What I’m Watching: Gravity (Series Finale)

Gravity: Season 1, Episode 10 “Are We All Just Dead?” (B+)

I have to commend this show for not doing something many other series and movies do. When a character is revealed to be something other than what people thought, as Miller was at the end of last week’s episode when he turned out not to be a cop at all, a sharp change in the behavior of the character often ensues. It’s as if the audience’s discovery of his duplicity means that he somehow has become a completely different character, which shouldn’t be the case, especially for someone who was so good at lying in the first place. Miller didn’t suddenly become a homicidal uber-villain or kidnapper, but instead remained the same creepy (and creepily calm) strange person he’s always been. He didn’t follow Lilly upstairs when she left while he was cooking, but only pursued her after she had been gone way too long. And when he busted out his two guns, it was in defense of her, just as frantic and erratic as ever for the non-cop. It’s likely that his breakdown about having cancer was genuine, and he felt some connection to Lilly because of their quasi-family status. The opening of the store was a wonderful way to showcase just a little of each of the characters and their relationships, and I loved how the episode opened with the various couples. Robert telling Carla to tell his wife that he loved her was quite shocking and uncomfortable, and it’s good that Lilly has bigger demons to deal with that dwarf this considerably and make it a whole lot less objectionable. That final scene was impressive because it worked even if it was reminiscent of the second season finale of “Weeds,” or really just any show or movie where a bunch of bad guys have guns pointed at each other with an innocent person helpless to do anything about the situation caught in the middle. What was unique about this one was Robert charging at Diego yelling, “Don’t call me a suicide dummy!” I’m very worried that this is the last we’ll ever see of these quirky characters (keep reading and you'll learn that I was right to be worried). I have yet to find anyone who actually watches this show besides me, and of all the TV blogs I read on a regular basis, not one of them reviews or writes about this show. It’s really a shame, because this is a hidden gem that hasn’t fully matured yet, but is fascinating nonetheless. I’d go so far as to call it the most intriguing new show of the 2009-2010 season. Bloggers have been lamenting the likely demise of “Party Down" for the past week, and the word officially came in a few hours ago that both of these shows have been cancelled. My heart sank a little bit when I read the news. It’s not even eligible for any Emmy nominations, comedy or drama. Look for it to place in a few categories at the upcoming 4th Annual AFT Awards, my own awards, since someone should honor its legacy.

And if for some reason you’re just reading the last line of this review, please watch this show!

Season/series grade: B+
Season/series MVP: Eric Schaeffer as Miller