Photo: Ben Mark Holzberg benmark.ca/CBS
The Salvation finale aired Wednesday on CBS – and it was quite a ride! (Stay tuned for its review!) Hopefully this episode was a season finale and not a series finale. For one, the Salvation finale ended with a cliffhanger. Canceling a series without a real ending is the worst thing to do to viewers!
The Chances of a Salvation Renewal
CBS’s Salvation is a summer series that had a rocky start. However, since the pilot the series has more than proved its worth for a season two. Initially the storylines were anchored by an excellent ensemble cast that included: Santiago Cabrera, Jennifer Finnigan, Ian Anthony Dale, and Charlie Rowe. Their work really drew people in as the story itself was finding its legs. However, what could have been a totally high-concept show about an asteroid hitting earth turned into a more nuanced tale. Salvation is a show about political intrigues, relationships of all types, and questions about what makes us human.
The Ratings
Should fans of the show be worried? It’s hard to say. Five years ago I’d say there wasn’t a chance any of the shows this summer would be back. However, the ratings game has changed a lot since 2012. Nevertheless, Salvation is only slightly above the ratings for 3 canceled shows in the normal season: Training Day, Ransom, and Doubt.
On the other hand, the ratings for Salvation has averaged higher ratings than CBS’s new summer gameshow, Candy Crush, and of the scripted show Zoo, which just finished it’s 3rd season. Salvation also did better than last year’s American Gothic and Brain Dead (TVbytheNumbers). In the world of scripted summer dramas it’s one of the better new network performers beating out ABC’s Somewhere Between, and Still Star-crossed. Only Midnight, Texas on NBC has a higher demo average, but Salvation has more viewers (which is typical for CBS.)
Other Factors
Another thing CBS might be looking for are signs of viewer engagement. For instance, there are the number of fan videos that have popped up on Youtube. Salvation is an original series not based on books or comics. In its 13 weeks on air these brand new characters have sparked the creation of over 30 fan videos by over a dozen different viewers.
Then there’s the Salvation finale itself. The ending does answer some questions, but it’s still very open-ended as to what happens to these characters. It’s an intriguing cliffhanger that works as a stopping place – but would definitely bring viewers back next summer.
The Wrap Up: Will There Be A Salvation Season Two
What are your thoughts about the Salvation finale? Did you think the ending could work as a series finale? In the comments section you can share your views on the Salvation finale. Also, let us know if you are yea or nay for a Salvation season two!
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The finale definitely does *NOT* work as a series finale….
To tell a good story, you need to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A good ending offers closure.
And as you end one story, you can always move onto another… or you can let one story evolve into others, while still giving closure to existing stories.
But this season finale did not offer any closure at all… which is annoying because it felt like they were nearing a resolution at least to the initial story plot point (like within an episode or so), and there still would have been plenty of other hooks for a season 2.
All this show left me with was a feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment. I am not impressed.
My 2c.
I’d really like to see more seasons of Salvation. I don’t think that the ending was any sort of series finale. There were too many questions left unanswered.
I like the show as well, but that was not even a season ending. Shows with cliffhangers season endings don’t always return for s02. FlashForward is an excellent example. It was an ABC series that was well made, with a less than satisfying ending…with no season 2. Thanks ABC and now thanks CBS. Complete your stories in the future like Mark above suggested, u big dummies!
I could have seen many story endings here that would still allow for a great season 2.
1. The asteroid is redirected and everyone is saved. In season 2 it miraculously spins around the sun but this time will just miss Earth. Except it suddenly changes course and breaks apart, this time with all pieces heading towards North America. We inevitably later learn the Russians are paying us back good this time for Chelyabinsk, or wait, is it Re/Syst…we can’t seem to get to the truth.
2. We watch as nuclear war destroys much of the planet and ends with Salvation is in orbit. Season 2 Darius and Liam are in a race on our now chaotic post nuclear Earth to pass the right supplies, technology, and Darius himself to Salvation to make it ready to colonize Mars before Earth is finished off once and for all by the asteroid….or maybe they can stop the asteroid after all even with a large part of the electric grid and advanced technology destroyed by nuclear war.
3. Just like #2 except Liam is on Salvation from the beginning where he marries Jillian. Season 2 Liam manages to get the info to Darius on how to possibly stop the asteroid, And Darius does alone what he did with Liam in #2. Liam has to fix all the damage done to Salvation during a launch which improperly times too close to an exploding nuclear war head.
This message is too long, but my point is, it would have been very easy to stop this at a better place. Turds.
Ending a series without closure is like having a stroke or a heart attack. One just cannot speculate the outcome, it’s painful not knowing. Be it an eventful ending, everyone lives—or—doomsday for earth, it would be great to know what’s in the mind of the author. Very interesting.