All Done RAISING HOPE

Article first published as TV Review: 'Raising Hope' - Series Finale on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Raising Hope has always been a really good show with just enough schmaltz to keep it from achieving true greatness. Though, that seems purposeful, and I don’t think it wants to be more than what it is. It has real charm and presents an authentic-feeling, extremely funny family. After four seasons, the series wrapped itself up this past Friday night in much the same vein it’s always been in, providing a touching half hour (or, rather, two half hours), but not going for the closure-filled ending.

The first half hour, which is its own installment, not connected to the second, is called “How I Met Your Mullet.” This is 100% a typical episode, with character-driven segments that illustrate the terrific dynamics, without actually changing who the players are. Burt (Garret Dillahunt) gets the chance to search for his passion since Virginia (Martha Plimpton) is now making “comma money,” only to realize he already has his ideal life. Jimmy (Lucas Neff) and Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) inherit a maid (Downton Abbey‘s Lesley Nicol), only to later realize they’re taking advantage of the help and setting a bad example for daughter Hope (Baylie and Rylie Cregut), so they let her go. None of this is anything spectacular or dramatic, but it’s a wonderfully typical episode.

The second half, “The Father Daughter Dance” goes in a little different direction, not reveling in the show’s personalities, as most entries do. Instead, this is all about Virginia’s father, Arnold (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development), trying to get back in her good graces. He does so by throwing Virginia the dream wedding she never had, complete with a replica of Princess Diana’s dress. But his good intentions start to fall apart when the family realizes Arnold can’t pay for Hope’s college, as he promises to do, and ends up homeless, needing Virginia and Burt to take him in.

I do wonder if this is how the fourth season of Raising Hope would have ended if the show was renewed. After all, I can’t imagine Tambor sticking around full-time, so his crashing with the Chances would likely be only a temporary situation, perhaps Arnold even being gone by the fall premiere. That’s a shame because adding Arnold to the household gives the show a chance to really grow in a new and interesting direction, completely shaking up the firmly established dynamic. I’m not complaining about the mix, as I’ve enjoyed Raising Hope immensely, but almost all series would benefit from growth over time.

Raising Hope does allow change, usually incrementally. After all, Jimmy discovers how to be a good dad, marries Sabrina, and gets his own house in the first few seasons. This provides a lot more Virginia-Burt plots separate from the others, which works well because they are easily the two best characters on the program. But it’s never been a program that would shake things up too much, at least not in any kind of permanent way.

I’m disappointed “The Father Daughter Dance” is the last episode. Like Everybody Loves Raymond, Raising Hope decides to go out without a bang. It may work for the style established, but people want a memorable capper. The series with the best (or worst) endings are often talked about and debated for years to come. A stellar finale can raise the profile of a series significantly. By bowing out quietly, Raising Hope squanders a chance to attract even more viewers in its afterlife. And if there’s something this show has always deserved but never received, it’s more viewers.

The biggest regret about Raising Hope ending now may be that the writers didn’t have more time to explore the chemistry between Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) and Frank (Todd Giebenhain). I don’t think their February-December relationship is romantic in nature, but we really doesn’t get the chance to figure out what it is, the twosome only being featured together a few times in the past few weeks. I am really interested to see where the show would have gone with this, but I guess we’ll never know.

Overall, I still enjoyed “The Father Daughter Dance” as much as most episodes of Raising Hope, which is a considerable amount. It’s a series that really knows itself, found its groove, and uses it effectively. Some shows flounder, but this one never does, being on very solid footing in tone, style, and sense of humor for quite some time. For those who connected with this spirit, it is a continuous joy, watching week after week, and it will be sincerely missed.

Once Upon a Time "The Queen is Dead"

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Review Season 2 Episode 15 The Queen is Dead on Seat42F.

Grade: 92%

This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME is entitled “The Queen is Dead,” and, for the first time, we see Snow’s mother, Queen Eva (Rena Sofer, 24, Covert Affairs), albeit on her death bed. She doesn’t have much time left, and young Snow is desperate to save her mom’s life, the doctor (Duncan Ollerenshaw, Hell on Wheels) being clueless as to an effective treatment. However, when tempted with dark magic, Snow remembers the lesson her mother taught her, and chooses good over evil, allowing her mother to die rather than trade another’s life to save Eva’s.

“The Queen is Dead” reveals that Rumple (Robert Carlyle) isn’t the only one who plays the long game. Cora (Barbara Hershey) murders Eva and poses as the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy) to tempt the child Snow White (Bailee Madison). Then, Cora continues to offer Snow chances to make the wrong decision throughout her life, presumably, always trying to ruin Snow’s spirit and turn her dark.

Why does Cora go to such lengths? What does she have against Snow? Does she just delight in destroying a good person, or does it go deeper, an old feud with Eva perhaps? We have to believe that Cora and Eva have a past that causes this rivalry and sets Cora on such a destructive path. Otherwise, she is just plain cruel.

Quick side note, Bailee looks a lot like grown up Snow, so for that, I appreciate the casting, but can’t the actress dial it back just a bit? I know she’s only a child, but the overacting does detract from the story a little, and it’s more obvious here than in past installments.

In modern Storybrooke, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) is once again tempted to not do the right thing when Cora and Regina (Lana Parrilla) hold Snow’s old friend and servant, Johanna (Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol), hostage, offering to trade Johanna’s life for the Dark One’s dagger, which Snow has, so that they can control Gold. Snow chooses to hand over the weapon, despite the possible repercussions, but Cora murders Johanna anyway, and Snow vows revenge.

ONCE UPON A TIME often flirts with motivation and gray areas, making the good characters not completely good and the bad ones not completely bad. Snow is the epitome of the hero, the lightest of the light, and to send her down such a dark path is surprising and disturbing. If Snow can’t keep her heart pure and pass Cora’s tests, does she deserve to be the ruler of the kingdom? Or, more likely, is this just another obstacle she needs to overcome on her journey?

Snow asks Charming (Josh Dallas) why she should be good if she keeps losing the people she loves as a consequence. What Snow is having trouble seeing right now is that a victory is hollow if you can’t live with yourself afterwards. It’s better to lose righteously, no matter the cost, than to win by cheating. This is a hard lesson, difficult to understand, and one most people will never be able to live up to. If Snow can, in fact, stay true to herself, it’s what will separate her from others and prove that she should be queen.

Regina seems destined to learn the opposite lesson. We see her waver when Cora murders Johanna, but only for the briefest of moments before firmly sticking to her mother’s side. I wish we would get a little more conflict in Regina’s character, considering how hard she has been working to be good, and she clearly doesn’t trust her mother completely. Yes, Regina has spent a long time on the wrong side, and Snow’s approach of “generously” offering her one more chance backfires. But if others would actually be kind to her, and treat her like a friend, even if she hasn’t yet earned it, I do believe that Regina could still be saved.

In New York, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) catches up with Rumple / Gold and stabs him with a poisoned hook. The only cure is in Storybrooke, and the only transportation swift enough to get Gold home in time is Hook’s ship. Neal (Michael Raymond-James) surprises everyone by offering to sail it.

There is a really great scene in “The Queen is Dead” when Emma (Jennifer Morrison) asks Neal why he would help Gold, his father, whom he hates. Neal tells her that it’s different to hide from his dad versus letting him die, and he’s doing the right thing. This is a moment where we see Neal, despite his flaws, is a hero. He may also be a petty thief, but maybe he has his reasons for that, and he now chooses to save someone he doesn’t like when he can so much more easily allow him to perish. This is an interesting development, as Neal seems a shady character prior to this, even more interesting than learning Neal has a fiancé.

Neal hints that he has many travels between fairy tale land and ending up in New York, and I’m curious to see them. He obviously spends time in Wonderland, given the décor of his apartment, and I find it likely that he is in Oz for awhile, based on past dialogue, even though Oz has not yet been established as a realm in ONCE UPON A TIME. What events have shaped his life? Should Neal be sticking around, as I hope he will, this will have to be explored.

It’s very disappointing that Gold now hates Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) so thoroughly. I had hoped there would be some internal conflict for Gold, since he seems to have a soft spot for Henry before now, and Henry is his grandson. Yet, realizing that Henry will be his undoing, as foretold by the seer, Gold has turned completely, all of the sudden showing a lot of hostility towards the boy, who of course deserves none of it. Unless, perhaps, Gold thinks the poisoning is the ultimate destruction Henry is connected with, which doesn’t seem likely, but could explain the anger in the moment.

It could very well ruin Gold and Neal’s relationship forever if Gold makes a move against Henry, even should he fail, which he most likely will. Neal seems quite happy to get to know his son, and will surely want to protect him. Considering the low regard in which Neal already holds Gold, any attempt Gold makes to hurt Henry will only alienate him further.

By contrast, Gold is willing to tell Emma, who tells Snow, where the dagger is. This is a show of trust. It may be for selfish reasons, but I’m not so sure Gold would have given away this information before now, because whoever possesses the dagger can control him. It’s a big sacrifice of free will on his part, and he has to know that giving it over to Emma means she can use it to stop him from hurting Henry, should a showdown occur, and thus lead to his own destruction. So it doesn’t seem like his soul is completely gone, even as it bends the wrong way in this episode.

There is lots brewing in “The Queen is Dead,” and the same arc will likely continue next week in “The Miller’s Daughter,” which, based on the title, should involve Regina and Cora in the flashbacks. ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Downton Abbey celebrates romantic Christmas

Article first published as Downton Abbey celebrates romantic Christmas on TheTVKing.

Grade: 94%

PBS completed its airing of Downton Abbey's third series this week with the hour-and-a-half Christmas special. While much of the drama does usually revolve around romance, this installment kicks it up a notch, and for awhile, it seems like everyone is coupling up. Which is a sweet note to end the year on, even if they all won't work out.

Robert (Hugh Bonneville) Crawley, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), and their closest relations are invited to Duneagle Castle, the home of Violet's (Maggie Smith) niece, Susan (Phoebe Nicholls, Brideshead Revisited). Unfortunately, during their stay, it becomes increasingly obvious that Susan and her husband, Shrimpie (Peter Egan, Death at a Funeral), don't get along in the slightest. This leads to Robert appreciating Cora more than ever.

Robert and Cora's marriage isn't always smooth sailing. We've seen some up and downs, especially when losing a child. However, they always manage to work things out, and there is real, tangible love between them. We see this in their occasional quiet moments alone. Contrasted with such a terrible pair, it's nice to know that our protagonists recognize that they have something special, and remind each other of it.

Susan and Shrimpie make the wise decision to try to spend some time apart by the end of the episode, but they do have a problem: what to do with their daughter Rose (Lily James, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Why, send her to Downton, of course!

I'm not sure yet if I like Rose, but she will certainly add some conflict to the upcoming fourth season, in which she has been promoted to main character. She will surely clash with the more traditional members of the household, and test the family's patience as she acts out even more than their own daughters have. It should be scandalous, if nothing else. As long as she doesn't bring ruin on the family, she will likely be more fun than annoying. Maybe even get some of the others to lighten up.

Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) don't have much story in this Christmas special, but it's satisfying just to see them enjoying one another's company. After the far-too-drawn-out arc that lands Mr. Bates in prison, getting to witness them spending time together will bring a smile to many a face, and that is all we need from this couple for now. They deserve some peace.

Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) is denied her own peace when her editor, Michael Gregson (Charles Edwards) follows her to Scotland. Physically, he looks a lot like Edith's previous suitor, though younger and healthier. Sadly, he comes with his own baggage that makes it impossible for them to be together. Edith definitely has a type. The family would like to warn Michael off, but Edith, as usual, will have none of their meddling, preferring to settle her own matters of the heart.

I do feel bad for poor Edith. After everything she has been through, she just can't find an easy path to love. There is much to admire about her, and she has firmly established herself as a character that should be well liked and respected. If she wants Michael, she'll get him. But let's hope that his wife, locked away for the past several years in an asylum, dies first, providing a convenient resolution to their issue so that she can finally be happy.

This isn't about any couple of characters, like the other paragraphs in the review are, but it is highly amusing to see Mrs. O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) tussle and come out ahead against her Scottish counterpart, Wilkins (Simone Lahbib). O'Brien may be the least pleasant member of the cast, but at least she's one of ours, and Wilkins proves to be even more grumpy. Plus, their little battle of wits leads to a drunken dancing Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle), which is a sight we definitely needed to see.

Back at Downton, Tom (Allen Leech) is left to mind the house by himself, making him easy prey for the new maid, Edna (MyAnna Buring, Ripper Street). This does shine a light on the fact that Tom is lonely, and deserves a little happiness. Maybe that will be in the cards for him next year.

For now, though, Edna is acting highly in appropriate, and I am glad to see her promptly fired. No matter what Tom's background is, he's a gentleman now, part of the upper crust. It's one thing for him to dine with his former co-workers in the basement. It's quite another for him to take up with one of them in his in-laws' house. Maybe Tom's next romance will be from the lower class, but it cannot come among the staff at this particular place. It would be a slap in the face to Robert, and Tom would wind up being a driver again.

While most of the Crawleys are away, the staff decides to take a little break, much to Carson's (Jim Carter) dismay. Carson is entirely too stuffy for his own good, and like Robert, he needs to modernize a bit. However, we do get to see a softer side of him as he bonds with baby Sybil, a welcome glimpse of the soft heart we all know he tries to hide so well.

Isobel (Penelope Wilton) spends some time with Dr. Clarkson (David Robb) in this episode, who would like to begin something serious with the widow. It's disappointing that Isobel isn't interested, because it would be nice to see her with a man for a change, but at the same time, one has to admire the way she gently cuts Clarkson off at the pass, anticipating his intentions, and giving him a way to save face. She is a remarkable woman, and any guy would be lucky to have her.

Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) is invited to a local fair by a new vendor, someone who offers her a date, followed closely by a proposal. But Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) notices that this new beau has a wandering eye and a flirty hand. She warns Mrs. Patmore, who is relieved at not having to make a choice about being a wife.

Mrs. Patmore is one of the most enjoyable, fun characters on Downton Abbey. It's nice to see her get some positive attention from a man, even if it's just for her cooking. But I also adore the friendship she has with Mrs. Hughes, and this plot is as much about the two women as it is a chance for love. In this, it's a wonderful side trip that I hope to see more of.

Jimmy (Ed Speleers) also runs into trouble at the fair when he gets drunk and is mugged. Thomas (Rob James-Collier) comes to his rescue, taking the beating himself, and allowing Jimmy to escape. It's what Jimmy finally needs to put the past unfortunate incident with Thomas aside, and even form a friendship. I will be very interested to see where this might take the two characters next year.

Thomas has long been a thorn in the side of Downton Abbey, an unlikeable jerk who should have been kicked out long ago. Yet, when his homosexuality is exposed, his pain and suffering laid bare for us to see, the family and staff alike close ranks to protect him. I think this causes a fundamental shift in Thomas, knowing he is valued and cared for, no matter what he is, for the first time. I like this nicer Thomas, and hope his villainous days are behind him.

Lastly, we get to Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), who goes into labor a little early after her journey. The family rushes home to be by her side after she has her baby, and it's a beautiful boy, finally providing the next in line to inherit Downton Abbey, extending the line of successions. For a moment, we see Mary, Matthew (Dan Stevens), and the unnamed infant together, a perfect picture of a happy family.

And then Matthew is tragically killed in an automobile accident. This is a necessary twist, given Stevens' selfish desire to quit the series that has made him famous. But it's unwelcome, both to the story, and to the fans, many of whom are as invested in events as the characters. We already are still reeling from Sybil's passing. It's not fair to introduce another child who will be raised by a single parent. It took so long for Matthew and Mary to get to this place, it's highly disappointing to see them ripped apart now.

Knowing ahead of time what would come, I expected Matthew to die before he could make it to the hospital to see his son, but am relieved the he didn't. At least he dies happy, and we have that image of him with wife and baby. But it still sucks as a story, and the only blame that can really be laid is upon the actor himself, as it is his decision to go.

This is a lengthy review, just touching on so many characters, and leaving some of the main ones out. Downton Abbey has a fantastic large ensemble, and I cannot wait to see more of the same quality storytelling they have delivered these past three years. I have no complaints about the installment (save Matthew's death), just an appreciation for a job well done.

Downton Abbey will return for a fourth series.