May 19 was an epic Monday for television with the season finales of both 24 and Gossip Girl (henceforth GG). We had not one, but two hours, to watch Jack Bauer thwart a bio-chemical attack on America, with an overlap hour of teenage angst and drama. Thank God for DVR.
The first hour of 24 was brilliant. Twists, turns and hope that bitchy Olivia Taylor would get caught for murder kept me glued to the set until live TV caught up with my DVR. I don't do live TV, so I turned to pre-recorded Gossip Girl. Writers let several gossip bombs fly, managed to still bring the crew together, and set the scene for next season with some sneaky, shocking cameos.
Most significantly, Chuck and Blair finally got together. I have been waiting three years for this to happen. No joke. The sexual tension between those two could cut butter, and never have I known two conniving people more appropriate for each other. Yes, the romantic ideal that star-struck lovers could get together after four years of turmoil goes against everything I've been trying to teach myself for the last two years of my life. But, nevertheless, the finale gave me closure.
With a similar sense of satisfaction as when I finish a Magnolia cupcake, I returned for hour two of 24. What a load of crock. I don't remember what happened at the end because nothing happened at the end. All I remember is thinking "That's it?" I know writers were prepping for the next 9-month 24 hour span, but seriously? Leave me in free fall like that?
I had questions, dammit. I felt cheated. Confused. Empty. I wanted to know why. And what now? I needed closure for the season. That's what a finale is all about.
I couldn't help but notice that these two finales resembled my last two break-ups. I felt a GG-esque closure with one. I understood the logistics and the break down and we are still friends. The other? Hell if I know. And it irritates the shit out of me. I keep coming back for more because I still, to this day, don't understand (immediately after this, I couldn't help but think that I should stop comparing my relationships to television shows and get off the couch).
Ending a season really is like ending a relationship. You've relied on this entertainment entity to comfort you on Mondays when weekend recovery is still the name of the game. And there will be a big void when it's gone. Even science agrees. A recent study suggests that favorite TV shows can dampen feelings of loneliness. It's the big spoon to our little spoons.
Whether you're ending a relationship with a human or a television show, you need closure. I could walk away from GG right now and feel very comfortable about what happened. But 24? That's going to turn into ex-sex.
