3月9日
Worst. Series Finale. Ever.
Even though I'm not exactly the target demographic, I've watched "The L Word" pretty frequently over the years. But last night's finale set a new low for not just that series, but I think all television. I'm not even joking. I've never seen something fail on so many levels. It was just stunning.
For those not familiar with the show, it revolves around a bunch of lesbians in Los Angeles who have soapy, dramatic interactions with each other. Knowing it was going to have one final season, the show set up a mystery: who killed Jenny, the damaged writer who launched the show.
Failure number one: The finale didn't answer the whodunnit. After watching, viewers had no way to tell which of the many women with motive actually did the deed, or even if there was a deed. Jenny could have committed suicide. She could have fell in an accident. The show is having a spin-off, starring Alice as a woman in prison, so presumably, she's guilty. It's outrageous that the show would deliberately not say.
Failure number two: The show tried to have some sort of artsy-craftsy deal interspersing interrogation scenes with the action. But the interrogation scenes were pointless and had little to do with either finding out what happened with Jenny or illuminating the characters of the people being interrogated.
Failure number three: The show provided almost no closure for the main characters. We don't get to know if Max, the transgendered man, is going to have his baby, if Tina and Bette are going to adopt the baby, if Tasha and Alice are staying together.
Failure number four: The stuff that was actually in the episode was pretty stupid. Helena suddenly decides she can't trust Dylan after finding out that Dylan knew that the "test" of her fidelity and Dylan feigned outrage. Neither action really makes sense. Nor does Shane's deciding to break up with Jenny after learning that Jenny had hidden Molly's letter. There's been all sorts of clues for the clueless that Jenny was crazy and manipulative. Why would just one more thing make a difference, no matter how big it was? And especially with Jenny sanctioning Shane's non-monogamy. And Alice acting like Tasha and third-wheel-girl are two peas in a pod. I'm like: what exactly do they have in common, beside both are hot women who happen to be minority?
But beyond that, the final scene of the main cast getting out of their various cars and walking toward the police station with a retooled version of the theme song going and with a wind machine blowing made me think of a L-word of my own: Ludicrous.
If there was a more insulting planned series finale, I can't think of it. How's it feel to be off the hook, "Endgame?"
- posted by Raoul