Review: Final Space “The Leaving”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Miraculously, the Galaxy Two finds the hyperspace gateway to get home and are able to repair it because Gary conveniently worked on similar modules during his five years on the Galaxy One, but the gate overloads and shuts down. Tensions hit a fever pitch as the crew wait to die from Final Space poisoning, with Avocato’s guilt leading him to admit to killing Little Cato’s parents in earshot of Ash, who goes berserk and takes Little Cato with her to see Invictus. Gary and Avocato commit to getting him back.

OUR TAKE

Looks like Final Space has been moved to Sunday nights for its last two episodes, which isn’t a great sign, as well as kind of a confusing one. Two episode left and NOW you change the day it airs? But as for the show, this is where all the drama boils over and for the dumbest reasons. I’ve gone on at length about how much Ash’s leanings towards Invictus do not add up, whether it’s Gary “killing” Fox based on his prediction (even though literally everyone except Ash knows that it was only because of Invictus that Ash was there in the first place AND who forced Gary’s arm to kill him, putting Gary at ZERO fault for it), her being annoyed at Gwen for wanting to get home instead of fighting the Titans (conveniently forgetting that most everyone there will DIE if they don’t get out of Final Space soon), or thinking that those fighting Invictus are on the “wrong side” because Avocato lied about being Little Cato’s dad (as opposed to Invictus, who has EXCLUSIVELY lied to her for the sole purpose of controlling her and screwing her over), but now all of that comes to a head like it kept hinting at and it makes as little sense as it did from the beginning.

Once again the weird assignment of blame in this show confuses the heck out of me, with even a half-joke at the beginning that Gary is somehow responsible for killing Kevin Van Newton because it was corpses of him doing it…leaving out the fact that they controlled BY INVICTUS. Dude just can’t catch a break for things he did not do. It also comes right alongside getting payoff for Avocato’s subplot about not being Cato’s father, which is already a played out storyline idea because it ONLY EVER ends with “well you raised me so you must be my father”. I’m of the opinion that Avocato should have stayed dead from Season 1, and if this is all he can contribute being back, I think I’m inclined to stick to that view. Little Cato doesn’t seem to be all that betrayed by learning this considering that he’s processing being kidnapped, and he will likely not care at all by the time Avocato rescues him from this whole mess.

Though while this might not add up, I actually hope they don’t end up killing him again as redemption. Not only would that lessen the impact of his first death, but redemption by death is the easy way out, so if they’re committed to making this something he wants to make up for, staying alive to prove it would probably be the best option. But Ash seems incredibly remorseless, so she probably has to die since she just feels too far gone. But with that, we’re down to the final episode of the season, with the series’ ultimate fate up in the air at the moment. It’s no secret that I’ve been pretty dang critical of this season compared to the first two, but it’s come from a genuine desire to see the show do better, so I really hope it gets that chance with a fourth season.