So sadly we have come to the end of this enthralling yet admittedly grimey series, where we have uncomfortably learned to ride along with the cast of often unlikeable characters, but also see the self-destruction of plenty of other decent others.
It was a short window for this world in New York, and here we see the sharp collapse of their world as the spectre of Aids arises, the move from professional theatre porn to low cost/low stature VHS smut and a gentrifying New York.
Our cast is older and wiser, but the cracks are still there, and it was interesting to see the arc of Lori Madisson and Candy develop further, when I thought they had closed off Lori's tale. Lori's tale is a sad story as you see that she has little escaped the hell she was trapped into, and now is under the clutches of others as despicable as her old pimp. Candy on the other hand is stuck trying to win over those who don't want to be, possibly naive of the changing nature of the market and who her customers really are.
The rest are still there and as this is the final season you see some quick kill offs too as is the norm. You watch as everything yet nothing changes in their lives, be it personal or work. The mob is still there and everyone is still under their thumbs.
This season has been fabulous, even till the last episode. The jump in time for the story I guess was as they had to call time on it early, which is a shame as there was still so much to tell. We all loved this more than we should have.
How Maggie Gyllenhall didn't win awards for this season's work really baffles me, and it shows that this is a show that is possibly counter to the prevailing social mores at the moment. She deserves better.
I'm going to watch it again sometime. An eye opener and one that hits the mark. Thank you to all who put this together, a wonderful treasure, and a wonderful send-off.
