Lil’ Steve, a washed-up star of a cult classic, has been invited to sign autographs and entertain the fans. Connie is on edge since Patrice has not contacted her in the past few days. She can not bear to lose another friend. The pre-sales indicate that the event is sold out, giving Timmy the confidence of rejuvenating the store. He is still in between in his relationship with Lena but decides to talk with her. When he tries to, she has a work emergency and runs back. Both Hannah and Carlos are having their results come out on the day. In conversation, the former mentions that Aaron has planned a surprise proposal to Eliza in the store. But the odds of that being successful are less, in my opinion. Stevie comes for the event but is less than inspired. He secretly feels that the fans are just trolls and have made to come fun of him. He is also drunk before the event and that is why he ends up spoiling it. The fans do not get to see their bit and almost all of them cancel their bookings. The event is a flop and Timmy is heartbroken. He feels he can never make the store a success and is ready to give in. Carlos gets the results and it turns out that he did not get in but Hannah did. There is a hint of jealousy in his reaction and he makes it quite evident later with his actions. Suddenly, they all notice the lights flickering and when they go outside, they spot the storm has just arrived. Carlos’ jealousy is offset by the acapella group that Aaron ordered for the store, who tells him how glowingly Hannah talks about him. At first, it seems the storm is just another event in the day. But it actually is a blessing in disguise for the storm as hordes of crowds rush in to buy DVDs. Timmy does not know this and he is drinking with Lena in the bar, who comforts him and kisses him. Eliza arrives just in time to see it and takes a step back. But she is clearly in love with Timmy and the roles have now reversed. Timmy gets a new lease on life as the store is bustling with customers. But there is also a lot of tension going on. Percy chases Stevie as a genuine fan but he takes it to be a sign of ridicule. Aaron proposes to Eliza, just as Timmy walks in the background. She says no and accepts her feelings for someone else. Connie finally feels relieved when Patrice walks in and all of the episodes with her were just a simple case of miscommunication. Timmy and Lena too run into an obstacle when Timmy inadvertently calls Lena Eliza and she walks away. Since the supply of the DVDs cannot meet the demand, the customers start getting restless and violent with each other. And that is when everything goes awry. There is a stampede-like situation and the customers ransack and destroy the store. Timmy walks away permanently this time, signaling an end to things and a point of no return for the last Blockbuster on earth.
The Episode Review
Blockbuster’s season 1 saved its best for the last. For how frustrating the execution and effort have been until now, the finale was a pleasant surprise. Each episode must be looked into isolation and “Sh*t Storm” certainly deserves praise. It is not just the plot that was interesting here but also the underlying drama in the characters that really shone. Eliza and Timmy’s dynamic has been a saving grace all season and they have come even closer to being the wonderous romantic pair we all love so much in sitcoms. The ending leaves a lot to be desired and it is not something we were wishing for. It is what we would have liked to see on screen but in the terms of what impact it would have on the viewer, it defeats the good guy. And that always stings. The chaotic royal rumble we saw in the store was the finale’s highlight. But perhaps, it is not enough to redeem the series.
