And just like that HBO’s Luck is over. I’m sure the network had much higher hopes for the show with all the talent and production value behind it. It’s hard to avoid a pun here, so I apologize, but it just wasn’t in the cards for the show. Horse racing, at least to the realistic extent that it was portrayed in this program, simply does not appear to be feasible or safe for television. Horse deaths (and though HBO hasn’t said as much, I’m sure the low ratings didn’t help) ultimately shut the show down, but there was still so much of value here. There’s a lot I’m going to miss about Luck.
I’m going to miss the cast. This show put together an amazing group of actors. From Dustin Hoffman to Nick Nolte to Jason Gedrick to Dennis Farina to Jill Hennesy to John Ortiz and on and on and on the list of actors was outstanding. When you add in the guest cast that we saw during the season (Michael Gambon, Joan Allen, Ted Levine, Alan Rosenberg, Patrick Adams, and then in this episode Mercedes Ruehl) it pushes it over the top. When you give actors like this material from David Milch, with his unique, stylistic, almost poetic dialogue you have the makings of an outstanding show.
I’m going to miss the amazing horse racing footage. I understand that the cost of this footage was just too high and ultimately shut the show down, but it made for spectacular visuals and true moments of drama. That was perfectly illustrated in this final episode when there was not one, but two incredibly dramatic races on Derby day. Rosie and Mon Gateau were the stars of the opener, easily winning (after hanging back a bit at the start). That brought smiles all around. Things weren’t as clear and easy in the Derby itself.
Going into the episode I wasn’t quite sure who i should be rooting for in the big race. The writers have done a nice job developing both Ace’s and Smith’s story through the season. It seemed pretty clear who the main character of the show was once this episode started, though; Walter Smith didn’t even make an appearance until more than halfway through tonight’s finale. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise then when Pint of Plain took the Derby by inches. I was half expecting Ronnie Jenkins to screw things up, but it appears that he rode a clean race. Even Walter didn’t seem that heart broken with the outcome.
Indeed, the episode really was Ace’s from beginning to end. His little game with Mike and his team ratcheted up in intensity, with an attempt on Ace’s life and the appearance of Ace’s grandson to up the ante. It was a fairly evil plot on Mike’s part to trick Ace’s grandson into coming to the racetrack, luring him there with the clear intent to harm him. Between that and the hit out on Ace, it made for a very tense episode. Luckily Ace and Gus were a little ahead of the game.
All in all, I thought tonight’s finale was a good enough end to the series. Sure, there was still a lot of story left to tell with Ace and Mike, but with the victory at the Derby, as well as Ace’s relationship with his grandson on the mend things were looking up. Even if Ace had lots of plans for the track and screwing over Mike, I think he really did love that horse and the win was hugely important to him. Elsewhere the Foray Stables men ended in a good place, raking in another pile of dough with a successful pick four. I’ll miss their shenanigans.
I’m really going to miss Escalante and Jo, a relationship that has really grown on me throughout the series. Escalante began the season looking like a real hardass and it was through this relationship (and in the past few episodes Jo’s pregnancy and Eduardo) that Escalante’s humanity was revealed. It crescendoed at the end of this episode with him embracing and comforting Jo after hearing the news about her miscarriage. They are a couple that I would have loved to have seen more from.
Alas, it was not to be. While I’m sad that the promised season two of Luck has been revoked, I’m appreciative of the nine episodes that we got.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Mar 25, 2012 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
Another reminder not to watch any TV show during its run. Every year there are great shows that get cancelled. And every year I remind myself to not get sucked in, lest we be bereft of a satisfying conclusion of story. But watch I do. And like Charlie Brown attempting to kick Lucy’s football, disappointment is inevitable. Last year it was Terriers and Human Target. This year it’s Luck. It’d be better to have never watched any episodes at all. Perhaps, someday, on rental DVD, when it’s obviously over and done.
The final scene of the horse in the stable turning its head and looking at whatever while Ace watched him with a tear in his eye was just plain beautiful. The director of this episode deserves an Emmy. I was shocked to find that it wasn’t Mann behind the camera for this one. Every shot looked like one that belonged in one of his great films.