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FX 'Terriers' wraps impressive first season with finale Dec. 1, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Nov 28, 2010, 21:50 GMT

Great job- Michael Raymond-James and Donal Logue - "Terriers" Hollywood Premiere - Arrivals - Archlight Cinemas - Hollywood, CA, USA © Amanda Meredith / PR Photos

FX's gem series, "Terriers" is wrapping a great, slow boil of a first season enhanced by the ensemble magic led by Donal Logue (Hank Dolworth). 

This series takes the languid, noir pacing of "Chinatown" and the effervescent feel of buddy film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and delivers a retro-tinged TV escape that is like absolutely nothing else on television.

You must catch up on free past episodes on HULU http://www.hulu.com/terriers  if you have missed the show so far, so you can enjoy the finale.

The last episode, Quid Pro Quo, plugged in many of the missing pieces of the Ocean Beach land grab with Zeitlin & Associates law firm for Hank, and with the help of reporter Laura Ross (Alison Elliott) who has a plant inside the Zeitlin offices, he is closer to exposing the layered dirt that has built the whole season. It's a brilliant episode for Logue to show off his skills as the screws tighten for his character.

Britt (Michael Raymond-James) and Katie (Laura Allen) are perfect star-crossed lovers now at odds over her one-night stand exposed, with an enraged Britt acting reflexively and in doing so makes him the weak link to undermine Hank's efforts.

From the beginning of the series we knew that Hank is still in love with his ex-wife, and her fiance Jason, an architect, has business doings with Zeitlin for the new airport over Ocean Beach.  Hank's investigating inadvertently facilitates the shock murder of Jason, and how this will affect his relationship with her is a wild card.

As a fan of the series, thanks go out to the expert storytelling that executive producers Shawn Ryan, Tim Minear and executive producer/creator Ted Griffin have penned, making this a great addition to FX's already eclectic and superb lineup of series highlighted by outstanding drama "Sons of Anarchy," and comedy "Sunny in Philadelphia."

"Terriers" stand-out players this season are lead actor Donal Logue as the interesting, flawed, principled and sexually earthy Dolworth, Raymond-James as the tenacious, ethics-challenged and street-wise Britt; Karina Logue as Hank's sister who manages mental illness with panache and wit; Laura Allen's guilt-ridden ambitious Katie, who wants more from life; Jamie Denbo's cut-to-the-quick Maggie, a sardonic scene stealer and Rockmond Dunbar's world-weary Mark, who sees around the corner at times for his old partner Hank.

Television is in dire need of more chance takers like FX's "Terriers."   It's this kind of off-the-beaten track programming that top tier cablers like FX, AMC and TBS are differentiating themselves to combat the tread-worn procedurals that define network mediocrity and story malaise.  

What would we do without "Terriers," "Mad Men," "Sons of Anarchy", "Breaking Bad," "Men of a Certain Age" and "The Walking Dead"?  Sit on our hands and wait for more episodes of "CSI"?   I think not.

"Terriers’" Season Finale airs Wednesday, December 1 at 10pm EST on FX. Check your local cable company for listing.