LUTHER, 2.4: do you want to play a game?

The finale of Luther was an odd beast, as the two-part storyline took a backseat for a considerable amount of time, in order to focus on Jenny;s (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) subplot that's been rumbling along from the start. The situation with Jenny remained frustratingly vague in key areas (can someone tell me what leverage Babs had over Luther exactly?), but this episode delivered a fitting and exciting conclusion, with Luther (Idris Elba) having to dispose of Babs' grandson Toby (whom Jenny had killed in self-defense), while simultaneously finding a way to frame Babs' ex-cop henchman Frank (Alan Williams) for his murder.

Last week's situation with the psychopathic twins escalated, once Luther realized the Milberry siblings are involved in a real-world role-playing contest with each other—earning points for who, where, and how they kill. The finale lacked episode 3's gloriously distressing set pieces, unfortunately, although the climax was suitably tense, compelling and potently ridiculous—with Luther trying to disarm "walking bomb" Nicholas Milberry (Steven Robertson) on an evacuated street, where he played Nicholas at his own game by sloshing gasoline over himself and gambling his life on the roll of a die. In hindsight, so much of Luther's plan rested one good luck (how did he know Nicholas would want to play this high-stakes game in the back of a nearby lorry?), but this show has never really withstood scrutiny. We just have to accept that Luther has the uncanny ability to make clever judgments like that, and predict criminal behaviour with unerring accuracy.

The only major complaint about Luther series 2 is the fact it was a negligible four hours long, telling only two different stories (well, three if you count Jenny's overarching subplot). This brevity was apparently due to Elba's availability (he was shooting Thor and Ghost Rider 2), but nevertheless the series felt occasionally awkward because there wasn't enough time to do certain ideas or characters justice. It wouldn't surprise me if this was designed to be a six-part series, but corners had to be cut to squeeze it into two-thirds of that preferred time-span.

Of particular note, Mark's curious return as Luther's friend was ultimately pointless (where did he go after episode 2?), and it was a shame there was no good reason for serial killer Alice's return (given only three scenes over two episodes). The two hours per story format worked very well (as it did for series 1's conclusion), but we could definitely have done with another few hours on the Jenny/Babs issue—which felt underwritten and confusing in places, then criminally wasted Pam Ferris as a matriarchal villain. That was such brilliantly left-field casting, reminding me of Margo Martindale's presence in season 2 of Justified, but Ferris just didn't have enough time to craft a rounded, despicable villain. (Although having a goon hammer a nail through Luther's hand into a table was a memorable introduction for her.) I can only hope Babs returns if there's another series, and is treated better.

The finale ended with "surrogate father" Luther licking ice creams with Jenny, teasing us with final line "so now what?" for the second series in a row. That's indeed the question on everyone's lips. I'm sure writer/creator Neil Cross and the BBC hope there's a future for this show (which found a healthy, appreciative audience that escaped it last summer), but so much relies on Elba's ability to fit Luther into his schedule. Speaking recently, Elba said:

"... we'll have to see what the appetite is like for it at the end of this series. If it's a good, healthy appetite then we'll figure out how we're going to do some more. I wouldn't mind seeing a larger version of Luther, maybe a film perhaps. Or take over television for a week, boxset-style Luther. You know, event television."

So that sounds promising. It's also possible the show might become an irregular series of feature-length specials, a la Prime Suspect and Messiah. Whatever happens, I just hope this isn't the last we've seen of the outrageous, gruesome, darkly comical, persistently gripping Luther. He's so good at solving grisly crimes he rarely needs to take his hands out of his pockets.

What did you make of Luther's finale, this second series as a whole, and the future of the show in light of Elba's commitments?

Asides

• The Millberry's brothers' "book code" was based on the Gideon's Bible, you say? It was strange to see Luther treat that revelation as a clever twist, when pop-culture's taught us that most psychos use The Bible for such means. It struck me as odd that Luther presented the Bible reveal as an ace piece of detective work, when it's actually a crime thriller cliché!

written by Neil Cross / directed by Sam Miller / 5 July 2011 / BBC One

PRIMEVAL, 5.6: tomorrow's world

This was easily the best episode of series 5 and possibly Primeval's most satisfying finale yet, despite the story feeling stretched to twice its natural length. Steve Bailie and co-creator Adrian Hodges are two of the show's best writers, and you can usually expect an increase in quality for the episodes they're behind. This was certainly the case here, as the finale delivered the action and jeopardy you demand of a monster-hunt show like Primeval, but also reduced the idiocy, delivered a few scenes of real emotion, and restored something the show lost this series: camaraderie between the characters.

Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) was last seen vanishing into Philip's (Alexander Siddig) super-anomaly, appearing in a barren future-Earth contaminated with a thin, noxious atmosphere, pummeled by erratic storms, and crawling with mutated Future Predators. Matt (Ciaran McMenemin) opted to go through the anomaly to rescue Connor, later joined by a gun-toting Abby (Hannah Spearritt), giving them both first-hand experience of his home: the dystopia Philip's "New Dawn" project is destined to cause. Back in the present, egomaniac Philip began to lose control of his man-made anomaly as it started to grow exponentially, eventually causing a bizarre atmospheric change in the skies above his facility, and a vicious Future Predator appeared in ARC for Lester (Ben Miller) and Jess (Ruth Kearney) to contend with.

There was a great deal to enjoy here, surprisingly, forgiving the fact Primeval lacks the budget to do a few ideas full justice—like the trip to the future. More importantly, I was surprised to see a genuinely good performance from Spearritt (her tearful reunion with Connor in an underground bunker was possibly the actress's best moment on this show), and even the terribly dry relationship between Emily (Ruth Bradley) and Matt was given some spice when Matt decided to sacrifice himself by altering history and potentially erasing his own timeline. The show works better, dramatically, when it’s less about wandering around trying to capture CGI monsters (that the actors can't see) and more about the characters facing things that test themselves. Siddig also looked more comfortable somehow, finally given a script that gave him something to play—as Philip realized the error of his ways and sacrificed himself to try and reverse the damage he's caused.

It's also worth mentioning the direction of Cilla Ware, who pulled off some decent sequences this week—in particular, there was a lovely shot when the camera pulled back from Lester and Jess to reveal the snarling jaws of a Future Predator before it started to prowl the ARC. Never underestimate how much a good camera move or choreographed action sequence can boost a show like Primeval, which demands a level of care and attention it rarely receives. The effects sequences of the intensifying super-anomaly, causing bizarre cloud formations and dragging entire buildings into its twinkling heart, were also notable highlights from a visual standpoint.

The story was largely unsurprising and could have ended a good half-hour early with some trimming, but overall series 5's finale was a great deal more exciting and watchable than every episode that's preceded it this year. I'm not sure what to make of the last-minute twist, however, when Matt encountered a bloodied doppelganger of himself in a darkened corridor who implored him to "go back". Primeval just broke a time-travel rule it established in series 1's finale (when meddling with history had an immediate effect on the present-day, and didn't result in an alternate timeline), so are we to assume there are two timelines now vying for existence? It doesn't make much sense right now, and to be honest I don't expect to provide a solid explanation from a show like Primeval, but I'm sure fans are just happy the ending suggests the writers expect to be recommissioned.

Whether the show deserves to come back after this frustratingly limp series is another matter.

Asides

• I never did understand Helen Cutter's motivations, or have forgotten whatever we learned over three years, so WHY did she manipulate Philip into causing the end of the world with his New Dawn project? How is causing the apocalypse in her interest?
• I seem to always mention this whenever the Future Predators make an appearance on the show, but they really are a great creature design. If you enlarged them, you almost end up with the Cloverfield monster, a good few years before that Lovecraft-inspired beast was conceived. The mutated versions here were perhaps even creepier because they sometimes moved around with a more human posture.

written by Steve Bailie & Adrian Hodges / directed by Cilla Ware / 28 June 2011 / Watch

Overview: GAME OF THRONES, Season One; blood, boobs, blades & beheadings

I decided against reviewing Game Of Thrones weekly because it felt like writing about the show would require too much effort—at a time when there was a lot of TV to cover. Most of what I review, regardless of quality, has to be inherently fun for me to write about, and GOT didn't strike me as a fun show to review. At least not in its first half, when everything was new and it was enough of a challenge to remember people's names and familial associations. It was also apparent that most other blogs were reviewing GOT—many with the benefit of in-depth research, or having read George R.R Martin's novels. I'd probably have spent most week's just recounting the scenes I liked, the scenes I didn't, and grumbling about the pace. It also didn't help that US online coverage of the show felt so prolific that I was faintly bored with GOT before it aired! The level of pre-show coverage was overkill, and I didn't feel like adding my thoughts to the already enormous pile of criticism.

But now the ten-part first season's over, so I thought I'd chime in with some broad thoughts about how GOT progressed, improved and developed over the months. I think it's safe to say that the first five episodes were tough for GOT newbies to get through: a combination of measured pacing and the fact it wasn't clear what the show was actually about. HBO clearly hoped the audience would be as patient as they were with The Wire, but with a medieval fantasy drama it's obvious many people expected thrills and spills from start to finish, and that's not what GOT was about.

Maybe that's why Daenerys' storyline proved so popular, because it was one of the few that was instantly comprehensible and empathetic—the story of a sweet flaxen-haired girl forced into an arranged marriage with a brooding tribal warlord, at her creepy older brother's request, as part of a plan to forge a foreign alliance and reclaim her deposed family's royal crown. In a sea of stories awash with unspoken history and unclear motivations, it was driftwood to cling to as you struggled to recall the names of Ned Stark's many children.

But since episode 6, things shifted. With a half-dozen hours under your belt, it became easier to identify individual characters (if still not always by name), and keep more of the subplots distinct in your mind. I'm not going to claim everything suddenly became crystal clear, because I'm still not au fait with a few things, but it definitely got easier to digest.

I also got the distinct impression that reading about GOT between every episode helped burn events into your memory, so it all becomes much easier to deal, but I'm of the opinion that shouldn't be expected of a TV viewer. If a TV show doesn't work simply by watching its broadcast episodes, that's a failing. GOT did find a way to work, by and large, but there were still areas that confused me, or relationships that soured for reasons I quickly forgot about. Fortunately, it's the kind of show that throws in bloodthirsty spectacles like horses being beheaded, a murder involving smelted gold, and tongues being yanked out of slashed throats, to keep you glued.

The performances were exceptional across the board, with a particularly impressive group of child actors—particularly Maisie Williams as tomboy Arya and Jack Gleeson as the despicable Prince Joffrey. Peter Dinklage also had a blast as Tyrion "The Imp" Lannister (imagine Family Guy's Stewie in a He-Man wig), and relative newcomer Emilia Clarke was a revelation as the aforementioned Daenerys. And that's before you get to the bigger names like Sean Bean (reliably gruff and charismatic as Lord Stark), Mark Addy (surprisingly engaging as King Robert), and Lena Headey (brilliantly devious as Queen Cersei). Plus, it was just fun spotting various small-screen actors in third-tier roles—like Clive Mantle (who once played Little John in Robin Of Sherwood) and Jerome Flynn from Soldier, Soldier as... well, a soldier.

It also helped that GOT takes place in a fictional universe, as the show can do two things: play things straight to sell its sense of Middle Ages authenticity, but also involve wondrous things occasionally—like the dizzying "sky cells", or an enormous skull of an extinct dragon. And there are signs of numinous beings on the other side of the gigantic ice Wall that's been built to keep dark Northern forces at bay because Winter Is Coming. The way this season's built towards showing us more fantastical things (a "zombie" surfaced in episode 8, Daenerys' was shown to be flame-retardant, a life was saved through witchcraft, the birth of baby dragons) also worked really well.

The slow-burn that threatened to overwhelm things gave way to a relative stride from episode 7, heading towards one of the year's most shocking and unexpected climaxes in the penultimate hour. I won't spoil it here, but it was a death that was utterly shocking and brave. It also made me consider the different experience fans of the books must be having, in contrast to TV-only viewers like myself. Established fans (who are entire books ahead of events here) have the pleasure of seeing their imagination come to life, and undoubtedly an easier time comprehending details of the stories, but the big surprises just can't be working. For that reason, I'm glad I didn't read the source material, and I don't intend to read ahead before season 2 begins next spring. The fact the story's being told with a TV series that's earned fan approval is enough for me to accept this drama as my preferred method of delivery. It's the Harry Potter dilemma on the small-screen—only this time cries of "the books are better!" aren't so prevalent. I'm sure there are things the books are doing better than this adaptation, but I'm a TV/film obsessive first and a bookworm second.

The sense of place is also incredible. Filmed across Ireland and Malta, you never once give that any thought. This is instead the fictional realm of Westeros through and through, in the same way New Zealand became Middle-earth. A clever combination of location filming, gigantic sets, clever CGI extensions, and old-school matte paintings, helped created an entire world that's a pleasure to visit every week. The authenticity in sets, costumes, and assorted paraphernalia sold the whole show's concept extremely well. It was wonderful just to bask in the production.

I'll avoid spoilers for the people who are planning on buying the DVD box-set, but suffice to say the final two episodes were particularly brilliant in how ruthless they were with the cast—although, of course, it's George R.R Martin who should be congratulated for the story's successes. It was in these later hours where the cumulative impact of spending so much time with the characters paid off, as you found yourself having an unexpectedly deep reaction to various deaths and developments. The climactic montage also set up a variety of events that will inform season 2, which should be a more immediately gripping year because we now know and understand these characters. Plus, many of them now have something worth fighting for, which wasn't the case for the majority of season 1.

From what I've been told, George R.R Martin's first novel is the weakest of the ongoing saga, so I'm now giddy with the thought of what the future might bring, as the game of thrones continues...

THE KILLING, 1.13 - "Orpheus Descending"

I know this show is starting on Channel 4 in the UK soon, so there's a chance people will stumble upon this review online. If so, please turn away now. This is a review of the season 1 finale, so there are consequently gigantic spoilers ahead. Only read on if you've seen this episode, or don't care knowing what happened in the finale.

There were pleasing elements of The Killing's finale, but ultimately it was just a marginally cleverer fake-out like the Bennet Ahmed storyline—only twice as exasperating in many ways. There have been whispers the show wouldn't resolve its mystery in 13 episodes (roughly half the time of the Danish original) and instead continue into a second year, and those fears have proven accurate. I hear the Rosie Larsen case won't take up the entirety of season 2, so hopefully the writers will note the animosity this decision has caused and bring the mystery to a quick, definitive end. In some ways I'm actually glad The Killing's been renewed by AMC, as it would have been far worse if "Orpheus Descending" had been the series finale. Or would they have re-cut the ending to lose its last-minute twist?

I'm not going to rake over every events that happened this week, mainly because my enthusiasm's at a low ebb. Suffice to say, after the events of episode 12, Linden (Mireille Enos) is 100% certain that Councilman Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) killed Rosie Larsen, having paid for the schoolgirl's services as a Beau Soleil escort under the pseudonym "Orpheus", but the finale was all about having to prove his connection to Rosie's murder—as there's apparently not enough evidence, or it's too circumstantial, to arrest Richmond and interrogate him.

There followed an hour of Linden and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) trying to trace the movements of the killer on the night Rosie was abducted, focusing on the campaign car she was found drowned in and the mathematical calculations to determine the mileage it did that night—before the driver would have needed to refill. This eventually led to them requisitioning various gas station security cameras (where would they be without CCTV, eh?), in the hope one of them captured Richmond driving the campaign car. It makes you wonder why this wasn't a line of investigation from the start! If you find a dead body in a car, surely you trace the movements of that car as your number one priority? Why have they waited until the finale to do something so obvious?

Unfortunately, it's because The Killing wants to be seen as a realistic crime drama, but beyond evocative scenes of a grieving family (kudos to Brent Sexton and Michelle Forbes), the show isn't particularly logical. Suspects come and go according to the whim of the writers, the investigation goes down avenues chosen because they can devour 2-6 hours of screen time, rather than follow what the police would actually do. I understand this is foremost a TV show, so artistic license is necessary to fill time, but it's become infuriating to see how the show manipulates its audience so blatantly. Take how Richmond was portrayed throughout this episode: a creepy-sounding silhouette that screamed KILLER, until the moment the story doesn't want you to think that any more.

Thing is, The Killing could very easily make ANYONE a suspect if the writers set their mind to it. Hell, there's a way to pin the deed on Mitch Larsen and blame it on a mental breakdown! There's no sense that the killer's being hunted down over a fortnight's investigation that's teased an murky mystery apart. It just feels like the show chases down various characters they make look guilty... until such time as they prove their innocence and the game can restart.

Season 1's ending, then. This is where opinion will split, harshly. Having been given a toll-bridge camera shot of Richmond driving the campaign car Rosie was found in, together with all the other evidence collected, Richmond was arrested and Linden finally got on her plane with son Jack to start a new life in sunnier climes. But then came the twist: the toll-bridge cameras weren't operational, so the key evidence was faked by Holder, who's then seen getting into a black sedan and telling an unseen driver "photo worked—he's going down."

So has Holder been working for an enemy of Richmond's all along, paid to ensure the Councilman gets blamed for Rosie's death? That would put Mayor Adams as the most likely sedan driver, although that doesn't automatically mean Adams killed Rosie, because he could just be using events to his advantage. But is Adams the type of person to get revenge? Maybe the driver's a new character? Or millionaire playboy Drexler?

Or, to cut Holder some slack, maybe he was just so convinced Richmond killed Rosie that he falsified evidence to ensure an arrest, knowing he'd walk free otherwise? We'll have to wait until next year to find out—but if the Larsen case isn't going to last another season, as it's been suggested, then I'm not sure there's time to prove Richmond's innocence and find the real culprit within, say, 3 or 4 episodes. Or is there? And how's that going to work, exactly? Will season 2 feel like season 1.5 until the story suddenly lurches into a new case?

Overall, The Killing's finale will be seen as totally infuriating to everyone who expected the mystery to end and a fresh start next year. I'm not against the presence of red herrings and dead-ends in a murder-mystery, but too often this show feels like it's not playing fair with its audience. These aren't clever diversions and fake-outs they're dishing up, they're overly-manipulative stalling techniques. The ending of this episode was actually weirdly enjoyable, as I didn't expect the show to pull the rug in the dying moments (especially with Belko apparently about to shoot the possibly-innocent Richmond)—but given the lack of emotional impact when Richmond was arrested and how the Larsen's were informed off-camera, I maybe should guessed something wasn't right. It would have been the mother of all damp squibs if Richmond was simply jailed and Linden jetted off to California, too.

I have very mixed feelings, but ultimately this finale was too frustrating to be viewed positively. I also didn't like how every character's reaction to being told Richmond was the killer was so subdued, given his participation in the investigation and celebrity status. You wanted some catharsis after 12 weeks of patience, particularly after that unforgivable six-week cul-de-sac with Bennet Ahmed, and we just didn't get it—not even briefly.

In the beginning, the show posed a simple, compelling question: who killed Rosie Larsen? But by the end the question has become: who cares who killed Rosie Larsen?

Asides

• Love the scene with Stan meeting Amber (Ashley Johnson) at the hospital, unaware she's the girlfriend of Bennet, the man whose life-threatening injuries he caused. A particularly nice angle in how pregnant Amber's on the cusp of delivering new life to the world, whereas Stan's dealing with the loss of life. It's a shame The Killing's skill with small human moments isn't echoed in its strength to tell a serialized story.
• Why was Richmond soaking wet on the morning Rosie died, according to girlfriend Gwen (Kristen Lehman)? If he didn't have anything to do with Rosie's death, what happened? A particularly strong, brief downpour of rain? Did he fall or get pushed into a swimming pool—maybe the one belonging to financier Drexler?

written by Veena Sud & Nic Pizzolatto / directed by Brad Anderson / 19 June 2011 / AMC

CAMELOT, 1.10 - "Reckoning"

The finale of Camelot's inaugural year was enjoyable, if only because a lot of big things happened with increasing regularity after a fairly uninteresting start. A continuation of last week's "The Battle Of Bardon Pass", we caught up with Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower) protecting the outpost alone, as his knights beat a hasty retreat, while sister Morgan (Eva Green) plotted to succeed Arthur on Camelot's throne once proof of his death (his sword Excalibur, not his corpse?) was delivered to court. Merlin (Joseph Fiennes) spent the majority of the episode either gagged or in stocks, which denied us his usual scene-chewing, although once released there was a rather amusing sequence where the bald sorcerer tried to use his powers to heal a fatally-wounded Igraine (Claire Forlani)—which was both moving and unintentionally hilarious.

The actual storyline wasn't much to get excited about, but it allowed for a handful of surprising moments, and most worked well. Leontes (Philip Winchester) put aside the fact Arthur slept with his wife Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton) on their wedding day, to return and help the King fight off the Bardon Pass horde, only to receive an arrow through his chest after their surprise victory—dying moments later, but not before his final words ("treasure her") effectively gave Arthur permission to pursue Guinevere after he's gone. What a guy. It's a little too easy how Leontes has been removed from the picture, if you ask me, but we'll see how it impacts Arthur and Guinevere next season—if Starz renew the show.

Igraine's murder, stabbed in the abdomen by stepdaughter Morgan, was in many ways better than Leontes' demise, especially because it came shortly after the reveal that Igraine (always perceived as a nasty stepmother by Morgan) actually saved Morgan's life by sending her away to a convent, as her father King Uther was going to have her killed. Claire Forlani's been very good in a sadly underwritten role, so in some ways it's a shame her character won't be back. Igraine's burgeoning relationship with the defensive Merlin was a great deal more interesting and adult than the woolly Arthur/Guinevere/Leontes love-triangle.

Corrupt nun Sybil (Sinead Cusick) also met a sticky end after weeks of deviousness, by taking the blame for the Bardon Pass treachery, thus ensuring that Morgan couldn't be punished by Arthur because there's no proof she'd arranged to have her brother killed in battle. Cusick's been one of the best elements of Camelot, and I was pleased her execution was suitably grim (decapitated by Gawaine at the edge of an open grave, watched from a distance by Merlin, who uttered "there is no God" as her body fell into the soil). Morgan's later arrival at Sybil's gravesite appeared to show that the devious nun may now become the voice of whatever "dark forces" Morgan's been lured into utilizing, so perhaps Cusick will return in spirit form and pick up where she left off? Sybil already instigated the episode's final twist, by suggesting Morgan (now stripped of her title by Arthur) can become a Queen by giving birth to a King, prompting her to shape-shift into Guinevere's physical form and sleep with Arthur. Having previously theorized that Morgan (when posing as Igraine) would become pregnant with Merlin's child, it's even creepier that her baby, as the offspring of an incestuous union, will also be her nephew! "Mordred" sounds like a good name for such a child, doesn't it...

"Reckoning" was the kind of finale that succeeded because it managed to cram plenty of juicy and conclusive moments into an otherwise thin and unremarkable plot. It also primed season 2 with some fun possibilities (a pregnant Morgan, a self-exiled Merlin, Arthur's new resolve to become a great king to make his dead mother proud), and even found time to show the birth of another key part of Arthurian myth: the building of Camelot's famous Round Table. It didn't all come together well, as the first quarter-hour was quite boring, and there remains issues with the strength and consistency of characterization. Arthur appeared to finally mature after his friend and mother died because of his sister's machinations, but then he agreed to sleep with Guinevere hours after her husband was burned on a pyre? His character is too easily yanked around, asked to do things simply because it would be handy for the plot, and not because it's something Arthur himself would definitely do in any given situation.

Overall, Camelot is still very much a show trying to discover itself and accrue enough successes to realize what it's good at. It has a few good idea, an engaging sexy/grimy tone, and a smattering of performances that are charming or delectably bonkers (Green, Fiennes), but it's also quite stupid and seems to fluctuate in quality rather sharply. I think a second season, if one's forthcoming, should spend time really nailing the characters and planning the emotional arcs of the season more succinctly. When you look back at these ten episodes, you get the impression the story could actually have concluded three or four weeks ago, and there were many early developments that felt rushed and could have been better distributed over the run.

written by Terry Cafolla & Chris Chibnall / directed by Mikael Salomon & Stefan Schwartz / 10 June 2011 / Starz

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.6: cold Lazarus

In a baffling move, BBC2 aired the finale of Psychoville three days early, to make room for Mock The Week, which probably means it slipped the notice of many people. I know we live in the age of digital catch-up services, but it's still frustrating when broadcast dates are changed for seemingly arbitrary reasons, catching loyal audiences on the hop. Regardless of that, series 2's finale was the best installment of this steadily improving half-dozen episodes, and one that made some of my earlier frustrations with the show fade into relative insignificance. I'm still of the opinion that series 1 had better momentum, a clearer story, and more laughs, but series 2 was a pleasing follow-up when taken as a whole...

In the finale, Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) and geriatric sidekick Mrs Ladybird-face (Vilma Hollingbery) arrived in London with the frozen head of Nurse Kenchington's Nazi father, delivering it to Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) so she can reanimate it using a scientific formula etched on the chain Kenchington's infamous locket hangs on—likewise delivered into her possession at "Andrews Nanotech" by prissy Nazi toy merchant Peter Bishop (Jason Watkins). Elsewhere, David (Steve Pemberton) grew closer to gawky Emily (Sarah Solemani) after the death of his battleaxe mother; Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) was sent to kill David to tie up a loose-end, unaware that another loose-end, catatonic Jennifer (Stacy Liu), has alerted David to his presence; and Jeremy (Shearsmith) fell ino a deeper state of psychosis when The Silent Singer visitation returned in force.

The element of surprise was a key part of this finale's success. It was a fun twist to reveal Kenchington's locket as worthless, with the links of its chain the real treasure Grace has been chasing all along. It was likewise unexpected that two characters we'd forgotten about had such important roles to play—from Jennifer helping David catch Finney, to dwarf Kerry's (Lisa Hammond) late arrival to put an end to the monstrosity of the vivified, talking Nazi head. Psychoville's always been about cartoonish oddballs, but it was a great touch to have two of the finale's heroes played by two of its most obviously disabled characters. The fact they were fighting against the return of a Nazi, who had already started preaching intolerance of minority groups, was an added delight. It was the first moment of series 2 where the characters' abnormalities felt like something to be proud of and actually advantageous. Mr Jelly's plastic hand even stopped a lethal injection from Kelvin (Daniel Ings) in a tense storeroom struggle.

Visually, this was a really strong episode, too. Director Matt Lipsey did a tremendous job with the composition of several scenes, and the special effects for the Nazi head were absolutely superb. The glassy plastics of the chamber he was being held in, clamped inside what resembled a giant iPod-style wardrobe, were also impressive from a production design standpoint. The way the resurrection of a frozen head was intercut with a fiery cremation also had a nice duality to it—and although having a priest read from passages relating to Lazarus was a very obvious device, it still worked remarkably well. The fact Finney was actually inside the coffin instead of Maureen, being burned alive to the strains of Black Lace's "Superman" (Maureen's favourite song, reprised from series 1) was also a wonderfully black comic moment.

Indeed, the laughs felt more regular this episode, perhaps because the cast has been gradually trimmed to focus on its two best characters (David, Jelly) and the additions of Bishop and Mrs Ladybird-face in recent weeks have been very beneficial. The latter's random presence and obliviousness arguably stole the show on several occasions.

Imelda Staunton finally got a chance to shine as pepperpot Grace, too, having spent far too long stuck in her office playing variations of the same scene. It was also a nice moment when her obsession with technology, but ineptness using it, came back to bite her—as she exposed her own crimes by accidentally showing a room of investors a viewscreen of people she's had killed over the weeks. Her disdain for the fascist ramblings of the head she's just restored to life was also very amusing.

So where does Psychoville go from here? I was glad the show didn't repeat the mistake of series 1's finale and hurriedly introduce something to enable another run, as I'm not sure there's much more to say about Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital and its former patients. Series 1 and 2 worked as companions (each dealing with the unexpected return of boogiemen from the past), but surely a potential third series would have to focus on a fresh story of some kind. The door's clearly open for more—as Jelly and David are still alive, and the latter's mother is being kept on ice in a bathtub (awaiting vivification?), and I wouldn't be against seeing those three characters again. If only because they'll undoubtedly be joined by a plethora of new faces because nearly everyone else has been killed of.

Overall, this was a great ending to what's ultimately been a good series, once the plot tightened and momentum was restored after a fortnight's post-premiere lull. Some of my complaints weren't so bad in retrospect and I was probably in the minority for finding a few subplots confusing, at times, although I still think series 2 was treading water for awhile and ultimately lacked the focus and surprise of series 1. Some of that was to be expected, of course, as every sequel faces an uphill struggle trying to justify itself, but I was relieved Psychoville came together surprisingly well in its latter-half

Asides

• You can still watch this finale on Thursday, at the later time of 11.20pm, or catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
• I'd just like to praise Being Human's Jason Watkins' performance as the homosexual Nazi Peter Bishop, who was absolutely brilliant. Sarah Solemani was also terrific as Emily because she utterly transformed herself into an introverted geek. When you remember this is the actress who played extroverted, sexy Becky in BBC3's Him & Her, it's a remarkable transformation in look and body language.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 6 June 2011 / BBC Two

So that was THE EVENT, that was...

Like many shows before it, THE EVENT was hyped as the successor to Lost before making its debut last autumn--a marketing plot that's officially become the kiss of death for new sci-fi drama. I dearly wish the American marketing folk would use less hyperbole; all they do is inflate expectations to unreasonable levels, secure a healthy audience for the expensive premiere, and then wonder why there's such a sharp and painful decline in viewership. Of course, in The Event's case, it was understandable why people grew bored of it after a month or so: the limp central characters, the annoying ambiguity of the "non-terrestrials" enemies (or misunderstood friends?), the ludicrously arcane dialogue, that irritating overuse of flashbacks...

By the time we'd started the back-half of the season (after another of those preposterously long hiatuses that kill a show dead all by themselves), I had stopped reviewing the show because I was just repeating the same points over and over. But I did keep watching on Channel 4 here in the UK, as I'm a sucker for most things sci-fi and, to be fair, The Event did return from hiatus with a few exciting developments. And here's the thing: The Event actually got quite good once it admitted it's 24-with-aliens and embraced the possibilities of that concept.

There were always overtones of Fox's 24 in the show, primarily because The Event likewise utilizes the President of the United States as a main character, but the second-half of The Event started to borrow from the now-defunct action thriller more and more. We had a black President (Blair Underwood) being removed from power by the 25th Amendment; a misguided Vice President (Bill Smitrovich) who became the show's "Charles Logan" figure because of his corruption and role as the enemy's pawn; and de facto hero Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) ditched his dreary fiance Leila (Sarah Roemer) to globe-trot with bad-girl-gone-good Vicky (smoking hot Taylor Cole). Sean's no Jack Bauer figure (the one element The Event couldn't replicate within its ensemble), but he was doing Bauer-lite things on a weekly basis. The story even took some later turns into pure 24 territory by having the aliens try to decimate the world's population using a doomsday virus—even lifting a memorable set-piece from 24's fifth season, regarding a shopping mall test-site for a lethal contagion.

And let's face it, in a US TV landscape that no longer has 24 on its airwaves, The Event's decision to copy that show worked in its favour. It helped that it was even free of 24's often problematic real-time format (Sean and Vicky could jet to France and back over a few episodes), and its sci-fi underpinnings could raise the stakes to a level that would be far too ludicrous even for 24. Bauer had to deal with nationwide threats on a regular basis, but The Event could takes things truly global—with literally billions of lives hanging in the balance.

In the season/series finale, the writers even answered the core question used to promote the show all last summer: "What Is The Event?" Well, the answer wasn't crystal clear, but it has something to do with a predicted moment of volatile "evolution" for the aliens. A moment that so concerned them they left Earth millennia before humans ever existed. I'm still scratching my head, if I'm honest, and I'm not sure the writers really know the details, but at least we have an idea that "the event" is something genetic and relevant to alien physiology.

I'm rather annoyed The Event has been cancelled now, which surprised me. The majority of season 1's second-half was mostly enjoyable and silly fun, even if it started copying the broad strokes of a different show entirely. The year's big cliffhanger also promised huge change and excitement for a second season we'll now never see, as the alien race literally transported their entire planet to sit beside Earth. Forget about the science of that actually happening (imagine the gravitational effects on Earth's rotation and tides, for starters!), and consider the awesome visual of an alien world suddenly appearing in the sky. There's no way to contain that in a government conspiracy! How would the world have reacted to this event in season 2? Would our characters have visited the alien planet at some point, or would that have been beyond the budget? And was it always the plan to end the season on this note, or was it just an epic final image the producers wanted to leave fans agog with, forever, knowing their show was doomed?

I don't know. But I do know that The Event, while never able to shake off its core problems, definitely improved as it time ticked along, and became an enjoyable and reliably entertaining piece of nonsense. With a whole summer to rethink their tactics, flesh-out some characters, introduce some fresh faces, and tackle the things that went wrong, I suspect The Event could have returned later with an even better sophomore season. It's just a pity US TV shows are launched on a tidal wave of hype most nascent shows can never justify from their pilots, as many shows need a whole year to find their voice, realize their strengths, and iron out their problems. I don't blame anyone for giving up on The Event as early as episode 3 or 4, and I'm not saying it evolved into a truly wonderful show by the end... but it most definitely became a consistently fun one. I'll miss it more than FlashForward, anyway...

'CHUCK' 4.24 - "Chuck Versus The Cliffhanger"

Going in, I knew NBC had renewed Chuck for a fifth and final season, but still suspected this finale wouldn't risk ending on an actual cliffhanger, as that would have infuriated fans if NBC had axed the insuperable series. As it stands, Chuck has managed to survive a good three years longer than its ratings justify--and, while the show's definitely past its prime, after this rejuvenating finale I'm more open to a 13-part swansong.

Continuing from last week's shocking climax, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) has been hospitalized after Vivian Volkoff (Lauren Cohan) targeted her with the Norseman super-weapon, leaving fiancé Chuck frantic at her bedside. Upon realizing he only has 12-hours to find an antidote for the poison that's killing his betrothed, Chuck enlisted Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Morgan (Joshua Gomez) for a rogue mission to free the only man capable of saving Sarah: supervillain Alexei Volkoff (Timothy Dalton), the Norseman's creator. Unfortunately this meant going up against the mighty CIA itself, with Agent Clyde Decker (Richard Burgi) under orders to keep Volkoff incarcerated at whatever cost. Matters were further complicated when Decker removed the "Alexei Volkoff" persona from sneering Volkoff, turning him back to affable scientist Harvey Winterbottom.

A problem with "Chuck Versus The Cliffhanger" was the confusing way the CIA became the enemy, as it felt ridiculous they wouldn't help Chuck save the life of his fiancée--a renowned CIA agent who's saved the country/world on more than one occasion! Does General Beckman (Bonita Fiedericy) have no sway? What's the big deal with letting Chuck interrogate Volkoff for the whereabouts of an antidote? Why was Decker in such a rush to erase Volkoff's personality, beyond a need to make Chuck's life more complicated? The reasoning was a rather woolly point that Chuck knows too much about the Agent X programme (whereby the CIA accidentally created the world's most notorious terrorist), so he's too much of a security risk. Sorry, but I don't buy into that.

It felt like a lapse in logic that writers Chris Fedak and Nicholas Wootton simply couldn't answer effectively (they just needed an organisation to put in Chuck's way), so they plowed ahead and hoped most people wouldn't notice, or care. They're lucky so much of the finale was entertaining enough to forgive that flaw, but it was still annoying to me. Unfortunately, this ragged and nonsensical aspect of Chuck has become more prominent in late-season 4, as the writers have scrambled to keep the story going an additional nine episodes.

It's also true that the bulk of "... Versus The Cliffhanger" followed a fairly predictable path: Volkoff being redeemed after getting his original identity back, Chuck managing to convince Vivian to turn her back on supervillain-y, etc. But there were interesting flourishes along the way. I particularly liked the way Chuck had the Intersect wiped from his mind by Decker and spent the majority of the episode using his own skills, experience and humanity to save Sarah's life. In many ways this was the angle that gave the episode a sense of finality, as Chuck effectively threw away his mental crutch and walked unaided as a true spy. "Charles Carmichael" became Chuck Bartowski, as they're now one and the same.

Second of Strahotness: the blushing bride

This was the least action-orientated finale of Chuck I can remember, but the stakes were arguably highest. Sarah's life has been threatened before, sure, but the whole situation felt more tense because of the against-the-clock element and dependable hospital drama. The occasional flashbacks to Chuck and Sara coping with pre-marital jitters by rehearsing their wedding vows also worked very nicely, plus it gave Yvonne Strahovski something to do in a Sarah-lite hour. The fact the actual wedding only happened in the last five minutes, and was reduced to a relatively brief scene, didn't seem to matter too much. We've already seen a big ceremony with Ellie's (Sarah Lancaster) wedding in season 2, and all you really needed was to see Chuck and Sarah in their finery and saying "I do" for the moment to work.

It's a shame the Vivian Volkoff story didn't work this season, as I think it was a decent idea that just needed more time to cook. That's perhaps why Vivian was underused here, as the emphasis was instead placed on her father--restored to his original self. The realities of Volkoff's situation were obviously swept under the carpet by a lighthearted show like Chuck (this is almost like waking up to realize you've been Osama Bin Laden for 30 years!), but it was still a fitting way to end the Volkoff storyline. Dalton's been great value this season, even if I mostly disliked the Volkoff story arc.

"... Versus The Cliffhanger" also ended with a surprising amount of setup for a fifth season, which it will fortunately be able to explore now. The Intersect-less Chuck, Sarah and Casey have been fired from the CIA, Castle has become an empty shell, but Volkoff has decided to make amends by giving Chuck and Sarah an eye-watering $877 million from his dismantled criminal empire. Enough money to start their own freelance outfit, now that Chuck's bought the Buy More and outfitted Castle, and investigate the insinuation from Decker that Chuck's whole life has been more determined than destined...

Even better, Morgan unwittingly downloaded the Intersect via some snazzy shades and has essentially inherited Chuck's geek-to-spy role--in many ways restoring the show to its fish-out-of-water origins. A truncated season without governmental restrictions, but with Morgan as a novice spy out in the field doing Kung Fu? That could be fun. I just hope Chuck doesn't take too much of a sidekick role, as it would feel weird having the show's lead character play second fiddle to his best buddy all season.

Overall, this wasn't my favourite season finale Chuck's done, but it was a great one by this show's dicey standards, and easily one of the misfiring season 4's best episodes. It essentially relied on our fondness and connection with Chuck and Sarah to earn its emotional peaks, and they're still a TV couple who can tug at your heartstrings.

Asides

• Great scene with Devon (Ryan McPartin) helping Morgan incapacitate a CIA operative at the hospital by agreeing to be his distraction, but after seeing the fear in Morgan's eyes deciding to punch the spook out himself.
• I was glad to see Sarah's C.A.T Squad return as her bridesmaids, but unless I'm very much mistaken they had to recast Mircea Monroe.
• Jeffester didn't get the Sarah/Chuck gig? I had my fingers crossed for Billy Idol's "White Wedding", too.
• The idea of there being a huge conspiracy that's been influencing Chuck's entire life is, of course, a ludicrous idea to swallow--but I'm interested to see how the writers try to make that feel plausible in season 5. I suppose we've already discovered a lot of the random events regarding Chuck becoming the Intersect weren't so arbitrary after all, so maybe it'll work. But how deep does the conspiracy go? Was his relationship with Sarah pre-planned by someone, too?
• Will Chuck reveal to the Buy More staff he's the owner of the business? I'm predicting not, because there would be too many questions asked about how he can afford that. Likewise, it's unlikely Chuck and Sarah will be moving into a palatial home--agreed?
• Did anyone else get the feeling from Decker's chat to Chuck on the Castle videoscreen that his murdered father Stephen may not actually be dead? I certainly hope that's true, as it would be great to see Scott Bakula back on the show--together with screen wife Linda Hamilton.
• Any other predictions for the final season? Sarah's mother has got to make her long overdue appearance, right? Will they have time to squeeze in a pregnancy storyline for Sarah, or would that incapacitate her character too much? Will Casey rekindle a romance with his ex-fiance Kathleen McHugh? Will General Beckman somehow get screentime? Will the CIA become a thorn in Team Chuck's side? Will the show be retitled Morgan--at least for one alternative opening title sequence, please!
• Chuck's being moved to the disreputable "graveyard slot" of Friday nights next season, which ordinarily means it will die there. But could Chuck's small but loyal fanbase turn it into a surprise hit, by Friday night standards, and see the show renewed for a sixth season? With this show, you can't discount anything!

written by Chris Fedak & Nicholas Wootton / directed by Robert Duncan McNeill / 16 May 2011 / NBC

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.10-1.13 catch-up

1.10 - "Dog Eat Dog" (**½ out of four)
1.11 - "Going Dutch" (*** out of four)
1.12 - "You're The One I Haunt" (** out of four)
1.13 - "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Me Killing You" (**½ out of four)

I was surprised my previous batch-review of Being Human's Stateside remake didn't elicit much comment, considering how some people expressed their disappointed I stopped weekly reviews after four episodes. Consequently, I was in two-minds about posting a follow-up to cover the last four episodes of Being Human's first season. But, if only for the sake of completism, why the hell not...

I won't bore you by repeating the points I always make about Being Human USA (hereafter BH:USA). I still believe it's inferior from a performance standpoint, yes -- but the increased budget makes for a more visually-entertaining show. It doesn't feel as raw and vérité as the UK version, no -- but it's easier to watch and perhaps more immediate fun. It also became clear that the remake's writers have a firmer grasp on the vampire/ghost lore of BH:USA. It helps that they can afford to make their vampires preternaturally powerful, their ghosts more incorporeal, but its vampire subculture was more central and engaging, if ultimately just trotting out clichés.

Still, when BH:USA was spending time with the vampiric "Dutch Elders" revived by Bishop (Mark Pellegrino) after decades of hibernation, the show achieved its apex. This was a unique storyline the remake could actually call its own, which felt like an oasis for viewers, like myself, who've spent the majority of this season comparing things to the original. The sequence where Bishop cleverly poisoned and paralyzed the Elders around a banquet table (containing a shackled woman as their meal), before proceeding to chop off their heads while delivering a speech, was wonderful stuff.

But the game of comparing Being Human's is still impossible to resist. I found it interesting that terminally ill Celine -- the aged woman who was once a lover of Aiden's (Sam Witwer) in the '70s -- was noticeably less decrepit in this version of the story. Was there a concern American viewers would be too disturbed by the idea of a 25-year-old man kissing a granny? (Is that any weirder than seeing Hugh Heffner kiss a playmate? Discuss.) Celine was instead a "cougar" the acceptable side of 50. That kind of rethinking is indicative of why BH:USA isn't as satisfying as the original, really -- it smoothes too many rough edges, then marinades the diluted drama in twangy pop-songs.

I also found it intriguing that the US version chose to tackle two prominent storylines from the BBC's third series: the vampire pastime of forcing werewolves to fight for their lives in cages, and nurse Nora (Kristen Hager) falling pregnant with Josh's (Sam Huntington) child. This was either a simple and explicable coincidence, or Being Human's creator Toby Whithouse got wind of the remake's intentions and chose to incorporate some of their ideas into his show. Payback time? I don't actually blame him if that's true, knowing how much BH:USA owes him, but we'll probably never know for sure.

Naturally, some of BH:USA's changes were clear and definite improvements -- which tends to happen when you have an existing body of work to dissect and study for weaknesses. I preferred seeing Aiden vanquish Bishop in an intense warehouse punch-up, assisted by Sally (Meaghan Rath), which neatly misdirected us away from the UK version's ending of Bishop getting slain by Josh-wolf in the hospital basement. It was the more obvious creative choice, sure, but it carried more weight having Aiden deal with his maker -- as we had a deeper sense of the history between them than their British equivalents.

Overall, BH:USA was a unexpectedly good remake that kept me entertained, despite knowing where most of the story would go. It's just a shame it lacks the sharp lo-fi realism of the UK version (this is very much a "show" not a "drama"), especially when it comes to the characters. In fact, the biggest problem BH:USA has is that the core trio rarely felt like close friends who support each other through thick and thin. There are moments when they sit around the kitchen table discussing their day, or are forced to deal with each other's crap (like Aiden and Josh stopping Sally's crazy ex-fiancé burning down their house), but I just don't get a feeling the characters are a true "family". In the BBC version, the chemistry was palpable between everyone from the get-go (particularly best-friends George and Mitchell), but that's not so clear in the syrupy Syfy version.

The remake's writing and performances simply don't connect in the same way. Witwer's a man trapped inside a marble effigy of himself, Huntington's twitchy amiability grew tiring after awhile, and Rath is less irritating than her bouncy British counterpart, but she's also twice as bland. Still, BH:USA has delivered a baker's dozen of fun that, removed from comparisons, delivered some entertainment. Hopefully its sophomore season will learn from its mistakes, the cast will interact more purposefully, and the story will plough ahead with its own originality. That approach worked wonders for NBC's The Office, after all...

written by Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke (1.10 & 1.13), Chris Dingess (1.11) & Nancy Won (1.12) / directed by Paolo Barzman (1.10), Erik Canuel (1.11 & 1.12) & Adam Kane (1.13) / 21 March, 28 March, 4 April & 11 April 2011 / Syfy

How did 'Friday Night Dinner' taste?

I reviewed Channel 4's new comedy Friday Night Dinner when it debuted, and quite liked it. It was nothing special, but it was likable, although I had concerns about the inflexibility of the concept (two young adult brothers have weekly dinner with their Jewish parents), and the lack of belly laughs. As a fan of the sublime '70s docuspoof Look Around You (co-created by FND's writer Robert Popper), I was prepared to stick around to see it grow. Sitcoms often take a few weeks to settle down and find their voice, particularly a character-based comedy like FND.

The final episode aired last Friday, what are more overall thoughts? Well, I grew to like it slightly more, as familiarity with the characters and their behaviour increased over time, but wouldn't say I loved it. Simon Bird is repeating his Inbetweeners character with such fidelity it makes Ricky Gervais look like Daniel Day Lewis, while grinning Tom Rosenthal has proven to be something of an uninteresting flop. The writing for the two "boys" doesn't ring true, either. The running joke of them continually trying to spike each other's water with salt is too childish, and wasn't funny the first time it happened -- let alone the third, fourth or fifth. Likewise, running gags about sending each other inappropriate text messages as "Mum" began to feel like crutches. It's true that families are full of in-jokes and horseplay, but there's a reason they're not funny from the perspective of an outsider.

I like Tom Ritter and Tamsin Greig as parents Jackie and "Dad" more, probably because it's inherently funnier having nutty parents in a family comedy. Mark Heap's loner neighbour Jim, who constantly finds excuses to call round and flirt with Jackie, was also good value, and it helped that the entire joke with him was the repetition of his thwarted attempts to get invited in for a meal. Heap's in his comfort zone, having played variations on Jim many times before, but he's amazingly good at playing twitchy oddballs.

Considering the insanity and razor-sharp accuracy of Look Around You, I'm surprised Robert Popper didn't play to those strengths for his first solo project, though. FND crawled along most weeks; each episode resembling a fresh attempt at crafting the perfect pilot. There's no obvious progression of anything, or anyone, or a reason to keep returning every week. It's just half-an-hour of faintly likable, but often plodding family interaction. The moment something seismic happened (Jonny's caught ravishing a girl Jackie invited to dinner to set her up with his brother), signals the end of the six-part series. It would have been nice to have a few such cliffhanger endings previously, to shake the mood up week to week.

Overall, FND has been recommissioned, so hopefully that vote of confidence from Channel 4 will give Popper the courage to push the boundaries next year, not let the show get too bogged down in repetition, and find ways to prevent it getting too stale. I do wonder why it was decided to constrain the show with this exacting premise, though -- as the prospect of a sitcom that's My Family-with-laughs is more appealing to me. Perhaps it was an easier sell keeping FND's scope so humble, because of the budget. If so, maybe now it's a success the constraints will be lifted slightly. Or as much as they can be with a show called Friday Night Dinner.

What did you make of this comedy?

'NO ORDINARY FAMILY' 1.20 - "No Ordinary Beginning"

The chances of No Ordinary Family getting a second season are the same as Michael Chiklis waking up with a full head of hair. "No Ordinary Beginning" was a curiously flat finale in some ways, even inept at times, despite doing many of the things we've wanted to see from the start (the Powells working together as a super-team, Dr King's defeat.) My general disappointment came from the lack of surprises to the storyline, some awkward staging of scenes (was this episode rushed?), and some developments that just didn't sit right.

The story was very basic: JJ (Jimmy Bennett) was kidnapped by Mrs X/Helen Burton (Lucy Lawless) and taken to a secret GlobalTech "super-prison", where he's pressured to use his ability to solve the issue of trilsettum permanence, so Burton can bestow super-powers without the need to keep subjects dosed with further injections. So it was down to Jim (Chiklis), Stephanie (Julie Benz) and Daphne (Kay Panabaker) to rescue JJ, having learned what's going on from Dr King (Stephen Collins), whom it's revealed is dying of cancer now his remedial trilsettum jabs are wearing off. Elsewhere, Katie (Autumn Reeser) was overjoyed to see Joshua (Josh Stewart) return, revealing he's going to be a father, before George (Romany Malco) discovered "Joshua" is really shapeshifter Victoria (Rebecca Mader.)

There just wasn't much to the story that grabbed me, beyond the occasional moment, like Dr King shooting a de-powered Jim dead and blaming it on the guards. But even that genuine shock was undone with a feeble excuse, when Jim returned and claimed he survived because his powers had actually returned. If that's true, why was there blood? If there was blood, he was definitely shot. Does he regenerate from life-threatening injuries now, too? Even the basic thrill of seeing the Powells joining forces was fairly subdued, perhaps because the budget wouldn't stretch to them doing much together, and the impregnable super-prison proved to be a joke. What exactly were the defenses to keep supers under control in there? Men with guns and locked doors, like any normal prison? I was expecting a penitentiary full of super-guards, at the very least.

Just in general terms, I began questioning details of the show. Why does Helen want to give people permanent powers? It makes sense that Dr King needs that breakthrough, for his own health reasons, but why is Helen risking giving Death Row inmates permanent powers? Surely it makes more sense to ensure their obedience with the current process of top-up injections?

The subplot with Katie was kind of weird, because it wasn't really clear what Victoria's plan was. I assume she was intending to pose as Joshua until Katie gave birth, then steal the baby? It just felt like a way to give Katie and George something to do, really, and the manner in which Katie's waters broke was pretty laughable. If you replay the scene, she just walks straight into a chair. Still, it was surprisingly brave of the show to have Katie give birth prematurely (um, don't call for an ambulance?) and for her baby to die. They even showed a quick glimpse of the stillborn child, which was pretty grisly for a show like this, before lightening the mood when the super-baby miraculously recovered. So, um, the baby's super-power is immortality? And while it was quite sweet to use a powerless Joshua reunited with Katie, it feels like the show's swept most of Joshua's misdemeanors under the carpet. He was a callous assassin when the season began, and a large part of his success with Katie has been down to mind-games.

The only moment that truly worked in this finale, for me, was seeing Stephen Collins tackle the material with scenery-chewing delight -- especially in the scene where he went crazy, gave himself super-powers, and attempted to take on all of the Powells single-handed. Collins really unleashed his inner ham and it was marvelous; particularly when he was turned into a prune-like corpse, after JJ threw an anti-serum needle into his eyeball. That entire scene was so ludicrously OTT that it actually worked, because the intention was clearly to be very silly.

The denouement setup a second season that will never happen, barring a miracle, but I'm not actually very upset about that. Having discovered that the key to permanence is inhaling trilsettum while under incredible stress, Helen loaded a plane full of bad guys and intentionally crashed it. This sets up two ideas Heroes covered in its third season: super-villains unleashed into the world, and a plane crash where "supers" are now going to be hunted by the US government. Indeed, the Powells' secret is apparently known to the NSA, who arrived to request their help in capturing these supers. It sounds like a neat development, until you realize the Powells have been capturing and defeating supers all season, so the only difference is they'll be doing it for Uncle Sam now. Oh, and George was aboard the plane, so undoubtedly has a power of his own, but we'll never know what it is.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on "No Ordinary Beginning." The finale was entertaining, but I just expected something grander and cleverer, given the months of buildup. A few moments were effectively handled, but it was mostly a very safe and predictable climax. It wasn't a horrific mess that made me question by loyalty to a show most viewers had ditched halfway through, but I think fans deserved something more emotionally involving, unexpected, and less frenetic. Although I blame ABC for the pacing issues, having cut the season order down to 20 episodes.

What did you make of this finale and No Ordinary Family as a whole? Do you want to see a second season of the Powells chasing supervillains for the government? Or was this a good place to leave it, because we've seen everything the series is capable of?

Asides

• Joshua was last seen leaving town on a coach, so when did he get captured by Dr King and thrown into jail? And why, considering he has no powers now? I'm guessing this would have been explained better, if ABC hadn't curtailed the season.
• Victoria makes a habit of shape-changing in clear view of people outside, doesn't she!
• So what was all that phosphorescence in the Amazon River, if it wasn't responsible for giving the Powells powers?

written by Zack Estrin & Ali Adler (story by Jon Harmon Feldman) / directed by Paul Edwards / 5 April 2011 / ABC

'V' 2.10 - "Mother's Day"

ABC reduced their season order of V by two episodes while the show was in production, and "Mother's Day" carried the scars of a truncated story that was, at times, ruined by the need to cram missing hours of plot into a single episode. The season 2 finale entertained, because it was full of provocative moments, but mostly played out without any finesse and intelligence.

"Now that's how you kill your mother." -- Anna

The show's always had a strong theme of motherhood and family, and this finale played to that very well. The Fifth Column organized their most daring mission yet, by manipulating Anna's (Morena Baccarin) love for her daughter and heir. Future queen Lisa (Laura Vandervoort) was kidnapped to lure Anna out into the open, without her usual security, to exchange her life for that of her only child and future queen. Anna was unaware Lisa's been collaborating with Fifth Column and expected to shoot her mother dead during the exchange, until a reflection of Lisa brandishing a gun tipped her off, and gave Anna the chance to talk herself to safety by claiming to have revised her opinion of humanity. The mission was a failure and Lisa's true allegiance was exposed in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, in the mothership, Ryan (Morris Chestnut) and Joshua (Mark Hildreth) released overthrown queen Diana (Jane Badler) from her secret prison, to reclaim her throne by rallying her people towards a peaceful coexistence with mankind, until Anna pitilessly lanced her mother through the chest with her tail, ending the coup d'état. There was a seismic shift of relationships and a strong theme of replacement here: Lisa thrown into her late-grandmother's dungeon; hybrid Amy disowning and killing her father in favour of her adopted mother; and the birth of another daughter for Anna from her last surviving egg, with the newborn V wrapped in identical skin to Lisa and sent to have sex with Tyler (Logan Huffman.)

"You taught me everything I know. But you never knew half of what I know." -- Anna to Diana

Now, I approve of how much "Mother's Day" achieved in an hour, but a great deal of it felt rushed and thus lacked impact. For instance, Erica finally told her son everything about the V's (something we've been waiting ages for), but she did so over the phone in a conversation we didn’t hear, and Tyler's response wasn't properly demonstrated because he was immediately seduced by "EviLisa" and viciously killed during their post coital glow. I'm a red-blooded guy, so I can see why a naked Laura Vandervoort would be a distraction to any teenager (even if she suddenly developed a 200-yard stare), but this felt like a big moment being shortchanged because there wasn't time to give it the treatment it deserved. Tyler's just been told that the V's are evil and here to enslave humanity, but he immediately jumped into bed with one? Still, Tyler's dead, which is cause for celebration. I'm sure the writers have been itching to end that particular thread of V's storyline, as Huffman lacked the talent to make the character work. And the writers don't get off lightly, as it always felt like they never knew how to deal with Tyler -- who was always kept in the dark about the V's for illogical reasons.

"I wasn't lying when I said not all human emotion is bad. Enjoy the show." -- Anna

Diana's release after a season of buildup only resulted in a change of dress, two brief scenes, and a shock death. It struck me as a disappointing end to that particular subplot, and a slight letdown that Diana wasn't revealed to have been lying about her good intentions. They simply released Diana and killed her within minutes, which retrospectively makes Jane Badler's involvement in season 2 little more than a fun nod for fans of the original series and mature cleavage. On a similar note, Ryan's strangulation only elicited a shrug, as his character should have died in the mid-season bomb and was only kept around longer for, assumedly, an emotional moment of redemption that didn't arrive.

Still, the ending worked well as both a season cliffhanger and a potential series finale, with Erica kidnapped and taken to the underground HQ of "Project Ares" (a secret cabal of top-ranking military and government officials who believe the V's are dangerous and know they've been visiting Earth for a very long time.) The death of Jane Badler also nicely coincided with the debut of another actor from the '80s V: a goateed, haggard-looking Marc Singer, now playing the head of Ares. However, before Erica had a chance to get acquainted with her new comrades (which included her FBI bosses?!), Anna was attempting to Bliss the world's population to enslave them, unsuccessfully, until Amy demonstrated that V-human hybrids can Bliss mass populations with relative ease. The final moment, of Erica walking amidst a group of brainwashed people, noticing former-priest Jack (Joel Gretsch) staring up at his new "God" in the heavens, was a great way to get you excited for what a third season could entail... but also worked as a decent end to V, if we're left to assume the Visitors effectively won.

Overall, "Mother's Day" gave us plenty of incidents and a smattering of effective, entertaining moments. It's just a shame the majority of them weren't given enough room to breathe, as you could tell this finale needed another hour to tell its story better. But I still hope it get a miraculous third season pickup, as there's enough back-story and complexity to the show's story to really start delivering the "alien invasion" angle of V's concept, as this finale felt like the writers were making it clear the preamble is over.

Asides

• Newborn V queens are immediately ready to procreate? This flew in the face of what we've been led to believe with Lisa, who was only just coming into sexual maturity. Still, great to see what a Visitor looks like from head to claw at last, even if it makes little sense those giant grasshopper-lizards would resemble a human being just by having skin wrapped over them. They're about 7 foot tall, aren't they?
• Where did Hobbes (Charles Mesure) disappear to towards the end? Theories? Did something get lost in the need to constrict 12 episodes into 10 this year?

written by Scott Rosenbaum & Gregg Hurwitz / directed by Bryan Spicer / 15 March 2011 / ABC