S05.E10: Last Dance (series finale)

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Quote

Dutch uses Khlyen to bait The Lady and finds herself in the midst of a final, epic showdown.

Its almost time to say goodbye to this great series and all the people who made it what it was ....

[The Companion]

LoopA happy ending. I am okay with that. Honestly, this last season had some flaws, not the least of which was the Lady who wasn't particularly menacing. In fact, DSK and Aneela were scarier when being nice. Defeating her was ultimately not as difficult as advertised and a bit anticlimactic but I am okay with that. In the end, it wasn't about beating her. Hell, they even acknowledged this was rereading old ground. The show was about the amazing ensemble and we got to revel in that one last time.

I loved the team working together. One last run through spaceship halls shooting bad guys. Aneela being Aneela. Dutch facing down Khlyen and coming to grips with herself and her past. Pree and Gared get their happy ending. Dutch and D'av have a mission. Johnny is going out on his own.

And who could forget Pip. A totally lazy handwave by the writers. Complete pandering to the audience by bringing back a fan favorite. I should be annoyed but, well, it's PIP! In all his Pip glory. 

It wasn't perfect, but it will do. 

[Ottis]

A sensible, dramatic story at the close fell way, way behind trying to be clever and poetic and tie loose ends together. Bye, show. Some good moments. Our characters live on.

[MissLucas]

Wow, nobody (human) died. Way to smash tropes unlike some other shows who decide to pull a fast and tragic one in the last 10 minutes - you know who you are!

Anyway, I'm glad how they wrapped things up even though I had wished for a DSK death. In my mind the fact that she got back to Hullen means that further down the line more trouble is brewing and sooner or later there will be another clash with Team Awesome Force - fine by me because that's how life works even in the Quad. 

All in all it was a fun - occasionally bumpy - ride but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. There aren't that many shows around anymore that can bring camp, heartfelt emotion, fun and tragedy in an even mix that leaves you with a sad smile at the end. This was one of the few good ones that I will revisit gladly. Thanks to everyone who helped in making it and thanks to everyone here as well!

Edited September 21, 2019 by MissLucas

[thuganomics85]

Had to work last night so I couldn't watch it live, but I was able to remain unspoiled!

Definitely surprised that no only did all of the gang make it out alive, but they even gain ground by having Pip suddenly be alive this entire time.  I definitely think there is something going on there; especially him not even remembering how he survived the explosion; but I guess it's nice that Zeph and he got a happy ending.

Speaking of which, really not sure what to make of Delle Seyah not only living, and thriving.  I get that almost everyone here has done some bad shit, but she arguably committed some of the most vile acts out of the lot: especially on a personal level.  But I guess we're suppose to be consider John shooting and "killing" her (only for her to be revived later) his revenge for Pawter, and now she's working to redeem herself.  Eh, not sure I buy it, but I guess some bad folks will always come out ahead: even in goofy sci-fi shows like this.

I actually don't mind that The Lady was almost insignificant, and the real drama was Dutch coming to terms with her relationship with Khylen, how it influenced her to adulthood, and how she is now not letting it effect her going forward, even though she clearly still has affection for her (and vice versa.)  Hannah John-Kamen and Rob Stewart really sold this relationship, and made it one of the more fascinating ones in TV land.

Glad we got more Jaqobis banter and bickering, and even Jaq got involved.  And Lucy bringing possibly her best snark yet!  I love that ship!

Kind of bummed that Pree, Turin, Fancy, and Gared got sidelined a bit, but I'm glad that Pree is now the Governor of Westerly, while Turin is back to doing what he does best: leading squads into deadly missions against alien forces, while he snarls and cusses like a sailor!

The final Dutch/John scene was great, of course.

Overall, enjoyable finale, that pretty much closed the door on the main arcs, but left a few doors open incase a revival ever happens, but even if it doesn't, it at least shows that the characters will continue on down their (new or old) paths.  Either way, I'll miss this show and especially its characters and the amazing cast.  Hopefully everyone will move on to other gigs and thrive, but I'm really going to keep my eye on Hannah John-Kamen, because I think she has what it takes to be a huge star (at the very least, bring her back as Ghost in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dammit!) 

[The Companion]

19 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Anyway, I'm glad how they wrapped things up even though I had wished for a DSK death. In my mind the fact that she got back to Hullen means that further down the line more trouble is brewing and sooner or later there will be another clash with Team Awesome Force - fine by me because that's how life works even in the Quad. 

I think that is right. It is a happy for now ending with more than a little left open for conflict in the future. DSK and Aneela as unchecked powers is a recipe for trouble, no matter how much they try to be "good." Is Jaq enough to keep them tipped in the right direction? 

But then, the Lady lives, Pip is a mystery, there are still bug babies and as noted at the end, there is always something. That is something I think the finale did right. There is an implication that life goes on beyond its four corners. 

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Hopefully everyone will move on to other gigs and thrive, but I'm really going to keep my eye on Hannah John-Kamen, because I think she has what it takes to be a huge star (at the very least, bring her back as Ghost in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dammit!) 

They were all incredible and this was one of my favorite ensemble casts (perhaps only The Magicians being higher in casting for current shows for me). HJK definitely shines, though, with her two distinct roles. I have enjoyed her in other stuff and I expect that we will see a lot out of her. 

[ratSenoL]

A satisfying ending, for sure. I enjoyed watching the characters grow, mostly for the better. I'm pretty sure I'll miss the characters.

[tessaray]

I'm a fan of the "life goes on after the camera shuts off" kind of finale, so well done there. And I'm going to miss this show and these amazing characters.

That said, S5 was kind of meh overall. The Lady was boring. They had 2 years to go out with a bang and squandered the opportunity. JMO, YMMV and all that. 

[Ceindreadh]

I’m going to have to rewatch the last few episodes. First time round I was so stressed out wondering if anybody was going to be killed off that I didn’t enjoy them as much as usual. 

I’m sad it’s the last season but happy that they at least got to have a proper ending for the show. 

[Tachi Rocinante]

"There might be snakes"

Edited September 23, 2019 by Tachi Rocinante

[theschnauzers]

Somebody was mart in not allowing SYFY make decisions on renewing this show so it could finish their story. (After The Expanse which has a new home, and Krypton which is still looking, I don’t trust SYFY at all.)

I loved the main cast trio which is why I watched to begin with, and I’m glad Pip lives! There is a place for this kind of genre series. And I need more Luke MacFarlaine!

[Ravenya003]

Long time lurker: I was pretty happy with this. It reminded me a lot of the finale of "Orphan Black" in that the bad guy wasn't that interesting and so got taken out relatively quickly so the finale could concentrate on the dynamics of the cast and their final send-off. 

In hindsight, this season spent WAY too much time on the prison ship; time that could have been spent with our supporting cast of characters. Surely Pree, Fancy, the Warden and Turin could have been given something to do, especially after all the trouble it took to get them de-brainwashed by the rain. 

That goes ditto for Jaq, especially if you look at his involvement in the show as a whole. Was he even that necessary? What exactly was his purpose? To be a permanent host-body for the Lady? (That's more of a rhetorical question, since I found most of the plot on this show to be impenetrable. The Green? The Hullen? I just went with it). 

Pip's return was the world's weirdest asspull, but hey - whatever. It made Zeph happy.

Dutch and Johnny's goodbye was lovely, and like others have said, it was an elegant way of splitting the team up without it being for good. As he said, there's always going to be more to do, and this demonstrated more adventures are to come, together and as individuals.

All things considered, it was an interesting choice to focus more on Dutch/Khylen - and I loved the return of the red box with the human Lady: only this time she gets a doll. So many implications there, largely to do with Dutch giving her a chance to be someone she never was. Despite what she said ("Khylen taught me never to kill what I need") the doll made it clear this was Dutch at her most merciful.

Delle Seyah Kendry gets away scott-free. Not sure how I feel about that, but then "redemption equals death" is a pretty lazy trope these days. 

Pree/Gared made it to the finish line! I had faith in this show given its track record, but still - too many writers/showrunners just can't resist killing off one half of a gay couple.

One little touch I liked that some may have missed: Johnny says he's going to find Clara. Nice to hear her namedropped, even though she and her cohorts were probably the biggest dropped thread of the show. 

Never much cared about Dutch/D'avin as a couple, but hey - they're happy, so I'm happy.

Gonna miss this crazy little show.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Ravenya003

[tennisgurl]

I am going to miss this wacky show so much, where else am I going to get my campy heartfelt fun time space fix?! This episode and season had some definite plot issues, but it was possibly because the show was never so much about the plot, it was about the characters and their dynamics with each other, and in that it was very successful. This show was always more interested in its characters and having fun, and this was a great ending for a show like that. I am honestly surprised that we got a happy ending with no good guy deaths (they even brought Pip back for extra happiness!) especially considering that every other show on TV seems to be in a competition to throw in the most pointless tragic endings (you know who you are!) to brag about how deep they are and how happy endings are for losers, this was a real breath of fresh air. Plus, extra Pip! "I am still terrified". 

Love the sort of "life in the Quad goes on" ending, even with more bugs to kill, lots of rebuilding to be done, Pips resurrection still a mystery, and Johnny and Lucy going off to go on a space walk a bout to figure out his life, but planning to join Dutch and D'avin again later, and the show ending with the three of them going out to kick some ass and take some names! You feel like even when the camera turns off, life will go on, for good and for bad. The last scene with the Jaqobis bantering was great, as was the last Dutch and Johnny scene, and I even liked the last Dutch and D'avin kiss and I Love You, even though I never really shipped them. Everyone is happy so I am happy! 

I do wish we had more of Gared/Fancy/Pree/Turn, but what they got was all gold from them throughout, with Pree off to be governor, Gared so excited for his man that he hyperventilated, Fancy doing an awkward celebration death, and Turin running the RAC again, still being gruff and angry and pretending not to be a softie. I get that they wanted to focus on Dutch and her journey. It was less about defeating the bad guy and more about her finding peace with her past with Khlyen and with herself, and her giving the box to the The Lady, but this time giving her doll, giving her the choice that she never got to be a better person. 

DSK and Aneela even got together, and while I will always be pissed at DSK for what she did to Pawter, I am at least happy that she worked hard to get some level of redemption, so I can live with it, and I do enjoy her and Aneela and their weird anti hero goo person love.

Love that Johnny mentioned finding Clara and dealing with the cyborg factory, one of the plot lines I always wanted followed up on most, so even if we didnt get much follow up, we at least get a shout out that it will get a follow up off camera. 

I loved this show and its characters, it had an amazing cast of both main and supporting characters who were instantly memorable, and a fun and complex world that I loved to explore, and I am glad that it went out on its own terms, even if I will miss it. 

[Loandbehold]

9 hours ago, Ravenya003 said:

One little touch I liked that some may have missed: Johnny says he's going to find Clara. Nice to hear her namedropped, even though she and her cohorts were probably the biggest dropped thread of the show. 

I did notice this as well. In a way, I'm glad Johnny's going to do that, but I also wouldn't have minded him getting together w/ the Warden. They had some nice chemistry going. And this is from somebody who is not a shipper.

9 hours ago, Ravenya003 said:

Never much cared about Dutch/D'avin as a couple, but hey - they're happy, so I'm happy.

Sure, I can be magnanimous and allow them some happiness. Why not. It's not a doll, but it's my final gift. You're welcome show.

And thank you for five fun seasons.

[Tachi Rocinante]

Sound finale, except for DSK not getting hers.  Bitch needs to pay.  I don't care whose Mama she is.

[rove4]

Finally able to get around to watching the finale.  Overall I was quite happy with it.  I always have quibbles when enemies are allowed to live but this show has always been hesitant to permanently off its villains, preferring instead to "redeem" them.  In that light, Dutch giving the Lady a doll to encourage any semblance of humanity is on target...even though I still think it's a bad idea.

I've never bought into the notion that there is any real love between Aneela and Kendry.  Lust, yes.  An attraction to power, absolutely.  But honest love, nope.  Frankly, Aneela still comes across like a psychotic child who is always just a millisecond away from becoming unhinged so I really don't buy that there is any deep connection there for Kendry, other than as an access to power.  And Kendry becoming Hullen again doesn't seem like a good idea.  These two have the types of personalities where I can see them tiring of each other and loathing each other with the power of a thousand suns before their first century together is done.  Plus, I still don't think either of them ever earned a happy ending.

Pip is back!  Still terrified but back, lol.  I know it came out of nowhere and makes no sense but I don't even care because he and Zeph did earn their happy ending.  The pod he was in, though, I'm still not sure what was going on there. 

Pree is the governor of Westerly! Gared's reaction was awesome.

So no last minute love connection for Johnny but he does get the chance to go out and create something for himself.  Since that's something that he's wanted since at least the second season, it's a pretty good place to leave him.  I loved the mention of finding Clara again.  I was always bummed that the whole hackmod storyline was never revisited but it was nice that they gave it a shout-out here. 

No surprise  about Dutch and D'avin.  They've been eyeing each other since the pilot.  It's been a journey to get Dutch to this emotional point.  Even with Johnny as a BFF, she's still kind of always been a loner.  But she's cobbled together this mish mash of a family around her and allowed herself to be drawn into strong emotional ties with them all.  She's found the value of good female friendship with Zeph and she's found a stable, romantic love.  More importantly, she finally came to terms with Khlyen and the role and effect he's had in her life...and consciously deciding to take a different tack with the Lady.

Khlyen's smile as he arrived at the place where his wife has been waiting in cryosleep was nice to see. 

Maybe one day we'll get a holiday special Killjoys episode and a chance to drop in on a Jaqobis-Kin Rit-Kendry family gathering.

Overall, this was my favorite type of series finale.  One where I can imagine my favorite characters going about their business...and it had the best final line.  I'm going to miss this, too.  

ETA: Anyone else catch the promo for Vagrant Queen that aired during the show?  I'd never heard of it but I had dvr'd this and was FFing through the commercials but hit play when I saw this because I thought the show was back.  It totally looked like Killjoys, or at least Dutch, 2.0 from what I could see in the promo.  It doesn't seem to have a thread in this forum yet.  Recognized Tim Rozon from Wynnona Earp. 

Edited September 24, 2019 by rove4

[Hanahope]

I’m gonna miss this too.