TV Shows and Endings

This is actually Siri’s scheduled slot, but since I will be out of town in two weeks, we decided to switch.

So that meant coming up with a topic rather quickly (a few hours!). Since Castle was canceled, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about TV shows lately. TV shows that had either crap endings or died too soon in particular. It has gotten to the point where I am terrified to get invested in a TV show because it could end prematurely and end on a cliffhanger.  Or just end, period. There were a bunch of TV shows coming out this past fall that I would have loved to check out (Minority Report, Limitless, Quantico, for an example) but I worried that they’d get the ax and/or end on a damn cliffhanger. Those are absolutely the worst, because let’s face it, the chances for a revival are so slim. And it’s heartbreaking.

(Of those three, I believe Quantico is the last one standing.)

So, let’s get on with the list, shall we? In no particular order, they are:

1) Forever. Canceled after the first season. Had an interesting premise — a man who works as a medical examiner and is immortal. This drew me in because 1) it wasn’t the average police procedural show, and 2) why is Henry immortal  and can he find a way to finally die? Plus there was a glimmer of a potential romance with the woman he works with, Jo. I don’t know the final resolution because as soon as I heard about the cancellation, I stopped watching. It felt too bittersweet, because I really enjoyed that show. I don’t know if there was a cliffhanger. I’m hoping not. But a second season would have been nice.

2) Legend of the Seeker. Canceled after the second season. Based on Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, this was an amazing show with an amazing cast. It’s fantasy about a normal everyday guy who becomes the Seeker of Truth, and his beloved Kahlan, the Confessor, who wields some impressive magic of her own. They brought these beloved characters to life, and the magic. What I loved about the novels was the constant interplay between good and evil; how noble people had to make terrible decisions, the sacrifices, the power of love and friendship. The show brought this all out so wonderfully. I was devastated when word came of the cancellation. There were no cliffhangers, thank God, but we needed a third season! (There was a wonderful group of people who campaigned for years to bring Seeker back. They still may be doing it, 7 years post cancellation. Unfortunately, nothing has come of it. But hope springs eternal.)

3) Cedar Cove. Canceled after the third season. Based on Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, this was such a great, heartwarming, interesting show. My mom got me into it, and I faithfully followed it until its cancellation. I had missed the last few episodes of the third season, and according to my mom, it ended on a cliffhanger. Such a shame. At least give us a half season more to tie up the loose ends!

4) Castle. Canceled after the eighth season. I was a newcomer to Castle. It was one of those shows that I had planned on sitting down and watching, but never got around to it until the past year. It’s about this writer, Richard Castle, who teams up with the police to catch a killer who’s using his novels as inspiration. Apparently. (I haven’t seen season one yet). I imagine it was awesome. It was another great show, and the relationship between Castle and Beckett (Kate) was so intriguing and fun. There were some big shake-ups with the cast around renewal time, including the alleged letting go of the actress who plays Beckett (who gets rid of one half of a super couple?!) among other people. So in the final episode, Castle and Beckett are gunned down and are wounded and they are moving toward each other even through horrendous pain. And they hold hands. This would have been the cliffhanger for the season. So they decide to tack on a cheesy “7 years later…” scene showing Castle and Beckett with their three children. Okay, better than the cliffhanger, I’ve give you that, but still…it looked tacked on. “Oops, we’ve been canceled, let’s do something quick so there’s no doubt they lived and…reproduced.” Great. I’m happy for them, I really am, but seriously?

5) Invasion. Canceled after first season. I seem to remember a cliffhanger, but according to my research, the first season ended with the final episode, so maybe my memory is faulty (it has been 10 years!). It’s about this town that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina gets infiltrated by water-based aliens who take the people over. So cool. I really wish it could have gone on longer, really.

6) House, M.D. Ended after eight seasons. I’m adding this one even though it wasn’t canceled. I believe it ended too soon. My theory is that the ratings were dropping and they were facing cancellation, so they decided to end on a high note rather than be canceled. House was about a brilliant doctor who was addicted to vicodin and was a bit of a jerk to his patients, but managed to save lives, sometimes even using unorthodox procedures to do so. The original cast either left or were fired (I don’t recall), and when they brought in new people, I think the writing was on the wall. I actually liked the new people, but I know a lot of fans were upset and disappointed with things. So, if things had been different, I could see it going for at least a few more seasons. Maybe. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

And that concludes my list. Have I missed any? Do you have a favorite show to add?