The Show's Original Era Shift Ends Here...Or should Have?
I don't know if this episode was exactly the final episode of the original era's run but it sure felt so, with the tieing together of the ongoing Gary/Sam angle and the pulling out all the stops for a far slightly edgier episode. I'd have expected the tank of ideas to be running extremely low indeed at this point, so it twas a nice surprise to see them seemingly ending on such a high point. Basically great premise and very engaging characters.
This show always cleverly took a page out of Stephen King's book, in the taking of everyday situations and places and putting them in a new context and this one was by far the last most interesting one they came up with.
Add to that the extra risks they took in how far the Villain (one of the most memorable make up jobs in the shows' history) could go, yes an actual semi-death toll the likes of which was rarely done as close to the line as this.
Along with another of the show's best genuinely grounded, endearing budding romances and you have quite the high note to seemingly end on. I see the actress who played the adorable workaholic, Amanda did rather well after it. The actor who played goof of goofs, Corny Colin was one of the most enthusiastic, animated, expressive and genuinely relatedly funny young male actors the show ever produced. He maybe even had a touch of Ashton Kutcher to him. His character's art of persistence was inspiring and well matched by his exaggerated comic timing, such delivery of lines like "Not anymore...he's like...really dead" must be seen to be believed. He is a true inspiration to geek empowerment.
All this stuff in the proverbial nut shell made for one of the last truly memorable episodes ever produced. This episode's shift will never be over in my heart. Hope You enjoyed the Hosp-bite-tilities!