The TV critic in me is loose. Alias wrapped up its five year run last night and although I missed the first two seasons, I was a regular watcher for its last three. Watching the finale prompted me to write this morning’s post, which will contain a few sentences about the season (or series) finales for most of the shows I watch with some regularity. Warning: there are spoilers in here, so if you haven’t seen the episodes yet, be careful.

Alias: a fairly satisfying, if not predictable, conclusion here. The only surprise was that Syndey’s father ended up dead, but the methods which he employed to get himself dead – by trapping Sloane for life (don’t ask) – were an interesting spin. I just knew that Syndney and Vaughn would end up on some beach house at the end, too. Naturally, Sydney had her ultimate crying moment, too, forever sealing her fate in my memory as Sydney McBeal, cry-horse deluxe.

Grey’s Anatomy: as long as you can get comfortable with the fact that this show has no basis whatsoever in reality, it is one hell of a fun ride to watch. I love how Meredith Gray comes within mere feet of dying in a huge bomb blast in one episode, then in the next episode, she’s back to her neurotic, 74-pound self – and the hospital ward is magically fixed! Anyway, Burke getting shot was an interesting arc and let’s be real – you never pictured Denny alive by the end of the season, did you? I mean, come on. Meredith and Shepard, though: that’s got to end fast if this show is going to last.

Scrubs: haven’t seen the last two episodes yet, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s one of television’s best shows.

Will & Grace: ugh. What a huge, huge disappointment to end like it did. Jack and Karen were relegated to singing “Unforgettable” to each other in what can only be described as a painful waste of time. Seriously – if it were me, I would have just written four minutes of them in a final “banter-off” – just trading barbs back-and-forth, instead of that dreck. The final episode wasn’t funny, it wasn’t poignant, it wasn’t anything except for a major disappointment for a fairly groundbreaking show that deserved a better send-off.

That ’70s Show: I didn’t watch a single episode from the last two seasons or so – without Topher Grace and Aston Kutcher, it simply isn’t the show I got good laughs out of a few years ago. But since it was the last episode ever in the series, I had to tune in. Topher Grace, as Eric Forman, made a token appearance at the end and Kutcher did little more than be what he always was, a goofy-eyed marginally acceptable sitcom actor. So I was mostly tuned in for two reasons: to get my last dose of the excellent Red Forman (Eric’s dad) and to see one last smoke-filled basement scene, which didn’t disappoint. Red’s final diatribe was one for the ages, featuring many “boots in the ass.”

The Office: right up there with Scrubs as some of the best, most inventive TV of this decade. in the final episode, Jim finally professed his love for Pam. They’ve gotta be careful here – Jim and Pam make really good TV as just great friends, so I’d hate for this show to get marginalized as a Ross/Rachel or “do they/don’t they” type show. Other than that, terrfiic laughs and writing all around. Dwight Schrute is quickly elevating himself into the pantheon of TV sitcom’s greatest characters.

Still waiting for Lost – very anxious for that one! I missed the season finale for another of my favorite shows, “My Name Is Earl” so I guess I’ll have to grab that on ITunes, as much as I hate the idea. Onward……to a summer of reruns.