So So Gay
Hit & Miss bows out this week in much the same fashion it came into the world, with an intense and provocative installment that left us begging for more. During its deceptively short run time, this original series has shown us more twists and turns than the proverbial roller coaster – thereby making the fairground a fitting and truly apt arena for Mia’s denouncement.
The episode starts in a truly intense fashion as Mia is confronted with one more glimpse of her past as she runs into her former family for a bleak and brutal reunion. The short yet aggressive scene is enough to make us take in just how damaged her character is. However, in a surprising shift in tone, Mia gives in to a rage we have rarely seen, as she conducts her latest assignment in a bloody and gory fashion. Seeing Mia as a victim was a jarring experience, but seeing her family and her work become her salvation was equally a pitch perfect moment of clarity.
As far as the wider family and cast goes there has been a mixed bag of little changes which has kept the drama at high tempo throughout. As Mia stands up to the ghosts of her past, she sees her family swell with the addition of her estranged mother to an already bumper cast of characters. Meanwhile a guilt ridden Riley finds herself falling into despair, but finds solace from two of the most unlikely sources imaginable.
In the final few minutes of the finale we were treated to one of the finest sequences we have had the pleasure to watch. Combining beauty and elegance with high tension, we were kept at the edge of our seat throughout as we saw our heroine in a rare moment of crisis. The second we came to the final bittersweet moments we had the proverbial light switch epiphany, and felt as though the whole series had been leading to this one moment – like a long line of dominoes which had been falling since the very first episode. It was heartbreaking and tense by turns and managed the rare feat of still surprising us up to the final moments of air time. The one downside we noted was the inevitable but still stinging cliff hanger, but it left us hopeful a second series would not be too far away.
As far as the episode has gone it was a truly fitting end for the series – although it feels like it has ended far too soon. As always Sevigny shined as Mia, and her desire to be a full and complete woman is hit home with every glance and motion. In anyone else’s hands Hit & Miss may have fallen into a despairing melodrama, but Sevigny’s sensitive yet honest portrayal have made it a joy to watch from start to finish. The prosthetic came back for one more vain attempt to artistically shock, but in an episode which did so many things correctly this is only a minor point to worry about.
We knew from that first episode that we were on to something special. We are happy to report that Hit & Miss managed to prove us right, and if there is any justice in the world there will be many more series to come.
