Summary
The finale, Episode 8, “The Stadium” provides a satisfying end to season 1 of Black Summer, to what is otherwise an average series so far.
The finale of Black Summer Season 1, “The Stadium”, deals with the ultimate objective, which is, well, reaching that elusive stadium. If you are a pro-gun fanatic and #TeamSecondAmendment, then Episode 8 will surely please you.
Why? Well, because most of “The Stadium” sees the group, amongst another population of people, charging through a city, using a variety of different weapons, shooting incoming zombies that are throwing themselves at the desperate humans at all angles. From a director perspective, Episode 8 was well shot, efficiently representing the best episode of Black Summer so far. It also provides the most stunning scene, with Rose (Jaime King) taking a split second to shoot William in the head; the pain he was experiencing in his leg was slowing them down as they reached the entrance of the stadium.
But again, the finale bodes the question of originality, and if you have read my recaps up to this point, you probably wish I’d shut the f**k up about it, but I believe I make a good point. “The Stadium” was a zombie scenario until the final few seconds. Only Rose, James and Sun reach the stadium properly, and as they walk out on the pitch, they fear the worst – it’s empty. But as Season 1 closes the curtains, her daughter emerges from a ‘supporter’ entrance and runs towards Rose, who looks exhausted, emotionally and physically. As they are about to embrace, Episode 8 ends.
As I stated in my review, I wouldn’t write off Black Summer yet, as it has the base to become something better, but the writers will have to start thinking a little bigger.
You can read the full season 1 review of Black Summer by clicking these words.
I don’t understand how this qualifies as a satisfying end? We learn nothing about anything in the course of this episode. Why is the stadium empty? Who knows. What has the daughter been up to this entire time? Who knows. The most basic questions about why there is a zombie apocalypse and what is happening outside the world of the cast are left completely unexplored. The show is essentially a zombie action sandbox, except it basically just follows in the footsteps of others in an already tired genre.
We essentially learn nothing about why anything is happening over the course of the whole series, which means all the more banal and derivative elements of the series (basically everything else) become much more acute issues.
I was kinda hoping there would be at least some sort of development over the series, but there isn’t really. Even character wise, basically nothing develops except for Rose, who goes from mum to PTSD cold survivalist, which isn’t interesting because it’s been done so many times before. All the show has going for it are the action sequences, which are fine if nothing we haven’t seen before, and the performances of the cast, which are pretty good for the most part. Apart from some interesting use of silence in extended sequences, the show has literally nothing new to bring to the genre. I was waiting for it to surprise me, but the finale didn’t even satisfy my fairly minimal expectations.
I’m pretty sure that’s the point of the show. It isn’t a human melodrama – it’s just vignettes of survivors trying to survive and becoming a more cohesive group. It’s the show style – tell the story through showing, not telling. It’s like The Walking Dead with all of the scenes of human melodrama cut while still telling a story through violence and trauma rather than dialogue.
What a shitty way for William to go out. The dynamic between him an Sun was one of the more interesting parts of the show in my opinion. They just threw it away for nothing.
I agree with Wesley that for all the situations these characters go through, the is very little character development. They mostly just react to things and that’s it.
Rose is dead. Sort of like “Lost,” Rose was killed and living in a limbo scenario. Why is it that besides the armed guy in the checkered shirt the apparent only other stadium detainee is Rose’s daughter? How did she know her mother was there? Rose had imagined her daughter before and she does again in this limbo life. Otherwise, it was one of the stupidest endings ever.
i was actually quite getting into this series. sure, there were a few things that weren’t thought through properly but it did have real potential. as it’s not confirmed for a season 2, it would have been nice to have an actual ending. that ending was the lamest ending i’ve seen in a long time. the directors answered none of my questions, such as where are the other survivors? how did a kid survive and not the rest of the survivors? what are they all going to do now? how was the problem resolved? a good series was ruined by a bad ending.
This was pure unadulterated tripe almost from beginning to end.
I was set this as “homework” by a friend because he told me that it was six episodes of about 25 minutes each.
Next time I meet him there will be extreme retribution.
There was nothing original in this at all and I didn’t care about any of the cardboard cutout characters.
Bad writing can’t be saved by a few tense moments and some good camerawork.
2/10 may be harsh but fair.
Can’t disagree that it was a bad ending. The one thing I was thinking was why did it seem like they were in a small town with neighborhoods and grocery store and a school but then they end up in a big city. I remember Lance running the streets before he ended up in the grocery store and seeing fields in the distance. Did they film this in a canadian town and countryside then finished filming it in Edmonton with the tall buildings and large stadium? Anyways, season 2 is now available and i will check it out.