Posted by Janie Logan Dec 2, 2010, 21:29 GMT
Britt (Michael Raymond-James) and Hank (Donal Logue) wonder if their story will continue with a second season of Terriers. Photo courtesy of FX Networks.
"So whaddya say, partner--which way'll it be?" Which way, indeed… Terriers' first season finale put it all on the line. If FX decides not to renew it for another season, it sure as hell won't be because the story wasn't compelling enough.
"Hail Mary" did what only the greatest finales can do, pulling together all the plot lines threaded throughout the season and laying bare the hearts of these characters.
It all started with Hank, just trying to find out what happened to his old friend, and Britt, just tagging along for the ride. From Lindus and the Montague Group, to Zeitlin and Laura Ross, these two unofficial P.I.'s found themselves in way over their heads: "We're dead if we stay in Ocean Beach. I feel like our life expectancy is between that of a fly, and a fly with a heart condition."
After Jason's murder and the realization that a city councilman was complicit in the destruction of the very city he was supposed to represent, Hank turned to his former partner for help. Chewing on a filter wasn't going to cut it for Mark when he heard about the whole messy affair. He sat on his porch smoking his cigarette with a resigned look on his face--just when you thought human beings could sink no lower… (Which is saying something, considering all the things he's seen as a cop, including his partner recently arrested for being a serial rapist.)
In the end, it came down to one seemingly ordinary guy--an entrepreneur and family man--who was going to build that airport whether people wanted it or not. But it wasn't just about business. Mickey Gosney died because of something he knew about Cutshaw (Neal McDonough) from their times drinking together in Mexico--a personal secret that was bad enough to kill for.
We don't see the photograph, only hear what Hank said to him, "I see why you'd build a children's hospital down there." I'm glad we don't know--the lingering question has a stronger impact--but Cutshaw gave this pathetic justification: "I work very hard to be a decent man. Sometimes, something inside me works a little harder."
The same could be said of Hank and Britt, could it not? They're both pretty good guys. They try to do the right thing and help people, but we've also seen them at their darkest. What is anyone truly capable of under desperate circumstances?
Cynicism is easy, but I think the best part of Terriers is that it gives hope.
Hope that, in spite of their mistakes, Hank and Britt can become better men (and that they want to).
Hope that Ocean Beach was a place worth saving because, even though there's the occasional ugliness like the guy looting Burke's body in the trash, it is also beautiful and a home to people.
Sure, Hank and Britt take hope a little too far in the final scene, talking about crossing the border to keep Britt from going to prison: "Answer to all our problems. You never get sick, you never get old…The vacation that never ends." Watching that light turn green, we imagine, with them, that it's possible.
But if Terriers returns for a second season (there's that hope again), I expect we'll be at or near the end of Britt's time in prison, with Hank excited for his best friend to come back and Katie with her baby, ready to give him another chance. Eternal vacation aside, that seems like a pretty bright future to me.
You can follow @theTVcricket on Twitter for more tv news and reviews!
Comments