The Break-Up (26 Mar. 2014)

The seventh season of this show was not quite as fresh and fun as it had managed to be so consistently for so many years before and with the news that the eighth season would be the final one, it made me worry that perhaps this season would also struggle to be carefree while it also tries to pack it up. The bridging musical special between the seasons was a bit of a salve to this as it was silly and fun and not concerned about the more serious side of the drama or narrative. This continues into the eighth season with a British episode which is silly in the extreme but is really rather funny throughout.

This is a good way to start the season and it is pretty much the way the season continues which will be good news for those of us who have watched it since the start. The standard is not quite ever as high or as consistent as the show at its best but it still works well. There are a few weaker episodes, although for me the penultimate one with Gus' nightmares was the only one that really didn't work, even if it does have some nice references along the way. Otherwise although some are better than others, generally they are very entertaining. The silly tone throughout helps sell the sillier jokes, so for example even the episode that overdoes the Mystic River impression managed to make me laugh every time it was done.

The biggest challenge was to somehow get away from the less fun, more character-driven stuff but at the same time deal with it in a way that gives closure and leaves all the characters somewhere. It does this as well as could be expected and it does this by not overworking it. So the reduced availability of Maggie Lawson is actually a bonus because it allows her character (and the relationship with Shawn) to be put to one side. This same approach is taken with the other characters, with the majority of movement not really made too big a deal out of and this allows the focus to remain on the show having fun and making jokes. This benefits the cast because although these moments are a little awkward, they are infrequent so they do not have to deal with them too often. Generally they have fun and Roday and Hill in particular continue their great chemistry. Beyond them it is not so strong – Omundson is reliable as ever, Fuller is a great minor character but other cast members such as Lawson, Bernsen and Nelson have less to do and don't seem to get in on the fun as much. The guest stars are usually best as references and not as good in practice, although Campbell, Zane and others are still welcome. The addition of Sorvino to the cast doesn't work as well and it is odd to see her and compare her career to the one she had in the late 90's.

The eighth season is not perfect and it does have its problems with bringing everything to a close, dealing with conflicted cast members and having some weaker episodes, but generally it is silly in a fun way that sees the cast enjoying themselves a lot but that enjoyment and fun shared with the viewer in a way that reminds us not to take it too seriously but just relax and go with it. This has always been the strength of the show and now that it is over I will greatly miss the regular laughs and pleasure of seeing Roday and Hill playing off one another.