I’ll give Briarpatch 1×10 “Felicity” this, it really, really tries. It tries harder than any other episode of this show has tried. It just doesn’t deliver, mostly because there’s no payoff, there’s no emotional connection, there’s nothing. There are just tenuous tendrils of possible relationships scattered in the wind, as we see Allegra finally leave San Bonifacio in the end, alone.
And we’re not even sure better for it.
Sure, you could say she, in many ways, re-discovered Felicity, found (won) her freedom back, and that she made peace with her past. But this is less the happy ending the show wants us to believe it is, and more the beginning of another journey. The problem is, we’re absolutely done with Allegra’s journey.
Maybe if any of the possible relationships in her life had been centered, maybe if we cared about Jake and Allegra, or Allegra and her lawyer, or even actually cared about what Allegra and Felicity meant to each other, this could be even a little bit emotionally satisfying. But we don’t, so it’s not.
In fact, the only satisfaction to come out of this episode is this: the show is over, at last. We don’t have to suffer any longer.
FIVE THINGS ABOUT “FELICITY”
- We didn’t really expect Jake Spivey to be better, but it would be good if he was allowed to be his own person, instead of the person who suits the storyline. First he cares only about himself, then he goes out of his way to prove that he cares about Allegra, literally taking a bullet for her, then he cares more about himself again. It’s giving us whiplash.
- Not to mention he seems like the kind of guy who’s smart enough to know that Allegra would hold him responsible for anything that happened to Felicity. So, if he really cared about Allegra – he would have done something for Felicity.
- Braddle was a lousy villain, and Gene Colder was even worse. They were never scary, or remotely interesting, nor where they ever compelling at all. They’re dead now, and I do not care one bit. The best thing about Braddle was the way his death scene was shot, I swear.
- Eve, on the other hand, ended up being marginally interesting, because at least her motivations were clear and she never really deviated from them. Trust a woman to have more of an idea of what she wants than the wannabe villainous men.
- I won’t miss Allegra Dill, and that’s the greatest tragedy of this show. It could have been weird and kooky but fun, instead if was always endlessly complicated and boring. Ah, well. Time to move on to bigger and better things. For everyone.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of “Felicity”? Share with us in the comments below!
Briarpatch aired Mondays at 11/10c on USA Network.
