Are you the type of television viewer who makes a point of catching the
season finales of your favorite shows? If so, come sit here by me and keep me
company, because we're a vanishing breed.
While broadcast networks still make a big production of promoting and launching
their new season schedules in the fall, the reality is that more and more
viewers aren't particularly concerned with the calendar.
With options to watch TV on your own schedule proliferating, and new shows
premiering year-round on zillions of channels, the impact of the 2012-13 TV
broadcast season coming to its traditional end in May feels touchingly quaint.
But it's a ritual I still enjoy. I look forward to seeing how the writers
construct cliffhangers, leaving us wondering what could possibly come next.
After all, scripted TV series are meant to be consumed as serials, and part of
the fun of watching week in, week out, is following even the most convoluted
plots.
Which character will meet an untimely end? Whose betrayal will be revealed?
Which duos will act on their season-long simmering attraction? I can't wait to
find out. Here's information on some notable series' finale dates:
ALREADY DONE FOR THE SEASON:
"The Good Wife": One of my favorite shows, this smart series rebounded from a
ghastly first half (the storyline about Kalinda and her husband didn't work on
any level) to end on a surprising, promising note. Next season can't come soon
enough.
"The Following"
"Go On"
"The New Normal"
"Community"
"Happy Endings"
"Bones"
"Person of Interest"
"Glee"
"Vegas"
"Touch"
"Blue Bloods"
SUNDAY:
"Once Upon a Time" (8 p.m. ABC/2)
"Bob's Burgers" (8:30 p.m. Fox/12)
"Revenge": Here we have an example of a series that had an unexpectedly
entertaining first season, then staggered into the ditch in Season 2. After the
interminably dull saga of "The Initiative," one of those mysterious,
all-powerful, nefarious organizations that put viewers to sleep, the show needs
to refocus on Emily VanCamp's vengeance-is-mine heroine, Madeleine Stowe's evil
elegance, and all the soapy glory their adversarial relationship offers. For the
finale, expect some untimely deaths and more of VanCamp's steely resolve. (9
p.m. ABC/2)
MONDAY
"How I Met Your Mother" (8 p.m. CBS/6)
"2 Broke Girls" (9 p.m. CBS/6)
"Castle" (10 p.m. ABC/2)
TUESDAY
"NCIS" (8 p.m. CBS/6)
"NCIS: Los Angeles" (9 p.m. CBS/6)
"New Girl": Season 2 has been a big improvement for this likable sitcom, and it
ends with the wedding of Jess' (Zooey Deschanel) friend, Cece (Hannah Simone),
to Shivrang (Satya Bhabha). For added oomph, Taylor Swift guest stars. (9 p.m.
Fox/12)
"The Mindy Project" (9:30 p.m. Fox/12)
"Golden Boy" (10 p.m. CBS/6
WEDNESDAY
"Arrow" (8 p.m. The CW/3)
"CSI" (10 p.m. CBS/6)
THURSDAY
"The Big Bang Theory" (8 p.m. CBS/6)
"The Vampire Diaries" (8 p.m. The CW/3)
"The Office": The end of the season, and of the series, is likely to be a
bittersweet experience. The first few years of this American adaptation of the
British series were inspired, touching and hilarious. But the last several
