Posting more, and Leverage

[arduinna]

I'm guessing that by this point most people have seen the links to kouredios's friending meme for folks who want to talk more on DW & LJ, but if not, you should check it out. Lots of people showing up from all over, into all kinds of fandoms and non-fannish things! (And here's the LJ version, for the LJ-inclined!)

I continue to fail to post because I get bogged down by wanting to say ALL THE THINGS, so I never finish anything.

So in the spirit of just freaking posting more, dammit, I will not wait till I have a huge post about Leverage to post this bit of Leverage news:

A letter from Dean Devlin

As of the writing of this letter, we still do not know if there will be a season six of our show. Just as we didn’t know when we created the last three episodes which are about to air. Because of this uncertainty, John Rogers and I decided to end this season with the episode we had planned to make to end the series, way back when we shot the pilot. So, the episode that will air on Christmas is, in fact, the series finale we had always envisioned.

This is not to say we would not do a season six should we get the opportunity. Everyone involved with the show, from the cast, the crew, the writers and producers, would like nothing more than to continue telling these stories. But, in case we do not get that opportunity we felt that, creatively, after 77 episodes, we owed it to you, our fans, to end the show properly.

I sincerely hope you watch these last three episodes. They build to our conclusion. And the finale, I believe, is the most powerful episode we’ve ever done.

From all of us who make the show, thank you for watching, supporting and encouraging us. I’ve never experienced a fandom as intense, loyal and wonderful as you all.

Let’s go steal a series finale!

Dean Devlin

Executive Producer/Director LEVERAGE

I'm torn on the possibility of cancellation; I love Leverage a lot and want it to keep going, but I also feel like they've started to wander sort of far afield recently in some eps, and it's tough to keep a show fresh past five seasons.

But man, I'm glad that if they're going out, they're going out the way they want to.

Comments

[kass]

Oh, man. I have mixed feelings! I'm right there with you -- I love Leverage a lot and will be sad if it ends, and yet I'm glad they'll go out the way they wanted, if it comes to that.

[arduinna]

I'm especially pleased that it's the show they planned five years ago; that sort of closure makes me really happy.

[marthawells]

I'm glad they're doing the finale they intended to do all along, even though I still enjoy the show.

[arduinna]

Yeah, exactly -- I'll miss it, but man, it's actually sort of happy-making that they have the chance to do this the way they wanted. And I'm sort of fascinated to see what their long-planned finale looks like...

[dorinda]

Ohhhhh, that explains why Rogers seemed to be a bit...*cagey*, I guess, in a couple of his recent blog posts. Wow!

I feel like you do, where I want them all to have these jobs/tell these stories as long as they want them and can do good work...but I also love the idea of them ending the story just the way they wanted it to end, on their own terms.

[arduinna]

Ah, I was wondering if they'd been hinting around at all; I never read the pro blogs 'cause spoilers. *g*

And yeah, it's just making me weirdly happy that they looked at the situation and decided they should do their wrapup this season just in case; it's going to feel like closure rather than just stopping. And I love so much that they had whatever this idea is right from the very start! Circles are yay.

[dorinda]

I didn't so much get the sense he was hinting/spoiling, as I got the sense he was trying hard *not* to spoil, but (at least, as I see it) tends to back himself into a corner by answering pretty much every question (I might have complained to you already how much some of those askers drive me nuts, asking questions about interpretation that they could easily make up themselves, hello, people, FLEX YOUR FAN MUSCLES...). So when people recently asked things about "Does this shift in behavior/tone I sense from so-and-so mean xyz about the future," Rogers would be like UM WE'LL SEE WAIT FOR IT *cough*. (Not literally, that's my interp. *g*) And that made me wonder, hmm, is something big coming up? Heh.

They really do love their characters and their show. It's so nice not to feel...what, pandered to? No. Looked-down on? That feeling when you love and cherish the characters so much more than TPTB who pretty much just see the show and its fans as a big wad of dollar signs. That thing.

[quarter_to_five]

I'm really pleased with that - I loved S1 to pieces, but I feel like they've been really erratic since then, and a LOT less edgy (and i've only loosely checked in since S3. I should catch up,) so now i'm actually interested in seeing how things go, knowing they've had this planned from the start.

[arduinna]

It was inevitable that they'd lose some of the edge, I think, just because the initial premise had them all distrustful and uncertain of each other, and the only way to move forward was for those relationships to soften, which started softening everything a bit. I agree, though, S1 is my favorite in a lot of ways.

Most of the recent seasons have had a couple eps that have had me kinda wincing, but also some pure gems that made me really happy, and I'll happily rewatch almost every ep (... maybe entirely every ep, huh), which is rare for me.

And yes! Knowing that they actually had an end point in mind the whole time makes me really happy. It'll be interesting to see what it is and how they get there.

[justhuman]

I've always enjoyed Leverage and have read some fic along the way. Over the years I've become more and more a believer in needing to do major shifts around the 5th season to keep it fresh. While I can see the need for it this season, I also like some of the fallout. Parker on her own was absolutely awesome, applying all the knowledge she's learned in her own unique way. I was in a complete squeefest when Parker, Hardison and Elliot were on their own.

I'm glad they're going to do the series end they wanted I saw the last episode of Farscape when they didn't know they were being cancelled - worst ending *ever*. But I hope they get an S6

[arduinna]

Over the years I've become more and more a believer in needing to do major shifts around the 5th season to keep it fresh.

Yeah, me too -- and fascinatingly it doesn't seem to matter much how long the seasons are. Five full seasons, five half seasons, it's the five that matters.

This has so clearly been the season of Parker! And in fact it's reshaping my view of the series; it's always felt like TPTB were trying to do the Story of Nate (the Angst-Ridden Alcoholic), but Parker really has the strongest arc all the way through, and if this week's episode was the first of the "building to the finale" eps, I think that's going to carry on through. (She said, trying not to be spoilery *g*)

I adored the ep with the three of them off on their own; they are so good together!

I saw the last episode of Farscape when they didn't know they were being cancelled - worst ending *ever*.

Oh, man, it was. But it was mitigated a bit for me; I was watching with a friend, and after it was over, another friend from the West Coast called for information so she'd know whether she'd be able to watch it. "I have just one question," she said. "Is D'Argo alive, and are John and Aeryn together?"

My friend and I looked at each other, and she very carefully said, "Yes, D'Argo is alive, and John and Aeryn are together," while we heroically kept from completely losing it.

WC friend still figured it out from her tone, though. But really, I wouldn't have thought anything could turn that ending into something I'd be laughing my head off about, and yet there it was! (Also my mental image of D'Argo going in with a fishing net to, er, salvage the situation. So to speak.)

[teaotter]

I am *thrilled* that they have a chance to tell the story they wanted to tell. I hate it when shows go out so unexpectedly that no one has a chance to wrap anything up.

That said, I hope the show gets renewed. They have their ups and downs, but I love the characters and I am absolutely certain that they'll find more stories to tell.

[arduinna]

I am *thrilled* that they have a chance to tell the story they wanted to tell. I hate it when shows go out so unexpectedly that no one has a chance to wrap anything up.

I know, right? It's making me so happy to know that a) they had a finale in mind from day one, and b) they looked around and said "... yeah, we should do that this year just in case. Let's do that." and did it.

That said, I hope the show gets renewed. They have their ups and downs, but I love the characters and I am absolutely certain that they'll find more stories to tell.

That's my reaction in a nutshell, so here, let me quote it back at you. *g* Fingers crossed...

[klia]

I hope it doesn't get cancelled, because I'm still enjoying it a lot, but I'm glad they're giving us some kind of closure, just in case. Most series don't get to do that.

[arduinna]

Yeah, exactly. I tend to think of Leverage as my stealth fandom, because it's not usually at the front of my mind, but I never miss an ep, and if I see a rerun listed in the guide I'll almost always stop and watch it (or them, if it's a set), and man, I will miss it a lot if it goes away. But the possibility of planned closure and a controlled ending makes me happy.

[alchemise]

Oh wow, that is really interesting that they decided to create their ending just in case the show isn't renewed. Whether or not it continues, this should be an intense few episodes.

[arduinna]

It really should! I'm fascinated to see where it goes.