Yesterday Was The Stunning Series Finale

Note: I had intended to publish this yesterday but was unable to do so. I apologize. Regardless, I hope you find it to be a unique and entertaining take on the 2016 election.


Tonight, tens of millions of Americans will tune in to the stunning series finale of 2016, one of the most groundbreaking dramas currently on television. Anticipation has been ramping up for weeks, as the writers delivered one twist after another, leaving audiences with mouths agape, wondering what could possibly be next.

It started straightforward enough, back in Season One, with a cast of confident Republicans vying to take on the anointed Democratic nominee. But one character, Donald Trump, who started out as a seemingly minor character whose sole purpose seemed to be comic relief and an added source of tension, quickly grew to dominate the show. Whether his increasing role was the result of widespread popularity among some fans, or the writers’ intention from the beginning, has remained a secret, but he quickly shook up a sharply divided primary election, surging into the lead.

One by one, he cut down his Republican challengers. Many of the actors in those roles gave critically acclaimed performances, although those portraying the characters of Jeb Bush and John Kasich have been criticized as being “wooden” and “low-energy”. But overall, Season One—the pre-primary season—offered twists and turns that left the viewer eagerly anticipating what was to come.

And the second season did not disappoint. It kicked off with high drama on caucus night in Iowa, where Ted Cruz turned against Trump, his erstwhile ally, and won the first state in the grueling slog to 1,237 delegates. His victory was quickly beset by accusations that he had stolen votes from rival Ben Carson, by publicizing a CNN report that Carson was planning to exit the race. Trump, meanwhile, took the lead in the delegate count with a quick succession of victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.

Trump and Cruz returned as season regulars, joined by John Kasich, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina in a recurring role. Marco Rubio also initially started the season as a regular, but his character felt increasingly robotic and underappreciated, and he was finally written off the show following a dismal primary showing in his home state of Florida.

Hillary Clinton also returned as a series regular on the Democratic side, joined on the second season by Bernie Sanders—who defied expectations by winning several primaries and offering Clinton a strong challenge from the left. Despite this, he could not ultimately overcome the Clinton machine, and by the end of the season had dropped out of the race and endorsed his former opponent.

By the final episodes of the second season, only Trump, Cruz, and Kasich remained in the Republican race—with many TV critics and fans alike wondering why Kasich had not been removed from the show long ago. Plot devices to make the character more compelling and relevant, including a brief strategic alliance with the Cruz campaign, felt contrived and overdone, and were quietly abandoned.

Still, apart from Kasich, the final episodes of the second season were strong, guaranteeing renewal. Cruz declared a major victory in Wisconsin, but was ultimately overcome in the Indiana primary and conceded defeat—though not before offering a defiant, impromptu speech declaring what he really thought of Donald Trump. The season ended with Trump the presumptive Republican nominee, ready to face Hillary Clinton in the fall.

The third season premiere was perhaps the most dramatic to date, with a showdown and near riot on the floor of the Republican National Convention over a proposed rules package. Forces opposed to Donald Trump joined with party loyalists and conservative stalwarts to attempt to force a roll call vote, a dramatic yet ultimately futile struggle that has quickly become one of the defining episodes of the series. And in the very next episode, Ted Cruz returned in a special guest role to offer a dramatic speech in primetime, pointedly refusing to endorse his former primary rival in the face of hundreds of furious delegates.

The third season has had plenty of twists and turns of its own, some better than others—from the three vicious presidential debates, to the bombshell release of tapes in which Trump was recorded bragging about sexual assault—and the flood of Republicans denouncing him, and the women who claimed that he had assaulted them, as a result. Tensions have only increased even further in the last couple episodes, as it was revealed that the FBI was reopening the investigation into Clinton’s mishandling of classified information while Secretary of State, an investigation believed to have been permanently closed at the end of Season Two.

And tonight, all will be revealed. According to the show, the race has tightened once again to within the margin of error in many polls, although Trump is still seen as the billionaire underdog. (It is a tribute to the writers of 2016 that the phrase “billionaire underdog” makes any sense at all in this context.)

Additionally, the fate of Congress and the Supreme Court hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, #NeverTrump Republicans continue to flock to the independent candidacy of Evan McMullin, who hopes to throw the election to the House and become, in the process, the first independent candidate for President to win statewide in decades.

Will he succeed? Will Hillary Clinton be elected the first woman president? Or will the late reversal by the FBI usher in a President Trump? Tune in tonight at 7/6c for the special, extended series finale of 2016.