Finales End The Dog Days Of Summer TV

Not all TV shows are created equal. This is especially true of their season finales, which are important benchmarks to help sustain interest until they return with new episodes. The fall TV season will be ramping up over the next few weeks, but thankfully, we've had some quality summer programming to bide our time. Some shows are better than others about knowing how and when to split or end their seasons, as well as how to finish the run of their series for good. That said, I humbly submit my take on some of the summer's biggest shows and how they wrapped things up (with as few spoilers as possible!) Note: these rankings are on a scale of one to four jaw-drops, 1 being "meh..." and 4 being "WHAT?!"

Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family): Mid-season Finale, Aired 8/11
The Show: As previously reviewed, four teenage girls try to solve the mysteries surrounding the death of a close friend while being taunted by the sinister "A," the behind-the-scenes mastermind who knows all of their secrets.
The Season: It got dark fast during this half-season (the remaining episodes will air in the spring). The aftermath of barely being rescued from A's compound took its toll on the girls -- the show tastefully explored the psychological trauma of such a prolonged ordeal -- while significant clues were discovered about A's true identity. These 10 episodes were a concise and well-paced journey toward the answers we have been craving.
The Finale: Among other revelations, we FINALLY meet the real (not the "helper") A after five seasons (only two years in story-time), and it was a genuinely surprising doozy. Of course, there are loose ends to be tied up, but the last twist in the final minutes will leave you intrigued... and impatiently awaiting the next batch of episodes!

Jaw-Drop Factor: 4

Aquarius (NBC): Season Finale, Aired 8/22

The Show: It's 1967, and Detective Sam Hodiak (the always-watchable David Duchovny) is in for a rude awakening. What starts out as the simple case of a teenage runaway plants the destructive seeds of the notorious Charles Manson "family."
The Season: Numbingly slow. It tried to be a period piece with modern parallels (especially race relations and scrutiny of law enforcement) but failed on both counts. Make no mistake: this is not the "Mad Men" of police dramas. Gethin Anthony brings young Manson to disturbing yet alluring life, but the other subplots are utterly cliched and fall short of Anthony's thrall. Historical fiction at its worst.
The Finale: If more effort had been given to the storylines or supporting characters, the stakes would have been high enough to set the show toward a more solid course next season. Instead, it's too boring to care. My only real source of surprise (all due respect to Duchovny) is that this show was even renewed.
Jaw-Drop Factor: 1

Another Period (Comedy Central): Season Finale, Aired 8/25
The show: A satirical fusion of the "Downton Abbey" era and the shameful/less behavior of spoiled celebrity vixens, filmed like a reality show. The wealthy, fame-hungry Bellacourt sisters hatch various schemes to earn themselves power, status... and, most of all, attention.
The season: Its winningly wicked sense of humor, spot-on deconstruction of the reality genre, and parade of guest stars who are game to play along kept this new series afloat. While similar to Hulu's equally effective "Hotwives" parody, this series does it one better by lacing its soapy hijinks with razor-sharp observations about how much (and how little) has changed in "civilized" society.
The finale: Like any good melodrama, there were few surprises since characters' plans were hidden from each other but not the audience. Even that doesn't stop the Bellacourt family and their hired help from contorting the plot to ridiculous, blissfully exaggerated heights. The highlight, without question, is an amusing fight in a pool that hearkens back to the glory days of "Dynasty" and "Melrose Place."
Jaw-Drop Factor: 2

Hannibal (NBC): Series Finale, Aired 8/29
The show: Set before "The Silence Of The Lambs," this procedural thriller follows the events that lead to Hannibal Lecter's capture by the FBI. Criminal profiler Will Graham consults with Lecter to solve bizarre murders, which Lecter may or may not be committing.
The season: The final 13 episodes were given a much-needed air of class by elevating recurring guest-star Gillian Anderson to series regular. Unfortunately, the errant chronology of the plot (compared to the Thomas Harris novels) and the brazen, gratuitous violence made the overall effect less than palatable.
The finale: It gets kudos for sheer boldness. Graham makes a shocking decision regarding Lecter's fate as well as his own. Scoring the final moments with a haunting new ballad by '80s icon Siouxsie and leaving us with a macabre yet fittingly ironic closing image of Anderson were just icing on the cake.
Jaw-Drop Factor: 3.5

Scream (MTV): Season Finale, Aired 9/1
The show: As previously reviewed, a group of friends in a small town deals with suspicious classmates, family secrets, and a masked killer who holds the key to unlocking the town's dark past. (Very loosely) based on the film franchise.
The season: Most of my initial opinions still hold true; the series lovingly borrows the best elements from the movies and creates its own universe and storylines. However, weaker subplots have emerged that threaten the integrity and originality of the show. Thankfully, the 10-episode count kept the main mystery on target, delivering important plot points and character development much sooner than expected.
The finale: This hour was more by-the-numbers than previous episodes, but it all came down to a big reveal. For observant viewers, the killer's identity was easy to call, but the motive was clever even if its explanatory dialogue wasn't. It becomes obvious that the killer needed help, and the implied identity of that partner will make you want to re-watch from the beginning for proof either way.
Jaw-Drop Factor: 3

How Do You Solve A Problem Like "Matilda"?

I can't bring myself to sugarcoat it: Roald Dahl is rolling in his grave. "Matilda," a musical based on his beloved book with a touring production that recently played Denver's Buell Theater, has plenty of aspirations but falls short on nearly every count. The musical kicked off the Denver Center's Broadway attraction season, so fingers crossed that the remaining selections are all uphill from here.

In case you aren't familiar with the story, "Matilda" is a comedic fantasy that follows its titular character, a young girl with remarkable intelligence and growing mental powers. After identifying a kindred spirit in the sweetness of her teacher, Miss Honey, Matilda finds clever ways to contend with her mean-spirited family and the bullying headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull. All of this is told with a strength and self-reliance that's unusual for a book aimed at children (and one of my favorites growing up). Dahl protects Matilda from feeling sorry for herself and instead empowers her to stand up for herself and for others.

How could something directly inspired by Dahl's vivid, one-of-a-kind imagination possibly go so far off the rails? Easily: by trying to appeal to everyone, the musical ends up appealing to no one. The 1996 film version of "Matilda" (directed by Danny Devito, of all people) made changes to the book but still managed to capture the lively, snarky spirit of its pages. In its translation to the stage, the show loses all of the sophisticated charm that the book so lovingly grants its precocious heroine and her misadventures. The wildly uneven tone of the musical zigs and zags from forced, phony slapstick to needlessly bleak to syrupy sentiment and even to out-of-place bodily humor in such a breakneck, bipolar way from scene to scene that it's ultimately not suitable for children or adults. Which begs the question, "How did it legitimately earn THAT many Tony nominations?" Thirteen of them. 13! I'm hardly superstitious, but I'm reconsidering my stance on the ominous significance of that number...

My first of many disappointments with the show happened within seconds of the curtain rising. As with any show prominently featuring child actors (who don't have the benefit of years of stage training and vocal coaching that older peers do), two important distinctions need to be made. First, especially when accents are involved, diction is beyond critical -- it's a make-or-break situation. From the first lines of the show, I had considerable trouble discerning what the children were saying and singing, especially Matilda herself. Sure, all actors slip up and blur their pronunciations from time to time, but this literally happened throughout the entire show. This is problematic if for no other reason than these children are responsible for practically the whole plot. The second distinction that went unchecked was the vast difference between energetic, youthful exuberance and just being shrill. To make matters worse, the second problem only exacerbated the first, rendering the majority of the show unwatchable and unenjoyable.

The adult actors didn't fare much better. Many of them (notably Matilda's neglectful parents) were saddled with throwaway musical numbers that are flashy enough to show off their song-and-dance moves but do little to further the story or their characters. Yes, they're horrible people -- we get it! We don't need whole songs that revel in their cruelty and their vapidity. A further source of adult embarrassment was the ineptitude of the stage crew, who I would hope are seasoned professionals. In this modern age of theater and advanced illusory techniques, they were unable to seamlessly and convincingly deploy the special effect of Trunchbull swinging a child by her pigtails, only to have her land safely in the arms of her fellow students. For an allegedly Broadway-caliber production, it looked entirely too fake to find the act of her being thrown even mildly amusing.

There is the faintest of lights, however, at the end of this collapsed tunnel of a show. The music and lyrics were composed and written by Tim Minchin, a noted musical comedian with an international following. Minchin provides strikingly unique orchestrations and wordplay for the show, perfectly capturing Dahl's dual vision of whimsy and angst even when the show fails to do so. As much as I like Minchin and his work, though, they deserve a much better vehicle to be presented to the public. Thankfully, there are some solid lighting effects and set design, which admittedly do warrant the aforementioned award nominations and eventual wins in the technical categories. In fact, a single memorable sequence choreographed the interplay of music, lyrics, lights, and set for a rather dazzling result.

As Matilda reports for her first day of school, the older students warn her and the other incoming youngsters to be on their best behavior or else incur the wrath of Trunchbull. Near the end of this number -- aptly if blandly titled "School Song" -- the older students scale the main gate of the academy, staggering into the ironwork blocks of various sizes for each letter of the alphabet (a recurring motif in the set pieces). With rapid-fire precision, the blocks are simultaneously placed by students and illuminated by spotlights right as a corresponding lyric containing that letter is sung. The calculated timing of this scene is one of two elements of the show that truly must be seen to be believed.

Ironically, Trunchbull becomes the very linchpin that holds the show together... if you can get past giggling at the vocal intonations that land somewhere among Alan Rickman, Riff Raff from "Rocky Horror," and skit sensation Old Gregg. It's an assured and confident performance of a patently unlikeable character that manages to flesh out the character without compromising her lack of redeeming qualities. The fact that actor Bryce Ryness -- that's right, Trunchbull is played firmly tongue-in-cheek by a man -- relishes every disdainful glance, menacing stride, and verbal onslaught makes the joy of beholding such nastiness more lasting than you'd expect. As well as the role is played, it's severely symptomatic of larger issues with the show if the central villain that we're meant to despise is the only thing the audience can safely embrace.

If you need any further evidence as to how the production squandered its potential, think about this for a moment: the musical was developed with and originally staged by the prestigious, world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. How can a show with such a pedigreed background end up failing so miserably? Artistically, that is. Critically and commercially, the show has apparently been quite a success. Perhaps we'll never know what might have been if the producers had hewed closer to Dahl's version of the tale. Putting his name above the title almost seems misleading given the departures from his work. Fortunately, we can cherish the certainty locked within that old adage, rarely more true in recent memory than when considering "Matilda" as a musical: the book is always better.

"Mindy" Survives The Move To Hulu

When Fox announced earlier this year that it wasn't renewing "The Mindy Project" for a fourth season, my heart broke a little. Okay, a lot. I had been referred to the show in time to watch the third season as it aired, so I wasted no time by diving right into binge-watching all of the episodes up to that point. I became pretty invested in the show, which had quickly proven itself to be sharper and smarter than most current sitcoms. It's a labor of love for its creator/writer/star (the lovely and talented Mindy Kaling), who week after week delivered a refreshingly original series about the personal and professional observations and experiences of an Indian-American woman with an average figure. (Take that, skinny blonde Hollywood!) That alone would have been enough to hook me, but the quick wit, dynamic chemistry between the leads, and endearing supporting characters made for even more compelling viewing. The thought of not having that weekly fix was almost too much to bear.

Thankfully, Hulu (the very same medium that enabled my binge) saw fit to pick up the show. It made perfect sense, given that their platform already has the streaming rights to the first three seasons. In a move that keeps "Mindy" closer to its televised roots, Hulu will release the new episodes weekly, rather than unloading the entire season at once. At that point, I breathed a sigh of relief... until it dawned on me that not only would we have to wait for new episodes, but we would also have to contend with possible tweaks and adjustments to an already successful show on a new network. In case you were also counted among the potentially heartbroken fans, fear not. "The Mindy Project" has officially debuted on Hulu with essentially everything intact. I'm not crazy about the new logo art, though (see above). It's a little too cartoonish for my taste and for the tone of the show, but I'll have to be content with critiquing more substantial matters.

Time will tell, of course, if the show's quirky spirit will be maintained. If the season premiere is any indication, though, we have little if anything to worry about. Right away, the show looked and felt exactly as it always has. There were no telltale signs like downgrades in picture quality or set design that for other shows have indicated a shift in network and/or budget. Also present and accounted for are the trademark snappy banter, endlessly quotable dialogue, and tactful euphemisms that keep the show just edgy enough to earn its firmly TV-14 rating. (A character lamenting about "S-ing [his] own D for the rest of [his] L" is much funnier when abbreviated rather than said outright.) Even the catchy theme song, often truncated to mere seconds to help fit Fox's broadcast constraints of 20 to 22-minute episodes, was able to play in full. In fact, the premiere clocked in at 27 minutes, so if the episodes will be longer from now on, I certainly won't say no... if they spend the extra time wisely, that is.

Which brings me to my only point of contention with "Mindy" 2.0 (technically, 4.0). For a series that prides itself on clever timing, this particular episode veered dangerously close to the edge of predictability, something of which I didn't think it was capable. Naturally, a season opener has to resolve (or at least start to resolve) lingering story threads from where the show left off. However, this one tried a little too hard to do so with a wink, and the effort showed around the edges. Mindy as a character -- despite her best efforts to be a complex, independent, modern woman who can juggle the demands of her medical career and her social life -- is a pure romantic at heart with a soft-spot for old-fashioned romantic comedies. Her well-meaning but misguided notions often conflict with the chaotic world around her, and it's one of the many things that makes her so relatable.

When we last saw Mindy and her live-in boyfriend/soon-to-be babydaddy Danny (Chris Messina), they were trying to figure out where their relationship stood if he (who was previously married and subsequently hurt) didn't want to propose. Unbeknownst to Mindy, Danny travels to India to meet her parents and try to get some perspective. Meanwhile, Mindy is at home feeling alone, so she dreams about what her life would be like if she were involved with someone else. That someone is played by the first of three delightful surprise guest-stars in this episode, proving that the show (which has previously featured the likes of Stephen Colbert, Laverne Cox, James Franco, Rhea Perlman, Seth Rogen, Vanessa Williams, and even Shonda Rhimes) is still a destination for big-name talent who are eager to be used as comic relief.

Danny's meet-the-parents plot is obviously more grounded in reality, but it still rings hilariously true as we see that he is genuinely trying to do the right thing despite overwhelming circumstances. Sakina Jaffrey and Ajay Mehta, who play Mindy's mother and father respectively, have fantastic screen presence in roles that are far better left in their hands as legitimate actors rather than embracing the tendency to stunt-cast bigger "names." At the same time, it's refreshing to see a character's parents written and performed in a way that allows you to see their child as a delicate balance of both parents' traits, rather than just blandly copying or favoring one or the other.

In the end, the episode does rely a little too heavily on Mindy's dream scenario, but on the other hand, that concept plays right into her idealized, fairy-tale optimism, so it's not like the premise came out of nowhere. The culmination of both Mindy's and Danny's soul-searching does generate a really sweet moment between the two, but it seemed to resolve their issues a little too quickly and neatly for what "Mindy" as a show is used to doing. Then again, opening the door to this next chapter of their lives as individuals and as a couple is still ripe with storytelling possibilities, so I'm going to trust the path that is being followed until they give me a reason not to (which hopefully will be never!)

And speaking of reasons, surely a few of the show's newfound extra minutes could have been spared for the rest of the show's terrific ensemble. Despite brief scenes with the always-good-for-a-laugh nurse Morgan (Ike Barinholtz), the other main players were MIA. Now that Mindy and Danny are back on track, I hope that this isn't a sign of things to come and that we'll see everyone else again as soon as episode two. More than anything, I'm just glad to see "The Mindy Project" is back. They've got their work cut out to guarantee an audience and a future on their new TV home, but it's still a pivotal reminder to the industry. Quality shows sometimes need a second chance, regardless of what form they take on the small screen.

Dave Matthews Band: My Musical Time Machine

The only thing more refreshing than a pleasant, late-summer night in an outdoor venue when you're listening to one of your favorite bands play is when you can also hear the voices of thousands of fellow fans singing along.

This unique musical kinship is increasingly rare in today's pop-driven music machine, but last Saturday, it was alive and well in the second show of Dave Matthews Band's two-night stand at Fiddler's Green Amphitheater. The band provided countless reminders of why they're still relevant: nostalgia for the simpler days of youth, memories of previous times seeing them in concert, and perhaps most importantly, evidence of a band still in its prime by refusing to play the same show twice.

Few artists or bands have captivated me over the years in the same way that Dave has... that's right: we're on a first name basis! In the nearly 20 years that I've been listening to them (starting waaayyy back in junior high, thanks to my cousins), each new album has been closely correlated to my personal experiences at the time and become a living soundtrack of sorts. My copies of their first two albums, "Under The Table And Dreaming" (1994) and "Crash" (1996), were practically worn out by the time I hit high school in 1997. 1998's "Before These Crowded Streets" was released the summer between freshman and sophomore year -- a particularly tumultuous time since I was switching schools. 2001's "Everyday" underscored the final months -- both exciting and intimidating -- of my senior year. Through it all, the precision and inspiration of their lyrics and the energy of their music gave me a reliable constant on my stereo even as I grew up and the world around me changed.

This appreciation of Dave and the gang continued well after graduation and beyond. 2002's "Busted Stuff" had a more serious edge that matched the angst of my early college days, while the smaller-scale intimacy of 2003's "Some Devil" (a solo project from Dave) featured prominently as I grappled with issues both personal and academic. After taking a year off from school, 2005's "Stand Up" was released as I prepared to go back for my senior year. Even their more recent efforts, 2009's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" and 2012's "Away From The World," felt like they came to me at just the right times of change and opportunity. It's been said that scent is the strongest of the five senses in how it's tied to memory, but every so often, good music will come along that makes hearing a pretty strong trigger in its own right. Certain songs can take you back to an exact moment or association that you have with them, and -- at least for me -- Dave's music has consistently had that effect.

With all of this affection, I still can't believe that it's been so long since I've seen them perform! It all comes down to timing, I guess. My two previous Dave concerts were during back-to-back summers: visiting family in Philadelphia in 2000 and taking a miniature road trip to Boulder (I was living in Colorado Springs) in 2001. The Boulder show at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field was even recorded for a live album and concert film. My cheers are undoubtedly a needle in the haystack of sounds on the audio version, but I just HAVE to be on that DVD somewhere, right?! (Believe me, I've looked. The camera went by my section repeatedly. If anyone can actually spot me, I would be eternally grateful!)

Back in the present, Dave took the stage to thunderous cheers and applause, replying with a simple, soft-spoken "Hello. Happy middle of the weekend" before diving right into the music. The first several songs were primarily acoustic, and he was joined by his frequent collaborator Tim Reynolds on guitar. They also welcomed special guest Bela Fleck, renowned banjo and mandolin player, by joking that they would try to make room for him on the already crowded stage. After the acoustic warm-up, they gradually transitioned to their full electric sound, spanning a decent swath of their ample discography.

The selections were very diverse, but they tended to favor the band's first few albums by including several songs from each; unless I counted wrong, they didn't do anything from the two most recent albums. I normally don't cheat like this, but I looked up their set lists online from the three shows prior to mine (especially the first Denver show the night before). As luck would have it, I missed a few songs that I would have loved to hear. Then again, with 10 albums' worth of material -- their self-released indie debut plus eight studio albums as a band and Dave's solo album in the middle, not to mention a handful of cover songs and concert-only favorites -- it's always a gamble unless a tour is literally the same show every night. And who wants that?

Certainly not Dave Matthews Band. They have maintained the quality of their musicianship and the harmony of their collaborations. Despite replacing their saxophonist after the 2008 death of longtime sax player LeRoi Moore, the blend of their collective sound is as tight as ever. No one would be any the wiser if this shift weren't pointed out to them. DMB also spends large chunks of time on the road between albums. Given this reputation as a touring band, they like to play unique arrangements of songs and instrumental jam segments in a genuine effort to mix things up and keep the music fresh. Songs being played differently makes the element of surprise that much greater when you finally realize what they're doing, especially if it's a classic, and this show was no exception.

"Stay Or Leave," a sparse, haunting ballad (and personal favorite) from Dave's solo album, was elegantly fleshed out when played by the full band. Their iconic hit "Ants Marching" got some special treatment in the form of Dave singing scat over the introduction as well as violinist Boyd Tinsley putting his instrument through the paces to send off the song with new flourishes (and thankfully, no broken strings). The jazzy, sultry "Crush," already eight-plus minutes as recorded, was given an appropriately lively jam finale. The band also flowed nicely from "So Much To Say" into "Too Much," older Dave songs from the same album with just enough in common to be bridged together in a subtle yet effective way. I didn't realize it was happening until I found myself singing the lyrics of the latter.

Unlike other jam bands (ahem, Phish), Dave songs always have a beginning, middle, and end, whereas Phish songs feel like nothing but middle! Only during one song, "The Dreaming Tree," did the jams start to feel excessively Phish-like. There wasn't enough modulation or exploration in the music to warrant such an extension, and the song ended up clocking in at nearly 15 minutes. That's easily worth the longer versions of at least two other songs, but oh well. In the end, I can't really complain; Dave and the band more than sang for their supper, playing over two-and-a-half hours of music that was all solidly performed even when it got lengthy.

There was only one thing I would have liked to see more of: interaction with the crowd. Though his words are relatively few, Dave always seems pleasant and thanks the audience a lot, so at least he has good manners. When announcing that the band would return after a short break (something I don't recall happening in the past), Dave tripped over his words a little. "I can talk like this on stage because I'm a professional," he said, before adding, "Smooth..."

He also earned bonus points for the improvised jigs that he danced during those jams when the rest of the band is rocking out and he's standing by. While these moments were definitely memorable, the funniest situations of the night didn't involve the stage at all, but rather the drunk/high/both fans who were displaying their enthusiasm in various, increasingly awkward ways. I want to make SO many jokes at their expense (I do have a few really good ones), but it's just their way of expressing the same things that I feel about DMB and what they have meant to me.

When it comes to Dave, his band, and his music, looking back also means looking ahead. While there is no word yet about when a new album might arrive (not entirely surprising since Dave and company are known to take their time between recording sessions), I can't help but wonder where I'll be and what I'll be up to in my life. With plans on the horizon like grad school and a possible new career path, I could have a lot on my plate by the time those songs come to light. Until then, I'll patiently wait for the next chance to have another memory that links me to this deeply personal musical legacy.