The fifth and sixth season of this show were not really up to the standards set by the previous seasons and the news that the seventh was to be the last didn't really upset me much as it seemed about right. I did worry that this season would be a rather weak end to the show though but mostly it avoids that. Using the cancellation of the show within the show as the frame for the season the show gets a decent structure around which to build other plot lines and of course throwaway silliness. This is important as it prevents some of the silliness which overwhelmed the show in previous seasons and reduced how funny it actually was able to be.
In this case though the structure provides a good base for everyone to do what they always have done to good effect. There isn't much new in here but it still feels fresh and regularly funny when the characters do the things we know they will do. So Liz is Liz, Jack is Jack, Tracey is Tracey and so on. It works well for the most part and it is only when the plot needs to come to a head for the final few episodes that it doesn't feel quite as solid but even then it works pretty well. The cast are all on very good form indeed and they benefit from less silliness and plenty of very good lines and scenes throughout the season. The many guest stars I could perhaps have done without because they often bring little more than novelty to their bit – apart from Conan O'Brien, whose appearance made me wonder why they bothered using something with such terrible split-screen effects.
Overall though this is a solid final season. The structure of the plots hold it together and provides control in the middle of silly bits and plenty of good lines. Again not as good as it was at its best but certainly not disappointing; a good way for all the characters to bow out.
In this case though the structure provides a good base for everyone to do what they always have done to good effect. There isn't much new in here but it still feels fresh and regularly funny when the characters do the things we know they will do. So Liz is Liz, Jack is Jack, Tracey is Tracey and so on. It works well for the most part and it is only when the plot needs to come to a head for the final few episodes that it doesn't feel quite as solid but even then it works pretty well. The cast are all on very good form indeed and they benefit from less silliness and plenty of very good lines and scenes throughout the season. The many guest stars I could perhaps have done without because they often bring little more than novelty to their bit – apart from Conan O'Brien, whose appearance made me wonder why they bothered using something with such terrible split-screen effects.
Overall though this is a solid final season. The structure of the plots hold it together and provides control in the middle of silly bits and plenty of good lines. Again not as good as it was at its best but certainly not disappointing; a good way for all the characters to bow out.