What went wrong with ‘Emergence’ Episode 13? ABC freshman series' finale is the least-viewed episode to date
ABC’s ‘Emergence’ was one of the most-discussed fall television series of 2020. The first season of the mystery-thriller concluded last week after airing 13 intriguing episodes.
Although Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas's creation has earned an audience score of 82% with 223 in user rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Episode 13 of ‘Emergence’, ‘Killshot Pt. 2’ only managed to achieve 1.9 million total viewers as its rating inched downward to 0.3. The last episode was the least-viewed one, making ‘Emergence’ ABC’s lowest-rated freshman series.
This makes us wonder what exactly happened with ‘Emergence’. Why did the show fail to attract as many viewers towards the end of its course on television? Or, did it lose pace as it progressed owing to many reasons, which have been obvious? Although ‘Emergence’ started off on an interesting note, by effortlessly showcasing the unusual kinship between a bot and a human, the series couldn’t maintain a tight plot throughout. It came to a point where the show held onto tightly to its mystery factor so much that the actual story arc was being sidelined.
‘Emergence’ witnessed the rise and fall of several evil forces, of which a few were simply written off without achieving a clear ending. For instance, just when we clutched at straws hoping Richard Kindred (Terry O’Quinn) to make for the quintessential villain, the makers decided to get him killed by his own daughter Emily Cox (Maria Dizzia). Agreed this move added an edge to the series, by shedding light on the prowess of the villain, but didn’t he deserve a better ending? One of the most influential men was conveniently killed in the federal unit and that marked the end of his journey.
‘Emergence’ was also an intellectual show, which presented several complex issues pertaining to technology that weren’t easy to grasp and mostly unclear. Considering it was airing on a medium that’s in crisis since the advent of the highly competitive streaming sites, it could have come across as complicated for a conventional audience to understand.
Magic is thrilling, yes. We could never get enough of Piper’s (Alexa Swinton) display of her superpowers. But, the manner in which ‘Emergence’ showcased her overall existence was a wizardry overload.
Do you think ‘Emergence’ deserves a season 2? Or, should the makers end it with its final story arc?