It’s finally here, the episode McSwarek fans have been waiting for. After 6 years of complicated and messy relationship drama the writers have put us through, Andy and Sam finally said ‘I do’. Of course the road to the aisle wasn’t as smooth as we would like. It is Andy and Sam after all, nothing about their relationship is smooth or easy.
Let’s talk about other characters and storylines first. We’ll get to the wedding later. Lots of funny and memorable moments this week, with the return of some familiar faces. Celery was back, as well as Sam’s father Jay and Detective Frankie Anderson. She came back to help Traci and Gail with a murder case right before the wedding, which meant maid of honor duties were being delegated to Chloe, Chris and Dov.
Case of the week happened to be a rather underwhelming one. No big arrests or interrogation. It turns out the victim tripped and fell and managed to bash her head open with a hammer at the same time. Even though Frankie, Traci and Gail were hard at work trying to solve the case, it was Chloe who helped close it. The scenes between the four women were part of the highlights of the episode.
I loved the banter between Gail and Frankie. Do I see them as a couple? Not really. Even though they slept together at the end of the episode, I think it’s more of a fling than a budding romance. I think they would be great friends and colleagues, but their personalities are too similar for them to be in a relationship.
Gail’s storyline this season revolved around the adoption and dealing with Steve’s role in the evidence room explosion. It has been a tough season for Gail, but these storylines proved that Gail came out on the other side a better person and police officer. I’m proud of what the character has become, and if the show does get renewed, I can’t wait to see how she would terrorize her new rookie.
After Oliver’s brief stint back in blue, he’s decided to put on the white shirt again. This way, there is no need to introduce a new character and everybody gets to stay in 15 except for Duncan. I’m glad Dov got promoted to Detective in-training and Traci as the new head of Guns and Gangs. Everybody is moving on, with the rest of the original rookies becoming TOs. It’s about time as the original TOs (Sam, Oliver and Noelle) have moved on too.
I’m bummed that Noelle and Frank did not return for the wedding. It’s probably due to scheduling on the actors’ part, but it would be great if the old gang returned for the finale.
Very little Nick in this episode, but what we got to see was a treat. His scenes were shared with Andy, helping her sew her wedding dress and lending Andy his sunglasses as “something borrowed”. It was really sweet and reminded me of the great potential between the two characters. Nick is off to Vancouver, for how long, we don’t know. If there is a next season, will the character be back? I’m fairly confident he will be because the fans love Nick and it would be a mistake to write him off.
Sadly, I don’t have much to say about Chris. Nothing was discussed in this episode, no mentions of Jamie or anything. Chris’s storylines in this season and the last are the most disappointing in the history of the show. Poorly written and limited screen time like the character was chucked to the side.
Let’s talk about Sam and Andy. Andy was met with one problem after another on her way to her wedding. First she had to drive herself to the wedding venue, picked up a suspicious hitchhiker on the way, then her truck got stolen by the girl and her phone’s battery died while she was trying to save a man’s life in the middle of nowhere. But she made it to her own wedding at the end. Better late than never, right? It’s a TV show after all.
Special shout out to Duncan for saving the day. It was the only time I liked him. When it was revealed that he would be transferring out of 15, I did not feel bad at all. Sorry not sorry.
Throughout the episode Sam was really worried about Andy’s whereabouts. Even though Jay appeared unannounced for his wedding and tried to scare him (intentionally or not, I don’t know. What do you think?) into thinking Andy had ran away, he did not doubt her at all.
6 years. Fans have devoted their time and energy to the show and their favourite characters for 6 seasons, coming up with theories and waiting patiently over the breaks for each season premieres. We laughed and cried with the characters, we loved and hated certain storylines, but at the end of the day, it all led to this moment.
Not exactly a fairytale but they’ve made it, as husband and wife. The wedding scene was beautiful and the vows were heartfelt. I’m not a hardcore McSwarek fan, but I’ll admit there were tears in my eyes when I watched the scene. I can imagine McSwarek fans all over the world crying in joy. I’m really glad fans who are invested in these characters and their storylines got the happy ending they deserve.
All in all, it was a great episode. No cliffhangers, no unhappy characters and no leaving the viewers with a gap in our hearts asking “what now?”. It felt final, everything wrapped up in a nice bow in case there isn’t a 7th season. It could be seen as the end, but also leaving room for a new beginning.
If you asked me at the end of season 5 if they should continue the show after the 6th, I’d say they shouldn’t. But after watching this season, I wouldn’t mind one more. With the original rookies moving up the ranks, they are sort of starting over as rookies. It is the theme for the show, isn’t it? To screw up and make mistakes, then learn and grow from those mistakes. I’d definitely be interested in another season, to see how the rookies would perform as new TOs. It’ll be fun to watch.
And if ABC doesn’t renew the show, I’m also okay with that. This episode could definitely be seen as the series finale.
I’d like to thank all of you for reading and commenting throughout the season. It has been a ride and I hope it doesn’t end here. Let me know your thoughts on the finale and if you’d like another season, or do you think it is time to hang up the uniforms for good?
