Friday night’s finale of CBS’s surprisingly amazing SWINGTOWN made me cry my eyes out on more than one occasion. There was this overwhelming sadness watching what was probably the final hour of a show that deserved so much more attention than it received.

Swingtown surpassed it’s randy premise and proved to be a show about change on the cusp of the bicentennial and it only got better as the summer went on. No longer was it about Grant Show in the shortest shorts possible bedding every Trina, Susan and Farrah, it was about relationships, family and women on the verge of independence at an important time in American history.

Look at the transformation of Trina! She went from an almost one dimensional Barbarella to feeling responsible for the breakdown of the families around her and ultimately a child. Trina slowly became one of the most complex characters on the show and I loved watching her metamorphosis. Her friendship with Susan showed loyalty and guidance while her friendship with Janet showed true heart, generosity and shockingly maternal instinct. Her final moment on the beach with Tom had me bawling my eyes out. Lana Parrilla’s vulnerability and subtlety made me all mushy. Much like Trina, I half expected Tom to walk away and hate the idea of them becoming parents. Those Deckers surprised the shit out of me this summer and that was the one of the biggest thrills in watching Swingtown.

Then there’s Janet, that anal perfectionist who went from house frau to almost hip advice columnist by the end of the summer. Her transformation was shocking! Janet always provided a level of comic relief because she was so over the top in keeping up appearances at any cost. She was almost a caricature of the 50’s housewife and that’s why it worked. As Trina pointed out in the finale, they were no longer in the 50’s and she as a woman, as a wife, as a mother has a voice. Janet and Trina’s friendship was probably my favorite on the show. Two of the most unlikely characters found a way to change each others lives and found common ground despite their lifestyle differences and each was the better for it.

Hell, Janet barely flinched when Henry came out to her and this is a woman that was full of Country Club family standards so that was HUGE! Let’s hope she remembers her reaction in a summer or two when her own son probably does the same thing. Please that kid wanks it nightly thinking about his best friend and hoping his name (B.J.) comes true.

More about Swingtown after the jump…

Susan and Bruce are headed for a divorce and I couldn’t be happier. I feel like the show was heading that direction and it would have been great for both the characters and the show. It definitely would have reflected the times and I would have loved to see how this family handles the change.

Bruce is obviously the short fuse and if he didn’t get out of the marriage he was going to explode. There was so much tension between he and Susan (not to mention he and Laurie) that I don’t believe it could be repaired. The fling with the Decker’s was the jumping point for change in their relationship and there was just enough broken between them that there was no coming back. Will he find what he wants in that skank Melinda? Hardly, but just seeing how he could place his emotions elsewhere means that this was the end of the road for these high school sweethearts and who could blame either of them?

Susan is such a complex woman and I’m happy to have met her if even for only one summer. Molly Parker is an acting goddess and brought such life to a role that could have been nothing more than sadness. There was always a glimmer of hope, possibility and wonder in Susan’s eyes no matter how dire the situation got. She found her sexual and sensual being in the summer of ‘76 and I can’t even begin to imagine how mindblowing that was for a Mom and homemaker given the time period. You just knew she was a good person, a fun person trapped in a life she never expected but she never punished her kids for the sacrifices she made and that’s a testament to her character.

She’s a loving and loyal person to the core and that’s why she was so conflicted by the changes in her life. She wants to be the supporting best friend but that’s hard when you’re falling in love with the man you know your best friend’s husband can become if only he too was allowed to blossom like the women on the show. It’s shocking that the men were the one’s forced into the submissive roles on the show while the women found freedom. I liked that twist and it’s what made me root for Susan and Roger even though I know the consequences were going to be beyond devastating.

I don’t know that Susan and Roger would have made it either but it would have been nice to see them try. Roger finally found peace and inspiration thanks in part to Susan. He could no longer be the husband walking on eggshells and trying to live up to the perfection that Janet demanded from their family. Talk about a man on the verge! I don’t think he’s a bad man but Janet would have made him a miserable beaten down shell of what he could have been so I’m glad he was taking the steps to get his life back even though it makes me sad to think of how it will impact the unsuspecting Janet. I’m glad we might be spared that reveal.

Even the kids had great storylines. I enjoyed watching B.J. and Samantha’s first love storyline. It was sweet and full of summer hope. It was something we all could identify with and it spoke to what summer is all about. Poor Ricky, that kid’s in for a whole of discovery in the next few years. If he’s not gay, Janet’s not anal retentive.

Laurie was a great character. She was this incredibly smart girl who wanted so much more from life than the time and her family allowed. She was wise beyond her years and passionate about change. She wanted liberation, adventure and social change for women (even her Mother) and I admired her spirit and drive. And if I’m being honest, who wouldn’t have tried to bed Doug Stephens? The guy was frakkin’ hot! I was worried their relationship would have been more one sided and torrid than it actually was but in the end it was so sweet and loving. I was crushed when he left… not because he left, he had to and needed to, but in the way he respected her and her family. He’s just a damn good guy! Oh and the letter with the keys, forget it - I was a puddle of mush.

Now that Swingtown has ended it’s season on such a high, can we expect more wife swapping and character change next summer? No one knows! As of right now, it looks like CBS will not bring back the low-rated show that I’ve grown to worship. I have very mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, it was so sassy, fun, smart and amazing that I want more but on the other hand I want to preserve the perfection it was.

There are 13 near amazing hours of television under Swingtown’s belt and barely a misstep to be found. That’s hard to duplicate especially for a show that will be forced to make severe changes in the second season in hopes of drawing in more viewers. When a network or a studio is worried about ratings, it can mean really bad things for a show that is so character driven and so much about the emotional storyline. That’s everything a network fears because it isolates the kind of viewer it attracts.

As of this moment, 2 days after the finale of Swingtown, I hope it dies. I hope the storyline and these characters can grow, change and live on in my mind where they are safe from creative slumps and network gimmickry. The finale was the perfect season and series finale and I prefer to leave Swingtown as it is, untainted and cramazing.

Will I be devastated to not have Molly Parker, Miriam Shor, Lana Parrilla, Grant Show, Jack Davenport, Josh Hopkins and Shanna Collins rocking my screen every week? Obviously but I have faith that this show will bring each of them future greatness. Molly Parker will always find work and I’m not worried about her at all. I’m more excited by the opportunity Swingtown will present for the other folks.

I mean look at Grant Show! He went from Melrose Place to obscurity and now he’s hotter than he ever was, not to mention a bonafide actor! Miriam Shor? Forget it! Who knew that Hedwig’s sidekick Yitzhak would be the best find of the summer? Someone please give Josh Hopkins a part on an amazing show and one that pays him the attention and respect he deserves… oh and make sure he’s shirtless… a lot! Lana Parrilla needs bigger and better things immediately. She’s sexy and complex and I heart her. Same for Shanna Collins. She’s so incredibly strong and powerful on screen that I refuse to believe she won’t be a huge star. For everyone that called her ugly all summer, you’re crazy - there’s such purity and beauty in her awkwardness that it’s hot!

Swingtown, I’ll miss you but believe me - you’ll kick ass in my mind forever.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2008 at 5:18 am and is filed under CBS, Ducky Does TV, Finale, Molly Parker, Swingtown. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.