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