A Farewell to ‘NOS4A2’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It truly seems as though, 2020 is a year of endings, storytelling wise. Because we’ve seen some big-time franchises come to a close this year, since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended its seven-year run this summer and Supernatural is preparing to exit the airwaves after fifteen seasons on the air. And even George A. Romero’s legendary Living Dead saga came to a close this year after five decades of storytelling by way of the aptly titled finale novel, The Living Dead. But while the stories we’ve lightly discussed here were able to end on their own terms, that particular courtesy hasn’t been extended to every ending in 2020.
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For some shows and stories are sadly coming to their premature end and if you’re reading this article, well then, you’ve already heard the sour news in regard to the AMC series, NOS4A2. Because yesterday, showrunner Jami O’Brien announced to fans everywhere that AMC did not opt to provide this fascinating series with a third season, bringing Vic McQueen’s journey through the world of strong creatives to a close and leaving those same fans in a tough place. Because this series was seriously beloved by its fan base and it is safe to say at this point, that everyone is feeling a tad down over the fact that the adventure has come to a close, and that our Sunday summer nights will no longer be populated by Vic and Maggie and every character in that colorful and dynamic world. 

But rather than ponder upon the more sorrowful aspect of this show coming to its end, I thought it would be best if we took a moment today to instead bid this saga a proper and respectful farewell, by reflecting upon what made it so great and examine why it will withstand the test of time. Because the fact of the matter is, NOS4A2 was a supremely special series through and through, one that quite frankly, managed to resonate with its audience by way of its characters, since we were outright able to relate to them. For each and every one of these dynamic characters felt like people we’ve known in life, or we’ve been them at some point or another in our own lives and by being able to instantly relate to them and believe in them, we found ourselves immediately invested in this series and that is no small feat.

For often times, it takes shows years to properly establish that level of depth, but this show was able to pull off this feat from day one, and the power and the gravity of the characters was extended far beyond their relatability factor. Because their struggles and their strife, took the time to teach us important lessons about life. Which is something that is often unheard of in the horror genre. Granted, the genre is often supremely deep in general since it provides us with social commentary on bigger issues in the world, but this was simply next level storytelling. Since it challenged the characters and the viewers to grow beyond the horrors of real life and use our experiences to be better people through and through. Making this saga quite inspirational at times since Vic McQueen often found a way to rise above her pain and her fears by facing them head on. 

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But while it was wonderful to enjoy a brave and cerebral story on a consistent basis, make no mistake about it, this was a story grounded in terror and it also did a phenomenal job of haunting our dreams. Because when Charlie Manx was able to unleash his special and twisted brand of evil, he and in turn the show, held nothing back and that brought about some incredibly dark episodes, the kind that put the audience through the wringer, emotionally. And thanks to the care that went into the scares, they were always impactful and always unsettling and well, all of these elements are what will allow for this show to live on years after its end. Simply because we’ve only scratched the surface of what this show had to offer, and its incredible nuances and layered storytelling will be continually fawned over and studied and that’s a wonderful thing. Because in doing so, word of mouth will help for others to enjoy this phenomenal series and fresh eyes will get to partake in its wonders and its deep-rooted terrors. 
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But while it is good to know that this series will undoubtedly find new life down the line, it is still okay to feel sad and upset over the fact that the story has come to an end. Because that does mean a talented cast and crew are now broken up and off to their next adventure and that nothing new episode wise will come our way. But all sorrow aside, we do need to celebrate the fact that we did get to see this series accomplish a goal that few shows will ever achieve, in that, it did tell a complete story. One that offered up plenty of resolution, and that is quite the feat for certain and now that we’ve reached the end of this journey, all we here at Nerds That Geek can do, is offer our thanks. First to Jonathan Langdon for playing the coolest nerd on television in years, and to Mattea Conforti for providing the audience with one of the finest and most conflicted villains to ever grace the small screen.

Plus, Ashley Romans deserves thanks as well for helping to make this world believable, since her performance as Agent Hutter helped to sell the wonder of the world of strong creatives. Also, our thanks go out to Virginia Kull and Ebon Moss-Bachrach for playing two painfully realistic characters, since their take on broken parents felt a little too real at times. Because we’ve known moms and dads like Chris and Linda, lending credence to their acting skills. And of course, Jahkara Smith deserves kudos as well for giving us one incredible character in Maggie. Because the fearlessness she brought to the character helped us to believe that she and Vic stood a chance against the monsters they were facing and speaking of those monsters, a round of applause is in order for Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. For his portrayal of Bing Partridge was downright legendary since he was able to bring to life a villain filled with anguish and fury and desperation over never quite fitting into this world.

Of course, Zachary Quinto also deserves his own round of applause for giving us a performance for the ages. Because Charlie Manx was a downright terrifying monster, one so furious over being marginalized by the world that he felt a little too real in 2020 and he was balanced out nicely by Ashleigh Cummings’ portrayal of Vic McQueen. Because her work here was downright incredible, and she really helped the audience to believe that everyday folks can accomplish wonders, since this artist from a broken home was able to rise up and be the hero that the world needed, and hopefully she and Zachary are nominated for Emmys next year for their powerful work here. And last but certainly not least, many thanks are in order for Jami O’Brien and Joe Hill. Because without Jami’s brilliant attention to detail, none of the wonders we discussed today would have existed, and hopefully film students everywhere will watch this series to understand how to properly adapt a novel. Which brings us to Mister Hill, who made all of this possible by pondering upon what a vampire story might look like if it was grounded in reality and the end result of that dream, was downright magnificent. Either way, that’s it fellow fans. The story is over. But while there may not be any new adventures involving Christmasland headed our way, at least we can take solace in the fact that we can revisit it and this magnificent story, whenever we so choose.   

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