Kings: The New King (part two)

And so we come to the end... at least probably. NBC has been very careful to bill this last episode of Kings as the finale of the season, not the series. Whether this is simply misleading wording or an indication that the series has a future in some other form, it's impossible to say right now. If a premium station like HBO picked it up there's no doubt Kings would get a proper run, be it in one more season or three. This last episode managed to be satisfying as either the end of the show or a setup for future installments, so I'm willing to let it simply fade out while maintaining a sliver of wishful thinking for a rebirth somewhere down the line.

The episode opens an indeterminate amount of time after last week's events. Jack hasn't been crowned king yet and Silas has started making pirate radio announcements of his intentions to return to the throne. A number of generals who sided with Cross are turning up dead while any dissent against the new order is being met with a bullet to the back of the head. On the day of Jack's coronation, Silas comes strolling into town like he's walking down to the store to buy a loaf of bread.

Also, he's got a fleet of tanks backing him up.

With characteristic ease, Silas returns to the seat of power and puts his house in order. William Cross runs away to his private jet, except his son Andrew decides to stay behind. In an interesting twist we'll likely never be able to see come to fruition, Andrew eloquently expresses distaste for his father's brand of brutality and an interest in "being part of the family", i.e. replacing the traitorous Jack. As for Jack, he manages to avoid death, at least for now. Instead, Silas has locked him in a room with his pretty, naive show-wife until the two of them can produce an heir. Thomasina has a Michael/Fredo moment with Jack, which is both awesome and stone-cold.

For his dissent, Reverend Samuels is shot dead right in the middle of prayer. Since the very beginning of the series, I wondered whether Kings would pursue the biblical Ghost of Samuel thread, and if so how it would play out in the modern setting. Well, they went for the most direct method. The ghost of Rev. Samuels actually appears before people. First he advises David to escape Silas's wrath by going to Gath, then he informs Silas that God really doesn't want anybody screwing with David. Somehow, this ghost business actually works, thanks in no small part to Eamonn Walker's always-admirable performance.

So, why is Silas so pissed off at the guy who just helped him reclaim his crown? Well, because God told him that David is meant to be his replacement. And when I say God told him, I mean it literally. Silas has a conversation with the Big Guy, only we don't get to hear what the more divine of the two actually says. The gist is clear, though. God has abandoned Silas for being a tyrant and has chosen David as the new king.

Our story closes on that note. David runs to Gath with God on his side, Silas declares war on the one enemy who can't possibly lose and Queen Rose manages to send Michelle into exile where she can have David's baby without Silas finding out. Is there room for a second season in the plot? Sure. Will there be a second season? Only God knows.

Best Moment: I like how conversational Silas is with his creator. Silas talking to a thunderstorm was pretty cool, so was the callback to one of the prophetic dreams from early in the series.

Notes: In his conversation with the storm, Silas finally clears something up that's been bugging me since the show began. He talks about how absurd it is for there to be monarchies in the modern day. After all, Gath is a republic. It seems that Gilboa is fairly unique in the world of the series for harboring a king.

Episode Rating: 5/5- High body count, poetic justice, intimate conversations amid big political events, a touch of unambiguous mysticism... it was everything that makes (or made) Kings a good show.

Series Rating: 4.8/5- Assuming Kings is done, it was a singular piece of television. Not without its flaws, mind you, but still overwhelmingly good. Thanks for coming along with me through this doomed series. I hope you enjoyed watching Kings as much as I enjoyed covering it for this blog.