j.o.h.n. walker / Foter.com / CC BY

I find myself bombarded with endings this month. My baby is graduating from high school. Many of my clients are wrapping up their projects before the summer months. And of course there are all of the television series finales.

This week Facebook has been filled with posts like, “NNNOOOOOOO!!!!”—just watched Grey’s Anatomy finale.” Or, “I’m just too much of a Deacon-girl to handle this episode,” in reference to the last episode of Nashville.

While many of our favorite shows will be coming back next fall, some are gone forever. I was a big fan of Vegas, and it will not be returning. I did appreciate that they wrapped up all the story-lines in the last episode.

My biggest fuss this month has been how so many of the finales seemed to cram too much into one episode, especially considering the pace of all the other installments. Each week the plots would almost crawl as the writers explored every nuance of every relationship, and then the last hour raced through scenes at break-neck speed. I felt a bit bewildered and whip-lashed. Nashville, which is typically a very well-written serial, jumped so quickly through each scene that I felt as though I watched the last episode through my old View Master. (If you don’t know what a View Master is, then you’re probably too young to appreciate Nashville.) I would have liked to see some of the subplots wrapped up an episode or two ago. But alas…

One of my other favorites, Grimm, took two hours to finish up its season. I like that better, and I LOVE Grimm’s afterward titling: “To Be Continued…Oh Come On, You Knew This Was Coming.” It was the perfect aside.

Every ending brings a new beginning. My son will begin a new chapter of his life. I’ll start new projects with new clients. While many of the TV series have ended for the season, others are just beginning. My summer favorite, Covert Affairs, returns in July, and I can’t wait!

That’s a wrap for this Toast to Cinema. Thanks for reading.