Almost exactly one year ago, the Paley Center in Beverly Hills hosted a special night in celebration of the ground-breaking police drama with a theological twist “Saving Grace.” Attending the celebration were creator/producer Nancy Miller, along with cast members Holly Hunter, Kenny Johnson, Bailey Chase, Gregory Cruz, Lorraine Toussaint, Laura San Giacomo, Dylan Minnette, and Yaani King. It was known at that time that the show’s third season would be its last, but despite the set end date, the show’s creator and cast were clearly very pleased with all they had accomplished.
During the Q&A session it was revealed how Nancy Miller came up with the concept for the show, as well as the diverse backgrounds for each of the characters that drew each of the cast members to the show. Holly Hunter was also quite outspoken about sex discrimination in Hollywood and why for her the chance to play Grace Hanadarko was the opportunity of a lifetime — to portray a female police detective as hardened and flawed as any male detective portrayed on screen.
“Saving Grace” had set out to portray a detective so consumed by anger over the death of her sister during the Oklahoma City bombing and her own dark childhood that it had taken her down a path of self-destruction so extreme that she was assigned her own personal “last chance” angel. The show was unapologetically sexual and violent — interspersed with unexpected moments of inspiration, joy, humor and tender-heartedness. It is a complex show of a jaded detective without a clue that she needed redemption. Yet, clearly divine intervention was needed and her “last chance” angel Earl was sent to help her wrestle with and conquer her inner turmoil.
Tonight marks the 2 hour series finale and we will finally see if Earl’s efforts paid off. But for all of us who watched this remarkable and fearless show, we celebrate the journey and the life lessons it shared. It invited us to experience Grace’s new-found sense of self-value and self-determination and how a little help from a higher power can give us all a fresh start.
“Saving Grace” airs from 9-11 p.m. on TNT.
I just finished watching the last 2 episodes of Saving Grace. I loved the ending…where Good…and self-sacrifice…triumphs over ‘evil’. The only thing I would have changed is the very end. I think that Earl should have taken Grace by the hand and led her to Heaven. The end…with just a picture of Earl was a little too abrupt. But loved the series..and overall…loved the way you ended it!
Grace was never more clear-headed than when she tossed that cigar into the fuel-soaked fertilizer. She knew she was out of bullets and that she had to stop the evil man (devil?) standing in front of her from carrying out his nefarious plan to create another devastating bombing like the one he participated in that killed her sister. It was not suicide as much as an act of self-sacrifice to save many more lives. This was God’s plan for. It was what Earl had been sent to prepare her for. She would be called upon to stare down the evilest of evil and make the hard decision to stop him no matter whatever it took. She embraced her destiny. Her fearlessness was awesome to behold.
i just finished watching the final two episodes of saving grace and it was written perfectly. The everyday fight between good and evil. Grace said her goodbyes and her i love yous to everyone she has delt with in the series. In the end was it good that prevailed or was it grace’s mental state that lead her to suicide or was it the devil? these are the things that will never be answered. it would have been nice to see grace with earl walking that beach to her heaven. overall great show ending.