Season 4 (2017)
5 Stars out of 5
I was certain that we had a thread for
Season 4: The Final Season. I guess not. So, I will post my thoughts on
Season 4 and the
Series Finale in here. As far as this season goes, it was an absolute stellar turn for the series. They went out with a bang. Not one bad episode in the entire run and dare I say,
Season 4 quite possibly could be the best yet. I will have to watch the entire season back to back to really be able to make that statement, but what I can say is, this was an unforgettable season. I'm really glad that they had Gordon's two daughters grown up to the point where Haley would have a big impact on the plot line for this season as
Cameron, Joe, Gordon and of course
Haley tackling this seasons new tech of Web Browsers. What show other than
Halt and Catch Fire can make Browser's of all things, insanely exciting to watch unfold.
There were a couple of standout moments that the series went with. First was basically flipping
Joe and
Donna's roles where he becomes the sympathetic character and
Donna, more or less the "villain". They dynamic has changed where it's 4 against her as they both race to see who will win the Browser War. By the end, things right themselves as we have to have some sort of happy ending as we say goodbye to these characters. I love how
Cameron and
Donna come together at the end with "an idea", but we aren't privy to what exactly the idea is. Opened ended. I'm still trying to dissect what exactly
Donna was seeing in the diner that sparked her idea. Loved the final shot in the series as we see that
Joe has become a teacher and this is clearer in what they are saying. He is looking to create future
Joe MacMillan's...perhaps this will be his "greatest invention".
As for
Gordon, his passing left me stunned and speechless. It wasn't that they killed him off (which of course was a bummer), but it was in how they chose to do it. When we see
Donna entering his house and walking from the front door to the next room and sitting on the couch, I was led to believe that she wanted to get back together with him. When
Gordon follows her to another room and we see
Haley and
Joanie far younger, I immediately knew what was happening and with each new room, we are going further back in time. What left me stunned is that there was no setup. All we get is his transitioning from this life into the next and I thought it was brilliant and bold in its execution of the scene. 99.9999% of Directors and Writers would show the character in the present laying on a bed, or clutching his arm or whatever to tell you something is wrong with the character. Here, they just drop the bomb on us and it is far more effective. It has been a few days since watching that episode and it's still leaving a profound mark on me. Anyway, I rank this as one of the best series ever. It's definitely in my Top 5 of All Time. I can't wait to get the Series Box Set on DVD...sooner, rather than later.
5 Stars out of 5 for both this season and the Finale.....and the series as a whole.