Graceland Season Finale Review: Home

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"Pawn" was probably the perfect way to end the first season of Graceland.

It had a little bit of everything---humor, intrigue and most especially suspense.

But truly the best moment of the episode had to be those skater kids finding the infamous tape in a pawn shop recorder.

Is Briggs In Danger?

Yet before we ponder how that was even possible, it's definitely worth backing up to talk about everything that led up to that moment.

Of course we knew Briggs had every intention of going on the run. And after what took place in "Happy Endings" how could you blame him. He'd dug himself in so deep it was hard to see how Briggs intended to get himself out. Lucky for him, Jakes was dedicated to helping him out, even as the rest of the house and everyone in it was starting to implode.

There are some things, though, that even Jakes couldn't protect him from, like the guilt he was apparently harboring over what happened to him when he encountered Jangles years before. Who knew that Briggs had broken under the intense interrogation he was put through? Who could blame him for breaking when heroine was being shot into his system like that. But giving up his training officer was some heavy stuff. And to think it eventually resulted in the death of every other agent at The Estate. I would have had a mental breakdown too. This certainly does a lot to explain his intense desire to protect the house and everyone in it. The same impulse that we could very likely blame for putting him in the situation he found himself in this evening.

What I liked most about this episode was the fact that even though they were being investigated, the agents of Graceland were trying their best to keep things together and keep moving forward, particularly Mike, who made the dangerous journey inside the mind of Briggs to track him down. And we're lucky he did, otherwise this finale could have ended very differently and much sadder.

We've known that Charlie was messing with Jangles for several episodes now, so when she walked in on Briggs choking him to death I never expected her to disregard Briggs like she did. She quickly regretted it, and didn't hesitate to let Briggs know the same after they were out of the woods. I really like the dynamic between these two and look forward to seeing a lot more of it in Graceland Season 2

As with any Eastin creation, the protagonist often has to opportunity to choose to proceed with the course he's taken or re-route his path towards the destination of original intent. In Mike's case, that was a one-way ticket to DC and as the Assistant to the Deputy Director no less. It's clear he hasn't quite let go of Graceland yet, as his flashback during that planning meeting were any indication. I half expected him to get up in the middle of the meeting and declare he was returning to Cali. I guess I was a little early.

Another bit that was a little early was that kiss between Paige and Mike. While I'm not complaining, i can certainly say it was an unexpected moment. I'm sure they'll revisit it next season, and I will be pleased when they do.

Overall, it was a pretty solid first season with all the twists and turns you would expect from Eastin and company. 

What was your favorite part of the season finale?

Pawn Review

Editor Rating: 4.7 / 5.0
  • 4.7 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 2.3 / 5.0 (343 Votes)

C. Charles is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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Graceland Season 1 Episode 12 Quotes

Please excuse me while I go some place you're not.

Jakes

To home and the people that matter.

Briggs