THE BIG C "The Finale" Review

Article first published as THE BIG C "The Finale" Review on TheTVKing.

Showtime's The Big C came to an understated end this week in "The Finale." Rather than make a big showy production, the final hour is about Cathy's (Laura Linney) last days, and the way that her loved ones say goodbye to her. Each of the main characters get a touching scene with Cathy, and the hour ends when she passes on.

I do kind of wish we'd gotten to see her funeral. Yes, Cathy's ending, speaking to her therapist (Kathy Najimy) about her story, taking Angel's hand (Michael Ray Escamilla), swimming in the pool with Marlene (Phyllis Somerville) and her dog, is sweet and appropriate, matching tone and closing that The Big C has been building to. It's nice enough that I won't complain about other deceased characters not appearing there, which I had hoped for going in. But I'd like to know what the effect of her actual death had on her loved ones, not just how they prepared themselves for her going.

Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe) can leave town with no regrets. She is willing to give up her fashion design internship to stay and watch Cathy die, but Cathy convinces her not to. By Cathy passing away so soon after that conversation, Andrea will get to attend the funeral and go to New York City, presumably. It's a happy ending for her.

Adam (Gabriel Basso) may be relieved. He works so hard to earn his high school diploma before Cathy's death, and barely succeeds. Now that everything he has devoted himself to these past few months is over, he can finally take a moment to relax. He is a good son who does everything he can to let Cathy die with no regrets, and deserves a reprieve.


Paul (Oliver Platt) also needs a break so he can heal and move on. His marriage to Cathy never does explicitly repair itself, regrettably, but his sticking by her until the end, taking care of her, visiting her, is his way of trying to make up for the mistakes he has made. He does right by her, and can grieve properly, conscience clear.

Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) also has much to be proud of. When his character is introduced on The Big C, he needs help. Taking care of Cathy, instead of she taking care of him, has let Sean grow as a person and become self-sufficient. He will miss his sister, to be sure, but he also has the skills to live in a house now, and be a productive member of society. Giving away his kidney, especially to someone so despicable as the recipient is, is a responsible, adult decision which shows how far he has come.

And Cathy gets closure with her dad (Brian Dennehy). He has not been an important part of The Big C, but in Cathy's final days, she gets to make peace with him, something important to helping her move on. I don't think this comes out of nowhere, having heard Cathy and Sean discuss their upbringing before, and it does feel right, even if he is a new character. It's part of life for parents and children to squabble, but to have that time together, to make amends, is priceless.

Cathy spends much of "The Finale" preparing to die, so that she will go out on a good note. She plans her funeral, talks to religious representatives (one of the best scenes in the episode), considers assisted suicide, and even tries to will herself to go out on her own terms. The fact that she's still alive, four months after she expects to die, and has to be kicked out of hospice, shows just how strong a person Cathy is. Yet, she can't control death, as she is forced to accept.

Cathy's last decision is her final words. She chooses "lucky me" because it is the perfect way to sum up her life. We don't know for sure if those are her last words, though they might be, since we don't see what she says after eating the homemade strawberry pie, and that seems a likely phrase. But those are her final words to each of the people she loves. None of them are there when she passes, which I'm sure she is grateful for. Instead, she gets to send them off right, leaving them with the memory of her she wants them to have, smiling and saying "lucky me."

I think we should all say "lucky me" for getting to watch The Big C. It is an original story, one many can relate to, but also forging its own path, avoiding the stereotypes such a tale usually engages in. It's charming, funny, depressing, and inspiring all at once. "The Finale" might not be what one would expect, but it should leave fans feeling proper closure. So to all involved, I say "lucky me" for getting to watch your fine series. Thank you.

Review / Refresher The Big C Hereafter Premiere

Article first published as Review / Refresher The Big C Hereafter Premiere on TheTVKing.

When last we see Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), she is sailing away on a boat with a man named Angel (Michael Ray Escamilla), allowing her loved ones to believe she is dead. As THE BIG C’s final season, four hours that are subtitled HEREAFTER, begins tonight with “Quality of Life,” we learn that scenario is a dream had while Cathy is rescued from drowning and hospitalized, and, five months later, Cathy is back at home, slowly dying.

It’s a little disappointing that much of the story seen in the previous season finale didn’t actually happen. And yet, taking the selfish way out, sailing off into the sunset, leaving her friends and family behind, makes Cathy unlikeable. It’s a fantasy, not one to really be explored.

THE BIG C HEREAFTER doesn’t take long to find its footing, getting fans right back into the story. Cathy is going through the depression stage of her grief, and while her family is as supportive as they can be, she tells her therapist (Kathy Najimy, King of the Hill, Sister Act) that she doesn’t have anyone to talk to. This is Cathy pre-emptively cutting herself off, preparing to die.

It’s hard to blame her for her pessimistic attitude. Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) is much more attentive to her needs, but it’s probably because of his guilt at almost letting her drown, and he is vocal about being grossed out by Cathy’s biological issues. Paul (Oliver Platt) isn’t pushing for a divorce anymore, but he’s sleeping on the couch, hanging out with his perky, annoying new assistant, Amber (Liz Holtan, Man on a Ledge), and ignoring offers of sex from Cathy. And she doesn’t want to burden her son, Adam (Gabriel Basso), or new college student, Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe), whom she hopes will live their lives.

However, Cathy’s inability to be open with her loved ones is not helping her or them. How can she draw on them for support if she won’t tell them what’s going on? How can they properly deal with what’s happening if they aren’t kept in the loop?

The pressure finally gets to be too much for Cathy, and, spurred on after a discussion with Dr. Sherman (Alan Alda), who is now also undergoing chemo, she decides to blow off some steam at the most inappropriate of places – school – much to Principal Schuler’s (Connie Ray) dismay.

As cringe-worthy as it is when Cathy pulls off her stunt with the loudspeaker, she delivers a lot of truths. She urges the kids to do something that makes them happy, while admitting that teaching is not her real calling. She also laments about the broken school system, where teaching to the test is not nearly as important as actually learning. These are valid concerns, while not being anything new, and it’s nice that she gets to express them, her final message to her students, whom she does care about, no matter what her opinions are of the educational system.

It’s disappointing that Schuler tries to prevent this, especially after pushing so hard to get Cathy to quit. After all, Cathy is dying, shouldn’t she get her final wish? Yet, seeing it from Schuler’s point of view, Cathy does cause a lot of trouble, and the speech she does make isn’t completely innocent, so I don’t know that I would want her to speak to the students, either.

Thankfully, Cathy doesn’t stay miserable and lonely through the entire hour. She is making her way through the seven stages of grief, being around step four at this time, and she does rebound when her
anti-depressants finally kick in. She is able to enjoy being with Sean, lean on Andrea when they both need each other, and give Adam the best birthday of his life.

The way that Cathy will go out, and I do think that THE BIG C HEREAFTER will end with her death, is going to depend fully on her relationships. She’s had her fun, striking off on her own and doing things separate from her family. Now it’s time to reel herself back in and rebuild those bridges. She does a great job with most of the people in her life in “Quality in Life,” especially Adam, who she shares his best story with her yet, but she still has some work to do before the end.

Will Cathy survive until Adam’s graduation, more than a year and a half away? I don’t know, but it seems like the perfect bookend to the series, even if they do a mock ceremony before his class actually walks across that stage.

Cathy is making her peace, and this is helped by the comforting company awaiting her on the other side. Marlene (Phyllis Somerville) and her dog, Thomas, are part of “Quality of Life.” They are what will make Cathy’s passing hopeful and sweet, rather than just sad. Their presence here points to a happy ending, even if the cancer wins, rather than just a teary demise.

Paul, however, is still the odd man out. Even while everyone else rallies around Cathy, he keeps a bit of distance between himself and his wife. It has to be incredibly hard to deal with a dying spouse, and I don’t pretend to know what he’s going through, but this needs some resolution. Maybe in life there isn’t always closure, but I really want Paul and Cathy to make up before she goes. They still care about one another, and with so little time left, they should reconnect in the ways that brought them together in the first place, even if only at the last minute.

“Quality of Life” is heartwarming, satisfying return for a series that is about to go out, like its main character, on its own terms. THE BIG C HEREAFTER airs Mondays at 10p.m. ET for the next four weeks.

"Fly Away" from The Big C

In this week's season three finale of Showtime's The Big C, the plot is all about getting away from the routine life so that one can finds oneself. Sometimes it takes stepping back to get a clear perspective, and that is the message of "Fly Away." The main cast has literally flown away to Puerto Rico for a much-needed vacation, where they blow the dust off and confront issues that have been brewing, as well as decide what direction to take their lives in next.

Paul (Oliver Platt) is deeply saddened by the death of Joy (Susan Sarandon), and takes comfort in talking to her fans about how he feels. Paul's growth as a public speaker, using his near death experience to inspire others, is a great turn of events for him, giving purpose to a sometimes meandering character. Paul is still struggling to come into his own until Joy passes on. This gives him the extra boost to really make it in the arena, and he is poised to take over her empire.

At the same time that his new career is taking off, though, his personal life is suffering. He has found out about Cathy's (Laura Linney) secret identity, Alexis, where she pretends that her husband died of a heart attack. This shakes him to the core, and seems awfully hypocritical after Cathy blew a movie deal for them because she didn't want to see "herself" die on screen. Maybe the Alexis charade helps Cathy to cope, but it does the opposite for Paul, driving a wedge between them. Which is probably why he goes up a hotel room with another woman, pretending to be "Brian," a man whose wife has died of cancer, both to even the score, and to see what it's like to do what Cathy has been doing.

It's hard to argue that Paul and Cathy have a healthy marriage, with stories like this. They are under a great deal of stress, of course, but is that really an excuse? Instead of leaning on each other for support, they seek it elsewhere. Now, it is reasonable to assume that they are in no position to support each other, given their various tribulations. But still, if they are going to work as a couple past the next year or so, there has to be a huge change in the way they relate to each other. Learn to trust and work together more, rather than continue this unhealthy path.

Adam (Gabriel Basso), while not heavily featured in "Fly Away," is figuring out how to relate to God. It's not surprising that he turns to a higher power. After all, his parents are a bit too preoccupied with their own stuff to really pay as much attention to him as they should. Not only does Adam have to deal with the worries about his parents' health, he also has to handle the stress of a fractured marriage. This is a lot for any kid to take. At least religion is (a little) less self-destructive than some other comforts he might turn to.

Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe) spends this entire season getting in touch with her African roots, wanting to change her name and wardrobe. But it only takes one conversation in a foreign land to help her to realize that it's not necessary to be so forceful in celebrating one's culture. Andrea should embrace all of who she is, and not just focus on one thing. This is a natural part of maturation for any young adult, and it's been nice to watch Andrea go through it, especially because her character is so confident that one often forgets she isn't fully developed yet.

Sean's (John Benjamin Hickey) story this year is all about the sex. He is a gay phone sex worker, then he is part of a doomed thruple. But in "Fly Away," his libido takes him away from his sister during a scuba diving expedition, and Cathy is lost. Sean shows some real anger and guilt in this episode, and that will surely continue into season four, sending him on a path where he shows more concern for his only sister, rather than just chasing tail. This is also a little bit of maturation, proving it's never too late to grow up.

Cathy herself has the most divisive story. Lost while diving, she ends up on a fishing boat with a man named Angel (Michael Ray Escamilla). Finding a strange sort of serenity on Angel's boat that she doesn't get from her tumultuous family, Cathy envisions a life with Angel that is less stressful. Considering that she recently gets news that her tumors are growing again, and she could soon be dead, this lifestyle greatly appeals to her. Why waste what little time you have left in a negative, poisonous situation? And so she rides off into the sunset with Angel (not in a romantic way; he's happily married), not returning to her family, or letting them know she's even alive.

This is a very, very selfish act. Of all the things that Cathy has done, this is the most cruel. The others will hear Sean's story and believe that she drowned in the ocean. What kind of memory does that leave them with? How will they find closure? Not to mention, what will it do to Sean's sometimes fragile mental state? Perhaps it is kinder to take herself out of the equation and let them move on, but the way in which Cathy does so leaves a very bad taste in one's mouth.

And yet, might this be the right path for her? Each of us only get one life, and it's easy to see why she wants an escape from her current reality. It's a vacation, to be sure, and not a permanent change. She will miss her loved ones, and want to return home. Of course, going home after doing this to them will be difficult, and make things even more rocky than they already are. Drama is sure to follow in spades. Which makes for a bad life, but great television.

The Big C has not yet been renewed for a fourth season, but it needs to be. It took a little time to find its stride, but the series really knows what it is now. Each season is also about a different stage of grief, of which there are seven, so the story isn't even quite half over yet. It would be a service to the fans to let the entire thing play out the way it is intended to be. Sure, season four's depression might be dark and hard to get through, but there are better things coming, and that inspiring message of hope should be enough to keep viewers coming back. Please give The Big C the chance to do this.

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