Dead Like Me 2x13-2x15

[oyceter]

Hrm. I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with the last episode as a show finale, but I suspect they had to wrap things up fairly quickly when the show was cancelled. If anything, the Ray/graveling storyline hints at longer arcs to come.

I think I would have liked these last few episodes better if it weren't for my extreme irritation at the last batch of episodes, but then, random insults of Chinese people and stupid portrayals of gender will do that to me. And I am still pissed that Roxie gets no arc, or even a hint of an arc, at all. So in general, I was charmed by the show, but I would have been even more charmed had random racism and misogyny not left a bad taste in my mouth.

Also, dude, this show's worldbuilding sucks. And I say this as someone who usually handwaves bad worldbuilding.

Anyway. I felt so bad for Reggie about JD's death, and it was an interesting contrast to see Joy dealing with JD's death, as opposed to Joy dealing with George's death in the past. Of course, they're nowhere near on the same level. But it was interesting seeing her trying to pack away JD's things at once, like she did with George's. But there also seemed to be less anger and more grief, and a greater willingness to deal with the mess of emotions that ensued, which just shows how much the character has changed. I particularly loved her exchange with Clancy about him being a good father on the day of JD's funeral (but still being a crappy husband).

I wish they had Reggie change a little more; she does, but I also got sick of the show revisiting the "Reggie thinks George is still there and therefore Joy thinks she's insane!" storyline.

It was nice getting more glimpses into Rube's backstory, though I still have no idea what he did. I keep thinking that he was involved with a gang or something. Also, it was really nice seeing one of Rube's old protegees and the relationship between her and Roxie.

I mostly just wanted to slap Daisy and Mason, both of whom had lost all the sympathy they had previously gotten from me. I particularly wanted to slap Mason for the way he treated Kiffany, and I was rather angry that Kiffany forgave him so quickly and that the tip thing was ultimately explained as her having a share in the pot, as opposed to her defending another waitress' tips because it was the right thing to do. I mean, I think a lot of it was still that it was the right thing to do, but I think it would have been more interesting to go with the second option, which is less "You hurt one of us, you hurt all of us" and more "It's the right thing to do, asshat."

And did I mention that I am still pissed off Roxie doesn't get stuff to do?

The final episode -- I don't know. It just didn't work for me. First of all, I thought that Rube's team dealt with accidents and not murders? Or maybe I'm wrong? Also, the serial killer thing completely didn't work for me, and ditto with the Reaper legend about seeing their true faces. I don't even remember if there was follow-up on the guy who knew Daisy.

In the end, I enjoyed the series much more than I thought I would from the first two or three episodes, but my favorites are still from the end of S1. S2 feels a little less structured to me, possibly because of the cancellation; it felt like more things were going in circles or staying in place while pretending to move forward. So the end was more a fade out than a bang, but there were some great episodes along the way, so I'm largely happy (except for the race thing, which I am still irritated about).

Comments

[the_rck]

I would have liked the next to last episode better as a final episode than I did the actual final episode. Swapping the two might have made a stronger ending.

I, too, would have liked to see more arc for Roxie. (I don't think I've even seen fic for her...) There were some unexplored depths there. She starts the series with a real job, in addition to being a Reaper, and moves to a harder, more responsible one. Even without anything else, that could yield a fascinating storyline.

[oyceter]

Hrm, yeah, I think you have a good point about swapping the last two.

Siiiigh. Roxie. Man. There was so much they could have done with her, and I really wanted to see an exploration of Reaperness as a real job, not as the sort of half-assed efforts that Daisy, Mason and George often gave.

[the_rck]

I suppose I should add Roxie fic to my ever growing list of things I want to write some day. That makes something like twenty stories in the queue, three of them epics. It'll be a couple of years before I'm free to write much, sadly.

I tend to give George a bit of a pass because she started out as a relatively spoiled eighteen year old (healthy, straight, white and upper middle class). She was just starting to learn that the world didn't owe her anything when she died.

As to Mason, I keep remembering something the actor who played him said in one of the extras-- He said that it was important that Mason never develop as a character, that he come across as incapable of real change. I can't recall whether that was an interpretation the actor developed or one that was given to him.

[oyceter]

Bwahahaha! I have a plan to write Roxie-Kiffany fic. Um. Someday. Because I am the slowest writer ever.

I totally see how the writers are developing Mason and George and Daisy (or, in Mason's case, choosing not to). And in general, they made me love them. But I'm still irritated that the black woman gets the shaft, particularly when I think her story could have added a lot to the show.

[the_rck]

::nods:: And it's not like we'd have to give up the other characters to get more Roxie. Just shifting time here and there to give her equal story. It could be done.

I'm trying to remember-- Apart from the guy who reaped George, did they show any other Reapers who weren't white? I can't think of any, but I'm not sure I'd remember given how long it's been since I watched the series.

[oyceter]

I don't think so? But then, the only ones I remember are the one who reaped George, the kid reaper, and the nurse reaper.

[the_rck]

Those are the three that I remember. I have a mental itch that suggests that there was at least one more, just a passing exchange between Rube and some other guy from a different division. I'm not certain, though. I might simply have read it in a fic.

It did strike me, repeatedly, that the Reapers had a really crappy social support system.