When we are at the end

I don't normally write about TV shows, but I feel compelled to natter on about one or two of them at this point in time.

With the apparent demise of Stargate Universe, I have to admit that I feel sad. Although I came into this series a few weeks after it began, I've stayed the course and watched it to the thrilling though bittersweet conclusion. That SyFy has grounded what was meant to be a 5-season series, right when it's come into its own, is confusing and frustrating.

Okay, I know that SGU is somewhat of a niche product, but you have to think that considering its heritage, in all likelihood there are enough fans out there to at least let it run to the finish line, especially given how it has powered the second season to such great heights. Each episode seemed to get getter and better, stronger and more compelling, dramatic and heartwarming, personal and extraordinary.

But hey, that's what I saw and I'm proud to say I'm a true SG supporter, through all it reincarnations.

When we are the end of a series, fans are naturally sad, but when the end is nigh and the fan base is still growing, it's hard to understand the argument for cancellation, or even care about ratings and reviews. When you love a show, you love it, and only you will be able to change your mind.

So, when the wrap is solid, makes sense for the characters, and provides just enough hope while allowing you to say, "Okay, I can live with that", then we are at least satisfied, to some degree, about that final episode. However, when the wrap is 'wrong', and we are left hanging with no satisfaction, no conclusion and no digestible explanation, well, it's hard to make any sense of the decision.

As a fan of Buffy and Angel, two great shows that have sadly wrapped (although still very much alive in various configurations), I experienced both "solid" and "wrong" situations. Yes, I would have liked Buffy to keep going, but the end for me was an end, and I said goodbye with a smile on my face.

However, when Angel was cancelled, the final episode seemed empty, pointless, hopeless, and altogether wrong. Okay, I could choose to speculate that they all survived, blah, blah, blah, but speculation is no substitute for a smile on my face. To this day, I wish there had been a movie or a last-minute reprieve to finish that series the way it deserved to go out, rather than cut it off at the knees, leaving the sick feeling that evil had won in the end.

When we are at the real end of a series, true fans know it and are willing to live with it, to varying degrees. But when it's all wrong, and the end is merely a transition from continuing storyline to budget cuts, well, there's not an ounce of satisfaction for anyone involved with the show.

At least Fringe is still going ... but that show gets better and better, which leaves me somewhat fearful about its future.