SAVING GRACE: THE FINAL SEASON
(not rated)
MOVIE: **** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Two years ago, Grace Hanadarko was given a second chance at life. After running over a man while drunk driving, an angel named Earl intervenes and gives her another shot to give her life to God. However, being the feisty and rebellious person that she is, Grace doesn’t immediately accept. However, she learned to accept Earl into her life, and now she continues her job as a detective in the Oklahoma City Police Department with some divine intervention. However, as the acclaimed show reaches an end, Grace soon learns there are greater plans for her and her life.
WHAT I LIKED
Well, the costumes were nice.
I had never gotten into “Saving Grace” when it was on television. I had been sent a single disc from Season Two to review, but it’s so hard to formulate an opinion of an entire series by only three or four episodes. Fortunately, I had a chance to check out the entire third season of the show, which happens to also be its last.
While there’s still a lot of good shows on the major networks, basic cable has been churning out some excellent series. “Saving Grace” is one of those, maintaining a deft balance between the secular and the spiritual. Like its TNT cohort “The Closer,” “Saving Grace” presents some of the ugliest things that humanity has to offer. However, with its foot dipping into the realm of religion, “Saving Grace” offers some salvation for the characters.
“Saving Grace” is more than a police procedural, although the crime-of-the-week does lend itself to that. It’s also a journey of a character. And while the series has come to what many see as an untimely end, it did not overstay its welcome. As a long-form drama, “Saving Grace” has allowed Grace Hanadarko to grow as a characters and touch the lives of many.
As the third season wraps up to a climax of a series finale, things slow down a bit. The penultimate episode is a bit tedious, but it helps set up the ending of the whole show, and that’s as satisfying as a series can be.
In retrospect, I’m sad I didn’t watch this show from the beginning, and that’s a hell of a compliment coming from me.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While the setting of Oklahoma City does give the series a unique look and feel, the show at times is a bit heavy-handed in reminding us of where things takes place. Plus, as rough as it is to watch shows like “The Closer” and the many police procedurals of major cities, I hope that the grim nature of the crimes committed in “Saving Grace” is not indicative of the show’s location.
I can’t say that I wasn’t annoyed at some of the characters – mainly Kendra the reporter and Grace’s nephew Clay as he struggles with adolescence – but these are forgivable sins for such a fine series.
DVD FEATURES
Unfortunately there are no special features on this set. Maybe Earl can flap his wings and make some appear
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who wants to see a different police procedural with its toe dipped in spirituality.