Well, here we are. The first season of Mistresses is coming to an end. As of right now, there is no official word on if there will be a 2nd season. But does it deserve one? As I type this, it’s a few minutes from the season finale airing, so we’re about to find out if it ends with a bang or a whimper. I’m going to mostly skip the full recap that I’ve usually done in previous reviews (I figure at this point, the only people who are reading this are those who have already watched the episode themselves, so you know what happened). I’m just going to watch it, and then give my thoughts on how it wrapped up. Here we go.

Okay, so Dom is the baby daddy! That totally made sense, it would have been a huge cop-out if he wasn’t. When the show opened, Savi and Harry had been trying to have a baby for several months, and a test confirmed that Harry’s sperm count was low, then Savi has a one-night stand with Dom and quickly turns up pregnant, so of course it had to be Dom’s. Considering that the show has been dragging out this paternity question for so long (remember, Savi got the test results at the end of episode 8), I’m surprised they didn’t wait until the very end of the episode to reveal it and instead had Harry tell everyone at the half-hour mark. I also thought that it was big of him to tell April to call Dom, so he could be there. And I liked the brief scene when Joss went and sat next to Dom in the hospital. Even though they didn’t say anything to each other, it was a nice touch, as it showed that Joss realized that even though she’s been clear that she’s on Harry’s side, Dom isn’t a “bad guy” either (plus, he’s the father of her future niece or nephew, so he’ll be around whether she likes it or not).

An even bigger cop-out would be if Savi miscarried the baby. When she got in the car accident, I was positive that would be what happened, so I was pleased that the show didn’t go in that direction (at least not yet). Then you have Harry and Dom both telling Savi that they love her. So who would SHE pick? It helps that Alyssa Milano has equal chemistry with Brett Tucker and Jason Winston George, so the show could go in either direction and make it work. I remember thinking early on that it would be really interesting, in a soap opera-ish kind of way, if the baby turns out to be Dom’s but Savi and Harry stay together, and so they all have to share custody. Of course, if that were to happen, this show would finally have to stop being so “colorblind” and acknowledge the biracial elephant in the room, if you know what I mean. There could be some dramatic scenes of Savi and Harry out with the baby, and people giving them double-takes. And how long could Harry really handle co-raising this child that is not only not his, but very physically obviously not his?

But I’m not sure how I feel about the end. Savi flatlines in the hospital (before she could make any announcement about her choice between Harry and Dom, of course). I know it’s supposed to feel dramatic and shocking but, c’mon. This is like when J.R. Ewing first got shot on Dallas. If this show does return, we know Alyssa Milano is coming back with it (she is the main reason I started watching this show, as I said in the beginning, and I know I’m not the only one). So it kinda felt cheap. The only other outcome would be if she does lose the baby after all. Which would be, as I said, a cop-out.

Then there’s the other cliffhanger. Elizabeth holding Karen hostage. First, looking back on this season, Karen has been repeatedly stupid when it comes to Tom’s family. Everyone kept telling her to just stay away from Elizabeth and Sam, but she never listened, and it always got her deeper in trouble. So even after everything she’s been through, almost permanently losing her medical license, and after learning that Elizabeth has her own history of mental illness, Karen invites Elizabeth into her home?!? She almost deserves to get shot, just for being so dumb. I have to say, that plot didn’t grip me as much as it should have. I just never really felt the tension between the two women. I don’t know if it’s because Elizabeth didn’t look crazy enough, or because Karen didn’t look scared enough. And I saw that ending coming a mile away. So the question is, who got shot? I definitely don’t think Karen will die, either. My money’s on Elizabeth. She gets shot and killed, which drives Sam to despair and, against all better judgment, Karen will try to comfort him, because she feels guilty, and they’ll start up a real affair (that will also end in disaster).

The other story was the April/Paul subplot. I loved the reaction of the other women when April told them she kissed Paul and was considering taking him back. That’s how I feel too. So stupid. Although April’s angry response to all of them was right on, as she is the only one in that group who hasn’t intentionally cheated on or tried to hurt someone else. But still, that’s bad. I could also feel poor Richard’s heartbreak when she told him. I love the chemistry of Cameron Bender and Rochelle Aytes, but Richard has been far too understanding towards April, she doesn’t deserve him. I did like the final resolution, where April finally rejected him after getting that phone call from Miranda and hearing the voice of little Scotty. There’s still the matter of whether April should tell Lucy that Paul is still alive, but at least the reconciliation speculation is done.

Overall, I’ll give this episode, and the season in general, a grade of: B

It’s a good show, but not perfect. There are some areas for improvement, but it has an excellent cast that works well with each other, and the writers often know how to fit just the right balance of drama and humor. I believe this show deserves a 2nd season, if it gets one I will be watching, and I hope that ABC renews it soon.

You can catch any episodes missed online via http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/mistresses