"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Saturday, June 5, 2021

The Mosquito Coast Season 1 Finale: I'm Well Bitten



So, I've saying here in these reviews of The Mosquito Coast all season that Charlie's gun would play a major, decisive role, and Margot would reach the breaking point with Allie's wild ideas and escapades. And, sure enough, both happened in the season finale, which was one breathless ride of an hour.

Charlie saves the family when he shoots Lee's henchman in the head.  And Margot does tell Allie she's going to go her own way with the kids, a narrative-exploding move which only doesn't happen because she needs to work with Allie and Dina to break Charlie out of jail.  But, of course, it could still happen next season, and I'm very glad there will be at least a second season of this quirky, really excellent series.

This finale also really showcased the unusual genius of Allie.  He's able to think at lightning speed, evaluate a situation, and come up with a daring plan.  More than that, he's able to improvise when needed.  His quick thinking not only sprung Charlie from jail, but got Allie and Charlie to safety even with lethal Lee and his men literally in the same cell.

One quibble, and it's not just about The Mosquito Coast, but all television in the past few years.  Allie tells Dina, "You’re better off with your mother and I".  "With" is a preposition, which takes the objective case ("me") not the subjective case ("I"), so Allie should have told his daughter, "You’re better off with your mother and me".  Allie, as a genius and highly educated man, would know this.  And surely he would want to speak grammatically to Dina, since he's such an advocate on home schooling and its benefits.

But, hey, that's a very minor point.  I truly loved this series, and I'm very much looking forward to more when the second season rolls along.

See also The Mosquito Coast 1.1-2: Edgy, Attractive, Enlightened, and Important ... The Mosquito Coast 1.3: Broadening Horizons ... The Mosquito Coast 1.4: Charlie and the Gun ... The Mosquito Coast 1.5: Charlie and the Gun, Part II ... The Mosquito Coast 1.6: What Kind of Brother?






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