As I mentioned last week, one of the series’ essential themes, and the key to understanding this episode, is the notion that John is there to heal all the characters. They’re all carrying around past sins that have crippled them, and he is the catalyst for events that will allow them to move past the pain and reinvent their lives. In this episode, Cissy finally accepts Tina, and secures her a place in Shaun’s life. This helps her move beyond the guilt she felt for leaving Shaun so many years ago. It was the healing of Shaun that set this possibility in motion back in the second episode.
Concurrent with this, we’ve got the lengthy sequence where Linc interrogates John, and John tries his best to convey his father’s message. This is where things started to get a bit confusing for me; there are elements that I can’t reconcile, and may not be reconcilable with the material we’ve seen. After all, the show has not been canceled, and Milch has to leave something open for a second season. But, a lot of what he says here does clear things up. The first line of his speech, repeated here, “If my words are yours, can you hear my father?” clicked for me when he said it. It builds on what Butchie and Kai were talking about last week, that he repeats what we say to represent concepts he doesn’t have words for. He uses our words to tell us about his father. That’s a central piece of knowledge to help understand what he’s doing throughout the series.
Much of this dialogue consisted of revisiting the speech, explaining some of what he said there. But, things are a bit more ambiguous when you consider what he says may actually mean other things. I’m particularly wondering about what Cass’s camera means. It could obviously refer to her camera, but is there a larger significance? The way I’m seeing it now is that Cass’s camera is a metatextual reference to the filming of the show. So much of the episode was shown from the perspective of her camera, and it was piped into the Internet café in a way that was technically impossible.
In the café, Dwayne and Jerri are turned into viewers of the exact same action we’re watching on TV. It would make sense to use Dwayne as an audience surrogate, for the viewers who are on the Internet trying to figure out what’s going on. If Cass’s camera is the world of the show, then is Dwayne the fanbase surrounding it? Is the Internet big because that’s where the show lives on and develops? One could easily interpret ‘his visit’ as a visit to us. Every week, we check in with John and these characters, existing on the fringe of their world, seeing it only through a camera, like Cass does here. She seems to have lost her own self and taken on another persona, something that would be possible once she’s aware that she is creating the world around her through her camera. Notably, all of the things that John said would happen in Cass’s camera in his speech, did happen on the show, in one way or another, supporting the notion that it’s a metatextual reference.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Savannah
Thank you for an excellent and insightful take on the very satisfying finale. I loved it, and was equally exhilarated with the opening sequence as I was when Zip returned. I will need to own this season/series? on DVD so I can watch it again and again to be filled with hope. Milch is a genius, and I believe he accomplished exactly what he set out to do with this series.
2 - Sean
In the words of the immortal Crow T. Robot:
"A scene is always more exciting when you have no idea what the hell is going on!".
I guess I am just not as in touch with the universe as everyone else, but I leave the season finale feeling like a Rube that's been taken for a ride by Carnies.
Open narrative and a total lack of narrative are two different things.
Introducing new characters and stories while totally abandoning others mid-story?
How very profound.
To leave on a positive, I feel the show was interesting, and Ed O'Neil has shown himself to be just a brilliant performer.
The warmth and sympathy he brought to "Bill" was just wonderful.
3 - Dane Janeiro
The parade was one of the most brilliantly stages comedic sequences in television history. The obvious allusions to Christ entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday were brilliant!
4 - Anthony B
Amen, my brother
5 - Bob Batchelor
Great overview of the last episode! Thanks so much for posting. The beauty of Milch's work is his ability to create characters that are inherently interesting and compelling -- outside the confines of plot.
In your essay you've captured what so many reviewers/commentators have missed by providing the bigger picture and linking it together. Great point, too, about Milch's ability to bring out the best in the actors he relies on. Who knew Ed O'Neil had those chops?
6 - Cynthia
El Camino
I thought,at the time, and checked to be sure, and El Camino is "the road" or, if you will, The Way. And John says that Linc is the El Camino. He provides the way to reach others.
I am gonna be seriously disappointed if this show doesn't return.
7 - rusty
From the Double-Tongued Dictionary;
fourwall, v. to pay for the right to entertain at a theatre or on a stage. Subjects: English, United States, Entertainment, Jargon
8 - Trish from Memphis
I just read your blog and I totally agree...I think you are dead-on..I hope that they bring this show back..along with Deadwood and Carnivale...
9 - D.J.
Amazing summary. You had me look at this finale in an entirely different way which tied up some loose ends in my head. I need to watch this episode again!
10 - Lauren
Thanks so much for yet another brilliant write- up. I share your in your sentiments about how this show is easily the best piece of art yet to be created for television.
I really hope this isn't the end although I did read [off the record] that it will be canceled, which stinks. I would love to see more of John, the Yosts and the rest of this fantastic cast!
Thanks again for your fantastic analysis Patrick.
11 - Josh Lasser
Congratulations! This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States.
12 - Eric Olsen
wow Patrick, what a sensational, deep survey you have provided of the series - I can't thank you enough. Though I am not as completely sold on the "product" as you are, we watched it faithfully, even compulsively and there were many moments of hilarity, insight, and even wonder. I probably prefer a little more bones in my stories -- the metaphors upon metaphors can hurt my head -- and piling narrative obliqueness with so much opaque dialog was perhaps too much of a good thing. But some of the performances was stunning -- particularly Ed O'Neill, Brian Van Holt, Greyson Fletcher, and Paul Ben Victor (cast list here).
Thanks again Patrick, you have performed a real service
13 - kevin
What about the "we are coming on 9/11/14" statement made by John during his discussion with Linc!? Anyone?
14 - Robert Pitera
Great review, and some wonderful insights - regardless of whether or not they are Milch's actual intent.
One correction though, that's not a 'stadium thing'; it's a very high frequency antenna array used by the Navy to intercept intelligence communications as well as locate their source. They pick up signals from ships and aircraft and then determine the location by triangulating with other arrays (The Navy runs 9 of them located throughout the world's coasts)
This particular one is located at the Naval Base in San Diego - I've actually seen it fairly close up and it's huge.
They call the array type a "Classic Bullseye" style because the array is circled around the listening post (located in the center).
I'm sure that brings a whole new meaning to the symbolism that John and the Chemist seem to go there for a purpose.
I hope this info helps you and other fans out.
15 - Rob
Very inciteful reading of this dense and beautiful show. I too beleive this may be the finest televsion since Twin Peaks and better than Milch's Deadwood.
I believe Patrick is right that God's message will be distributed by Stinkweed and his interpretation of the meaning of the stick figures. However, I beleive Cass' camera is not a metatextual reference, but rather the way in which John's message will be spread to the masses (the antenna array one wise reader pointed out that the Chemist was staring at). She will document whatever it is that the John, Shaun, Butchie and Mitch adventure will bring to the world.
I too thought "father" during the car dealer scene. Notice also that the deleer refers to John as the "Country". Perhaps merging that with the constant references to terrorism, 9/11 and the "towel heads" referred to by John might yield interesting results.
Re: 9/11/14 - obviously this could refere to 7 years down the line (perhaps as far as Milch planned- second coming?) or else the biblical reference to the "blood of Christ" and the suffering for humanity's sins.
I would, howeer, say it is safe to conclude that John is not Jesus as he is clearly not human and does not undergo the suffering a human does. And he would know how to communicate.
16 - Matt
This seems more like a fansite of the show rather than an impartial blog review of the series. Im sorry, but thats just my opinion. The show was universally hated by critics and viewers alike and I cant believe that 13 of the 14 comments all love the show. Obviously most of the negative ones were deleted. Probably like this one will be.
17 - Carlos
Did anybody see the game on the floor with the numbers 9 11 14?
18 - handyguy
I love this show, but I think overanalyzing it spoils it. And I can certainly understand why some viewers like Matt were alienated.
But I prefer to think of it like David Lynch, 2001, Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, and yes, the final Sopranos episode. There may have been a specific meaning and interpretation intended by the filmmakers...but I'd rather not hear it. John from Cincinnati is beautiful as is. "Interpreted," especially poorly interpreted, it becomes far less interesting.
19 - Paul
@15 'I too thought "father" during the car dealer scene. Notice also that the deleer refers to John as the "Country". Perhaps merging that with the constant references to terrorism, 9/11 and the "towel heads" referred to by John might yield interesting results.'
I felt the "country" reference was shorthand for "country boy" or someone unsophisticated. The dealers additional comments about "high performance", etc. bear that out for me. He also seemed to be commenting on the lack of sophistication in other of John's ilk. From that, I'd take it that the dealer is part of the Father's crew rather than a recent recipient of "the message". There's also his quote regarding "mother/son handjobs" - not sure that would be part of a healing message!
Thanks for the great summary.
20 - jas
Patrick's review is right on and informative. I think the camera is the modern day Bible. She is to film and post on the internet. This will capture the teachings and message. She is "writing" the next Bible.
21 - Mary K. Williams
to Matt (#16)
Where do you get "universally hated by critics and viewers alike"
I'm sure it wasn't loved universally either - but it does have a good following.
And comments are never deleted if they disagree with the post - ONLY if they are abusive. (No personal attacks allowed, etc...)
22 - Mary K. Williams
Oh, and Patrick - this was good. You covered so much, I don't know how you did it.
About the car salesman - yeah it took me a few minutes to realize he was speaking like John. Then when he said for the second time (to John) "Hey, I took you offline" - I realized what that really meant. It was his turn to give the message.
I like how the stick figure (turned into Stinkweed's logo) was made of of a "zero and ones" - as in the 0s and 1s (binary?) from Cass's camera - meaning both the imagine she unwittingly filmed of John with the stick figure behind him on black sheet - and the technology that produced the images.
This is definitely the kind of show you need to sit around in a bathtub to figure out (like in Animal House)
23 - handyguy
Sorry to be the one to break the news, but HBO announced the cancellation of John from Cincinnati today. :(
24 - JLM
WHAT ABOUT ONE OF THE LAST HIDDEN COMMENTS, IN THE FINAL NARRATIVE THAT SAID, LINC IS JOHN. ??? I MUST WATCH AGAIN, BUT DIDNT ANYONE HEAR THAT?
25 - PPR
Love this show, dont cancel