Fall Finale Frenzy

The trend to do a "fall finale" reflects a couple of major changes in television programming.

First, episodic television is going the way of single issues of comic books: their content is more serialized (i.e., contiguous stories), forming distinct arcs that can be packaged in the much more marketable trade paperback or DVD / Blu-Ray formats. I predict this will continue with streaming (for example, via Netflix), because most people are comfortable binge-watching for a set amount of time. (According to a December 2013 Harris survey commissioned by Netflix), "A majority (73%) defined binge watching as watching between 2-6 episodes of the same TV show in one sitting.")

Second, marketing now relies on hyberbole more than ever! I'm being ironic, and not at all accurate. The drive to mid-season finales, premieres when a show moves to a different night, and other dubious firsts and lasts, is similar to the relentless number of #1 issues, special formats, and embossed covers that Marvel and DC inundated comic shops with in the 1990s.

These days, some shows are programmed in distinct seasonal blocks, like Teen Wolf, which airs half its season during the summer, and half during the winter. These are more natural candidates for the seasonal finale banner. The application of the term to all shows, which began this season, is already ridiculous.
Episode 10 of Sleepy Hollow was billed as the "fall finale," but the show only has 13 episodes! When it returns in January, Sleepy Hollow will air new material only twice. The second broadcast will be a double-header that will no doubt be billed as the season finale.

My favourite mid-season finale is episode 5.08 of Breaking Bad. The series is such a tour de force of storytelling, one character's mundane act of going to the bathroom for a number two became one of the most jaw-dropping scenes in the history of television (hyperbole is de rigueur when discussing a mid-season finale). Viewers who had been watching the show as it was broadcast had to wait almost a full year for the last half of the season to begin. I had binged-watched the series that spring, so for me it was a spring finale. I only had to wait a couple of months for that fateful bathroom visit to end.

Overall, I like the idea of TV shows having huge turning points mid-season. Most of the time, I think fall finales make for exciting TV. The push to intrigue viewers right before the break is a good opportunity to drop bombs or kill characters, if it fits in with the characters, tone, and story of the show. I love that in the first season of Heroes, the episode "Fallout" aired right before the Christmas break and it was the first time we heard The Haitian speak. That episode ended with Peter whispering, "It's all my fault. The explosion ... it's me." It's too bad later seasons of Heroes didn't continue to deliver.

I usually associate exciting fall finales with dramas, but Chuck, as much an action comedy as a spy drama, was great for killer episodes in December. In the second mid-season finale, "Chuck Versus Santa Claus," Chuck's spy life and day job with the Nerd Herd crash together. He watches his spy girlfriend shoot someone in cold blood to protect him. It's a wonderful example of great character moments in an otherwise comedic, silly show. In this example, it makes complete sense for Sarah, the super spy, to shoot a dangerous criminal. It didn't feel like a gimmick or ratings grab. This year, I cannot say the same for a lot of fall finales.

First off, Person of Interest was gearing up for a huge turn mid-season and their marketing campaign ruined the tension and surprise of recent events. The episodes taking us into the break, "The Devil's Share" and "Lethe" were solid though, I hope leaving people looking forward to the show without Carter. On The Mentalist, a similarly huge climax happened right before the mid-season finale. Finally, Red John and his entire series arc are done. I think it was smart for both of these shows to have their show changing episodes before the fall finale. That way, viewers can see that the writers are committed to good storytelling without the characters they lost. For The Mentalist, it's the first time episodes haven't been titled with something red inspired, heading into December's break with "Green Thumb." I do see a show with Jane and Lisbon post-Red John because of that episode.

But, everyone is getting shot this December. The concept is becoming bankrupt for me, creating a false sense of tension. On The Blacklist's fall finale two-parter, "Anslo Garrick (No. 16)", Agent Donald Ressler barely survives the shotgun blast to the leg. I'm pretty sure it's only the stunning monologue delivered by James Spader that pulled him through (and the blood transfusion, if we're really trying to nail it down). Even my favourite new comedy of this year, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has a main character getting shot in the line of duty during the Christmas episode. Life and death stakes are exciting, but it's easy to get lazy.

This brings me to The Walking Dead's big mid-season episode, "Too Far Gone." Social media went crazy after the episode aired and although I've been enjoying the fourth season, I know that The Walking Dead is the worst offender for shows that have poor character development but high stakes. Of course, a lot of people get shot in the Governor's second siege attempt of the prison, but it's his cold shot to the dead girl that really sells the episode for me. I have to hope that the final scene with Lily and the Governor really ends his character's involvement in the show. The biggest heartbreaker of the episode is Rick and Carl finding baby Judith's empty, bloody baby carrier. But, because it's The Walking Dead, they're probably just toying with our emotions and Judith is safe with someone else. I think that successful fall finales are just good storytelling and don't have to rely on cheap tricks to bring viewers back in January.

I'm on the fence on the fall finale. I do sometimes see it as another gimmick in promoting a show, and I don't particularly like that. A show should be able to stand well enough on its own, rather than trying to promote it like that. I also don't like to have to wait so long in between new episodes and sometimes I forget a show is back on. However, I do like plotlines or stories ramping more clearly as shows head towards their midpoint, so storylines become more interesting and exciting, with the showrunners making more of an effort to captivate the audience. I think it does make for better TV overall.

I love mid-season finales! For one, they're usually pretty exciting and interesting, forcing the writers to be more concise and really get somewhere with their stories. Sometimes I feel like storylines are dragged out longer than they ought to be for a full season. Even if the story isn't ended, it gives them a place to stop and regroup before sallying forth again.

In some cases, like with Once Upon a Time and Teen Wolf, it's like getting two separate seasons a year, because they actually end an arc before starting another! I'm really looking forward to the returns of both. The Tomorrow People took a bit of time to find its footing, but started to just before the break, and the finale itself cinched that I will be coming back to that one rather than axing it from my line-up, as I was seriously considering doing at one point.

Another reason I love them has nothing to do with the shows themselves: I'm glad for the break! My family has a ridiculous number of shows to watch this season. The break both allows us to catch up on any shows that we may have slid behind on and gives me time to work on other stuff, without actually having to sacrifice a show for another interest, or vice versa.

The only real downside is that they don't run repeats as often -- but then again, if you miss an episode, that can usually be resolved by finding it online!