Well ... as more and more shows move to Sunday night, it was time to shift This Week's Top Three to starting with Sunday shows instead of ending with Sunday shows. So, this week started with a Sunday that included the series finale of Dexter, the season finale of Ray Donovan and the penultimate episode of the newly crown Emmy Drama Breaking Bad.
I was curious to see if a very good final season of Dexter would end with a satisfying finale and — for the most part — it did not let me down. But was it good enough to bump Breaking Bad from the top spot?
And as the network shows all start back up, I was definitely looking forward to some new television on NBC and ABC ... so this week I am including a "Best New Show" toss in.
3. Ray Donovan, Episode 12, Same Exactly. Ray Donovan had some stiff competition for best new show of the summer with FX debuting The Bridge and AMC debuting Low Winter Sun, and while those both still have a couple of episodes left ... Ray Donovan was the best of the three going away. Liev Schreiber has completely taken this role and made it one of the most interesting characters on television. When the Emmy nominations come around next July Schrieber and Jon Voight's mesmerizing performances may be forgotten, but they shouldn't be as they have made the show must see television week in and week out. James Woods could also be in line for some recognition in the guest star category as he was great as the FBI's most wanted ... even if his character made a couple of mistakes that were a little unbelievable by the end.
While Ray's role a as a fixer for the stars provides plenty of intrigue, the real central arch here is the family escaping Boston and the Catholic Church ... only to be surrounded by it when their father comes back around. And it makes for very real and emotional television on a weekly basis. I will certainly be looking forward to this show's return next summer.
2. Breaking Bad, Episode 7, Granite State. What is there to be said about this season of Breaking Bad? There are no words to describe the perfection that Vince Gilligan has crafted in this final eight episodes. While I think the Emmy for Best Drama was long overdue ... it deserved it for Season 2 or Season 4, not the hijinks and loose writing for the first eight episodes of Season 5 ... but that aside ... these final eight episodes have been brilliantly written, perfectly acted and expertly crafted. The whole world will be watching as things wrap up tomorrow night ... and they should be ... this is one of the five best dramas ever on television.
As for this episode ... my favorite thing about it was Gilligan finally using an episode to pass some time. The first 60 episodes of Breaking Bad were quick paced and not much time passed on an episode to episode basis ... but there was a decent amount of time passing here as Walter White sits alone in New Hampshire ... hiding from the world ... fighting his cancer and desperately hoping his family — his son in particular — can forgive him.
1. Dexter, Episode 12, Remember the Monsters. After a down Season 6 and boring Season 7 ... I think many of us were worried about how Dexter would wrap things up in Season 8. But it was well done. Many fans seemed upset with the open interpretation ending ... but I think it was perfectly done.
For eight years we have watched Dexter break his code and create bonds with other humans. Getting married, having step children and his own son, staying close with his sister, making numerous friends, etc. But in the end ... the code had to win out.
I thought the death of Deb was not needed and was a typical final episode shenanigan ... but it helped Dexter realize that everyone around him was always at risk because the Dark Passenger is always there. With his kill of Saxon ... I think he realized that he was always going to be a killer and if he joined Hannah and Harrison in Argentina, it would ultimately lead to problems for them as well.
The final shots were great. He once mentioned that all serial killers end up in Oregon ... and he clearly decided to go that route. And the final shot said to me ... the Dark Passenger is always going to be here, so Dexter has resigned his fate to being alone. The only question left is whether or not he is still following the code?
Honorable Mention: Sons of Anarchy, Episode 3, "Poenitentia"; Hell on Wheels, Episode 8, "It Happened in Boston"
BONUS
Best New Show of the Week
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Episode 1, Pilot. I had high hopes for "The Blacklist" with James Spader and thought that "Hostages" with Dylan McDermott might surprise, but both of those seemed pretty formulaic so far. "Sleepy Hollow" is just trying to ride the coattails of some other successful shows ... and is doing it poorly so far.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed like it could be another show that was just a disappointment ... but somehow it was highly entertaining. It does not seem like this show is going to try and be more than it needs to be, which will keep it very refreshing. It was also clear that this show has a fantastic budget, which is going to be needed to keep it fun and light on a weekly basis. I am definitely looking forward to all the different angles they can take with this show and see what kind of ways they may tie it in to the bigger Marvel universe that is crafted so well.
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