Lately, because of blatant politicizing of most U.S.-based drama as of late, I have been looking for dramas from around the world. When I stumbled across Amber, I thought I hit gold. As a rule, I don't read reviews of shows because I don't want to inadvertently read about any spoilers. It was a captivating take on asynchronous method of storytelling, with each episode encompassing an arc of the many months involving the action of the activities of the family of a missing teen girl. Coincidentally named the same as the AMBER alert in the United States, this show was very well done, with each episode resulting in a closure of other missing girls, though not of the main protagonist.
Unfortunately, this series ended on an abrupt note. The disposition of the main protagonist girl, Amber, was never resolved. When I read the reviews, it seemed the overwhelming complaint was the lack of resolution. The writer and the main star both proclaimed this to be the intent of the production, as "real life doesn't always end in happy endings."
Endings don't have to end in happy resolutions, and in fact COULD intentionally end up open-ended as Amber did, but the METHOD in doing so should not be at the expense of the viewer's expectations. One watches shows and dramas expecting resolutions, either bad or good, sad or happy, and in some cases, unknowing but with a strong sense of characters either moving on or succumbing to the pain or emotions. In fact, real life DOES bring about many circumstances that don't have resolutions, but the main function of a show is to provide a dramatical ending.
(Quantum Leap was another show that had a disappointing ending, but at least there was clarity of what happened at the end, unlike Amber.)
My own take was that this was a show that should have demanded a second series. The point was they had a very captivating drama, engaging actor chemistry, and wonderful execution of the scripting and asynchronicity of the plot. I felt they had enough plot to last at least 4 more episode, perhaps 6 more to give it a proper 10-episode arc, and enough to engage some sort of ending. And while we can have solace to a degree that several other girls who were murdered or trafficked had resolutions to their own issues, shirking the main protagonist does more to annoy me than to sadden, anger, humor, or cheer me, each of which should really be the goal of every telestory.
I hope a reboot of this show is done, but with a more sustained plot and resolution at the end.
Unfortunately, this series ended on an abrupt note. The disposition of the main protagonist girl, Amber, was never resolved. When I read the reviews, it seemed the overwhelming complaint was the lack of resolution. The writer and the main star both proclaimed this to be the intent of the production, as "real life doesn't always end in happy endings."
Endings don't have to end in happy resolutions, and in fact COULD intentionally end up open-ended as Amber did, but the METHOD in doing so should not be at the expense of the viewer's expectations. One watches shows and dramas expecting resolutions, either bad or good, sad or happy, and in some cases, unknowing but with a strong sense of characters either moving on or succumbing to the pain or emotions. In fact, real life DOES bring about many circumstances that don't have resolutions, but the main function of a show is to provide a dramatical ending.
(Quantum Leap was another show that had a disappointing ending, but at least there was clarity of what happened at the end, unlike Amber.)
My own take was that this was a show that should have demanded a second series. The point was they had a very captivating drama, engaging actor chemistry, and wonderful execution of the scripting and asynchronicity of the plot. I felt they had enough plot to last at least 4 more episode, perhaps 6 more to give it a proper 10-episode arc, and enough to engage some sort of ending. And while we can have solace to a degree that several other girls who were murdered or trafficked had resolutions to their own issues, shirking the main protagonist does more to annoy me than to sadden, anger, humor, or cheer me, each of which should really be the goal of every telestory.
I hope a reboot of this show is done, but with a more sustained plot and resolution at the end.