Emerald City: Season 1/ Episode 10 “No Place Like Home” [Series Finale]– Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As empires fall and soldiers lose their lives, the legendary Beast Forever makes its presence known as its wings cast a shadow upon the world.

Trigger Warning(s): More Blood Than Usual and Violence Against Children

Topic 1: Ozma Returns To Oz (Tip/Ozma, Mistress West, and Eamonn)

With the witches who have sworn loyalty, Ozma returns to Oz. But with the Wizard’s guard being the only ones left, and them unsure how to handle witches, no violence ensues. Well, outside of one soldier testing what kind of ruler Ozma will be. For she tries to give mercy while Mistress West pushes to rule with an iron fist. Something which nearly ends in her assassination.

So when faced with Eamonn, who lays his sword at Ozma’s feet, so comes the question of his punishment. A man almost killed Ozma moments ago, would she foolishly choose mercy only to regret it later? No. With her magic and allied witches, she calls for Eamonn’s family and then wipes their memory of him. Thus, the revenge is partly complete. He took away her family so she took his but in the worse way possible. They live but he has been wiped from existence from their minds. Then, to really make him suffer, he is stripped of title and land and banished to roam the world as the cowardly lion.

Commentary

Just imagine being a townsperson in the Emerald City. In your lifetime, the king and his family get killed off due to one of the king’s soldiers betraying him. This gives you a foreigner as the king. Then, 16+ some odd years later, the king’s daughter, who you thought was dead, comes into the city with a slew of witches and reclaims the throne with only one death. I don’t know how they deal with this nonsense. Then again, I guess as long as it doesn’t affect their taxes and them directly, it is just another day to them.

Topic 2: The End of One War (Frank/The Wizard, Jane, Dorothy, and Glinda)

Despite all the guns manufactured, as well as the stone giants, Frank/The Wizard falls to Glinda’s army. Reason being, only a witch can kill a witch. Making it so all these soldiers shooting little girls, including the wizard shooting Sylvie, is for naught. For, after about ten minutes, they rise back up like The Undertaker. Thus allowing Glinda to move forward with her plans to perhaps take over Oz for the permanent and safe future of magic.

However, while she deals with the complications of that, Dorothy tries to force the Wizard to take her and him home. He outright refuses for Dorothy ruined everything by not killing Glinda. So her expecting him to do her a favor, to take her and him back to a place where he was nothing? No. Nope. Not an option. But with Jane shooting him, well that doesn’t matter anymore. Though, before being shot, he reveals Karen isn’t Dorthy’s mother and Jane reveals herself to be. She then sends Dorothy back to Kanas, alone, despite making it seem she would go with her and assist. But really, considering Jane is technically running Ev, or programming the person who is, she can’t leave. She helps maintain the balance of power.

Commentary

Probably the main thing of interest here is the history of Jane. With the reveal, in the last episode, that Langwidere is a robot, that basically meant that Jane was controlling Ev. For while the king, for some time, was running it, he got dementia. So, with that, Jane’s programming and expertise was what balanced the power between Oz and Ev, and effectively ran a kingdom. One which, after a flooding due to the Beast Forever, needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Leading to the question, how did Jane end up in Ev, much less get such a position? Plus, with what has happened now, what is the state of Langwidere? How is Jane going to revive a woman who a few saw shot in the head? No mask is going to be enough to not begin the rumors of an immortal queen, or a queen who is a witch.

Topic 3: The Beginning of the Next War (Mistress West, Ozma, Dorothy, Glinda, and Roan)

With The Wizard/Frank killed, so comes the question of who will rule Oz? In the past, the royals ruled with advisement from the Mistresses, but who can be sure Ozma, or her heirs, may not turn on the witches as did Oz? This is the issue Glinda has but Mistress West tries to calm. However, before the reconciliation of power can be finalized, it seems The Beast Forever arrives in Oz.

Leading us to Kansas. After Jane sending Dorothy away, she returns to her old life with the memories but pretends nothing happened [1]. She just wants answers, of which the surprisingly alive Karen is her only source. But, before getting to see Karen in the hospital, Roan arrives to bring Dorothy back. For, with the Beast Forever running amock, she is the only one who can stop him.

Commentary

This is the season, and likely series, finale. I didn’t realize that until I was double checking which episode we were on. So, with that, I must say the show ends feeling quite incomplete. Yet, being that I knew from the start this was a one season show, I must admit I’m not angry. After all, for most of the program, I was just chugging along. But now, I must admit, I would have liked to see a fitting end. However, as noted countless times, with NBC, the home of cult TV, there rarely is a proper sendoff. Hell, you’re lucky if the series starts good and maintains that quality. So, overall, I’d say skip this series. NBC did for nearly 3 years, after all.

Things to Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Though seeing Aunt Em’s hands stained, as Mistress West’s often were, triggers something.