Finales

Tis the season for television finales and, per the usual, some shows are hitting the mark and others are going out with a whimper. Two high profile network TV shows concluded seasons last night and both finished on a reasonably high note although one had a very up-and-down second season.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC) crowned Hynes Ward as the champion last night. Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers football star, beat out Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane in a year which featured some of the best celebrity dancers in DWTS history.

Ward and his partner, Kym Johnson, displayed a strong chemistry throughout Season 10, so much so that the rumor media mills had the two as a potential couple off of the dance floor. Ward brought an athlete's mentality to the competition and was praised throughout the season for his preparation and solid technique.

DWTS has built a loyal viewership among the older adult demo and succeeded this season after a less-than-stellar group of competitors in Season Nine.

As for Glee, the hit show on FOX stumbled throughout this second season following the kids from McKinley High. The show capitalized on the talent of the actors and became much more about the singing and dancing than the life lesson stories which highlighted last season. New actors, most notably Darren Criss, received increasing air time throughout this season and a guest appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow went on for far too long. Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester character moved from acerbic to downright mean for most of Season Two and Chris Colfer's Kurt was reduced to a complementary role until late in the season.

Last night's Glee ended with a bit of a twist yet also nicely tied a bow around this hodge-podge Season Two storyline. The network knows it has a franchise hit on its hands and is playing it a bit safe in prep for next year's Season Three.

Over on CBS, perhaps the best drama on television, The Good Wife, finished its first season last week with a juicy ending. Julianna Margulies' character, Alicia Florrick, finally succumbed to her attraction for Will Gardner (played by Josh Charles.) The couple enters a hotel room only to have the camera pan back to an empty hallway, yet a hallway where the question seems to be "is somebody watching?" In a show with a topical storyline, terrific ensemble cast, and Margulies' stoic brilliance, The Good Wife will be much anticipated next fall.