LPercyval on X just posted the most committed Monday night plan I've seen: Dark Matter season finale, then straight into The Terminal List.
CA two-show night on a Monday? That's not casual viewing, that's a shift.
LHe says 'Gonna watch Dark Matter season finale, then start the new season of The Terminal List.' I respect the stamina.
CDark Matter's finale dropped a few days ago. The Terminal List is a military thriller, not exactly a palate cleanser.
LThat's the point. You finish one dark sci-fi, you start another dark thriller. It's a commitment to brooding.
CSome of us need a comedy between. Like a sorbet.
LSpeaking of finales, TV Tango says HBO's Youth wraps tonight at ten with an episode called 'Agent of the Year.'
CThat's the one with Sharon Horgan. I've been meaning to catch up.
LIt's been a quiet hit. Not a ton of noise, but the performances are sharp.
CAnd it's a season finale, not series? TV Tango called it a season finale.
LRight, just a season. But that's where the panic starts on X.
CPanic? Over a season finale?
LA fan named Anna Hodges is already convinced ABC is canceling her show. She posted she doesn't know why it's getting a season finale so early, then called them, quote, 'those bastards at ABC.'
CWhoa. What show is she even talking about?
LShe didn't name it in the post, just mentioned R.J. Decker's season finale and Scott Speedman fans are watching for him.
CScott Speedman, okay. So this is some ABC drama. But a season finale in early November isn't automatically a cancellation.
LThat's what I'm saying! Shorter seasons are normal now. Ten episodes, done by Thanksgiving.
CBut on network TV? ABC still runs full twenty-two episode seasons for hits.
LNot every show. Plenty of midseason dramas run ten or thirteen.
CStill, if your show wraps before mid-November, it's not a great sign. It usually means the network didn't order more.
LSo you're agreeing with the panic? The fan has no evidence and you're giving it legs.
CI'm not saying it's canceled. I'm saying an early finale is a yellow flag. Networks don't hide their hits in fall.
LOr maybe the show had a planned short run. Streaming changed everything.
CABC is not Netflix. A network drama that's working gets a back nine and sweeps episodes.
LBut we don't even know if this is a new show or a returning one. The fan could be wrong about 'early.'
CTrue. No official word from ABC. She's reading tea leaves.
LAnd calling them bastards. Which, fine, passion is good, but it's just a season finale listing.
CPassion is what keeps TV alive. But let's not start a funeral for a show that might be fine.
LExactly. Meanwhile, if you want a finale tonight, Youth is there. No panic required.
CBut here's my thing: we're talking about finales like they're events now. When did every show get a 'season finale' in October and November?
LWhen cable and streaming started treating seasons like miniseries. It's been this way for a decade.
CAnd it's worse on network TV. They front-load everything before holiday ratings drop.
LSo maybe the fan's not crazy. The calendar does look early.
CBut that's the industry we have. Short seasons, long gaps, then hype for the next one.
LI'd rather have a tight eight episodes than a bloated twenty-two. Most network dramas lose the plot after episode fourteen.
COh, come on. The best network shows used long seasons to build characters. You can't do that in eight.
LYou absolutely can. Youth has done more in eight episodes than some shows do in twenty.
CYouth is an HBO show. It's built differently.
LSo the model doesn't matter? Good storytelling works in any length.
CThe model matters because advertisers and affiliates want a certain number of weeks. Early finales mean the network is burning off episodes.
LNow you sound like a TV executive from 2005. Viewers don't care about sweeps.
CThey care when their show disappears. That's the panic.
LOkay, fair. But until ABC says something, it's just a fan with a conspiracy.
CAgreed. But if R.J. Decker's show doesn't come back, Anna Hodges gets to say she called it.
LAnd if it does, she owes ABC an apology. Maybe not to the bastards.
CEither way, tonight belongs to Youth. Ten o'clock on HBO, season finale.
LAnd to Percyval, watching two dark shows back to back. We salute you.
CJust don't come crying to us when you can't sleep.