I had to really sit down and take a breath and decide exactly how I felt about this episode, even though I knew right away that I liked it.  I would say that as a season finale, I found it really satisfying, but it was definitely a major change of pace from the last several episodes.  There was still a lot of action, but it was different.  Everything had kind of a sad vibe.  And you know, I think that’s exactly what made it FEEL like a season finale–there was a sense of a lot of things ending with a lot of hints about what was coming.  I liked that.

Basically all of the action centered around Aidan and Bishop’s impending battle.  I did appreciate the quieter, scheming nature of the big twist of the fight, which was that while Sally was making plans with Josh for him to fight Bishop, she was actually scheming with Aidan to keep Josh out of it.  And you know, I understand her choice.  Not only did she prevent Josh from having to kill (although we know he’s done it before, he hates it), but it really was Aidan’s fight.  The important thing was that Josh WANTED to help.  That’s what really mattered.

And you know, all of this was especially effective with flashbacks of Josh and Aidan meeting each other peppered in.  We’ve seen all sorts of flashbacks this season, but we knew relatively little about how they met.  I always just assumed it was at the hospital.  And you know, the vampires have always been really heavy-handed with the dog insults, but this episode really did kind of subtly examine how Josh is very loyal to Aidan and how Aidan kind of really did take him in like you would a stray.  But not in an insulting way, in a sweet way.  And I think that in any life, Josh probably would’ve had that puppy quality, you know?

Alright.  Speaking of puppies.  Nora is finally in the loop and took it like a champ, given that Josh scratched her, she watched him turn through a window, her werebaby went all full moon on her, and now she is probably a werewolf.  Um.  That is a lot.  And she just sits there in a cute sweater, drinking a cup of tea.

Speaking of sweaters, Sally is making me really reconsider what I’m wearing every second of the day.  What if I have to wear it for ETERNITY?  Like, what I have on now?  If I die in it, I will die.

And speaking of Sally … she’s got a lot more sweater time coming up, since her door went away.  Man, what a huge drag.  I understand not wanting to leave while Aidan was hurt, but man, that SUCKS.  Still, I loved her at the end, about how maybe she’ll get closure with the rest of her friends and family now that she’s done with Danny, and how she wasn’t going to waste her time.  I like happy Sally a lot, and I love when she’s fun and smiley like she was at the end.  I hope her door comes back.

Also, it might’ve been a LITTLE cheesy, but I won’t lie, I completely, totally, madly LOVED the end when Don’t Look Back in Anger was playing over the end scene and we see Sally right as Oasis busts out the, “Soooooooo Sally can wait, she knows it’s too late as we’re walking on by,” RIGHT AS AIDAN AND JOSH WALKED BY.  Eeeeeee!  I can understand if that was a little too much for some people, but … sue me.  I love the 90′s, Oasis was 16-year-old SB’s muthafuckin’ JAM, and I love cheese.  I just ate a piece not five minutes ago.  So, I do not apologize for my love.

And that pretty much leaves Aidan to talk about.  I was discussing this show with a friend over the weekend, and she had given it basically one episode and wasn’t into it, and one of her main reasons was that Aidan was just too Edward Cullen-ish.  And you know, if the only episode that you watched was the pilot, I think that would be a valid complaint, but they really went way beyond that with him, and as we look back here at the season, the things that stand out are how great Aidan is with his roommates–he’s caring, he’s calming, and they really look to him to tell them what to do.  And the other thing is, Aidan is constantly having to do REALLY shitty and terrible things, and there’s good reason he’s a tortured vampire.

I mean, really.  It’s like all these shows and movies lately, whether they really intend to or it’s just sort of a latent effect, but it’s like they all emphasize the awesome parts of being a vampire.  You live forever, you heal immediately, you’re super hot, and fast and strong and charming and you have good hearing.  But this show has really emphasized the dark side, and the sad side, of living forever.  Eventually, everyone you love dies, and if you ever want to love anyone again, you’ll have to either damn them to living a life you hate (assuming you’re a vampire with a conscience, which our heroes usually are), or watch them grow old and die.  Or just leave them.  There’s no good choice.  And then when you’re Aidan, and you’re trying to be different but you have people constantly running around behind you trying to turn people you interact with into vampires, shit is even MORE difficult.  I mean, Bernie, Rebecca … that redheaded girl from the hospital?  Those were all hard kills and difficult to watch.  But I was really taken by the whole Celine thing.  I did love those flashbacks, and I love how Bishop tortured Aidan with her in a totally different way, and I loved her for not wanting to be turned.  And the age difference WAS jarring, but obviously it was meant to be, and that’s how it really would be.  This show has been incredible with introducing characters and very quickly making me care.  Anyway, when she begged Aidan to drain her because she cared about him and because she’d rather die for him than for cancer, that was EMOTIONAL.  And again, it was just so HUMAN.  Celine had very nearly reached the end anyway, but this way she got to choose, and I can imagine that was very empowering for her.

They never really said it but I like to think that part of Aidan winning that fight with Bishop was motivation to not make Celine’s death be in vain.  She gave her life so that he could keep his, and that’s an important gift.  I really think for awhile there that Aidan had a death wish, but he keeps finding it in himself to keep going.  I really think he’s a better character than I thought he would be when the season started.

As for Bishop, I’m really, truly sorry to see him go.  I love Mark Pellegrino and I liked his character, although I think that the way it was written, this was the head it was all coming to all along and it felt like the right timing in the context of the story, even though I was disappointed that he was dying.  He’s so creepy and awesome, and I hope he comes back in flashbacks next season.

That fight scene though?  It was weird, y’all.  I wasn’t a fan of the way it was shot.  I mean, J. Geils Band called.  It wants its freeze frame back.  But, I suppose there is always some early experimentation to find out what works.  I just didn’t think this was it.  I kept thinking my DVR was fucking up.

And of course, we got a teaser of what the future holds for Aidan when Hagemann showed up on his doorstep, wanting Aidan to meet “her”, whoever that is.  And Aidan is in charge of Boston now.  So that should all be wild, right?  You would think it would all lead to less drama but I’m sure that’s not how it’ll work.

Overall, I thought this was a great first season and I really enjoyed the show and can’t wait for it to come back.  What did you guys think of the finale?  Favorite moments or lines?  Thoughts or observations?  Anything I missed?  Talk it up in the comments!