Carole and Tuesday – 24 (END)

「A Change is Gonna Come」

Fair warning to lovers of C&T. If you’re expecting me to gush about the finale, think again. I’ll call myself out now and say it’s probably because I had high expectations, or it’s probably because I was expecting an ending that gave our girls (who I got so attached to) a little more justice.

Final Impressions

I really had to sit with this one and contemplate so many things, which is why it’s taken me so long to publish my review of Carole & Tuesday‘s finale. I talked it out on more than one occasion with others who have watched the series in its entirety and we all agree the ending was less than satisfactory.

The last few episodes making up this final arc were a whirlwind of events which felt jam-packed because of the time constraint (the finale approaching). This final episode didn’t satisfy the palette as much as I would have liked. Everything seemed to be rushed and plots that weren’t well developed received unnecessary endings…I’m going to get into the nitty-gritty of it because, well, it’s all I can focus on since I’ve watched the episode.

Schwartz was Tao’s backer. He invested money in Tao’s AI labs in the hopes Tao would then share his predictive algorithms with him to help sway the presidential election. Aside from one or two scenes with a few one-line exchanges explaining the plan outright, there really wasn’t much tension built around this plot. Schwartz is a man in a suit with lots of money and investments at stake, but his illegal dealings (?) definitely seemed to pop out of the blue. I understand Tao’s intent in bringing him down and reducing his corporate/political influence but this plot was so weak, it left a few holes behind. Even if Schwartz says he is behind the new immigration policies and money feeding Jerry’s campaign, we never saw an actual ‘link’ between the two conspirers. The plot was barely tangible with such a thin presence. That said, if Schwartz is going to be held accountable for his actions, why does Tao need to disappear? Why can’t he stay with Angela? Second, Angela’s feelings for Tao are extremely conflicting.

First off, he basically tortures her in a horrific dentist-like chair so he could then create her AI replica, essentially rendering her obsolete. You’re telling me Tao did this while knowing she was his counterpart, another clone. Who and where is Dr. Zeeman, the creator of the two? He was mentioned only once during the series (when Dahlia passed) and there was no reference or foundation set for this miniature and very forced plot twist. I kind of guessed it in my previous review, but it was wishful thinking. Why did the writers decide to include such a new ‘world rule’ right at the end of the series? It was a last-minute revelation that didn’t go anywhere and, let’s face it, didn’t add anything to the story.

Then, it turns out Angela has feelings for the man who caused her to become a drug addict. OK. Many things pushed her over the edge but I can’t imagine Tao’s dismissal of her to not have contributed to the fact. He didn’t build Angie AI to help out Angela. He just said: “She’ll take care of the rest.” He still went out of his way to create the AI and destroy the bit of hope Angela had, so he could go after Schwartz? Then Angela destroys the AI with one quick tantrum? He spent all those months (close to a year) working on that AI. Why? It played no distinct role except driving Angela to drugs and somehow bringing her closer to Tao.

Also, the brief bit of action in this last episode felt out of place. I assume the two very conspicuous characters were assassins after Spencer and Kyle but shortly after jumping off a bridge, they’re both totally fine and out of harm’s way. Spencer goes right back home (?) where of course the assassins wouldn’t think of looking and Kyle is out and about getting ready for the live stream. Let’s just say I wasn’t convinced. There’s so much more I want to get into including Desmond just out and about like he didn’t just wake up from a coma but I feel like I’ve given the series a good whacking just with this.

Did the series finale do Carole and Tuesday justice? No. But Carole’s landlord did. With his few words, he put them right back in the spotlight and brought back the warmth I found when I watched the girls jam that first time in their lounge composing “Loneliest Girl.” He reminded them that they now have each other and can take the world by storm as long as they walk side by side. It’s a little disappointing that we didn’t get to hear their album but the intention behind the series was meant for a greater message. One of unity, collaboration, community, and collective action.

Their collaborative efforts brought together the most elite of artists from all of Mars to sing, one time, a song that would take their world by storm and create a wave of hope, change, and progress. It was cheesy alright and even heartwrenching when Angela sang her heart out to Dahlia, but it did the job it had to do. It provided the very clean ending we all were hoping for. A nice bow tie kind of ending with a cherry on top.

The series as a whole had its problems, but one thing it was great in delivering was a wide range of musical genres, some catchy tunes (except the tumbling laundry one), and fantastic world visuals. After all my ranting, I’d rewatch the series. Actually, let me clarify, I’d rewatch certain parts of it. Many of the standalone episodes left me with a stronger impression than the story arcs, and there’s no doubt I could rewatch the first episode and the Grammy’s (for Angela’s performance) to get a feel of what Carole & Tuesday could have been.

Let me state that it isn’t the series as a whole that has let me down. It’s certain aspects of it, this finale included. The series had its way to make me feel deeply satisfied, sometimes with music, sometimes with the story. But at other times, it had me walking away thinking: “What just happened?” It’s unfortunate that the finale left me with a similar thought. However, a thought that has never left my mind or my heart since I first watched those girls collaborate is: “I will always be rooting for Carole & Tuesday.”

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