Absolutely loved Emily Hampshire in this episode. She's superbly talented and plays her character so effortlessly.
This episode is nothing short of a 10/10 purely for Emily Hampshire; her/Stevie's performance was magnificent and when she sang Maybe This Time, I felt that right down to my freaking gut. Brava!
[7.9/10] I like that the finale is mostly a Stevie episode. She’s my favorite character on the show, so it’s nice to see her get that sort of focus. I’ll admit, I totally bought that she was still nursing some hurt feelings over David getting married. It’s not a well the show has gone to a lot in recent seasons, but if ever there was an occasion to bring up some season 1 romantic drama between them, this was it.
Instead, they swerve things to a lovely place. Her getting monogrammed towels for David is such a sweet gesture, one that ties into how their friendship started in a very cute way.
And yet, she is still struggling with the news, albeit not out of jealousy or regret. She’s just seeing people move on and grow in their lives while she fears staying stagnant “behind the front desk.” Once again, though, Moira has some wonderful reassuring words for her, affirming Stevie’s coolness, the way she knows who she is and stands her ground, and how that will serve her well whether she sets sail or stays put. It’s an emotional scene, and like most Moira/Stevie scenes a great one.
Even better is how it gets used in the show. Moira doesn’t just reassure Stevie, she tells her to use that feeling in the show. There’s a perfect dovetail between Stevie’s worries and those of Sally Bowles, and “Maybe This Time” makes for a great emotional climax for the character this season. It feels like a real community production, but also suffused with the truth that comes from the character’s journey.
On the comic side, there’s a lot of laughs to be had from everyone hearing David’s news before he has the chance to make an announcement. There’s also some nice spiraling out of control here and there, and Johnny feeling leery about his daughter leaving, which pays dividends both for the comedy quotient and the adorable dad quotient.
Of course the big cliffhanger is that Moira’s big movie is getting shelved, which devastates her, since she potentially viewed it as the start to her comeback and maybe even her ticket out. I’m curious to see where they go with it!
Overall, a lot of nice stuff here, particularly for Stevie, which is a good thing in my book.
WOW! The episode is one of the best I have ever seen on TV.
That solo from Stevie. The fit of the song and her feelings this season. What a perfect crescendo
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2019-04-10T11:58:48Z
Dear @/Universe, Emily Hampshire is amazing and she deserves more recognition and her own show.