This is Part 1 of the episode transcript.
How to Get Away with Murder - read the series finale recap here.
Ron: Welcome to Stereo Geeks.
Mon: I’m Mon
Ron: And I’m Ron. It’s almost the end of 2020, and it’s only fitting that our second Detective Mode episode will dive into series finales.
Mon: This year saw the end of five shows that we’ve been following diligently for years. We’ll be talking about:
· The CW’s Arrow
· Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
· How to Get Away with Murder
· Supernatural
· Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Ron: Please be warned that since we’re discussing finales, there will be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t finished watching these shows, favourite this episode and come back when you’re ready!
Mon: The CW’s Arrow ended with Season 8 in 2020. The show kicked off the new era of DC Comics’ television properties, and the beloved Arrowverse, now CWVerse. But, let's be honest, some of us had kind of tapped out a long time ago with the show. We thought it had run its course a while ago. And honestly, we were waiting for the finale to be over to finally put an end to this drama. Arrow may have started at all but man, it fell away when the show refused to push any boundaries. Its finale was no different.
Ron: I agree. The finale felt more like the final nail in the coffin. Because the show's protagonist, Oliver Queen, played by Stephen Amell, had already been killed off twice during the epic ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover at the start of the year. The finale was really a prolonged eulogy by all of us friends and family. And to make sure Stephen Amell actually got to be part of the show’s finale, despite his character being dead, there was a flashback to Oliver as Green Arrow taking down a baddie in the past.
Mon: Honestly, structurally, this finale made my head hurt. Because we have the documentary style where they're all talking about how great Oliver was, and his sacrifice, him bringing people back and, you know, shaping the whole new universe. It was a bit overwrought. What bothered me most was that the documentary style was a repeat of Episode 150, which was a celebration episode. It didn't work then, at least for me, it didn't work, and it definitely didn't work in the finale.
I kept thinking that the Oliver flashbacks, where he's fighting this baddie, with these action scenes, I thought that was supposed to be part of a previous season. And I'd like blocked it from my memory? But it wasn't. It is literally shot just for the finale, so that Oliver could be part of it, and director James Bamford could show off his amazing cinematography, his stunt team that do superb choreography, and the cinematic action sequences. Those action set pieces were epic. That was the best camera work I've seen in the entire show. And they've really done some innovative work when it comes to action stuff. But despite it all, I mean as much loved it, it felt so incongruous.
Ron: I feel like the finale could easily have been spent having more personal moments between Oliver and the people he'd actually left behind. Instead, the show tries very hard to canonize Oliver. This is something that we were talking about. They're trying to portray him as a saint in this finale. But he wasn't one. He may have been killing bad guys, but he was still killing.
Mon: Yeah and Oliver was inflexible. Be it his personality, or his life as a vigilante, it took a lot for him to see a different way. And he wasn't much of a team player. They tried that whole Team Arrow thing for a while and it didn't work.
He's not the greatest guy in the whole world, especially not in the Arrowverse. But because he started it off, it was like an homage to how Stephen Amell had basically carried this franchise. It just felt inauthentic to me.
Ron: Especially if we're talking about an event that took place when Oliver was still new to being the Green Arrow. He was definitely not a good guy at that point. So why pretend like his past sins are erased? He anyway got forgiven a lot! It just didn't make sense.
Mon: Yeah, there's redemption, and there's just erasure. And I feel like they kept trying to erase his past sins throughout the entire season, especially during the crossover. And definitely during the finale.
Ron: I still feel like in the crossover, it worked. Oliver becoming the Spectre and getting that kind of power to save the multiverse and create Earth Prime; that felt like something that Oliver of Season eight would do. Because he had had eight seasons of learning from his past mistakes. The finale event didn't work because it was about something that happened before he became the Oliver that we now know.
Mon: Exactly. And the thing is that they even called him out on it during the finale in the flashbacks. I wasn't sure what they were trying to achieve. That he had an arc? We already got that. We spent eight seasons getting that. And I think the biggest problem with the finale was that it came close on the heels of ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’, and that was epic! That was five episodes of DC madness.
Ron: In the best way possible.
Mon: It pulled in everything. We were standing, and screaming, and shrieking in joy, because we just couldn't believe these cameos, these surprises, these twists. And then there's the Arrow finale. I just think the timing was not good.
Ron: I'm trying to think of a comic reference. And the first thing that comes to mind is the Green Arrow issue that that was released after Roy Harper's death. The entire issue is dedicated to Roy Harper's funeral. It's all these people just talking about how much they miss him, and what he meant to them. And Oliver in that comic is heartbroken because he realizes that he wasn't really there for Roy when he needed him. It's very heartfelt. You don't really feel that bad for Oliver because you can't help but think that, yeah, you weren't there when Roy needed you.
Mon: But we don't get that from this finale. It's very disconnected. I felt like it was so much more of a tribute than a real celebration of the character.
Ron: That's a good way of putting it. I think what we wanted was a celebration of eight seasons of a character that built a franchise. That's not what we got in the finale. Yeah.
So, this was what didn’t work. What did you like about it?
Mon: Well, I really like that Oliver becoming the Spectre and sacrificing his life to create Earth Prime meant that he undid some of his past mistakes. The episode starts off with him saving Moira Queen, his mother, from being killed by Slade Wilson, which is great. And that kicks off the fact that he's actually saved a lot of his friends and families’ lives, including Tommy Merlin, who died in the first season.
And another person who he brings back from the dead is his half-sister Emiko. She was a season villain for a while and then she was killed. We see in the finale that Oliver has undone that, so she no longer is a stranger to the family. She's a part of their family. She's a good guy. So that's a good thing.
Ron: I, for one, was relieved to see Emiko again. I didn't understand why Emiko had to be a villain at all. Her death seemed so pointless because every single woman in Oliver’s life has been killed because of him. And I just thought Emiko really should have been spared that fate. I was relieved to see her.
Mon: While a lot of people have been brought back, it's weird that some people haven't. For example, he doesn't bring back his own father?
Ron: I think I understand why they didn't do that. Because Robert Queen’s death directly leads to Oliver becoming the Arrow. As much as the Queen family would have wanted him back, without the Green Arrow, none of them would have actually survived. I guess that was one sacrifice that they had to make.
Mon: I don't think they wanted Robert back. So, there’s that.
Ron: That was not a good family.
Mon: No, it wasn't.
Mon: But what bothered me most was that Oliver decided against bringing back Earth One’s Laurel Lance. Now, this woman was the love of his life for the entirety of his five years in hell. She was the reason he kept on going. And then, because the showrunners decided that Felicity Smoak was the fan-favorite love interest for Oliver, they started writing out Laurel Lance from the show, which led to actor Katie Cassidy leaving the show and Laurel getting killed. So, wouldn't it make sense that Laurel would come back? She doesn't. We’re stuck with Earth Two Laurel Lance, Black siren or Black Canary, as she's back to being called now.
She’s a fantastic character and has a wonderful arc, but she’s not Earth One Laurel. And I'm sorry, but I love Earth One Laurel and I would have liked her back.
Ron: I love Earth One Laurel just as much. I'm still not over her death. For me, Sara Lance as Black Canary was amazing. I still love the character. But there's just something about Laurel Lance and her arc of becoming the Black Canary and being such an integral part of Team Arrow, that's a hole that just won't get filled.
Mon: Yeah, and we have to ask ourselves did Oliver consult anybody before he made these decisions? Did he ask Sara if she wanted her own sister back instead of the fake one?
So how does the show end? What’s the finale like?
Ron: We see Felicity and Oliver in the Monitor’s version of heaven. And it's kind of a twee existence over there. It goes back to their first meet-cute, though it's not exactly the one that Felicity remembers. It's the one that Oliver remembers. So that was a little bit weird, as well. But you know what? I don't mind it.
Mon: Yeah, no, I just wanted to roll my eyes. I'm sorry. But he ended up in heaven with Felicity. Oh, my God, this is like, it doesn't work in Arrow.
So I don't think it's a good finale. But also, I feel like my personal apathy towards this show in general colors how I view the finale? Is the good finale, a bad finale? I don't care. I'm just happy it's over.
Ron: I wasn't that apathetic towards this particular ending for Oliver and Felicity. We do know that Felicity is going somewhere where she's going to be with Oliver, because we see her. We see an older version of Felicity with the Monitor. And she gives up her life to be with Oliver once again. I think it's kind of sweet, in a way.
But what I have to ask, why does she have to leave her children behind?
Mon: Yeah, I agree. Especially because they both found each other. And they've both finally found their mom, and they've all reconciled and then suddenly, poof, she's gone.
Ron: Especially since they’ve already lost her father so long ago. And they've just reconciled with her. They've become a part of a bigger team. They're protecting the city. It seems like a terrible time for her to leave.
Mon: That being said, everything was kind of reset by the backdoor pilot of The Green Arrow and the Canaries. So, I'm not sure where it fits.
Ron: Yes, in a way, I really do wish that we would get some answers on The Green Arrow and the Canaries show. Because I was interested. I wanted to see more of the two Black Canaries, though I'm a little bit on the fence about Green Arrow.
Mon: Let's see if that show gets greenlit.
There was a tease for another possible show though…
Ron: Which I'm more excited about.
Mon: Indeed. We don't know that yet. We're just getting excited.
All right, so at the end of the Arrow finale, John Diggle (Spartan) played by David Ramsey, is going to join his wife and his son, when he gets hit by a meteor. And he discovers a box. He opens it and all we see is this green light shining on his face. Now we actually don’t get to see what the object is that Dig finds, but later it was confirmed by the producers that he did find the Green Lantern ring.
Now, throughout the course of Arrow, and the Arrowverse shows, it's been hinted that Dig is actually the alternate universe version of John Stewart, who was a Green Lantern in the comics. Now it seems like they’re suggesting that he actually is one. The Lantern ring has chosen him and HBO is supposedly making a Green Lantern series. So, could we see Dig in that?
Ron: I really hope so. I love John Diggle in Arrow. He had a very interesting arc. He started off as Oliver Queen’s bodyguard; he became his best friend, his brother. He eventually took on the mantle of the Green Arrow, which is something he coveted, which nobody really realized. So that was a very interesting direction for his character to go.
And I just enjoyed him and his partnership with Lyla, his wife, their children, they were both badasses. And they just brought something extra to the screen. I would like to see more of John Diggle.
Mon: Agreed.
There was a cute little resolution that happened which went under the radar. So, Roy Harper played by Colton Haynes and Thea Queen, Oliver's younger sister played by Willa Holland, they have had this on-again-off-again romance throughout the seasons that they've been together. They’ve both faced a lot of struggles with their personal lives, with their own mental health due to a number of reasons. But in the finale, Roy finally goes up to her and says that you know what they’re meant for each other. He proposes and they kind of get a happy ending.
Ron: It was an unexpected moment in the finale, but it was really sweet. I really enjoyed Roy Harper on the show, so much so that I went looking for him in the comics.
Thea started off as most of the other ladies on the show, as a damsel in distress, but she became a hero in her own right. She was the Red Arrow. She was great.
Mon: Yeah, exactly.
Ron: So, it wasn't the finale that we were expecting. But it was more of a way to say goodbye to the show once and for all. As you said the show had run its course. We honestly felt like we were watching Arrow mainly because it tied into the other CWVerse shows.
I can't think of any moments in the last few seasons where the characterizations struck me as important. The only memorable moment that I can think of is the episode that was directed by David Ramsey. But aside from that, I'm just glad Arrow got to go out on its own terms. And we got to say goodbye to these characters.
Mon: I agree with you. I'm glad it's over. I'm still sad that it's over. But I'm sadder that it didn't try harder.
Ron: It's not a show that I would miss.
Mon: Not that much.
Ron: But moving on to Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So, from DC to Marvel.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a spinoff from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. People loved Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson so much that Marvel actually decided to create an entire show around him, despite the character being killed off on screen in The Avengers.
Now, when it was announced that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be ending with season seven, I thought, ‘finally’.
Mon: Yeah, it was long overdue. But you know what? They really made me want to eat my words throughout the seventh season. This season was the show's best. There was space travel, time travel, high stakes, drama, intrigue, romance, superpowers, existential crises; did I miss anything?
Ron: Awesome characterizations. The characters, they truly came alive in this condensed season. Everyone had something new to contribute. They helped the storytelling. They moved the plot forward. We saw connections we never expected to see between the characters. More than anything else, you could tell that everyone in front of and behind the scenes was having a gala time making this season.
Mon: Okay, so I have to be honest here. I think my enjoyment of this season was proportional to the lack of Iain De Caestecker’s Leo Fitz. Listen, nothing against the man, but I do not understand why this character exists. All he does is whine. That's in my opinion.
And then to top it all, my enjoyment was doubly increased when they added Enver Gjokaj’s Daniel Sousa. I am so happy he got a happy ending to his story and that he was a precious cinnamon roll throughout his screen time.
Ron: I have to agree on both points. I I have struggled throughout with Leo Fitz, a little less so with Jemma Simmons, played by Elizabeth Henstridge. The combination of Fitz and Simmons was sweet and funny. They added some some comedy in their scenes. But they worked in small doses.
The moment they became more important parts of the main cast, I lost my interest in Fitz. As you said he was very whiny. He was a bit clingy. And he had all these issues that he was unable to solve in any way. And it seemed to bring down the stories quite a bit.
On the other hand, Daniel Sousa was such a lovely part of Agent Carter—a show canceled too soon, I will never forgive you Marvel. And he fit beautifully into this season.
Mon: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I mean, he's a fish out of water, which is kind of how the Agents are anyway. But he's got this optimistic, very kind, gentle point of view. He also had this different kind of perspective which helped them in the end. So, I appreciated the fact that they grabbed this guy who we were all very, very fond of, and gave him an entire character arc.
Ron: Also, we can take a moment to appreciate the fact that both the men in Agent Carter's lives were displaced from time?
Mon: She has an effect on men.
Ron: The show has been on iffy ground for a long time. I took forever to get used to it. I was not very interested even though Coulson was fun. In the same in the same vein as Torchwood, the character that they made the show about became secondary to everybody else.
I also found that the stories weren't all that engaging. They did do a few things that are different. We got queer characters in the Marvel Universe, thanks to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But, for the most part, I found that I wasn't really invested in these characters.
The character that I was invested in way back in Season 1, Grant Ward, turned out to be Hydra. So good times.
Mon: Yeah, I mean, from the first season itself, you felt like they were trying a little bit too hard, but they didn't know what they were trying to do with it. The first season was very directionless. It only picked up after the whole Hydra reveal. And subsequent seasons, they had good concepts, but I felt like they often focused on the wrong characters, or the pacing was off. So, what will happen is they'll hook you in but then it will become dull.
There was that entire arc where they went into the future and they had to deal with the Kree. I loved that. I loved the bit when they were in space. But then again, it fell away as soon as they were back on Earth.
Let's not forget, they introduced us to Gabriel Luna’s Robbie Reyes, who is Ghost Rider; that is still my favorite character in probably a lot of TV shows.
Ron: Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider was so compelling. I love the chemistry that Robbie had with Daisy Johnson. But even beyond that, the character was interesting, his life, his backstory, everything mattered. It made a difference to how we saw the story. Unfortunately, he only got half a season because of budgetary issues.
Mon: They just couldn't work with special effects. They just didn't have enough money and we didn't get see him. And you know what really bothered me? I was hoping we would get a glimpse of him in the finale.
Ron: So was I. I really thought that they had left the door open for the character to come back. Not as Ghost Rider, but at least just Robbie, so that we know what he's doing. Maybe he's part of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mon: Let's not forget Robbie made a sacrifice for Phil. So, he owes him one. I mean, come on! One shot of Robbie.
But enough of Robbie. Let's talk about the actual season. Let's talk about the finale.
What I liked about this final season was the time-hopping. It was so fun. The creators really went with it. With every decade they changed the tone, they changed the style, they were really enjoying working with the fashion, the characters and the world that they were building. It just made it so compelling. Because not only were the characters constrained by the world that they were in. But we the audience were compelled to follow them and understand how they would work within these mechanics. And you could tell that they were all having a jolly good time.
Ron: There was so much joy in making this season, it was palpable through the screen. We were actively looking forward to watching the next episode, which honestly, we have not felt like that about this show.
Mon: Yeah, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has always felt like work, not felt like fun. But this season, every single episode, I was like, yes, I want to get in there and get to know these characters, get to know what else they're doing, and how they fit in this world.
Especially—let's talk about the 1980s episode, where Mack and Deke are stuck in the 80s. Mack is absolutely distraught because he's just faced a huge loss in his life. And he's stuck. He's away from Yo-Yo, away from his team.
And on the opposite side is Deke, who's having the time of his life. He is living it up in the 1980s. But the way the characters come closer and they connect. And the use of this ridiculous 80s music and style of shooting; it really showed us what Agents of SHIELD could have been for so many seasons.
Ron: The cinematography in every era matches the cinematography of the films made in that era. If they could do this in Season 7, why weren't they doing it before?
Mon: You're so right. And you know what I found? By condensing the main cast to just a handful of really important characters, and removing Leo Fitz for the most part, we got more time to get to know the characters; they got time to really flex their muscles.
There was so much that for Ming-Na Wen’s Melinda May to really grow into her powers and to finally connect with her emotions, which is something that she's really closed herself off from, especially because it's been tumultuous to be part of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And then there is Natalia Cordova-Buckley’s Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez. I think she came alive in the season.
Ron: She starts off the season not being able to access her powers, and then eventually figures out what's going wrong. And she just comes alive.
I love the bond between Yo-Yo and Mack. They're such a cute couple. I don't usually ship people. But these two are just lovely. They are so adorable together. And it's an easy chemistry, they're not working at it. It's just happening.
But, Yo-Yo got more to do in this season apart from being Mack’s girlfriend as well. And I really enjoyed that. And you know what, we got an entire episode where Yo-Yo and May have to go and rescue somebody. And it's majority women. It's great. You don't get to see that.
Mon: Yep, that's true. So, while I loved a lot about final season, the finale was a damp squib. There’s a lot happening in the finale, and it's action packed. It resolves pretty much everything. But for the characters, I don't feel like we got justice.
Ron: I'm not sure why the finale ended the way it did. It concludes the main storyline very well. I love how the good guys outwit the bad guys in this one, because honestly for the longest time it felt like the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really were on the backfoot. But they work together as a team to use their skills and they come out on top. But I feel like everything is undone by that very final scene. And it’s the one that you're waiting for. It’s just not happy.
Mon: Exactly. For the team to go back to their own timeline and their own time, Deke has to stay behind in the 1980s, which he thinks is fine with because he's successful, he's popular. He has a team of friends; he ends leading his own S.H.I.E.L.D. unit. Which is great. But, he’s from the future of our present and he’s stuck in his far past. Is that really a happy ending for him?
Ron: And also, let's not forget that the 1980s that Deke is stuck in is an alternate version of the one that he knows. So, it's not like he's ever going to actually have any of his friends from this world. So yeah, that's not a happy ending for him.
Mon: Yeah. And when we meet the other characters, they've been given happy endings which suit them. They have a job that they like, or they have families.
For example, Fitz and Simmons, they reunite with each other and their secret child—we all saw that from a mile away—it seems like they've retired and they’re content with domestic life.
With Yo-Yo and Mack, I'm glad that they’re still agents of some kind; saving the world, they're doing their thing, but Melinda is a professor?
Ron: That does not work for me at all. May was a very good fighter, she had a very good tactical mind. I understand her need to share that knowledge with other people and to train them. It's just not the ending that I saw for her.
Mon: So, Coulson is stuck as a Life Model Decoy, which is fine. He's hanging out with his car Lola—now, she’s a flying car. That's great. But that's it.
Ron: The last couple of seasons, we’ve had this will-they-won’t-they between Melinda and Phil. And the moment they got together the real Phil died. Again. So, he comes back as this Life Model Decoy, but for some reason he and May can’t be together? I don't know why that was the direction for these two. They had such great chemistry. I don't understand.
Mon: Yeah, I was disappointed with that as well.
One person whose ending I liked was Daisy Johnson. She is exploring the galaxy with Sousa and her sister Kora. And this ties in with some of her comic book runs where she’s a galactic space agent.
Ron: Daisy’s entire story in this final season was lots of fun. Her relationship with Sousa was very cute. I am happy for them and their ending.
But I think, you and I both had the exact same reaction when we saw that final scene. It's not the individual happy endings that give people joy. We have seen these characters work together as a team, as a family, for seven seasons; a happy ending would be them being together. But for some reason they're apart.
Mon: Yeah. So, the disassembly of the team was foreshadowed earlier in the season. Fine, that's okay. There is literally no S.H.I.E.L.D. for them to go back to, so it's not a surprise that they're not going to be a team. But the finale, when they all come together in these VR virtual hologram forms, it made it seem like they were just disconnected from each other. It seems like they don't interact with each other that much, they’re not in each other's lives and that's what was so sad about it. It felt melancholic. And as an ending for a show that’s always been quite bright and silly, I don't think it worked at all.
Ron: I think it's okay for people to move on; that's expected. But these characters also moved away from each other. Which I felt did a disservice to the fans and to these characters.
That scene when they're all sitting in the VR circle, it felt like those school reunions where nobody really wants to be there but you're just there because you're getting free food. It felt so unlike what we had seen.
And I understand that they were not supposed to be a team forever. But the exact words were ‘that this would be their last mission’. Why did they have to stop being a family?
Mon: I agree with you. In a word, I would say the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D finale was depressing.
Mon: Alright so, in amongst all the genre shows that we keep watching was How to Get Away with Murder, or HTGAWM, as we like to call it. I loved tuning into this show and hanging out with these characters. Yes, it was very melodramatic, and the homicidal maniacs that we were contending with were beyond the pale. But I loved it.
Because what I felt was that these were such rounded characters, and they almost always made sense. Every questionable move that they made, it was in character. I'm not saying that they're authentic or genuine, but they just made sense within the world that they were in.
I'll admit that HTGAWM is not going to be on anyone's best shows list, ever. But you can’t argue that it was some of the most compelling, scenery- chewing television that you've ever seen. Especially when we're talking about the lead of the show, Viola Davis.
Ron: That woman is a powerhouse. She can play any role, but the way she carries HTGAWM is just unbelievable. If you're an actor, you just need to sit there and take notes, because she is amazing.
Talking about the finale; so we've had six seasons of crazy plots, ridiculous character twists. And you have Viola Davis’ Annalise Keating, fighting the biggest case she's ever had to fight—the fight to stay alive. In the finale, we see her on trial for every murder that has gone down over the course of the six seasons of the show. If she loses the case, she's going to be executed.
And we see all these heroes and these villains take a stand. There's so much drama. You don't know if you can believe the heroes. You don't know if you can trust the villains. People change sides partway through. It's really compelling stuff. It's great writing.
Mon: Annalise’s life literally hangs in the balance. And then there's so much drama going on around her. Some of which, she doesn't even know. Like her aide, Frank Delfino, he's just found out that his blood is as tainted as his actions. And it leaves his part time girlfriend, Bonnie Winterbottom, absolutely disconsolate.
Then there's the remaining Keating 5, Annalise’s students. Connor Walsh, he wants to repent for his past crimes and he agrees to five years in jail. His husband, Oliver Hampton, sort of turns on their best friend, Michaela Pratt. And she ends up losing all her friends. And all this is going on while Viola Davis pulls out all the stops to make Annalise’s closing statement the most brilliant moment of television, for me, this year.
Ron: It is so effortless the way she delivers her lines. It is so real, the words that she is speaking. You are at the edge of your seat, watching her. You're believing everything she's saying because she's got that conviction. She is a Black woman talking about what happens to Black women. And it's just astounding watching it.
Mon: What I really liked about Annalise’s closing monologue was that the writers made this speech less about just this one character and more about how Black women in society are held to higher standards than everybody else. So, it becomes a universal speech, even though it's just about this one character in this bizarre world.
Ron: The events of HTGAWM don't feel very realistic, but the way that the characters react to it, that is something that people in the real world will relate to.
Mon: There's an authenticity to the interactions and actions that sometimes make sense. You know, the funny thing about Annalise being on trial is that she's the most innocent character among the main characters. I mean, she's pilloried for all these murders taking place throughout the seasons of HTGAWM, but she's actually the only one who hasn't killed anybody. She keeps protecting the idiots who have.
Ron: She really does get a raw deal, because she's never done anything wrong. Everybody blames her for everything, but whatever she's doing it’s to protect people, it's to take care of everybody around her, and it's to clean up other people's messes!
Mon: So true. What I liked about the finale was that throughout this case Teagan Price, who's played by Amirah Vann, is by Annalise’s side. Now, they've had a sort of up and down relationship. It's been mostly professional, but we've all seen how Teagan has been making goo-goo eyes at Annalise. To be honest, I've been shipping these two for a long time and I was so happy when Teagan finally confessed her feelings for Annalise. Girl, what took you so long?
Ron: Listen, I just said that I'm not into shipping but these two are shipped. There was so much chemistry between them! And, you know, initially it was just professional you could see that there was really no interest, in that sense. But the more time they spent together, you could just see that these two people, they had so many similarities. They had a similar background, they had worked the same way, they kind of just seemed to come together.
Mon: Absolutely. And so, in the end, Annalise does win the case. She isn't executed. However, we do have a couple of sacrifices which go down. And it affects Annalise. I guess, in a way, we were expecting somebody to die. It's a finale of an entire show, somebody’s got to die. And it turns out to be Frank and Bonnie.
Ron: I did see that a lot of people were upset that Frank and Bonnie were killed. It felt like they had finally found some happiness with each other, that they were looking forward to some kind of future together. And then they’re shot down. The thing is that, if you watch the six seasons, you've seen these two come to a point where things are better, when they can be hopeful, and then something happens and it just derails all their plans. Maybe this was the best ending for them?
Mon: I also feel like in the finale, they tried very hard to make sure that all the people who had actively committed some kind of murder weren't redeemed. which I think worked well.
Ron: Frank was really a bad guy. That man was irredeemable. I don't care how nice he tried to be. The things that he did, if he hadn't died in the finale, he would have spent the rest of his life in jail. And Bonnie, despite her circumstances as a child, the kind of things that she did as an adult, unfortunately, there's just no coming back from that.
Mon: She did kill Rebecca in cold blood.
Ron: Yes, and she did murder her partner, as well, though she did not want to. That was very unfortunate.
Mon: So, if anybody had to die, I guess it might have been those two. The finale ends with Annalise’s funeral. This is in the future. She's lived a long and very happy life with Teagan. We can assume it’s Teagan, but they're not very obvious with that. It seems like she's finally found the love that she's always denied herself. And I really enjoyed seeing that. Connor and Olly are back together, and Michaela, though she doesn't get her friends back, she becomes Supreme Justice, and she has her own family. So, that's a huge win in any book.
Ron: Michaela was one of the best characters on the show. She was so driven, so complex. You could see that no matter what happened, she had a plan for where her life was going to go and she was not going to let anybody stand in her way. And you know what, if that meant sacrificing her friends, good for her.
Mon: But the piece de resistance of this finale was the final scene. I could never have imagined that HTGAWM’s finale would make me so giddy with happiness. Because the closing scene echoes the series premiere. We see Alfred Enoch biking to Middleton, and he enters a classroom. But this time, it isn’t Wes Gibbins attending Annalise’s class. This time it’s Christopher Castillo. And he's entering his class and introducing himself in this thick Spanish accent as the professor of the class. And he's calling it How to Get Away with Murder! It was inspired by his mentor. So that means that Annalise was able to stay in Christopher's life, and he's following in her footsteps.
I mean, seriously, my heart! This finale was for the fans. It is the final chapter in these characters’ stories and it’s such a beautiful closure to all their stories.
Ron: We got a glimpse of this very final scene in the mid season finale. We saw Alfred Enoch’s character come to Annalise’s funeral. The picture that they had was of a young Annalise, so we assumed that something had gone wrong and that she was dead. But when we actually got to see the scene, it's Christopher Castillo. And he's there with his mother, Laurel, and we also see Olly and Connor, they're all there for the funeral. Eve is giving a little eulogy for Annalise. It's just such a hopeful, optimistic ending for the show, that was quite dark times. And especially for Christopher. His father, Wes Gibbins, being the guy who killed all those people, and all the dangers that Laurel had had to go through to protect Christopher, to protect herself. And everybody turned out okay. So that's great!
Mon: Yep, definitely one of my favorite finales of the year.
Ron: And such a contrast to the one that we got in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where everybody's moved away. But here, people have come together. And you know what, that's what we needed.
Read Part 2 of the episode transcript here.