Eureka Series Finale Review: A Bittersweet Goodbye
It is with a heavy heart and a few tears in my eyes that I write the sendoff for Eureka. After 77 incredible episodes, we said goodbye to our favorite small town in "Just Another Day."
I was so glad to see that so many people made an appearance, starting with the lovely (and grown up) Jordan Hinson as Zoe Carter, continuing with Matt Frewer and his continual pursuit of the animal variety as the "Biological Containment Specialist" Taggert, and ending with the surprise return of James Callis as Dr. Grant, or rather Trent Rockwell.
While it was bittersweet that Dr. Grant purchased the town, allowing Eureka to continue in our hearts (if not on TV), the tears came as Jack fell through the worm hole and experienced the flashback. So many memories are attached to those flashbacks for me, too. From Nathan Stark’s sacrifice to the alternate timeline where Allison was pregnant we got to see a brief recap of the amazing life of Jack Carter.
Holly and Zoe summed it up best with:
Holly: Oh! Oh! I remember now! You guys are smart, but the Sheriff is the strong force, he holds it all together.
Zoe: He always does. | permalink
In honor of Jack’s trip down memory lane (or through a memory wormhole), here are three of my favorite episodes prior to the finale. Please share your own in the comments below.
The Pilot: Watching Jack get use to the town as we got our introduction to the town we would spend the next 6 years with was a lot of fun. I might also have a soft spot for it given they used the ending of it as part of the finale where Zoe and Jack see themselves.
I Do Over: The sacrifice of Nathan Stark to save everyone at the beginning of season three was met with a lot of questions of where things might go given that Nathan had been a strong counter point to Jack. For me it was an emotionally powerful episode as we watch Nathan fade into history.
Up In The Air: In counter point to I Do Over, I consider this episode one of the best comedic episodes based completely on Colin Ferguson’s pratfall ability. I would put Jack Carter in this episode up against Dick Van Dyke or John Ritter in their top roles. I might get the chance given that Colin Ferguson’s is currently filming a sitcom pilot.
In conclusion, I'm relieved that everyone got their storybook ending. Jack and Allison pregnant, Holly and Doug together, Jo and Zane together and Henry with Grace leading GD. Summers will not be the same without Jack, Allison and the rest of Eureka. I wish everyone from the cast and crew the best of luck and thank you for sharing your amazing creation with us for the last six years.
Finally, I would like to say a very special thank you to my wife Leah for her help with the Eureka quotes this week. She is my Allison and I couldn’t do this without her.
Jim G. is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
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April 23rd, 2013 8:55 AM
Love it at the last part of the final episode, Zoe and Jack went pass a car which they first came to eureka with and saw themselves as they first enter eureka. However they are driving the Sheriff's jeep instead of a sedan on the first episode on season 1 when Zoe(going away from eureka) is smiling and waving at them.
January 12th, 2013 12:42 PM
Great show! It was something I could watch with my kids and not have to worry...AND it was enjoyable.
October 9th, 2012 5:01 AM
I'm still upset that they ended this show, it was a good show, funny and intelligent, and I specifically hated that it ended without giving a logical explanation on how Henry became a spy (the other Henry) because it just didn't make sense. If Henry was in cahoots with Beverly at the time of Sheriff Cobbs then by right the Kim getting killed story should not have happened? or in this time line Kim were never in Eureka and is still alive??
Maybe the writers had something written to explain this but then got knee jerked into finishing the season early hence they had to cut off some episodes.....
In any case, it was a good ending and nice to see the original cast member from the pilot getting a reunion in one last ride .... hope to see a movie remake or sequel some day like what happened to Star Trek ...
September 11th, 2012 3:00 AM
Unfortunately, I agree with Tati on July 21. I watch Alphas, but when it is over I'm done with the Syfy Channel. It was a great channel in 2006 when Eureka premiered, but I don't recognize it now. Maybe it should go back to being the SciFi Channel.
August 13th, 2012 2:14 PM
Only problem I have with the car scene is that in the original scene of the first episode with the car, they wwre in a different car, and not the sheriff's car.
August 3rd, 2012 8:32 AM
Science Fiction fans around the world lose. Eureka and Warehouse 13 are the last of the big budget shows to be produced by SyFy, Comcast, and NBC-Universal. Some higher up network executive has it in his head that they will make bigger profits with cheap to produce reality programming, Ghost Hunter hacks, people stumbling around in the dark, or urban legends being debunked. Sorry, SyFy, but you are mistaken. Your more intelligent viewers will abandon you by the droves when "B" grade movies, Wrestling, and quantum cooking shows are all you have left to offer.
August 3rd, 2012 8:28 AM
Perhaps I am a little late in writing this. Hard to believe that there are ANY people out there who did not absolutely LOVE the Eureka Series Finale, "Just Another Day." After a rather intense and somewhat disturbing Fifth Season, the finale returned the show back to it's lighthearted and humorous self, even in the face of ... well... the end. For the neighsayers.... Take another look. This was perhaps the best Eureka episode EVER. I would say that it was in fact the best series finale I have EVER seen. I can't think of one I enjoyed more or that meant more to me. Talk about a show going out on a high note... WOW. "SciFi" channel set the very high standard with Eureka we have now come to expect from "SyFy". Of course, these standards will NEVER again be met given their current trend in crappy programming.
July 31st, 2012 3:29 PM
I have to say 1st & foremost that while I found this series interesting, it seemed to grow formulaic, showing the latest gadget, latest attempt to improve life, or experiment gone wildly out of control.
I prefer the series with which it had 2 ( ? ) crossovers, Warehouse 13. While Warehouse has " artifacts " somehow existing in the outside world or else " getting out " into the world outside the Warehouse ( much like Eureka's experiments affecting their area ), it has more consistent drama. After Eureka did the time travel jump back into the 40's & bringing Dr. Grant back to present with them, I found it rather boring & rarely watched it, I admit. Fargo seemed like a largely ineffectual, although basically well intentioned nerd, & Jack seemed almost perpetually like a fish out of water ( 2 examples ). It was a show that I enjoyed occasionally, but wasn't really a big fan / devotee of, like I was Stargate / Stargate : Atlantis, BSG, the short - lived Caprica, Being Human
July 25th, 2012 6:41 AM
And to the guy who said in the beginning this show was supposed to be "just a bit over the edge" but they screwed up w robots or whatever, I don't know what u were watching but the whole concept from ep1 was Jack (and zoey) coming into this crazy town where all these geniuses were doin insane over-the-top things. That was the whole idea of the show.
July 25th, 2012 6:32 AM
This has been my favorite show for years. Some have criticized some of the story arcs, but I feel like they managed to reinvent of the years in a way that kept things fresh while not only keeping the integrity of the characters, but also continuing to build them. And to everyone complaining about how they ended it, do u realize that when the show was canceled the writers/producers were told they would have one more 6 episode season to wrap things up, but while filming what ended up being the 2nd to last ep were told no, u get one more to wrap it up? Hence the scene when the movers come and Fargo says something to the effect of "we have 6 weeks" and the mover tells him no, we're starting now. That considered, the writers did a brilliant job. Shows this clever don't came around very often and I will miss it.