Eureka 4.5

Season 4.5 dealt with the launch to Titan, Carter and Allison being together and Zane and Jo trying to figure out their relationship with the mishap of the 1947 time loop. The launch to Titan gave the show something to drive forward to as opposed to previous series where it was trying to find out what mysterious artifacts did and where they came from or trying to fight against Beverly. Thankfully after the beginning episodes Beverly was sidelined. I was upset or more disappointed with how the show is directing Zane and Jo's relationship as I really want them to be together and its frustrating all the obstacles they've put between them. The show has almost become a soap opera in that respect so I was very annoyed at the relationship between Carter and Allison seemingly destroyed but was happy when it was reinstated. I loved the conflict between Fargo and Parish. Most of that has to be from my enjoyment of seeing Wil Wheaton again on tv, especially after watching him as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek Next Generation again. But my favorite guest star of 4.5 came in the last episode with Dave Foley. So good to see him again. Colin Ferguson was superb and I think he gets better the more involved with the show he's getting become executive producer and directing a fair amount of the episodes.

This was the first season of Eureka that I watched while it aired, all the previous seasons I watched had already aired so I was able to watch all at one time where as with 4.5 I was forced to wait a week before the next episode. It added anticipation to my viewing but also more frustration, especially with the relationship aspects. I think the frustrating bits are common throughout television shows of once you get characters together you have to find ways to keep them apart so they aren't happy (and neither is the audience I mights add) to keep the show "entertaining." It seems to be a common fear that if a couple is happy the show can't continue to be enjoyable. Of course isn't that also a problem with real life relationships keeping things new and fresh while staying with the same person day in and day out? When will writers be able to have couples together without breaking them up ever other episode. I'm okay with a little obstacle for couples but when the show approaches the dimensions of a soap opera relationship there's a problem.

Having said all of that though I still found this season likable and I'm excited for the christmas special which I feel is unusual for American television. I guess I associate Christmas specials with British television. There are Christmas episodes that are built into the timeline of American shows but to have a Christmas special, outside the main timeline of the show is for me very British. Which by the way I have no problem with.

Unfortunately the end of Eureka is in sight and after the Christmas special there is the fifth and final season of the show. SyFy's cancellation came as a bit of shock for all parties involved and really I question Syfy's decision making process. At first when the cancellation was announced, Syfy have ordered a further six episodes of a sixth season but then went back on that and are now ending it with just the fifth albiet with an extra episode to bring to an end an entire new storyline. It will be a tough job for the writers and there will be countless disappointments which brings the question to my mind, when does a show outlive its welcome and become acceptable for its cancellation?

The phrase Jump the Shark has been most often used when shows have started their downward fall but those shows often continue while other shows are cut down in their prime.The curse of television is that it is never ending. Stories are recycled and shows could theoretically continue forever, albeit with cast changes, Doctor Who being a prime example where the cast changes have been imbedded into the shows mythology from the first cast change. Why are shows cancelled? Poor ratings are the usual culprit but even that isn't a good judge as Eureka does pretty well in the ratings game. But there's also a question of how those ratings are gather. We've all heard of Nielson ratings but they don't take in an appropriate summation of ratings for shows. Only a select demographic is used and a lot of the problem comes from advertisers and their needs which don't incorporate later viewings online and with DVR devices. It reminds me of episode 6 of season 1 of The West Wing where Toby  is able to convince Mr. Willis who has taken his late wife's seat in congress of his argument even though Toby left out some important information and was in fact taking advantage of him. Asking what changed his mind Mr. Willis says he made a good argument and brushing off the fact that he was take advantage of he says,

"I thought about that. It's OK by me, as long as it's not the same people who decide what's on television."