Mysterical-E

Mysterical-Eye

Endings and Openings

    Most of the TV series previewed in my Fall 2013 column have been canceled or shifted from their original timeslots to be burned off. MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. boldly went head-to-head with NCIS, but evidently the summer box office success doesn't translate to a ratings smash. At times, the show has taken on the odd tone of Joss Whedon's short-lived Dollhouse. Only NBC's THE BLACKLIST, starring James Spader as FBI agent-turned-fugitive Raymond Reddington seems in good shape for next season. The show has proven to provide outlandish thrills made barely plausible by Spader's gravitas. FOX's serial killer thriller THE FOLLOWING similarly thrives on Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy.

    Instead of betting on any of next season's hopefuls, this column I'd like to focus on long-running series that were given proper endings and others that have gained new life. I wrote my previous column just before USA Network premiered the seventh and final season of BURN NOTICE. The series as a whole was known for a fun vibe mixed with realistic spycraft used to help the underdog. The final season-and-a-half, though, seemed intent on making Michael Westen and friends pay for all the fun they had. Michael's everyman brother, Nate (Seth Peterson), was killed by a sniper, and after hunting down those responsible, Michael had to make a deal to keep his friends out of prison.

    The final season saw Michael deep undercover trying to infiltrate and unravel a charismatic leader (John Pyper-Ferguson)'s terrorist network. In playing the part, Michael was almost swayed by the man himself, the secrets of his past, such as being abused by his father, laid bare. Yes, the fun was out the window, and I just wondered who would be left standing. In the end, Michael had to fake his death to escape, but he wound up where I think fans wanted him: With Fiona, finally settling down, taking on the responsibility of raising Nate's son.

    The eighth and final season of PSYCH wrapped up March 29 and had the same theme of taking responsibility, but it never lost sight of the fun. By Season 8, the Santa Barbare PD knew Shawn Spencer wasn't psychic, but the characters had become too close for the revelation to separate them. Shawn finally committed to being with Juliet. Lassiter married and found out he was going to be a father. Chief Vick took a new position in San Francisco, taking Juliet with her. All these signs of growth were brought out naturally, over time. PSYCH takes a place beside MONK as USA Network's most successful series.

    Meanwhile, after its eight-season run that ended in 2010, Fox's counterterrorist drama 24 returns May 5 for a twelve-episode limited series that will see Jack Bauer come out of hiding in London to stop yet another plot, while being hunted by the U.S. President.

    Likewise, thanks to a record-breaking, precedent-setting Kickstarter campaign, a follow-up movie was made for the teen P.I. series VERONICA MARS. The movie premiered in theaters March 14, and comes to DVD May 6.

    Finally, the eleventh season of broadcast TV's top-rated drama, NCIS, saw the departure of Israeli operative Ziva David when CBS and actress Cote de Pablo couldn't agree on an extension. The show took the opportunity to introduce young, idiosyncratic NSA analyst Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), whose fresh perspective shakes up its dynamics for the better.

    In another effort to expand the brand, NCIS just aired a two-part episode set in New Orleans that could launch a spinoff series. The episode, "Crescent City" guest-starred Scott Bakula as Gibbs's old friend, Dwayne Cassius Pride, who visited Washington from the small New Orleans office as part of an investigation into the death of a mutual friend. Produced by Mark Harmon and Gary Glasberg of the original NCIS, "Crescent City" looked to have more promise than NCIS: LOS ANGELES or its failed spinoff, NCIS: RED. It avoided the pitfall of letting the new cast take center stage while the original was window dressing, but in keeping the original cast involved, little time was given to flesh out the new characters. The urgency of Part One, which ended with a killer targeting Gibbs and Pride, was oddly not picked up in Part Two.
    I think it could work as a series if given the chance, but CBS has renewed many of its existing shows, leaving few spots open for the fall.