DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow premiered in January 2016 on the CW. It was the third spinoff of the Arrowverse. It followed Arrow and The Flash. Supergirl joined the Arrowverse in the fall of 2016. Supergirl started off on CBS before moving to the CW. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow had a total of 110 episodes, being the fourth Arrowverse show to achieve 100 episodes.

Major Spoilers Follow

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow lasted seven seasons and ended on a cliffhanger. Given it celebrated 100 episodes and was a long running show, it was a major shock that the show would not get a proper ending. It also seemed like a given that all Arrowverse shows would get to end properly. Clearly, that was not the case given what happened with Legends as well as Batwoman which was also canceled the same year. The difference between both shows is that Batwoman was still fairly young being in its third season, while Legends of Tomorrow was in its seventh season and one of the longer running shows in the Arrowverse as well as the CW at the time. That alone should have allowed Legends to at least get one final season. It seemed fitting to have season 8 be the final season. The cast had changed a lot by this point anyway. Prior to the end of the show, it was announced that Nick Zano who played loveable historian Nate Heywood aka Steele was going to exit at the end of season 7. By season 7, all of the original cast was gone with the exception of Caity Lotz who played Sara Lance aka the White Canary and the captain of the team. Sara was the sister of Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) from Arrow. The audience had a deep bond with Sara having had several seasons of Arrow to get to know her before she went on to star on Legends. Also, to be honest I’m not sure how much longer Legends could have gone on after season 7. I definitely could have seen it lasting to a season 8. I could have seen it going as far as a season 10. That would depend on who was still willing to do it. I don’t know if the show would have been able to survive if Caity Lotz ever decided to exit the show. It’s hard to imagine Legends without Sara Lance.

Legends of Tomorrow had a huge cast that came and went throughout its seven-season run. The show starred Caity Lotz as Sara Lance aka White Canary, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer aka The Atom, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory aka Heatwave, Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold, Nick Zano as Nate Heywood aka Steel, Franz Drameh as Jefferson Jackson aka Firestorm, Victor Garber as Martin Stein aka Firestorm, Jess Macallan as Ava Sharpe, Tala Ashe as Zari Tomaz and Zari Tarazi, Matt Ryan as John Constantine, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Amaya Jiwe aka Vixen and Charlie, Oliva Swann as Astra Logue, Shayan Sobhian as Behrad Tarazi, Courtney Ford as Nora Darhk, Lisseth Chavez as Esperanza “Spooner” Cruz, Adam Tsekhman as Gary Green, Amy Louise Pemberton as Gideon, and Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter.

The show also had Matt Letscher as a regular in season 2 as Eobard Thawn aka Reverse Flash. Matt Lescher was a recurring character in the Arrowverse predominantly on The Flash as Reverse Flash is the one who killed Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) mother. Reverse Flash would appear beyond season 2 in Legends. Also, Keiynan Lonsdale who played Wally West aka Kid Flash joined the show as a regular halfway through season 3. He left The Flash early on in its fourth season. By season 4 of Legends Wally was off the show. He never appeared on the show again, but he did recur on The Flash. In Season 1 Ciara Renee starred on the show as Kendra Saunders aka Hawkgirl alongside Falk Hentschel as Carter Hall aka Hawkman. Hawkgirl was on the entire first season while Hawkman was killed off early in the season. He was later revealed to be alive for the last few episodes. By the end of season 1 Hawkman and Hawkgirl left the team never to be seen again. For the 100^th episode, Hawkman did return but Hawkgirl did not. Ramona Young who played Mona Wu was also a regular on season 4. She made a few more appearances in season 5.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow went through many changes over its run. One of the biggest changes was the shift in tone. As the series progressed the show became more outrageous and that worked in its favor. It still was part of the Arrowverse, but it was drastically different than Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman. Legends could get away with anything. The tonal shift seemed better suited for Legends and its cast of characters. As wacky as Legends became the show had a lot of heart. Relationships were a big part of the show. There was an investment in the bromance of Ray Palmer and Nate Heywood. There was investment in Ray’s eventual romance with Nora Darkh. It was sad when Ray and Nora got married and they left the team and Ray had to leave his best friend Nate. They had a heartfelt goodbye. Jefferson “Jax” Jackson and Martin Stein were quite a duo as both halves of Firestorm. It was devastating when Martin got killed off in the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Earth-X while Jax watched. Martin’s death prompted Jax to leave the team. Sara Lance finally found love with Ava Sharpe after years of complicated relationships. They got married near the end of the series. The finale also revealed they were expecting. It would have been nice to see how that would have turned out.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow deserved to have an eighth season even if that was going to be the end. The Flash got a shortened final season as did Arrow. Supergirl had a proper final season as well. It should have been a guarantee that Legends would have also gotten a proper final season given it was on for so long. Supergirl lasted six seasons. Legends is the third longest running show in the Arrowverse behind Arrow which lasted eight seasons and The Flash which lasted nine seasons. Legends had a few cliffhangers besides the pregnancy reveal for Sara and Ava. The team was arrested, and Booster Gold (Donald Faison) was introduced. It seemed to set up a bigger role for him in an eighth season. The other sad part is that there was no closure on another property. After the cancelation of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash was the only Arrowverse show remaining, and it entered its final season. Given it only had 13 episodes there was not enough time for The Flash to wrap loose ends from the Arrowverse. The Flash predominantly focused on itself. None of the Legend characters appeared in the final season and there was no mention of the events from the finale.

Regardless DC’s Legends of Tomorrow still had a good run. It has become rare for shows to make it to 100 episodes let alone seven seasons. It is also even more rare when factoring in that Legends did not have full seasons the way the other shows did. At most Legends had 18 episodes. The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl averaged 22-23 episodes for the bulk of their runs. Batwoman never had full seasons due to Covid. Season 1 came the closest with 20 episodes. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow had a great cast of characters and was a wild ride. It deserved to have closure and a proper ending like the other Arrowverse shows but 110 episodes and seven seasons is still a good run.

Dynasty

Dynasty premiered in the fall of 2017 on the CW for 5 seasons and had 108 episodes. Dynasty was a modern reboot of the original soap Dynasty that aired in the 80s. The only thing this version had in common with the other was really in name only. Some of the characters had the same names but they were completely different than the ones on the original show. The CW has had mixed results when they have done modern versions of older shows. Roswell, New Mexico found some success while Melrose Place only lasted one season. 90210 lasted for five seasons, however that one was more of a spin-off than reboot given some of the original characters appeared on the show. The CW’s Dynasty never was a ratings hit, but it came out at a time when the CW gave shows a chance. Also, Dynasty did better once it was on streaming, which happened for a lot of the CW shows. Dynasty ended the same year that Legacies, Roswell, New Mexico, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman were all axed along with other shows. In Dynasty’s case there was time for it to craft a series finale. However, it was admitted there were plans for a season 6. The producers wanted to keep the show going for a little bit longer.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW

Dynasty starred Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington, Grant Show as Blake Carrington, Daniella Alonso as Crystal Carrington, Robert C. Riley as Michael Culhane, Sam Adegoke as Jeff Colby, Rafael de la Fuente as Sam Jones, Maddison Brown as Kirby Anders, Sam Underwood as Adam Carrington, Adam Huber as Liam Ridley, Eliza Bennett as Amanda Carrington, Michael Michele as Dominique Deveraux, and Elaine Hendrix as Alexis Carrington. As with many soap operas, there were cast shakeups. For starters, the show lasted 5 seasons and had three Crystals. Season 1 starred Nathalie Kelley as Crystal, Blake’s new wife. By the start of season 2, it was revealed that Crystal was really Crystal Flores and she had swapped names with the real Crystal Jennings who was played by Ana Brenda Contreras. The real Crystal showed up after hearing that Crystal Flores died. The real Crystal married Blake and became Crystal Carrington. By Season 3 Danielle Alonso took over the role as Crystal Carrington and remained on the show for the rest of its run. There was no explanation why there was another actor change. The show just went with it. Halfway through season 1 Alexis Carrington, Blake’s ex-wife and the mother of his children joined the show. Nicolette Sheridan played the role. She got promoted as a series regular in season 2. Halfway through season 2 Nicollette Sherridan left the show. Adam Carrington, the newly discovered son of Blake and Alexis who went missing as a child, reentered their lives and burned Alexis alive. She was in the hospital for the rest of the season with severe burns. For an episode Elizabeth Gillies played the role after getting a botched surgery where Alexis looked like her daughter Fallon. Alexis went off to Europe to get new surgery. In Season 3, Alexis returned with a new face played by Elaine Hendrix who remained in the role for the rest of the series. Another big shakeup was the show started off with siblings Fallon Carrington and Stephen Carrington played by James Mackay. Stephen was a huge part of the series, and he dated fake Crystal’s (Nathalie Kelly) nephew Sam. They got engaged and then got married. In the first part of season 2, Stephen was written off the show. Stephen left Sam and his family to go find himself. Part of the season was spent wondering when Stephen would return home. Stephen was officially written off when he was made to seem he was mentally unstable. He checked himself into an institution to get help and learned he was tricked by his friend who revealed himself to be Adam, the long-lost brother of Stephen and Fallon. Adam left Stephen in the institution while he went on to live with the Carrington’s. That plotline was eventually resolved in the series finale when Stephen finally returned and confronted Adam about what he had done. Alan Dale starred as Joseph Anders for four seasons. He worked for Blake’s family for years. In true Alan Dale fashion, Anders was killed off halfway through season 4. Alan Dale has a tendency to play characters who die as seen in The O.C. and Ugly Betty.

Dynasty had a lot of crazy plots throughout its run. It was fun and over the top. It was like a modern Melrose Place. It was a little toned down compared to some of the antics Melrose Place had. No one blew up the Carrington manor. However, there was a fire. There were multiple kidnappings. Tons of fistfights and catfights. There were affairs and wicked in-laws and a fair amount of deaths. One thing that kept the show grounded was the characters. When looking at the full run of the show, there was character growth for a handful of them. Michael Culhane started off as the driver for the Carringtons. He was secretly dating Fallon and then they got engaged. The engagement ended and they wound up with other people. Michael had different job ventures. The feud between Blake Carrington and Jeff Colby started to soften up by the end. Jeff’s mother Dominique was revealed to be a sister of Blake’s making the Carringtons and Colbys family. Adam was the unstable one, but he even grew up a little bit. It would have been interesting if the show had continued what they would have done with Adam. It was suggested that Stephen came back partly because it was the series finale. If the show was continuing it sounds like Stephen would have remained absent and Adam would have stayed around.  Adam was a long-lost brother to Fallon and Stephen. He was kidnapped as a child. A few seasons later Alexis revealed she never had an abortion when she was pregnant and gave that baby up for adoption. Amanda Carrington was a long-lost sister who clashed with Adam. Dynasty kept adding long lost siblings while barely acknowledging Stephen. Once Stephen left the show, there were few and far between references to Fallon having a brother.

Dynasty had a satisfying ending. I feel the show still had some life left in it. The original Dynasty lasted 9 seasons. I think the CW Dynasty could have lasted that long. I could have seen Dynasty at least make it to 8 seasons. It would have been interesting to see what else Dynasty would have done if it continued. Maybe at some point Stephen would have been brought back on the show as a main character without it being the end of the series.

The Resident

The Resident premiered on FOX in January 2018 and ended this past January. It ran for 6 seasons and 107 episodes. The Resident followed a group of doctors at Chastain Memorial in Atlanta, Georgia. The show starred Matt Czuchry as Dr. Conrad Hawkins, Manish Dayal as resident turned doctor Devon Pravesh, Bruce Greenwood as surgeon Dr. Randolph Bell, Malcolm Jamal-Warner as surgeon Dr. AJ “The Raptor” Austin, Jane Leeves as surgeon turned CEO Dr. Kit Voss, Jessica Lucas as surgeon Dr. Billie Sutton, Anuja Joshi as resident Leela Devi, Kaley Ronayne as Dr. Kincaid Sullivan, and Andrew McCarthy as pediatrician and father of Kincaid Sullivan, Dr. Ian Sullivan.

The Resident had a good run. The show could have lasted longer. It was announced after season 6 ended that the show would not return. It was announced several months later. The Resident did well and was one of the higher rated dramas for FOX. It was a bit of a surprise that The Resident did not get a proper final season. I would have thought that The Resident would have at least been renewed for one final season.

Some SPOILERS

The Resident had a fairly proper ending. The finale could function as a series finale. It did not end on any major cliffhangers. It felt like there was still more left for the series. The Resident was a little darker and grittier than other hospital shows on during its run. New Amsterdam, which also ended earlier this year, had a more optimistic view. Grey’s Anatomy, which has been on for 20 seasons may be gritty when it comes to blood, but it is also known for being an over the top soap opera with tons of sex scenes. The Resident was a little more cynical especially at the beginning. Particularly, Conrad Hawkins was more cynical at the start of the show than at the end.

When compared to other medical shows, particularly Grey’s Anatomy and ER, The Resident was able to maintain most of its main characters. Most who started out on the show remained throughout the run. That could have changed if the show went on longer. There were some big cast changes during its run, particularly Emily VanCamp who played nurse practitioner Nic Nevin. Nic and Conrad eventually got together and got married. Nic was killed off at the start of season 5 before the series did a five year time jump. Nic went on to appear in a few episodes since leaving a series regular. The other major change was Shaunette Renee Wilson who played the strong willed and determined Dr. Mina Oakfor. She exited the series in season 4 to return to her home country Nigeria after her visa expired. Two beloved couples were broken up on the series. After Shaunette Renee Wilson exited, it broke up Mina Oakfor and AJ Austin’s relationship and the death of Nic Nevins ended her marriage to Conrad Hawkins. Both Conrad and AJ moved on to new chapters of their lives. The Resident gained a lot of new additions over the years including Dr. Billie Sutton and Dr. Kit Voss who remained on the series until the end. The most substantial exit besides Emily VanCamp and Shaunette Renee Wilson was Morris Chestnut as the corrupt Dr. Barrett Cain. He joined the series in season 3 and left at the end of season 4.

The Resident followed the characters and their lives. It was more realistic than Grey’s Anatomy which has always been an over the top soap opera. The Resident was grittier and a little more raw than other medical shows on. What carried the show was Dr. Conrad Hawkins and the rest of the characters. The Resident had a beloved cast. It was impressive the show could still continue without Shaunette Renee Wilson and Emily VanCamp. Their characters were big parts of the series. The show was able to continue.

There was still life left in the show. I don’t know how long The Resident would have gone on for. I could have seen it at least make it through a season 8, maybe even a season 9 and 10. That would have really come down to the cast. The show may have survived losing two major characters, but I am not sure the show could have lasted if Matt Czuchry decided to leave. Grey’s Anatomy has surprisingly been able to continue after losing its star, but I am not sure that would have been the case here. The series ended with Conrad and Billie Sutton getting together after spending substantial time after the death of Nic Nevins doing a will they or won’ they. It would have been nice to see where their relationship would have gone if the show continued.

The Resident had a good run. Six Seasons and 107 episodes is impressive especially now a days. It is increasingly rare for series to last six seasons and even more so to achieve 100 episodes. Maybe down the line there will be a reunion of some sort. This day and age anything is possible, but the Resident had a good run, and it also gave Matt Czuchry a chance to shine as the lead after supporting roles on Gilmore Girls and The Good Wife.

National Treasure: Edge of History

National Treasure: Edge of History premiered in December 2022 on Disney Plus and was cancelled after one season. The series had 10 episodes. The show was a spin-off of the National Treasure movies that starred Nicolas Cage. The show had a new cast but was set in the same world and followed a new young woman who embarked on her own treasure hunt. The series starred Lisette Olivera as treasure hunter Jess Valenzuela, Zuri Reed as Jess’ best friend and computer wiz Tasha Rivers, Antonio Cipriano as sneaker enthusiast and former boyfriend of Tasha, Oren Bradley, Jordan Rodrigues as Jess’ childhood friend and aspiring lawyer Ethan Cho, Jake Austin Walker as Jess’ love interest and grandson of a former FBI Agent Liam Sadusky, Lydon Smith as FBI Agent Ross, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as treasure hunter Billie Pearce.

I recently learned that National Treasure: Edge of History was not well liked by critics or audiences. I’m a little surprised more by fan reaction. I am not surprised critics did not care for the show. It seems the reason the show was cancelled was due to low ratings. Disney Plus, along with most streaming services do not share their ratings the way the main networks and cable do. For years Netflix has kept their numbers for their original content close to the vest. They only share numbers once and awhile for record breaking content. Even with streaming, there are ways one can tell if a show or movie is a hit. Every streaming service has some form of a Top 10, Top 25, Top 50 etc. when it comes to what is trending on the service. The Mandalorian is always in the top spots on Disney Plus when a new season is airing. Wednesday, the Adams Family series was in the Top 10 for Netflix for multiple weeks. From what I recall when National Treasure: Edge of History was airing its season, it did not seem that it was in the trending spots on Disney Plus. That doesn’t always mean anything. Not every show or movie can be in the Trending section. That usually indicates how popular something is.

I don’t know why people don’t like National Treasure: Edge of History. It seems a lot of people were not aware it was a show to begin with. I don’t remember there being much promotion prior to the series launching. I have seen several commercials for Peter Pan & Wendy which is a movie for Disney Plus. I have also seen numerous commercials for The Mandalorian throughout its run of the current season. I have seen a lot of commercials for Citadel, a spy series for Amazon Prime. I even saw a promo for the series when I was at the movies. I think there was not a strong marketing campaign for National Treasure: Edge of History. I did not watch it while it was initially airing its season. It seems the show has not caught on the way other series have.

As for the show itself, I think National Treasure: Edge of History had a lot of potential. It should have been given more time. Season 1 wrapped up at the end of January. Disney Plus cancelled it in April. There were ideas for Season 2 but nothing concrete was ever really stated. Nicolas Cage did not appear on the show; however, Benjamin Gates was referenced. Justin Bartha who plays Riley, Benjamin’s best friend from the movies guest starred in the fourth episode. That episode also hinted at a looming plotline from National Treasure 2. The end of the movie teased something important on Page 47 which presumably would be the plot in National Treasure 3. The episode seemed to set up for a potential National Treasure 3. At this point, National Treasure 3 is in development. No word yet on when it will finally move forward. Harvey Keitel also appeared in the first episode reprising his role as Peter Saduski from National Treasure: Book of Secrets. He is the grandfather of series regular Liam Saduski. Liam gets involved in the show because his grandfather was murdered. Jess is the prime suspect. She gets framed by villainous Billie Pierce.

The show’s finale can function as a series finale. It was left open ended after Liam found a cassette left by his grandfather which suggested another treasure hunt. I enjoyed the series and I have had mixed feelings about the National Treasure movies. I have seen both films. I liked the second one. I did not care for the first one originally. I found it boring. When the first movie came out, I was in middle school. It’s possible I might find it more enjoyable now. I think the show is a fun adventure. It would have been nice to see more adventures with the characters. Despite what some might think, Edge of History was a bit more mature despite being on Disney Plus. The show carried a TV PG and TV 14 ratings depending on the episode. The last two episodes were decently bloody for a Disney project. The National Treasure films were PG. The series also had some sexual content which is usually unheard of for Disney projects. I thought the show was enjoyable and I wanted to see more. Maybe in time it would have caught on and theoretically it could still catch on. Unless it gets removed from Disney Plus, anyone can watch the show.

The series wrapped up major storylines. There is not much that is lingering other than the tease of another adventure. Depending, the characters could show up in National Treasure 3 if that is the direction, they want to go in. The characters met Riley Poole who will presumably be in a third National Treasure. There were hopes from the creators that Nicolas Cage would eventually appear in the series had it continued on for additional seasons. There is still a chance the characters from the show could be involved in future installments of National Treasure. There is also the slim chance later on Disney Plus could decide to uncancel the show. That has happened once and awhile, but it is not the most common especially when a streaming service cancels an original series.

National Treasure: Edge of History deserved to be given more of a chance. It is fun for all ages but is not as childish as some might think because it’s a Disney property. When and if National Treasure 3 happens, that could have boosted interest in the series. As of now, that chapter is closed. Fans can wait and hope for National Treasure 3 to happen sooner than later. Nicolas Cage is still open to doing it if it can get off the ground.

Young & Hungry

Young and Hungry premiered on ABC Family (which eventually became Freeform) in June 2014 and lasted for five seasons ending in 2018. The series had 71 episodes. Young and Hungry is a sitcom that focused on a food blogger who gets hired as a tech entrepreneur’s personal chef and things get complicated when they have a one night stand. The show starred Emily Osment as food blogger/chef Gabi Diamond, Jonathon Sadowski as tech entrepreneur and millionaire Josh Kaminski, Aimee Carrero as Gabi’s best friend and roommate Sofia Rodriguez, Kym Whitley as Josh’s housekeeper Yolanda, and Rex Lee as Josh’s publicist Elliot Park.

There are Massive Spoilers

Young and Hungry ended on a cliffhanger after five seasons. The series ended with Gabi proposing to Josh, but an answer was not given. At the time of filming the episode it was believed that the show would get renewed for a sixth season. After the season was filmed it was announced that the show would be ending. Young and Hungry season 5 consisted of 20 episodes which would be split in half. 10 were in the first half and 10 were in the second half. The first half of season 5 premiered in the spring of 2017. The last half premiered in the summer of 2018. Freeform announced in between cycles that the series would be ending. At that time, it was also announced the series would get a wrap up movie. After the series ended, it was announced the movie was not moving forward. Young and Hungry has been dealt several blows during its run. While the show was on there were plans for a spinoff for Sofia. There was a backdoor pilot in season 4 that also featured Ashley Tisdale as Logan Rollins. Logan had guest starred on the show before and she would have been Sofia’s boss. Ashley Tisdale was a producer of Young and Hungry. The show would have been called Young and Sofia and was ultimately not picked up as a series. If it had moved forward, it was unclear if that meant Sofia would have had to exit Young and Hungry or if something would have been worked out to have her do both shows.

The big draw of Young and Hungry was Emily Osment. Young and Hungry premiered three years after Hannah Montana ended. Emily Osment was best known for playing Lily Truscott the best friend of Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) on the series. Young and Hungry was one of the first major post Hannah Montana projects for Emily Osment. Young and Hungry was a fun show. Gabi and Sofia got into many hijinks over the years and there were some big guest stars including Jesse McCartney, Betty White, and Carl Reiner to name a few. A huge part of the series was the will they or won’t they of Josh and Gabi. The series kicked off with Gabi and Josh having a one night stand. Gabi was hired as Josh’s personal chef. During season 1 Josh was engaged complicating Josh and Gabi’s one night stand. Eventually Josh and his fiancé (Mallory Jensen) break up. Eventually Josh and Gabi get together and then they break up and they get back together and it becomes a rollercoaster that Sofia, Yolanda, and Elliot get involved in. The will they won’t they and all the ups and downs of their relationship take center stage consuming everyone in its path.

Besides Josh and Gabi’s relationship, what really makes the show is Sofia, Yolanda, and Elliot. Truth be told, sometimes it could get annoying of the constant back and forth of Josh and Gabi’s relationship. One episode they love each other. The next they can’t be together. They date other people and pine for each other. What helped balance it out is Sofia, Yolanda, and Elliot. They helped bring balance to the show. If it was solely the Josh and Gabi show it would have been difficult to watch at times. Sofia, Yolanda, and Elliot got their own time to shine. Sofia had her own storylines independent of Gabi. Yolanda and Elliot had a great love/hate dynamic. Their relationship was mostly hate, but deep down they didn’t hate each other as much. Besides Sofia’s failed spinoff, I could have seen a show for Yolanda and Elliot. It would have been a lot of fun.

Young and Hungry had a passionate fanbase and it is a shame that the show did not get a proper ending. The audience invested a lot in Gabi and Josh’s relationship. I know fans would have liked to have seen a wedding assuming Josh was going to say yes to Gabi’s proposal. It was revealed by Emily Osment that Gabi and Josh would have gotten married eventually.

Young and Hungry lasted five seasons and it deserved better. It was one of the longest running sitcoms on ABC Family/Freeform. It lasted one season longer than Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy lasted six seasons. Grownish which is a sitcom/drama recently wrapped its fifth season and was renewed for a sixth and final season. Young and Hungry was also one of the longest shows for the network in general. Pretty Little Liars was the longest lasting seven seasons. Switched at Birth and The Secret Life of the American Teenagers both lasted five seasons. There have been a few others that it to a fifth season. Many ABC Family/Freeform shows have only lasted at most three or four seasons. There are a fair number of shows that lasted even less. Given Young and Hungry made it to five seasons, it deserved to have a proper final season if Freeform did not want to keep it. When it was announced that Young and Hungry was ending, the show should have been allowed to do a proper finale. Could there ever be a movie down the line? Realistically, probably not but anything is possible. Maybe in five years there will be a reunion series. If it were to happen it would probably be on a different network or streaming service.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists premiered in March 2019 on Freeform and lasted one season with 10 episodes. It was a spin-off of Pretty Little Liars set after the show had ended. This was also the second spin-off. Ravenswood was the first spin-off that premiered during Pretty Little Liars. It only lasted one season.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists starred Sasha Pieterse as Allison DeLaurentis, Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal, Sofia Carson as Ava Jalali, Sydney Park as Caitlin Park-Lewis, Eli Brown as Dylan Walker, Hayley Erin as Taylor Hotchkiss, Graeme Thomas King as Jeremy Beckett, and Kelly Rutherford as Claire Hotchkiss.

SPOILER ALERT for Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists & Pretty Little Liars.

Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish starred on Pretty Little Liars. The Perfectionists was the first starring vehicle for both Allison and Mona whereas the OG show followed different characters. Mona was a recurring character in seasons 1 & 2 and got promoted to a series regular in season 3 of Pretty Little Liars. Even as a regular there were times when Mona was absent through stretches of the show. Season 6 and the first half of season 7 were the most noticeable. Allison was a regular from the start of the series, however up until later seasons most of her screentime was through flashbacks or dream sequences. Allison was presumed dead until it was revealed that she was actually alive in season 4. Season 5 is when Allison returned home.

I thought The Perfectionists would have lasted awhile. I think one thing that worked in its favor was the fact it had Allison and Mona on the show, but it also happened after Pretty Little Liars had ended. This was the second spin-off after Ravenswood. Ravenswood was a supernatural show that was set in the spooky town Ravenswood that the characters had visited on Pretty Little Liars. The show lasted one season. I think the reason the show didn’t do well was because it was on during Pretty Little Liars and it starred Tyler Blackburn as Caleb Rivers. Caleb was a main character on Pretty Little Liars and the boyfriend of Hanna Marrin (Ashley Benson). When Ravenswood happened, Caleb had to exit Pretty Little Liars and since Hanna was not going to join Ravenswood, it meant that they had to break up. Caleb left halfway through season 4 and after Ravenswood was cancelled, he came back in season 5 and stayed on the show for the rest of its run. Also, Caleb and Hanna were a beloved couple on the show and had a lot of fans. If The Perfectionists came out while Pretty Little Liars were still on, I think it would have made more sense if it did not do well. That was not the case. It was two years after Pretty Little Liars ended.

The Perfectionists was cancelled presumably due to low ratings. The ratings were a lot lower than Pretty Little Liars. The show also ended on a cliffhanger. I think The Perfectionists should have been given a chance. By the end of its short run, it only had 10 episodes. Ravenswood also only had 10 episodes. The Perfectionists should have been allowed to have a second season. I think it would have found its footing by then. Most shows take time to find their groove. Pretty Little Liars started out strong and got more bonkers as time went on. The Perfectionists had a murder mystery similar to Pretty Little Liars. Nolan Hotchkiss (Chris Mason) was murdered at the end of the Pilot. Nolan was connected to the main characters similar to how Allison was connected to the main characters on the OG show. Also, Nolan was Claire’s son and Taylor’s brother. He appeared in flashbacks afterward. I think it safe to presume he was going to stay dead on the series since we actually saw him die. That also doesn’t always mean anything either. Just watch Pretty Little Liars. The season finale revealed who killed Nolan. It was The Professor who was revealed to be the anonymous person tormenting the main characters. The Professor formerly introduced themselves to the group by voice. The identity of The Professor was not revealed. The season finale just introduced who the villain was. Pretty Little Liars’ antagonist was “A.” At the end of the pilot “A” sent the very first text message to the main characters that lasted throughout the series. After “A” was revealed, there was “Uber A” who took over. After “Uber A” was revealed, “A.D.” came into play. “A.D.” formerly revealed themselves in the season 6 finale. The second half of season 6 had anonymous texts without a signature. That was the first time for the show to have an unnamed villain. The Perfectionists seemed to follow a similar route with its first season. Up until the finale, the villain did not have an identity. Also, the Professor revealed it was only the beginning.

Since there was not a season 2, we will never know what it was the beginning of. The Professor could have become a compelling antagonist. It would have been interesting to see how long until The Professor were to get unmasked. Would it have been in season 2 or season 3 or the end of the series altogether? If the show kept going beyond the unmasking of the Professor, would there be a new Professor? Would a new “A” come into play? Questions that will never get answered.

In terms of the show itself, it was a good show. It had a lot of promise. I think it really would have hit its stride in a second season especially after introducing the Professor. The new characters were a good fit. I think there were some minor complaints that were related to Pretty Little Liars. Given Allison and Mona were on The Perfectionists, I think there were fans who wanted more connections to Pretty Little Liars and to have seen the other characters. When The Perfectionists launched, Allison was separated from Emily (Shay Mitchell) who was her wife and the mother of her children. Realistically I think that decision was made mostly because Shay Mitchel was not going to star on this show. Emily was referenced but never appeared. It is possible down the line she might have shown up. I am sure fans were disappointed about their relationship status given how long it took for Allison and Emily to get together in the first place. They didn’t officially become a couple until the end of the final season.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger with Mona. Pretty Little Liars ended with Mona holding Alex Drake (Troian Bellisario) and Mary Drake (Andrea Park) captive in her own “dollhouse.” Alex Drake was revealed to be Spencer Hasting’s (Troian Bellisario) twin sister and she was “A.D.” Mary Drake was Spencer’s birth mother and the twin sister to Allison’s mother Jessica. Pretty Little Liars was always a bit convoluted. That added to the fun of the show in my opinion. With Mona being on The Perfectionists, fans wondered what happened to Alex Drake and Mary Drake. Were they still in the dollhouse? Did they escape? Where are they now? That was not really answered. Mona was holding them in the basement of her Doll Shop in France. Her time in France was mentioned and Alex Drake and Mary Drew were mentioned but there were never concrete answers to what happened to them.

It was said that if the show kept going, there were hopes for some of the OG characters from Pretty Little Liars to stop by. Maybe at some point Alex Drake and Mary Drake would have come by to resolve that storyline.

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists was only just getting started. For some reason it seems Pretty Liars is not able to have successful spin-offs. There is a new Pretty Little Liars show on HBO MAX. It’s called Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, however it is not connected to the other shows and its set in a completely new setting with entirely new characters. The Perfectionists will probably never get resurrected, however there could always be a reunion movie for Pretty Little Liars. If that happens at some point down the line some of the lingering threads from The Perfectionists could get answered especially if Allison and Mona are involved.   

Time After Time

Time After Time premiered in the spring of 2017 on ABC. Due to low ratings, it was cancelled after 5 episodes. The season had 12 episodes total. The remaining episodes did not air on television. The show was about H.G. Wells who invented a time machine and leaves the 19^th century to pursue Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who has traveled to the present day. The show starred Freddie Stroma as H.G. Wells, Josh Bowman as John Stevenson aka Jack the Ripper, Genesis Rodriguez as assistant curator at the New York Metropolitan Museum Jane Walker, Nicole Ari Parker as wealthy philanthropist Vanessa Anders, Jennifer Ferrin as neuropathologist Brooke Monroe and Will Chase as politician as well as Brook’s brother and Vanessa’s boyfriend Griffin Monroe.

Time After Time only lasted 5 episodes. It had a two hour series premiere and then three more episodes aired before getting pulled. The whole series is available on the CW Seed to stream including the unaired episodes. I have not seen the full series. I have only seen the episodes that aired on ABC. At some point I may stream it or wait until it winds up on a streaming service I have. I enjoyed the show and was looking forward to seeing where it would go. I think a big part of that is the cast, specifically Freddie Stroma as H.G. Wells and Josh Bowman as Jack the Ripper. Prior to this I knew Josh Bowman from playing Daniel Grayson on Revenge. This was a different role for him. It is a shame he did not get more time to really develop the character. Freddie Stroma did a good job as H.G. Wells, and it was interesting seeing him adjust to the modern world. The plot didn’t really get going in the episodes that did air. I think it would have by the time the season had ended. It started setting things up that presumably would have been resolved by the end of the first season. I would think at least some of it would have been resolved while others would probably stretch into future seasons.

Given Time After Time didn’t last very long, not to mention no one really remembers it, this truly is a one and done. It has also been six years since it aired. There is no second life for the show unfortunately. If it were to happen, it would have happened years ago. I wish Time After Time was given more of a chance and I wish it at least was allowed to air its entire season. It could have burned off the rest of episodes on a Saturday night or in the summer.

Batwoman

Batwoman lasted 3 seasons and was cancelled by the CW. Batwoman was one of multiple shows that all received the ax by the network. The reason was due to Nextstar who had purchased the CW. They want to go in a different direction, mostly they want to focus on sports. Batwoman ended last year, spring 2022. By the end of its run, it had 51 episodes. This was a huge shock to fans of the world because Batwoman was part of the Arrowverse that consisted of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Black Lightning was predominantly its own thing and DC’s Stargirl has loose tie ins. Superman & Lois was revealed to be its own show. Arrow ended after 8 seasons. Supergirl ended with 6 seasons. Both shows had final seasons and proper series finales. It was expected that Batwoman would get the same not to mention that Batwoman would be on for a while. The CW was known for keeping all their shows and giving them proper endings. Shows that were not the biggest hits would get renewed to get a proper final season. Batwoman is one of two Arrowverse shows to get the ax without closure. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow which was in its 7^th season also got cancelled. The Arrowverse is currently in its final stage with The Flash ending in May.

Batwoman had a crazy 3 season run with big casting changes. The show starred Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder aka Batwoman, Camrus Johnson as Luke Fox, Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton, Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore, Rachel Skarsten as Beth Kane aka Alice, Nick Creegan as Marquis Jet, Victoria Cartagena as Renee Montoya, and Robin Givens as Jada Jet. The show also starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane aka Batwoman, Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane, and Elizabeth Anweis as Catherine Hamilton-Kane.

MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT

Ruby Rose was originally Batwoman. She debuted in the Arrowverse crossover Elseworlds. The year after that was when Batwoman premiered. She took part of the final crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. After the show’s first season which was cut short due to the pandemic, Ruby Rose announced she was exiting the series. There have been a lot of different reports since her exit about why she left the show. She had said it was due to a back injury. Then it was said that she was fired from the show. This caused a problem. This was the first Arrowverse show where the lead left. There have been shows that have lost its stars. This was different because it was Batwoman. The other leads of the Arrowverse have all stayed. When Stephen Amell wanted to end Arrow, it ended. Supergirl did not continue without Melissa Benoist. Even DC’s Legends of Tomorrow which had numerous cast changes, had Caity Lotz as Sara Lance the entire run of its series. Kate Kane was a huge part of Batwoman. Her cousin is Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Warren Christie) who was referenced but not seen during the first season. His face was introduced in the season 1 finale. Tommy Elliott (Gabriele Mann) who became Hush got a new face which was Bruce’s. This storyline got wrapped up in the season 2 premiere. Bruce Wayne also appeared in a dream sequence in season 2. Also at the end of the pilot episode it was revealed that the villain Alice was really Kate’s presumed dead sister Beth Kane. Once Kate learned Alice was Beth, the rest of the season was spent as a back and forth between stopping Alice but also trying to get Beth back. Sophie Moore was also Kate’s girlfriend prior to the show. There was a lot of romantic tension between them when the show kicked off. Kate was away and had returned home to Gotham. Anyone who watches television in general knows they usually try to find a way back to each other. There were obvious moments throughout the first season of Kate and Sophie hinting at their feelings for each other. Mary Hamilton was Kate’s stepsister. Her mother Catherine Hamilton married Kate’s father Jacob Kane who was the leader of the Crows. The Crows was a private security organization that worked alongside the Gotham City PD. There was also one other issue though it was not that major. Ruby Rose’s Batwoman had met all the heroes from the other Arrowverse shows. Season 2 cast Javicia Leslie as Batwoman but she was not Kate Kane. She was a new character Ryan Wilder who dons the suit. The show made the choice to kill Kate Kane off in a plane crash. Later on that season it was revealed Kate was really alive and she was being played by Wallis Day who actually was in the running for the role initially. Kate had a new face because of Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge) who resurrected her from the dead and made her resemble his deceased daughter Circe Sionis and wiped had her memories wiped by Enigma (Laura Mennell). This isn’t that far fetched when remembering it’s a comic book show. There was a huge ripple effect after Ruby Rose exited the show. As for the other cast changes, with Kate Kane off the show, there was not really much else for Jacob Kane especially after learning that his daughter was really alive. He was written off the show the end of season 2. He disbanded the Crows and went to jail after helping Alice. The Crows went outside the lines to achieve their goals. Catherine Hamilton was killed off 8 episodes into the first season. Alice had poisoned Catherine and Mary but only had an anecdote that was enough for one. Catherine insisted Mary take it.

Batwoman may had some complications compared to the other Arrowverse shows but it started to thrive especially in its final season. Season 2 spent a lot of time dealing with losing Kate Kane but also having Ryan Wilder as the new Batwoman. They also brought on some iconic characters such as Black Mask. The first season of Batwoman predominantly focused on Alice as the villain. The season did not have many villains of the week episodes. Season 2 was starting to follow that structure and not only rely on Alice as the overarching villain. Season 3 is really when it seemed Batwoman was starting to find its groove. The whole season used iconic villains with their own spin on it. It was pretty much the next generation type scenario. We also got more of Ryan’s background. Ryan was adopted and we met her birth mother Jada Jett. Jada had a son Marquis who was Ryan’s brother. There were interesting dynamics there.

Batwoman season 3 made some big moves. Nora Fries (Jennifer Higgin) started aging after appearing in the Elseworlds crossover, she was also played by Stephen Amell’s wife Cassandra Jean Amell. A new Killer Croc emerged. The two biggest ones for the season were the OG Poison Ivy (Bridget Regan) and Marquis Jet became the new Joker. There were two Poison Ivys. Mary became Poison Mary. A huge part of the season was dealt with dealing with Poison Ivy and Poison Mary. Once that was resolved, the battle shifted to battling the Joker. The Joker is Batman’s greatest enemy. This Joker was Batwoman’s greatest enemy which made it more personal because the Joker is her brother. It was the best season yet and it was only just getting really good. The show ended on a cliffhanger. The show did believe they would be getting a season 4. The show ended without a lot of lingering questions.

Batwoman had a lot left in it. With the Arrowverse ending, there will not be any more opportunities to try to wrap up anything. Javicia Leslie recently did a few episodes of The Flash. The events of Batwoman were not mentioned at all. Unless there is a surprise from anyone from Batwoman in the remaining episodes of The Flash, this really is the end. There is not really a chance for this to be saved either. With the DCU launching and their plans to have one cohesive world with a few exceptions, Batwoman will most likely not be saved by another network or streaming service. Hopefully the future will be bright for the character in the DCU. There is a new Batman movie in the works called The Brave and the Bold. James Gunn said that the movie would have the batfamily. There is a chance that Kate Kane could be in the films since she is Bruce’s cousin.

Batwoman deserved better and should have been able to last a lot longer than 3 seasons. It is a good show that started to find its footing in the later seasons once the cast changes were put behind them. It may be awhile till getting another Batshow but Batwoman was a good addition to the Arrowverse and which finally brought Gotham City into world.

The Baker and the Beauty

The Baker and the Beauty was a romantic comedy that premiered in the spring of 2020 on ABC. It was cancelled after one season. The Baker and the Beauty was based off the Israeli romantic comedy series The Baker and the Beauty. The show followed Daniel Garcia; a baker whose world gets turned upside down when he meets international superstar Noa Hamilton. The Baker and the Beauty starred Victor Rasuk as Daniel Garcia, Nathalie Kelley as Noa Hamilton, Carlos Gomez as Daniel’s father Rafael Garcia, Lisa Vidal as Daniel’s mother Mari Garcia, David Del Rio as Daniel’s brother Mateo Garcia, Belissa Escobedo as Daniel’s sister Natalie Garcia, Dan Bucatinsky as Noa’s manager and friend Lewis, and Michelle Veintimilla as Daniel’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa.

The Baker and the Beauty lasted 9 episodes. This was another one I was not surprised that ABC cancelled. However, this aired during the pandemic. That could have thrown a wrench into a potential season 2. Due to low ratings this was cancelled. However, it found a new life when it hit Netflix. There were hopes from fans that Netflix would save the show. They have been known to do that a few times. Manifest is the most recent example. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and anything is possible, but I think the ship has sailed on this one.

The Baker and the Beauty was a fun romantic comedy series. To be honest I found it refreshing. It was nice and lighthearted. There was something magical about it and it is not the most original premise. I think a lot of it had to do with the cast. I instantly fell in love with the characters. There was drama but it was fun drama. The show seemed to really enjoy being a romantic comedy. It lived in it and I think that is the ingredient that made it feel magical. The huge bummer is that it only lasted 9 episodes. Even one and done seasons on network TV have 13 episodes if not a full season. This was a midseason show that premiered in mid April which would explain the shorter season.

It would have been nice to see how this show would have evolved over multiple seasons. It could have been a summer series if ABC did not want to have it during the fall season. If it had started out on Netflix, I wonder if it would still be continuing.

Spoiler Alert

This ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. From the beginning of the series, Daniel and Noa had a whirlwind rollercoaster romance. Daniel was dating Vanessa when he first met Noa. Vanessa proposed to Daniel, and he said no therefore ending the relationship. This was also in a public restaurant in front of tons of people. Vanessa spent much of the season trying to win Daniel back. Noa rescued Daniel by taking him out of the restaurant and Daniel was instantly attracted to her. Given their very different backgrounds there were multiple hurdles. By the end of the season, they announced they were engaged shocking the whole family. I would think season 2 would have been centered on their engagement and how that would affect everyone including the couple’s careers.

This one is definitely a bummer. Anyone who is interested in a fun romantic comedy series, I would highly recommend checking this out on Netflix. Also, since it is only 9 episodes it would be easy to complete the series over a weekend.

Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel was a soap that premiered in the summer of 2019 on ABC. Grand Hotel was based on the Spanish series Gran Hotel. Grand Hotel lasted one season and had 13 episodes. It was about Santiago Mendoza, who along with his wife his second wife Gigi Mendoza ran a hotel in Miami, Florida. It was a soap that followed the inner workings of a hotel. It was cancelled due to low ratings.

Grand Hotel was a fun soapy summer show. I had a feeling it was going to get cancelled. Sometimes when you watch a show, you just know that it won’t last. I would have been more surprised if Grand Hotel had gotten renewed. It may have had low ratings, but I think it could have lasted as a summer series. I am not sure how the streaming numbers factored in. ABC made the decision to cancel this a month after it aired its finale. I would also think if Grand Hotel had set the streaming world on fire, it would have gotten renewed. Grand Hotel ended on a cliffhanger. In this case it really should have continued to be able to resolve it. More on that later.

Grand Hotel had an ensemble cast. The show starred Demian Bichir as Santiago Mendoza, Roselyn Sanchez as Gigi Mendoza, Denyse Tonts as Santiago’s daughter Alicia Mendoza, Bryan Craig as Santiago’s son and Alicia’s sister Javi Mendoza, Wendy Raquel Robinson as staff manager Helen Parker, Chris Warren as Helen’s son and waiter Jason Parker, Lincoln Younes as the new hired waiter Danny Garibaldi, Shalim Ortiz as Santiago’s right hand man Mateo, Anne Winters as housekeeper Ingrid, Feliz Ramirez as Gigi’s daughter Carolina Renna, and Justina Adorno as Gigi’s daughter and Carolina’s twin sister Yoli Renna.

There are spoilers from this point on.

Grand Hotel had a mystery. During a hurricane line chef Sky Garibaldi disappeared. Sky was played by Arielle Kebbel. From the start of the series it was revealed that Danny Garibaldi took the job at the hotel so he could find out what really happened to his sister. The mystery was resolved by the end of the first season. As with any soap, things got complicated. Danny got involved with Santiago’s daughter, Alicia. Eva Longoria played Beatriz Mendoza in flashbacks. She was Santiago’s first wife and the mother of Alicia and Javi. At the start of the series Beatriz was dead. There was a lot of tension between Alicia and Javi and Gigi once Gigi married Santiago becoming their stepmother. Gigi was Beatriz’s best friend before marrying Santiago. For a soap about a family owned business there is bound to family drama. Look at Dallas.

The series had its fair share of twists and turns and romances. The series ended on a cliffhanger. Obviously, there were plans for additional seasons. This was not announced as a limited series. The series ended with Santiago getting shot by an unseen shooter. The mystery was who shot Santiago as well as if he was going to survive. I think it is safe to presume he probably would have lived if the show kept going. They could have decided to be daring and kill him off. I don’t know how much risk the show wanted to take when it came to big twists like that. Dallas never killed JR Ewing no matter how many times he was put in jeopardy. He was shot a lot also.

Grand Hotel was a fun show that I wish got to continue. It seems now a days there are not many primetime soaps anymore. If Grand Hotel had taken the world by storm it would probably be on now. If it were still running it would be in season 5 by now. It had a great cast, and it would have been interesting to see how the series could have evolved. Anything is possible but I don’t see a revival happening. It’s already been four years. If it were going to be saved by another network or streaming service it would have happened by now. On the plus side the cast has gone on to do other things. Rosalyn Sanchez currently stars on Fantasy Island. Demian Bichir has been doing movies including Chaos Walking and Godzilla vs. Kong. Brian Craig has done more television including Good Trouble. Wendy Raquel Robinson currently stars on The Game.

Grand Hotel had a lot of potential if given a chance. If it started out on streaming maybe it would have had better success. It still is a fun show and one that if anyone who likes fun soaps, I would recommend checking it out. It currently streams on Hulu.