Our rating system this season consists of six raters and three back-up raters! We took the average of six raters and came up with an average for that episode. Based on ratings of 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest, the average of this episode was:
9.17
Please be aware that some reviews may contain spoilers! Some of the comments given were:
Xanadu said:
This is a wonderful ending! I love these characters and have enjoyed "seeing" them in my mind's eye. You two really cut a piece outta life! Thank you!
RATING: 10
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Morris J. Finkle said:
First of all, let me apologize for taking so long to submit my actual review of this final chapter. I have been distracted by a number of personal crises of late, and I wanted to get a clearer mind before giving my comments on this wonderful story. With that said:
What a heart-wrenching and emotional "saga" this was! Now that the story is complete, there are a few things I can comment on: first, I really like the idea of having Sam leap into Walt Disney World. It's such a 180 from the darker and much tougher leaps Sam has experienced in recent years. Jennie and Eleiece's descriptions of the Magic Kingdom and the popular attractions were very accurate; they brought back a lot of memories for me.
Although I was raised as a Catholic and I do believe in God, I have to admit that I'm not very "religious," especially when it comes to prayer and quoting Scripture, etc. In that sense, the story often sounded a bit "preachy" to me (no offense intended at all). HOWEVER, the entire scene with Sam talking to Russ really got to me on a deeper level. I can most definitely relate to Russ' feelings of "emptiness" and loss of direction; the not knowing how to reach deep into one's self and let the answers flow from within. I will say, though, a minor quibble I had with the first half of Part 4 was the repitition of some of Russ' inner dialogue and feelings concerning his parents. Also, even though the balcony scene was intense and very emotional, I felt it might have been dragged out just a tiny bit longer than it should have been. I've mentioned it in a previous review that as great as this story was and how greatly it was written, I felt the entire thing could have been told in half the amount of time. Some of the stuff that was written was not "essential" to the main plot, particularly the "showcasing" of Disney World's star attractions. Still, all in all, this storyline was a welcome change of pace from the darker and more depressing plotlines that have been emerging over the past year.
Finally, the "voices"; is this a portent of things to come? It almost makes me wonder if Sam is still being "manipulated" somewhat (re: last season's story arc). For some reason, I'm imagining that "taunting" voice in bold to be the "dark" side of Sam himself, telling himself that he's a failure. I'm not sure if this was the writers' intentions, but it's how I interpreted everything, at least.
Overall, an excellent first "official" VS entry by Jennifer. She and Eleiece seem to make a good writing team, and I look forward to reading more from both of them in the near future!
RATING: 9.5
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Sporty said:
A great ending to a great story. I like how Russ and Sam both got over their "demons." A great story all around. Great job!
RATING: 8.0
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Allie Cat said:
Another very nice story. What a neat way to end it! This part got me tearing up! You gals did it to me again! Being a BIG Al-coholic, I absolutely loved reading Sam's talking to Russ seen from Al's point of view. I also like that Al's and Howie's faith made them friends. I wonder if the two of them will ever meet again. Now that would be nice to see in a future episode.
A couple of points, though. It's evident that neither of you gals are Catholic, as there are a couple of things that didn't fit for me, who is a Catholic. The first of which is the notes in the margins of Al's Bible. A traditional Catholic (and Al likely would be traditional, given that he grew up during the pre-Vatican II years) would NEVER write in their family Bible's margins. Most family Bibles have been blessed by a priest and therefore are considered holy. To write in the margins of a blessed Bible would be considered disrespectful of the Word of God and possibly even sacrilegious. The only writing in a family Bible should be in the middle section where the family's faith history is recorded (baptisms, marriages, etc.). However, notes written on separate pieces of paper and slipped into the pages for safekeeping and future review are okay. Also, you can write in the margins of an unblessed Bible, as long as it is relevant to the Word of God.
The second point isn't as big. Catholics celebrate Mass and attend Church. The Mass is the consecration of the Holy Eucharist and the receiving of the Holy Eucharist. Church includes Mass and the reading of Scripture.
Still, what a marvelously inspiring story, ladies! I commend you both! It makes me want to go to the Nights of Joy right now! But since I can't, I give you a traditional and universal blessing:
The Lord Bless you and keep you. The Lord shine His face upon you and grant you peace.
RATING: 9.5
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Vince Beckett said:
This was a good ending to an epic story. Hopefully this will help Sam in the future and make him realize that he's not perfect and can only do so much.
RATING: 9.0
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Gooshie said:
Well, the quadrilogy is complete. What an excellent ending! It sure was nice to see Sam have a successful leap after three episodes of doubt about the results. This episode was written as well as the other three and done quite seemlessly.
I hope to read more from both of you in the future.
RATING: 9.0
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The Virtual Seasons Team
