On the Subject of Season Finale Cliffhangers

In Plain Sight - love it, have no particular issue with the season finale cliffhanger (better stop now if you don't want to know who gets shot - though that is not the cliffhanger) that aired tonight.
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Have I left enough space for Google Reader people to stop?
Probably not
It doesn't show spaces does it
It just clumps it all together?

Well

I tried...







So the main character, Mary, gets shot. She is in the hospital of course for the cliffhanger ending - everyone is waiting and no shooter has been apprehended.

This does no stress me out overly much because she's the main character - if they put her in this position because there were contract fights or whatever then the show will be over - that is not the vibe I got (the announcer cheerfully said 'new episodes of In Plain Site coming this Spring). What would stress me out would be Marshall shot since who knows - as the second main character, maybe the actor pulls a Sharona ("Monk"'s first handler) and out out out he goes. Especially since he was ALREADY shot in the first season... so another would be overkill and might mean something ominous like him leaving the show.

So in this instance, the worst case scenario is that it was actually the cop guy who shot her by accident and that yes it's all much ado about nothing and maybe he leaves and maybe he doesn't and while I like him fine I have no particular desperate need for him to stay. They probably want more enemies for Mary in the police to create more tension. But we don't KNOW that's what happened - but certainly if there are clues in the episode then that is our only option. I would actually love it if it was out of the blue someone else. I.E. some kid from a window no one saw, I don't KNOW...

It's just... I'm not worried this is a "jump the shark" kind of instance - it's just that I feel like shows nowadays use up their really really really big scenarios too quickly. Maybe you're never sure how long your show is going to last, so they figure it's best to give the audience what they want - the biggest possible emotional drama to keep them glued to the couch.

But here she is shot - she was very nearly dead in the last season finale, kidnapped though not shot... so where to go from here? Every season finale has to top itself? If so - she's going to be shot MORE next year - maybe by someone we hate - so that will add to the drama? Or just walk away? Certainly that's a stressful Season Finale - cuz we never know what we're supposed to do with that.

And just in general isn't it a huge deal if an officer's weapon has been fired? So wouldn't we already know asap that the detective shot at all...