Let's Talk Smoo About: The 2015-16 Network Ratings Predictions

The numbers are in, and it appears we have an (almost) certain final rankings for the 2014-15 season:

1. NBC (2.4)

2. CBS (2.3)

3. ABC (2.2)

4. Fox (2.0)

5. CW (0.8)

The only potential change I see is if ABC miraculously pulls a 2.3 to tie CBS, but that is a 30-percent chance at best. That aside, the dynamics shifted after a 3-year holding pattern, with ABC reclaiming 3rd place and Fox falling into the fireplace. For 3 years, NBC dominated 1st, CBS closely following with 2nd, then Fox followed by ABC, trailed by CW in 5th. Moving forward, I see another potential shift among the top 3 networks. NBC still has Voice and Football, but its scripted prospects remain grim at best. CBS is where Fox was in 2012, losing traction as Idol faded. Instead of its reality platforms faltering, CBS's sitcoms and dramas are withering on the vine, generating few hits and bigger holes in its schedule. It lost its stranglehold on Mondays, and now previous megahits Criminal Minds and NCIS are becoming accustomed to 1.7-2.0 showings.

ABC's heralded resurgence is ode in part not only to quality scripted series, but the right dose of shaking up a stale schedule. And Fox also shook up its schedule, but eroded and destroyed its solid evenings. Aside from phenomenal Empire's record setting pace, there was nothing to burn for fuel in the ratings. Finally, I have to get this rhyme out:

Are you ready kids "Aye Aye Viacom"
I Can't hear you "AYE AYE VIACOM!"

Ohh...

Who lives in a 5th pineapple under the sea
"CW's on the TV!"
Absorbant and stable as can be
"Someone's Watching TV!"
If heavy renewal nonsense is fans' wish
"CW's on the TV!"
Then drop on the deck and ratings don't swim with the fish
"Someone's Watching TV!"
READY
"CW's on the TV!"

"CW's on the TV!"

"CW's on the TV!"

"Someone's Watching CW TV!" AH AHH AHH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHH...

I think this poem should remain celebratory for CW, which finally caught critic's eyes and is taking bold strokes from the run of the mill formula of scheduling. It will be a good 4 seasons before CW may see 4th place, but they are the network with the most promise.

Moving forward, I predict the following ratings for the next season:

1. NBC 2.3
2. ABC 2.2
3. CBS 2.1
4. Fox 1.9
5. CW 0.9

It sounds conceptual, but here's where these numbers are coming from by network:

ABC:

It is playing safe with most of its scheduling, keeping its prized Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in tact. It has some promising pilots, and is finally learning to schedule low-budget filler series to bridge its unsavory scheduled times. Unless TGIT erodes and all of its pilots plummet, I see ABC plowing forward in a stable momentum. It is handicapped by a lack of sports inflation, but found its niche as the scripted king. It's sitcoms are heavy, wise as they can repeat with 70-percent retention. Reality platforms may not have a loud VOICE, but have updated their formats and are performing dandy. Tuesdays present a high chance for a renaissance, and its newly weakest evening, Sunday, seems to becoming abandoned by other networks who are buckling to sports and Walking Dead. Unless six of its heavy hitters endure a 20-percent drop in demos, a stable and solid season is forecast in the once stormy waters.

CBS:

The Tiffany network appears to be tarnishing its mighty metals, as its two heralded evenings, Monday and Thursday, are no longer 1st place fares. The biggest detriment is risky scheduling which damaged its sitcoms. CBS may still house the number one sitcom in Big Bang, but spring 2015 showed considerable rusting after a long winter of oversaturated reruns, coupled with people downgrading TBBT from must see to "I'll record it and watch it later". It happens to aging sitcoms, but CBS hastened the rusting by relying on reruns. TBBT was the most discussed sitcom between 2010-13, but the shine only lasts so long. The often discussed Chinese Firedrill CBS se nt its sitcoms through on the schedule is damaging strong sitcoms, and shelving three of its sitcoms until mid season is a recipe for disaster. And its scripted dramas perform around 2.0 or less, so what will bolster the schedule besides sports? 3rd place, or a 2nd place tie at best, is in the cards until CBS finds its next breakout hit. The continued erosion seems inevitable.

CW:

So why did I give the 5th Place Pineapple Under the Sea an uptick? It's because CW sported stable ratings during an eroding season, and innovative programming choices. Flash hasn't hemorrhaged too much of its initial performance, and left the air with the network's prized 1.5 demo. To quote the penguin in Batman Returns: "What you flush down your toilet, I flaunt on my mantle." CW seems to slowly but surely be generating buzzworthy hits, and if its shows deliver pressed turkey instead of a Thanksgiving Feast, CW may let the shows ride the summer waves instead of washing ashore like a beached whale. I frequently labeled this network the most improved network of the 2014-15 season, and predictions show the happy pineapple will endure lower levels of ratings pollution the other networks are plagued with.

Fox:

2007-08's 1st place winner still hasn't learned how to pay its utility bills, leading to a Frigid Fall and a Mean Winter in 4th place having to burn off its dead wood in the fireplace. I don't see the network experiencing considerable decline, but will still have a seat in the fireplace among the major four networks. The programming executives still are insistent on a forgettable fall followed by marvelous mid seasons, but Empire and Idol's final season cannot carry the network alone. Fox still hasn't received the memo about restoring its meal-ticket Sundays, and is top heavy on Mondays. The rest of the schedule is forgettable, and Empire is like a trip to the casino -- A winning streak sets the ratings on fire, but loss of ignition will only burn your bank account. Fox's fortunes seem to repeat its previous seasons' performance.

NBC:

The last three seasons proudly displayed the 1st place gold, but its last season relied on Sports and Voice, like dieting on 5-hour Energy Crack drinks. And the caffeine crash will be triggered if Voice declines. The fall offering of returning favorites and new pilots are middling at best, and NBC's string of freshman failures doesn't appear to be ending in the near future. For a network which delivered more critically-acclaimed series than the other networks, NBC has had trouble ridding it's camp of a grisly serial and sitcom killer like the 80's had trouble ridding itself of Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. While CBS stands in risky position for 3rd place, NBC stands at a higher risk of losing its falsely inflated 1st place. But if the 200's didn't teach us anything, they could always result to scripting football like "reality" TV did with its "unscripted" series invasion in the last decade.

What are your predictions for the next season? Hit me with your best comments. But remember I am known for mixing trolls in with the cement in the bridge. Muhahaha....

2:36 a.m., Friday May 15 | Other comments by Oh Smoo!

Let's Talk Smoo About: ABC's 2015-16 Schedule.

A special thanks to Bill2 for posting the upcoming schedule. I'd like to do a complementary analysis to today's posting and evaluate the following schedule

Sunday

7-America's Funniest Home Videos
8-Once Upon a Time
9-Oil
10-Of Kings and Prophets

Monday

8-Dancing with the Stars
10-Castle

Tuesday

8-The Muppets/Fresh off the Boat
8:30-Fresh off the Boat/The Real O'Neals
9-Marvel's Agents of SHIELD/Agent Carter/Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
10-Quantico

Wednesday

8-The Middle
8:30-The Goldbergs
9-Modern Family
9:30-Blackish
10-Nashville/Secrets & Lies/Nashville

Thursday

8-Grey's Anatomy
9-Scandal
10-How to Get Away with Murder/The Catch

Friday

8-Last Man Standing
8:30-Dr. Ken/Uncle Buck
9-Shark Tank
10-20/20

Another Troubled Sunday Predicted:

I am officially declaring ABC to be to not only lost its hold on Sundays, but also will likely be ABC's problem night next year. Obviously, AFHV and OUAT are obvious choices against minimal scripted competition. But OUAT is fading into middling territory. The 8-10pm timeslots do not seem to present strong scheduling choices. I will check out Oil as I have a vacated soap slot, but that is it. And Kings and Prophets is not only not interesting to my viewing choices, but poorly scheduled. It feels like a show which should have followed OUAT's fantasy theme, as well as being family fare. What respectable parent would allow their children to stay up till 10pm? It will be another DVR choice show, with ABC missing the mark with parents of young children tuning in live. This timeslot would have better suited for Castle or Nashville, as adults like these shows and may have potentially stayed awake to view. I see trouble next season for Sundays.

A Missed Opportunity Monday:

Mondays are a neutral evening on ABC's schedule. It's two strong reality platforms -- Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor/Bachelorette clearly have a niche and perform well enough to keep ABC out of 4th for the evening. Leaving these reality platforms on Mondays i s wise on the network's part, because the shows deliver between 8-10pm. Many weeks, they have even performed in 2nd place above CBS, which previously dominated the evening with powerhouse sitcoms. I'm not a reality TV fan, but have considerable respect for these two franchises as they perform with a touch of class, remain consistent where they need to and even spice in a little variety when the waters grow stagnant.

Where I feel ABC missed its mark is Castle is aging and losing viewers. Realistically, the show has two seasons tops, unless it hits a creative resurgence, it will be a fix it or forget it season for Castle. It's demos dipped to frightful levels at a 1.4 during S7, and the show is clearly aging. I predict they will erode a little further during the next se ason to 1.2 season lows, and ABC will have to make a command decision to move or cancel the show. I would have chosen to move the show to Sundays at 10pm, as its loyal viewers will follow, just like Greys Anatomy viewers chose to do. Even if the show dipped to a 1.0 in this slot, it is an improvement/season match to 2014-15's performance of Revenge. ABC should have moved Castle, but I will finalize my opinion next fall when Castle returns.

Bold Strokes May Work on Tumultuous Tuesdays

Hands Down, Tuesdays have been ABC's problem child for the last three seasons . After DTWS hemorrhaged viewers, ABC wisely condensed the series to winning Mondays and was left with the issue of what to schedule. With three hours free, ABC took risks and completely revamped the night during the 2013-14 season, with mediocre success. Agents of Shield started as a runaway hit and cooled to a middling niche performer by its sophomore season. Goldbergs performed mediocre as well, falling into the risky clutches of cancellation with a series low bottoming at a 1.3. And sigh, Trophy Wife's poor scheduling killed its potential, ending too soon. And the 10pmslot featured an endless barrage of forgettable failed series.

Where I was critical of ABC was killing Body of Proof, which would have provided the perfect bridge on launching 2 hours of entertainm ent. But that autopsy was performed two years ago, so we'll move on. The 2014-15 season proved just as problematic, as two forgettable sitcoms drowned at levels even appalling for Fridays. Shield once again performed mediocre, albeit it cooled its ratings losses to create a bridge for the troubled night. And Forever remained in an anemic, yet stable rating, averaging a 1.1 for the entire season. ABC made four good decisions on this night during the 2014-15 were giving Forever a full season, bringing in bridge series Agent Carter to cover undesirable timelsots during Shield's breaks, taking a risk by scheduling Fresh Off The Boat in the doomed 8pm place and following with reality/variety fare Repeat After Me.

These four choices helped stabilize the hemorrhages. FOTB h as gained critical acclaim, and performing on-par with Goldbergs during the previous season. With two failed sitcoms, Repeat After Me topped their performances, and I'd welcome a return in another tenuous timeslot next season. Forever's ratings were paltry, yet it had a loyal niche following to the end. It had the same stability factor Body did, and perhaps some fans may check out what replaced it. I was pleased with the choices ABC made, as the Muppets is a wise choice for the problematic 30-minute slots pared with FOTB. There is nothing else like the Muppets on this evening, and perhaps young parents will tune in with their children, a la Once Upon a Time. I'll reserve my judgment on Quantico until the season resumes. And we'll see how The Real O'Neal's debuts, but Martha Plimpton's versatile presence will afford my attention for at least the initial showing. She is a Tour de Force, and I'd follow her anywhere. Overall, I see considerable promise on Tumultuous Tuesdays an d will reel my DVR to sample this night as I only watch FOTB on Tuesdays.

Playing It Safe With Willful Wednesdays

Many questioned if ABC should move its successful sitcoms to shake things up on the schedule. But why fix what isn't broken!? With two of its heavyweights, Middle and Modern Family, aging into their 7th seasons, they could experience erosion common to longstanding shows. MF took a dip, and Middle saw some showings drop as low as a 1.7 during the last season. If Middle drops to a 1.3, ABC may move the show and allow Goldbergs to anchor the 8pm slot in favor of a new helping at 8:30. blackish's performance proved it doesn't just ride on MF's coattails, rising when its lead in fell and vice versa. Blackish will likely maintain or grow in its slot, and I am pleased. I record Goldbergs and blackish and eagerly await their returns after this season's closing acts.

With the powerhouse success of ABC Wednesdays and Thursdays, why not let the two strongest nights rest!? Two consistent seasons of scheduling will perhaps enhance viewership, similar to the 2004-06 season which Sundays were dominated by the Desperate Housewives/Greys Anatomy power showing. I still believe Nashville may have been a good option to move, but perhaps ABC may subconsciously be hinting at wanting a 5th season from Nashville. We'll see how it p erforms in the fall, or if CBS fades and allows Nashville to retain 2nd for its timeslot. Secrets and Lies will either be made or broken in this timeslot, which in my view fits this timeslot better than Sundays. Secrets and Lies is dark by nature, and will be offset by the comedies, which means a nice balance.

Thinking Thursdays Are Landmark

TGIT turned ABC's industrial wasteland into an urban hub for young professionals. Falls will remain in tact, and Shonda will reign as the queen again. ABC dropped the ball with American Crime this spring, and The Catch wi ll be better suited to bridge the mid season with Shonda's touch. ABC only runs the risk of oversaturating Shonda's talents across the board, and The Catch may not be surefire. But that is a risk all networks take with the schedule.

I could potentially see Greys eroding without Patrick Dempsey as the show opens S12, but then again, Shonda has reinvented this show so many times it could still survive as a middling drama. With CBS's Big Bang now clearly declining, Greys is still going to take 2nd place, unless Heroes somehow becomes a runaway hit. I'll laugh incessantly if Fox somehow claims 2nd (or even 3rd) place during this timeslot. Overall, ABC knew this was a good night to proudly play it safe.

Why Wiggle Founding Fridays?

The only change in store for Fridays is the graveyard which used to be occupied by Cristela. I'm not particularly excited about Dr. Ken, and that is all I will say. However, I will be keeping an eye out for Uncle Buck. I hope it fares better than the failed 1990-91 attempt by CBS, and also will tune in with intrigue to see how the show's concept is received with a new demographic telling the story. Some nasty commentators chose to sling acid about Shonda Rhimes' desires to eliminate the color lines so some roles could be told from any demographic, creating roles which are told by character instead o f race. This is a prime example, as Uncle Buck can be told with Russians, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, etc....

ABC predominantly shares success with CBS on Fridays, and I don't see any shifts in the network's rankings next season. NBC may present some competition shifting sitcoms to Fridays, but the NBC programming killer seems to have an easy time poking holes through sitcoms in recent seasons. Overall, ABC still stands strong as a junior landmark night.

Dig Two Graves For the Two Who Started Revenge

Written by Oh Smoo

For those who read my article on Sunday, did you find the finale to at the least satisfying? I'll admit for what a fluid mess Revenge became, the finale did clean up the show to a satisfying, albeit outlandish and convoluted outcome. Victoria nearly had my sympathies as she expressed remorse for Ben's death, as well as reliving the horrors of what her mother did. I do pity Victoria as that despicable Adrienne Barbeau damaged her beyond repair. Their final exchange was reviling and satisfying all in one punch. Victor ia's mother died a lonely and miserly death, rightfully receiving the sting of Victoria's Medusa complex and her vile corpse being burned in Victoria's prized chair in her fallen castle. However, her mother brilliantly pointed out Victoria became the very thing she loathed, as she indirectly tortured her children. Patrick was forced into hiding, Daniel died after proving he would rise above his parents' dark legacy, and Charlotte will likely remained tortured, having two rehab stints before the age of 21.

I almost felt felt for for the black queen. Almost. What was the final nail in the coffin which I wanted Victoria to die was when she stated Emily started this firestorm. Wrong Victoria. It was not Emily's game of revenge chess. It wasn't even black king Conrad's d espicable terrorist act and framing white king David. As Stevie Grayson wisely pointed out, it was David and Victoria's elicit affair which set the events in motion. Had the two abstained from their affair, Conrad would have fallen sooner. Victoria and Daniel would have been left with the marred Grayson name, but she would have found a way to survive and raise an honest man of Daniel. Instead, she destroyed an innocent girl's fragile world, and lo and behold, Revenge was born. And Victoria deserved every devastating turn of events.

The other characters of course meandered like fluid through the finale. The next dayplaying villain was "White Gold", played unconvincingly by damaged and low-class Courtney Love. I prefer she be known as White Trash, as she was the final defiling act which undid Revenge. The name White Gold would imply she was a classy femme fatale. Such a name would be better suited for a woman of Lydia's caliber, or hell, even Margaux's. Margaux truly became a nuisance in 2015, but she still carried herself with polish to the bitter end. Needless to say, White Trash defiled one of Revenge's core values which was elegance and polish. White Trash made Faux-Manda look like an esteemed socialite, and even her trashy stripper gals who attended Fau-Manda's baby shower look like the upper crust of the Hamptons.

White Trash looked disheveled and rough, showcasing Love's lifetime of hard partying, drinking, drugs and bad choices on her rough face and ratty hair which even made Margaux's awful cockatoo do look polished.It wo uld have been less insulting if they would have case former porn star Traci Lords to play White Gold. To the fans who invested in a show which exhibited polish in all classes, it defiled Revenge to hire an actress who once came under legal scrutiny for trashing a house with tampons she was renting. White Trash's downfall was as anticlimatic as the press discovering Madonna once posed nude before stardom. No one gave a smoo.

I would have written White Gold's final despicable act as attacking Nolan, even with her choice dagger in the hand like they did with Nolan. I would have had a struggle between Margaux and White Gold as Margaux took responsibility for her laughable Emily-knockoff style Revenge, and falling victim to her dagger. Then enter Nolan, who stabs White Gol d in the heart, crossing the line David warned Emily not to. Perhaps Margaux could have survived, and Nolan truly haunted he took a life, even in the sake of saving a victim. Instead, we had White trash get tazed, without even a ratty hair falling out of place. Margaux went out with a whimper, which was an insult to her strong character.

Irritating or not, Margaux was always a strong woman. While commendable for for owning up to her consequences, her last scenes were as anticlimatic as White Trash's exit. I still wasn't clear why Louise finally had a moment of clarity. Perhaps the writers should have done a product placement, leaving Louise benefiting from an anti-psychotic drug. Either way, at least she finally realized she was merely a white pawn on the board whom the black queen falsely led to believe she was allied with. Instead of falling victim like so many other white pawns did, she moved aside, leaving her exposed to white queen Emily. Louise likely did so as she does have morals, and owes her positive twist of fate to Emily, who recognized her family of pit vipers was poisoning her Xanax. I would have loved one last exchange between Emily and Louise, explaining why Louise switched back from a black to white pawn.

The final showdown was written brilliantly, representing three of the four primary pieces in the game as black king Conrad fell last year. It was dramatic, and Victoria's admission that she was already dead once again almost made her sympathetic. Almost. I did, however feel that the twist of Victoria's bullet was not directed well. I would have had her hit with her fatal bullet, and the scene fades out after the commercial break with Emily's stunned face. Then return from the commercial break to discover David shot her. This is part of the flaw which explained part of Revenge's fall from a triumphant 3.2 demo to a 0.8 during season 4.

The final ten minutes obviously painted to show Emily got her happy ending. It was rewarding, albeit grandiose and too much. Louise is suddenly invited to the wedding, without any last scenes with her ex-husband Nolan, whom she had crackling chemistry. Also inexplicably placid was Charlotte, who let her grudge go to pay tribute to David. Huh? Charlotte's fury when she exited earlier this season was justified. Her supposed father Conrad ki lled Declan, the father of her baby she lost (remember that forgotten plot twist?). He also threatened her life on national TV. Victoria used her as a pawn relentlessly, leaving her in harm's way and fueling two rehab stints. Jack betrayed her by playing into her kidnapping, and worst of all, Emily proved no better than Victoria. Charlotte's rage when she tried to burn Emily at the Stowaway was actually justified. How did she let all of this rage against Emily and Jack go so easily? At least she was able to maintain her rage against Victoria, refusing to forgive or speak to her.

Fittingly, David's finale was as forgettable as I wish his story would have been this season. Did anyone really give a smoo he died? I'd welcome someone to say so, but will hold my breath l onger than the chance that Bill2 will rally against the Middle or say Trophy Wife's cancellation was justified. I would have preferred it not be implied Victoria's heart saving Emily was a dream, as the dark plot twist had me shocked and engaged. Just like so many elements in the finale, the "dream" made the twist anticlimatic. Could you imagine the horror and mystery wondering if Victoria's villainy could have embraced Emily's soul through a transplant?

I will applaud the writers for keeping the mystery rolling, as Nolan set out to help a wounded young man exonerate his wrongfully tarnished mother. His character always remained true, and in the other realm lives on uninterrupted. I enjoy shows coming to full circle, even with a new mystery launching at the last minut e. Such a twist helped make the sorrowful finale of Desperate Housewives rewarding as a new mystery launched in the last minutes.

To sum up the Revenge Chess Game, Emily and David were the quite royalty, while Victoria and Conrad on the dark side. Jack and Nolan were the white knights, while Charlotte and David were the black bishops, moving back and forth between the white and black camps. Frank was a black rook, taken out by Fauxmanda's white rook, guarding the outside of the royalty. And of course, a slew of pawns fell victim in the crossfire. The game became a convoluted mess, and I lost track. Revenge as a whole became as convoluted as the 1990's soap Melrose Place, which too was a fluid mess. The difference is the "good" on Revenge got a happy ending, while MP rewarded the dastardly. It's been a thrill ride the last four years, and am glad to give the show a rewarding swan song. Enjoy the article, which is dedicated to Revenge's greatest fan, Aciel Zoubi.

A Look Back at Revenge: How It Played Out and How It Could Have Survived

Written by Oh Smoo

Revenge was one of two shows I eagerly awaited the arrival of when the 2011-12 season began, with the other being CBS' 2 Broke Girls. I was pleased to see the show not only the show had beat the Wednesday 10pm curse, but was also tantalizing and seemed to be holding its own against the competition. My favorite episode aside from the Season 3 finale was 1x5, Guilt, which Lydia Davis met her "demise" off the top of the roof, and Daniel's beautiful seduction of Emily. This episode sped up the plots, and the critics noticed. It also began a worthy trend of humor as Lydia survived, emerging merely with a broken nail. Very few could criticize the first season, which set up all of the classic elements.

You had a soapy anti-heroine caught in a love triangle between Daniel and Jack, lower-class foil in "Amanda" showing up and taking her place in the Hamptons, Victoria and Conrad's sham marriage falling apart, psychotic Tyler terrorizing Emily and the Graysons, and Declan and Charlotte's precursor to a Romeo and Juliet tragedy. I knew from Charlotte's approximate age she was David's child, and another layer developed in the series. Season 1 ended, and ABC realized they had a cash cow, moving it to Sunday at 9pm.

The move to Sundays was warranted by ABC, which eroded to 4th place as Revenge was soaring. Mike Kelley dropped the ball. Everyone was buzzing about Revenge, and he launched the second greatest flaw in the plot, which was the Initiative. I enjoyed the back stories behind the characters, particularly Victoria's, which displayed her vulnerabilities and how she became so damaged and venomous. Other than that, this was a deplorable season, and the show's drop from the season 2 premiere t a 3.2 demo to a (gulp) 1.4 showed. Season 3 had a better semblance of the show's freshman year, but the damage was done. No one was buzzing about the show, and only loyal fans tuned in.

Then, showrunner Sunil Nayer rewarded us with the season 3 finale, which Emily and fans were rewarded as she finally took down Conrad and exposed the Graysons. FINALLY, the show had its last opportunity to be buzzworthy again. Instead, the show continued its erosion, losing not only viewers, but Crista B. Allen and Josh Bowman. In my viewing opinion, the final nail in the coffin was Daniel's shooting. We all stated what should have happened during the show's run, and I'll focus on how the show could have given us a memorable 4th season.

If they really wanted to resurrect David Clarke, why not bring him back with a twist? Emily's whole vision was she defended her "innocent" father. How would it have unraveled her if she slowly discovered David was the grand villain, whom Conrad framed as he recognized the evil David was capable of. 

Instead of some forgettable day player shooting Daniel, how tragic would it have been if David secretly shot Daniel, insinuating "Malcolm Black" did it? Then the real drama and tragedy would have unfolded, as David targeted Victoria while using Emily as his pawn. Then we could have cued back stories, which we discovered Victoria's fright when a young Emily tried to poison her wine. Victoria resulted in her cruel confinement of a young Emily, fearing the girl would turn out to be as depraved and unhinged as her mother Kara.

I would have kept Charlotte in the fold, as she could have been David's one-true soft spot. The season would have ended with Grayson Manor exploding with Victoria inside, and Emily is arrested for her murder. Season 5, even a bridged 11-13 episode arc, would see Emily wrongfully convicted and sent to prison. For a good 5 episodes, we believe Victoria is dead until we discover Nolan rescued her from the
fiery wreck and has been hiding the badly burned and disfigured socialite. Nolan's hidden entourage features Natalie, Patrick, and most shocking of all, Conrad Grayson, who is sporting a disguise and working as a prison guard in Emily's prison. Back in the Hamptons, Dvid's reign of villainy continues.

Charlotte has returned to be closer to her father, blind to him using her to further his reign of evil. Margaux remains an adversary, convinced David is plotting something. Louise, previously s een as fragile and unstable, has been working with David the whole time. She helped plot Conrad and Victoria's demises, and has taken her place in David's life as his new woman. He uses her to target Nolan for his next fall, and Jack has fled the Hamptons (while working secretly with Nolan to free Emily). Little did David know Louise was a former patient with Kara, who returns determined to seek revenge against David for his wrongful treatment of Emily. As the finale culminates, Conrad and Nolan plan to take down David, but other drama brews. Charlotte has found love with Ben and prepares to leave the Hamptons. Louise has grown unhinged and discovers Nolan's hidden entourage of living dead, and is preparing to tell David, who went to see Charlotte and bid her adieu. A storm paralyzes the power with Louise and Charlotte standing in the darkened room. Conrad prepares to shoot Louise, only to tragically kill Charlotte. The power returns, and the entire cast stands in horror as the one true innocent in the Hamptons tragically dies.

The finale features a bloodbath with everyone hungry for murder. The episode begins with Louise and David marrying, deciding to leave and start anew. As he is now her rightful heir to her fortune, he recruits Margaux to off Louise by locking her in the steam room, taking her final revenge for trying to kill her the season before. As she enters her towncar to collect David's payment, she is horrified to discover Ben driving her car, seeing her as the culprit for Charlotte's shooting. He drives their car into the ocean, as the horrified Hamptonites watch the coverage on the news. David next targets Nolan, and he awakens on his yacht, tied to Jack and prepared to sink on the doomed boat, with audience unaware of their fates.

Emily realizes David is cleaning house and tries to whisk Kara away, only to be trapped in her cottage as Victoria has set the place ablaze. In a final heroic act, Kara allows Emily to escape, perishing in the fire. Emily realizes she must confront Victoria and David for one final showdown and arranges so at "Amanda's" grave, where she has dug two more graves. The final conflict ensues, and Emily and Victoria kill David. Then Victoria shoots Emily, reminding her foe that she deserves to be set free as she was blinded by Revenge. Seeing as she has nothing left to live for, Victoria shoots herself in the head, falling into the open grave. Emily lays dying, with the camera fading out into new coverage of the bloodbaths and crime sprees plaguing the once elite H amptons.

The final scenes wrap up the show, with Emily now residing on St. Helena Island in the south Atlantic under a new identity. The audience happily discovers Jack, Stevie, Patrick and Nolan have joined her, and the three reflect on that fateful night. Conrad tried to kill Jack and Nolan on the yacht, but had a change of heart, realizing his actions harmed too many innocent people. He also rescued Emily from her death, and rounded up the three and offered them the chance to start a new life under banishment, or death. He has siphoned the remaining portions of David and Emily's money, and has fled into parts unknown. However, he left the survivors a small fortune in agreement they never return to the Hamptons, and brings Stevie to St. Helena to right the wrongs of their marriage.

If only Revenge would have played out this way instead of a devastating and disappointing 4th season, ending tonight. I will be watching tonight, and hope you do too as this landmark series ends.

Lather Up! Soap Ratings For April 27 - May 1, 2015.

Written by Oh Smoo:

Ratings Report for the Week of April 27 – May 1, 2015

Last place DAYS posted gains across the board in households, 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54 demographics. B&B managed to improve its performance in the 18-49 demo, but the rest is the usual soapy story of slipping ratings. Perhaps the writers are prepa ring the drama before May Sweeps. Perhaps it is time for soaps to revert to product placement. Otherwise, I may have to jump into the shows and get into a catfight in the hottub to spice up the demos....

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,564,000 (-321,000)
2. B&B 3,555,000 (-90,000)
3. GH 2,775,000 (-40,000)
4. DAYS 2,316,000 (+32,000)

Households
1. Y&R 3.32/12 (-.19)
2. B&B 2.61/9 (-.07)
3. GH 2.09/7 (-.01)
4. DAYS 1.76/6 (+.07)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 776,000 (-71,000)
2. B&B 586,000 (+17,000)
3. GH 517,000 (-8,000)
4. DAYS 424,000 (+33,000)

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.21/9 (-.11)
2. B&B 0.92/7 (+.03)
3. GH 0.81/6 (-.01)
4. DAYS 0.66/5 (+.05)

Women 18-34 Viewers
1. Y&R 184,000 (-64,000)
2. GH 155,000 (-29,000)
3. DAYS 126,000 (+27,000)
4. B&B 121,000 (-40,000)

Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 0.54 (-.19)
2. GH 0.46 (-.08)
3. DAYS 0.37 (+.08)
4. B&B 0.36 (-.11)

Women 25-54 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,059,000 (-72,000)
2. B&B 821,000 (-4,000)
3. GH 699,000 (-7,000)
4. DAYS 538,000 (+19,000)

Women 25-54 Rating
1. Y&R 1.74 (-.12)
2. B&B 1.35 (-.01)
3. GH 1.15 (-.01)
4. DAYS 0.89 (+.03)

Day-To-Day Ratings – HH/Total Viewers

B&B
Monday: 2.76/3,766,000
Tuesday: 2.78/3,762,000
Wednesday: 2.67/3,673,000
Thursday: 2.56/3,504,000
Friday: 2.30/3,072,000

DAYS
Monday: 1.77/2,288,000
Tuesday: 1.79/2,298,000
Wednesday: 1.78/2,379,000
Thursday: 1.74/2,360,000
Friday: 1. 73/2,256,000

GH
Monday: 2.17/2,854,000
Tuesday: 2.19/2,904,000
Wednesday: 1.96/2,589,000
Thursday: 2.10/2,785,000
Friday: 2.06/2,743,000

Y&R
Monday: 3.39/4,740,000
Tuesday: 3.47/4,758,000
Wednesday: 3.48/4,846,000
Thursday: 3.30/4,523,000
Friday: 2.96/3,954,000

Special thanks to soapoperanetwork.com for doing an impeccable job reporting these figures. Source:

http://www.soapoperanetwork.co...