We’re just seeing all kinds of series finales buried in January aren’t we? In the last week, we’ve seen the goodbye episodes of Private Practice and Fringe, and next week will see the final episode of 30 Rock. I’m not sure why shows that have been on the air so long can’t make it a few more months to say a proper farewell in May, but at least they’re getting final episodes. All of which is a long wind-up to saying goodbye to “Last Resort,” a show that has only been on the air since last September, but probably deserved a full season…
Last Resort…I think this was by-far the most underrated show that premiered last Fall, and it never really got the respect it deserved over flashier duds (Nashville is the Fall’s best show of the Entertainment Weekly? Really?) but I’ll also admit it was far from perfect, and was as frustrating as it was exciting. I’m okay with the fact that there won’t be any more episodes, but I’m also disappointed, since the last few had the show finally finding its footing. The last few episodes were more complex, and also developed Andre Braugher’s Marcus Chapman into the great character you knew he could be. Still, I found myself getting increasingly annoyed with Scott Speedman’s character, one that was supposed to be ambiguous but often came off like a boy-band leader who stumbled onto a submarine. Anyway, if you’ve never seen Last Resort, I’d recommend catching it, since it really was a wildly original, complex show. But if you don’t, you haven’t really lost that much. Grade for the season: B+…Grade for the Finale: B
Do No Harm…At the end of the spectrum is Do No Harm, NBC’s brand new drama that technically premieres next Thursday, but the pilot episode is now available on demand. Still, it’s hard to imagine this show really catching fire and lasting more than a dozen episodes, and it isn’t nearly as good as NBC’s last show to deal with a main character living in two different worlds: Awake. Whereas Awake featured a fantastic performance from Jason Isaacs as a cop living a dual life (literally), Do No Harm follows two different characters inhabiting the same body. Rescue Me’s Steven Pasquale is a modern day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and his Dr. Jekyll is a very sympathetic, intelligent man, but——so far——the Mr. Hyde part isn’t coming across well. Pasquale is adept at playing a good guy, but his bad guy could really use some work before he becomes fully believable…but, then again, it’s only the first episode so maybe he will be. Do No Harm didn’t grab me the way Awake did, but it’s probably worth a couple more episodes before fully giving up on it. Grade for the Premiere: B-