened each other and not Sawyer and Kate.

I was happy that the episode was able to mix in a healthy chunk of action along with the drama.  Jack facing off with Not-Locke was pretty cool and has been something that’s been building from the 1st season.  I know that Not-Locke isn’t the original and that Jack’s come around to Locke’s way of thinking about The Island (he even says that Locke was right about everything and that Not-Locke is just wearing Locke’s face) but it was still nice to see those two faces going at it on the edge of the cliff.  Not-Locke stabbed Jack fucking good.  And after six seasons of Kate following after people I shouldn’t have been surprised that she turned up to shoot Not-Locke yet I was.

Finally, I’d like to briefly mention what a pleasant surprise it was to see Boone and Shannon return.  Like Charlie I was never a very big fan of these two but I thought their inclusion was a further nod to the show and the characters returning the their 1st season origins.  It never actually occurred to me that Shannon would be the one to awaken Sayid.  I figured Nadia was his one true love and when he didn’t get together with her that he’d be awakened in some other fashion.  And again, it was a touching flashback montage of their memories.  It was also great to see Rose and Bernard on The Island.  I’d forgotten about them completely.

When Jack became the protector of The Island last week I can’t say I was surprised.  Jack has been the lead character since the very first episode so it stands to reason that he’d be the one to take over for Jacob.  I know my friend Crystal would have been disappointed with that development because she hates Jack and wanted Hurley to be the one to take over.  I know she’ll be happy that Hurley ended up being the protector of The Island.  I also really liked the conversation between Hurley and Ben after Hurley took over.  That desperate need of Ben to be important was validated by Hurley asking him for help.  It’s something that Ben hasn’t really experienced in a number of seasons, that someone actually needs and wants him, and it’s fitting that Hurley, probably the purest Lostie, would be the one to show Ben that he’s needed.  And that his need is in requirement of The Island only makes Hurley’s request more significant for Ben.

After last week’s episode there was ridiculous talk about Lost jumping the shark and that people weren’t going to watch it anymore.  Just craziness.  But that’s the type of devotion fans have for the show.  Me on the other hand, I like to just role with whatever the show throws my way.  I haven’t bothered to try and formulate a theory about what The Island is or why they were all brought there, so when that stuff is actually revealed I have the luxury of not being disappointed that my theory was wrong or second guessing the decisions of the writers.  I think my approach to watching Lost is one that lead to me enjoying the conclusion of the show more than those who’ve invested a lot of time into developing a theory of everything that’s taken place simply because I have no preconceived notion of how I think the show should/would end.

More idiocy followed the finale with people saying it ruined the previous six years.  I’m positive that anyone who feels this way doesn’t have the intelligence necessary to follow a simple conversation between Jack and Christian.  Below is a transcript of everything that was said between the two in the church:

Christian: Everything that’s ever happened to you is real.  All those people in the church, they’re all real too.

Jack: They’re all… they’re all dead?

Christian: Everyone dies sometime kiddo.  Some of them before you, some  long after you.

Jack: But why are they all here now?

Christian: Well there is no now here.

Jack: Where are we dad?

Christian: Well this is a place that you all made together so that you could find one another.  The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people.  That’s why all of you are here.  Nobody does it alone Jack.  You needed all of them and they needed you.

Jack: For what?

Christian: To remember… and to let go.

Jack: Kate, she said we were leaving.

Christian: Not leaving.  No.  Moving on.

Jack: Where are we going?

Christian: Let’s go find out.

Retards the world over are saying that the finale made the entire series a waste of time, presumably because they think the castaways were dead the entire time.  It’s precisely because there are morons in the world who can’t follow a simple conversation that networks feel the need to make simple mindnumbingly shit shows like The Big Bang Theory.  A look at what was actually said between Jack and Christian shows that this is simply not the case.  Everyone was real.  They crashed on The Island.  They lived there for a time and clashed with The Others, the smoke monster and the freighter guys.  It all really happened.  The finale provided a bookend to show that that time on The Island was the most important time of those people’s lives.

As for complaints I would have liked a little bit more mythology in the episode but I guess the whole water thing and that underground cave can be debated over by fanboys until they’re blue in the face.  I’m also not sure what happened to Desmond.  Did he live or die after going into the cave?  For a guy who was so important to The Island his ending was a little ambiguous.  In addition, the one mystery which still has me wanting an answer is “the rules” between Ben and Widmore and why Ben had said he couldn’t kill him yet he did.  That seems like something which is pretty important and is probably the one remaining question I’d like answered the most.

RATING: 9/10

CONCLUSION
I thought it was suitably epic, sad, heartwarming and poetic.  A finale perfectly in tone with what the series has always been.

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LOST 6×17/18 (series finale) review HollywoodHubbub

Title: “Epitaph Two: Return”
Written by: Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon, Jed Whedon & Andrew Chambliss
Air Date: 29th January 2009

Here it is, the final episode of Dollhouse ever.  It’s not as monumental an event as it will be when Lost airs it’s final episode sometime in April, but for fans of Eliza Dushku’s and Joss Whedon’s action sci-fi drama it’s something of note.  I’m not what you’d call a true diehard fan of Whedon or Dushku.  I don’t think Firefly is as good as it’s become in the eyes of many, and I’m still not convinced of Dushku’s acting chops, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt simply because of my undying love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Buffy is the only reason I sat through the first half of Dollhouse’s first season, having faith that Whedon had a plan and would soon begin executing it.  That plan began to form around episode six “Man on the Street” and from that point on Dollhouse improved exponentially.

This season has been great from start to finish with each episode seemingly building on the mythology developed during the tail end of the first season and the futuristic unaired first season episode “Epitaph One”.  It’s only fitting that after the previous two episodes where the gang took on Rossum in an attempt to destroy the technology that we get another Epitaph episode which picks up soon after the original story.  The three survivors from “Epitaph One” are making their way to Safehaven under the guidance of Caroline in the little girls body.  They’re soon apprehended and taken as bodies for Rossum execs Harding (Adelle’s one-time successor originally played by Keith Carradine) and Ambrose (previously seen in “Echoes”, “Meet Jane Doe” and “Getting Closer”).  Echo and Ballard have already infiltrated the complex in order to rescue Topher who’s being used to develop advanced tech for Rossum.  In his disturbed state Topher says that he can return the world to how it was and restore all the people affected by wipes to their original selves.  All he needs is access to the Dollhouse back in LA.  The whole gang go back to LA and find Alpha protecting dolls in the Dollhouse.  Topher’s tech is to be shot into the stratosphere and this will allow it to dissipate across the globe.  However, because Echo, Priya and Victor don’t want to go back to their original selves they must stay underground in the Dollhouse for the next year whilst the radiation (?) from the bomb fades.

Whew, as you can see a lot of stuff is crammed into this final episode in order to give a proper sense of closure to the Dollhouse story.  It does feel a little rushed at times, but because “Epitaph Two” is set ten years in the future it allows the writers to present circumstances that fit storywise without the need for exposition detailing how the circumstances have changed so dramatically for the characters.  For example, Priya’s and Victor’s breakup is presented as stemming from a choice Victor had to make between her and the tech without any flashback to illustrate this, and Alpha is now a somewhat balanced person I assume because of him taking on Ballard’s personality in a previous episode, but this is not alluded to in any fashion.

Just like “Epitaph One” it takes a little while to adjust to the future setting with ten years of history gone by, new characters, old characters in new bodies, and new goals, but once this is done it becomes as engaging as ever.  And although this episode ends on a slightly more uplifting and hopeful note, it’s just as bleak as “Epitaph One”.  But you know what, I really like the tone of the show in these last few episodes and especially both of the Epitaph ones.  Not everything has to be peaches and cream.  The characters are going against the odds, they are dealing with dangerous technology, and that technology does raise both moral and philosophical questions about what it means to be human.  If this type of story was told any other way I’d be sorely disappointed.  Thankfully Whedon and company understood this and we all got a great finale for a show which grew stronger and stronger as it went along.  In fact, as finales to Joss Whedon shows go I may rank this higher than both Buffy and Angel.  I’m not saying that Dollhouse is a better show than either Buffy or Angel, but I do think that it had the most fitting sendoff of the three.  Dollhouse didn’t start out very well with the constant imprint-of-the-week episodes, but once it got rolling and the scope of the story was revealed it was an absolute pleasure to watch.  I’m hopeful that Joss Whedon will return with something new soon and that he’ll be given longer than 26 episodes to tell the story he wants.

FINAL RATING: 8/10

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DOLLHOUSE 2×13 (series finale) review HollywoodHubbub

© CBS

Title: “The Leap”
Written by: Craig Thomas and Carter Bays

Well here we are, the last of the season finales that I actually care about.  Last week was pretty hectic with the finales of Fringe, Lost, 30 Rock, The Office and Parks & Recreation, all of which were fantastic finishes to great seasons.  So how does How I Met Your Mother stack up to these shows?  Frankly, pretty well.

I like this show.  I might even go so far as to say I love this show sometimes, but there are elements to it which aggravate me, and they’re elements which are central to the premise of the show.  Chief amongst these is Ted’s quest to find his perfect match.  I know the show gets its name from his search, and that’s typically how they work any storyline involving Ted, but it’s not important to the show.  In my opinion they could easily dispense with the whole “how I met your mother” element and make the show simply about the gang living in the here and now.  The show wouldn’t suffer in the least from this and it would save me having to put up with the presence of Ted’s kids, the voiceover from Bob Saget, and the constant tease that maybe his kids’ mother would be revealed when we all know she won’t be until the end of the show.  Honestly, what’s the point of repeating these constant teases about finding “the mother” when the central charm and enjoyment of this show comes from the interaction between the gang.

Anyway, enough of my rant about my pet peeves and onto the actual episode.  The episode follows Ted struggling to come up with a proposal for his rib restaurant clients, Marshall throwing Ted a surprise birthday party on the roof, and Barney and Robin dealing with their feelings to each other.  The title of the episode, “The Leap”, comes from the leap that all of the characters make in the episode, either physical or metaphorical.  Marshall finally makes the leap across buildings to the perfect rooftop, Barney and Robin appear to have made the leap in their relationship despite their emotional barriers, and Ted makes the leap from dreaming and struggling to be an architect to taking the job as a professor.  There’s a nice symmetry in this and it all played out well in the closing scene on the rooftop.  It was touching without being sappy.

I can’t review this episode without mentioning the return of Lily to the fold.  The show has plugged along pretty well without the presence of Alyson Hannigan, or so I thought, but her return adds another quality to the show that I didn’t even realise was missing.  Alyson brings the cute and funny Lily to life and she provides Marshall with another person to bounce off and interact with that boosts the show when other elements fall a little flat.  She also delivered a great speech to Ted about him being like the goat who wants the hand towel all the time when it’s forgotten why it even wants it.  It’s this speech which gives Ted the impetus to stop trying to be an architect and take the job as a professor which allows him to follow his passion in a more fitting scenario.  I’m very glad they were able to bring Alyson Hannigan back to finish out the season so the whole gang could be together again and they could take the leap into the unknown as a group.

Final Grade: A-

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