![]() Since this is a manifestation conjured up by Jefferson’s subconscious it shows that he does believe in himself even if he has managed to convince himself that there’s nothing to believe in. In his mind he’s made no progress and achieved nothing in his continued efforts to stop Tobias but his father points out that he has everything he needs and has what it takes to win. Cutting back and forth between the young and present day Jefferson helps illustrate the point that Jefferson feels lost and hopeless. In this case he’s worried about being no better than Tobias but the manifestation of his father highlights the qualities that make them nothing alike and assures him that the man he has become makes him the one who can stop him. ![]() It ties into Jefferson’s mental struggles over the course of the season, particularly when it comes to his perception of his own worth. The conversation he has with a manifestation of his father is particularly strong. This serves as a reminder of his dynamic with Gambi where Gambi would be the one who would do everything he could to prevent Jefferson from crossing the line. The young Jefferson being unsettled by what he has done reinforces his values at the later stage in his life where he still finds killing unpalatable. As always Gambi is there to support him and tell him that he had no other choice which matches up with his pragmatic approach to dealing with problems. ![]() There are attempts to compensate for this through flashbacks that interrogate his values and foreshadow him eventually killing Tobias by detailing the first time he killed someone by using his powers. This means that the lead spends most of the final episode in a single location unable to actually do anything. ![]() This isolates him from the other characters who believe that he’s dead and prevents him from doing anything other than deal with the fact that he has been buried alive. One that stands out particularly is that Jefferson spends most of the episode buried alive in a coffin he can’t get out of. Focusing on the characters for a series finale is expected though to me it should also be a celebration of what the show was at its best and this episode just isn’t that. It’s notable that the final episode would leave out one of the main elements that carried the show over its run but it’s a symptom of how much there was left to cover and the time available. Unfortunately the finale doesn’t have time to deal with Freeland as a setting because it remains focused on the characters. That remains consistent and the show finishes with Freeland continuing to be a living setting that will function after the end credits roll. Freeland has always been bigger than the characters that exist on the show and they have always done what they can to make it a better place but they were always limited in what they could accomplish. Gang warfare, drugs, racism, class struggles and all sorts of other issues will remain part of the DNA of Freeland so making no attempt to wrap any of that makes sense. Freeland is a vibrant and complicated setting with a lot of moving parts defining how it functions so there was on way this show could reasonably change everything in a way that suggests there will be no further issues in the future. TV shows end but the lives of the characters -those who survive anyway- continue so there has to be a sense of continuity that persists once the credits roll and the viewers stops being part of that journey.
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