For some reason, going into this show I thought it was meant as a one-off series from the start. Not really a mini-series, but at least have the first season be a complete story with all the answers we’d want. Well, clearly I was wrong or misinformed.
I’m not really sure what to say about the finale beyond that it was severely disappointing. I’m not all that surprised, given that the network beat the show around in the second half of the season, even deciding not to waste its bandwidth with one of the episodes. I still had hope, though, that the payoff would be worth the wait. It just wasn’t.
Let me start with “the plan” put together to fool the big brother people into thinking they were killing each other. As soon as McNair took that fall from — what, ten feet? — I knew something was afoul. I mean, if a guy can die from that height, then Michael Jordan is immortal. So when one of the body bags began to open in the van, it was no surprise at all. I simply hung my head in disappointment at how telegraphed it was, then move on to complete face-palm when everyone thought it was a great idea to cause the van to crash.
What followed only got worse. Suddenly Moira and Erika are in … Morocco? Blackham and Charlie are barreling down the highway, conveniently by Mark and Kat? What the hell? How did everyone get where they wound up? It was totally bizarre.
How about Blackham suddenly mentioning Charlie’s wife’s name, making everyone’s eyebrows raise a little. Only, in the end, it meant jack squat. It pretty much just points to the fact that the show was really meant to go on for more seasons, where we’d learn about that and more. Like, for example, who Neal a.k.a. Patchy was and why he was so happy to see Joe get comeuppance.
How about the white room, where we saw Joe for a couple of episodes in a row and then McNair here? What exactly did that do anyway? It didn’t seem to affect Joe at all, except for a brief period of time. McNair looked to be a bit dazed from the ordeal, but we don’t know anything beyond that.
Tired of me hammering this show yet? Oh, there’s more. How about Robert Picardo with the billowing, ghost-white hair? What in the hell? Did anyone else guffaw at that? Alright, a minor detail to harp on, but at that point in the episode, I was sitting back and rubbernecking at the auto wreck before me. I could go on and on.
Lastly, of course, we’ve got the mysterious floating “level two” that we’ll never see happen. On a cargo ship with a … hotel on board? And Tori really is alive? Honestly, if I had known we’d get no answers and merely an advertisement for a never-to-be-seen second season for this show, I wouldn’t have bothered to continue past when we knew this season was the show’s last. To think at one point I’d considered stating that the show Blew the Hatch when Joe was discovered as a mole. Seems so long ago and unimportant at this point, doesn’t it?
Maybe, if enough of you find it’s a worthwhile pursuit, I’ll attempt to contact series creator Christopher McQuarrie, to see what he had planned for the rest of the show. It would be nice to know what the Program’s endgame was, but so far I’m thinking it wouldn’t be all that thrilling or surprising. Any thoughts on that? Should I reach out and see if I can get answers? What did you think of the finale and the show in general?
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Aug 28, 2010 @ 22:48 EST5EDT
I wasn’t too disappointed in the finale. While we didn’t get answers to everything, that was kinda the point of the show. There is this mystery organization out there and we know that. What we didn’t find out is the specifics about the organization. I’m ok with that. In the end, the organization won. The program continued.
That was the resolution.
I figured Tori was alive. Loved that she ended up behind the desk. Makes a lot of sense and a great way to show us.
I’m glad I watched. I would love to see more and/or hear what future seasons would have held for us.
CJ and I watched together. I am hugely disappointed. I told her we should try to get you to reach out and get answers. So, yes. Do that! I am not even ready to talk about it I’m do disappointed. Didn’t I say “all will be revealed” would be a huge NBC overstatement? Just like The Event will be hoards of angry viewers crashing through the front doors of NBC Studios. Just argh.
My first guess was that they would all pretend to be dead and jump into the body bags to make an escape. Then I thought they would have their thumbs cut off. CJ reminded me it wasn’t the program that chopped off the thumbs. However, I changed my tune watching Moira crush Erika on the piano. I wanted it all to be more. As usual, I was wrong.
Why in the hell were Moira and Erika in Morocco? That had to be one of the dumbest moments of the hour, and we were hardly hurting for competition for the title.
Totally agree about the comment on Charlie’s wife’s name. I thought cameras were watching them, and that he was another Joe. But we’ll never know.
We will never know why mom was involved for eons, or why she gave her back to the program.
We’ve known Tori was alive for quite some time. She was the nurse in the episode where Joe was hooked up to the wires. I guess she really bought into the program and got promoted. Seems they don’t have many people on staff buying into their crap.
I was wondering who the hell that was with the long white hair. I knew I recognized him but couldn’t place it. It just showed that the program was bigger than we knew, and will now always be bigger and we will never know.
We’ll also never know why the ambassador and the newspaper woman are being held in cages. Cages! I mean really.
I’m surprised so many people actually made it to level 2. Not that we’ll ever know what Level 2 IS! You are not alone, I could not be more dissatisfied with this ending. “All will be revealed.” Make them reveal, Keith. Make them reveal!!!
Robert Picardo with white hair seem to me to be a reference to Julian Assange. At least I could not get the idea out of my head.
Totally agree!!! Find out more! What the hell just happened? Seriously. I’ve never been more confused. WTF? Morocco? How the hell did that happen? All that was revealed was more questions! Blackum and Charlie’s wife’s name?! How? What? Cages in the middle of nowhere? I’ve been going crazy trying to think who that long hair dude at the legion of doom was. Arggghhhhh! What the hell is the deal with that mom/madame director thing? Were they in the program together? Do they shop at the same grocery store? HOW DO THEY KNOW EACH OTHER? It seemed like they were going to reveal stuff and then everything that wouldn’t make any sense happened in one of the most confusing hours of TV in history. Is Kat dead? Why didn’t that dude STAY IN THE ROOM WITH JANET?! Has he ever seen a horror movie? Once you split up you’re done! AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!
TLDNR I know, but holy crap! I need somebody to tell me what is going on. I want you to keep your promise NBC! I want everything, right down to what the actors’ favourite 80s song is, revealed! And in a timely manner!
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!
I was sitting there going, “There’s no way that’s Robert Picardo. My eyes have got to just be playing tricks on me.”
But alas.
Can’t argue with you much, here, Keith. This was a wholly disappointing way to end things.
Anyone catch that Jonathan Frakes directed? I think he did two or three, and Tim Matheson did a couple as well. If only the writing was as good as the direction.
I’m all for more answers!
Loved the show but disappointed that we will never get to know what “the Program” is or answers to the many questions that have come up during the 13 episodes… =0(
I thought the series was awesome!! I looked forward to it every week. And I thought it was going to be a deal like harper’s island, and at the end everything would be revealed. But man, that ending just left me dying for more!! I wonder if enough people write about the want for another season if they powers that be would be willing to consider it. I mean, it is summer! And it’s a saturday night! Most people will be out enjoying whatever. Give it a chance during the week (I know it originally started on monday) but during the regular season. I really believe it’s a remarkable show. Not many shows out there that are full of such mystery and intrigue and complex story plots, especially since 24 and Lost are off the air. We need a show like this! I hope something more happens!
Just wanted to add I found a petition online to save the show in case anyone is interested.
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/persons-unknown-petition/
:)
Ok so who is Robert Picardo?
‘who Neal a.k.a. Patchy was’ — that’d be the first night manager. The patch is from when Joe beat him up. That’s why he was happy to taze him.
Such a disappointed finale.
I think Keith meant why Neal suddenly became so important and what his background was. However, Keith, I think Neal had a bone to pick with Joe because Joe is the one who beat him up forcing the need for the patch.
X: Picardo is a great genre character actor, most notably as the Doctor on Star Trek Voyager.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000585/
The ending was meant to tie things up. Since the show was getting cancelled, they did the best they could. Their best was horrible. It seems we are getting a lot of shows lately that have a good plot to start out the series, but end up not knowing where to go. I think the networks should really look into where new shows see themselves going. I understand that the writers had no idea if they would get to see things through, but I blame them for a awful ending. Level 2… you’re better than that !! And a ship is supposed to be more ominous I suppose than a town? Both have hotels, both are in the middle of nowhere, how is this even level 2? Oh my, it was raining out, and the waves, did you see those waves?
My main question is this, cameras are everywhere, really? Even in the desert where Charlie and Blackham were camping out, really? That was just too much to take. And what was the purpose of the whole experiment anyway? Lets see how long the audience wil actually watch this? This show had great potential but went down faster than a…. insert punchline of choice here. But hey, at least the writers have some cash in their pockets now. Us? Like Keith said, left out to dry on a ship of “lost souls”… that was actually the name of the ship by the way. I know the show was free, but I feel they owe me money somehow. And, I want it back.
Just saw the final episode. What a gargantuan waste of time this series was. I skipped an episode here and there and really glad I did so. The characters were pretty dull. The writers and producers should never work again.
I watched because I thought they could do something interesting with the free will debate but they never did. Oh well…
This show is way too much like Prison Break. The characters slip in and out of tight situations, there’s a secret organization basicly running the world behind the scenes, there seems to be no end in sight and that’s sad. I agree the show had a pathetic ending, come on “Level 2″. Also they have the Grahm torturing him which is shocking to me because out of all the characters he’s should be the most skilled in evading his enemies.
Next season will have to do a lot to impress me. Bring on Finge!
I really liked this show and still liked it until the last 15 minutes!!! They set it up for another season, however that’s probably not going to happen. I thought I’d watch “The Event” but there’s NO WAY I will watch it now! Now I know why my favorite shows are on ABC and why Medium has moved from NBC! You suck NBC!
YES, YES, YES… Please do a followup interview with Christopher McQuarrie!!! (Maybe he could release a secret Program memo which will REALLY answer all our questions…or something like that)
I feel like I’m missing something after seeing his pedigree in imdb — how could he have written THIS? And promised to reveal all in interviews?!?!
Persons unknown was not a waste of time i loved it and i hope theres a season two,and as for the tv series lost it was by far the best tv show ever,people who didnt like these two shows are ignorant and just dont have a mind to think with to get to the big picture
They’re dead – they haven’t made it to heaven or hell (lost souls) – The cages are hell – The director is God – The cameras are the eyes of God.
I enjoyed the show until this last episode and the weak answers.