Damnation Season Finale “God’s Body”
Episode 10, The Season Finale. How can this amazing show be over already? It feels like it just started. I fell in love with this show right from the beginning and I’m sad to see the season come to a close. This action packed, edge of your seat finale will have you begging for a Season 2. I can’t be left never knowing what happens to these people I’ve come to care so much about.
We open with little Brittany (Alexis McKenna) staring at the body of DL Sullivan (Joe Adler). Connie (Melinda Page Hamilton) covers poor DL’s body with a blanket as the surviving farmers cover the bodies of the dead scattered around the Riley Farm. Sheriff Berryman (Christopher Heyerdahl) and Bessie (Chasten Harmon) show up at the farm. Bessie shows Creeley (Logan Marshall-Green) an old newspaper article showing Tennyson Duvall (Zach McGowan) outside the Colton Creek Church. Creeley realizes that The Duvall family has been affecting their lives for years.
Saving Amelia
Seth (Killian Scott) rereads the note that was attached DL’s body and decides to turn himself over to The Black Legion to save Amelia (Sarah Jones). Creeley lets Seth know that everything they have been through, including Cynthia’s death as well as what is going on now, all ties back to The Duvall Family. Seth tells him he will stall and hopes someone figures something out. I sure hope so too. I don’t feel good about him turning himself in. There is no way they will just set Amelia free. As he turns himself over to The Legion and they put a sack over his head I’m worried this is the beginning of the end for Seth and Amelia.
Creeley tells everyone he is going back into town to find out where they took Seth. This trip won’t be easy with The Legion still blocking the roads the town. Martha Riley (Philippa Domville) tells him they are going with him because Preston (Teach Grant) needs a doctor or he won’t survive. I let out a huge sigh of relief that, at least for now… sweet, lovable Preston is still alive.
The Blockade
The two cars, one carrying Creeley and the sheriff the other carrying Connie, Martha and a badly injured Preston come up to a blockade at a bridge. Connie explains to The Legion that they need to get Preston to a doctor and pleads to be let through. The Legion members laugh at her. What a big mistake that was – no one wants to piss Connie off.
Creeley asks The Legion if they are all armed and they laugh and raise their weapons. As they do this Creeley, Connie and the Sheriff pull out their guns and start firing. Several members are quickly killed and the rest give up. While I do understand they were “taken by surprise” I have a hard time accepting that not a single shot would be fired from The Legion. Sometimes these little details bother me.
As Connie and the Sheriff begin complimenting each other on their shooting ability, Creeley asks if they will be arrested for this. The Sheriff says it was “self defense” and demands the remaining members remove their hoods. He tells them to get their “worthless asses out of the county” and they all scramble to leave. While I’m glad they will be able to get to town, it doesn’t feel right that they were able to get rid of them so easily. I expected a much bigger fight. The scene ends with some flirting between the Sheriff and Connie. I did not see that coming, but it was very sweet and made me smile.
Trouble in Town
When the Sheriff and Creeley reach town, they discuss Melvin Stubbs (Paul Rae) getting his hands on Sam, Jr (Rohan Mead) if he wins the election. Creeley gives him an alibi for the time of the murder and the Sheriff drops the charges against Sam, Jr. Creeley heads off to find John Dyson (Morgan David Jones), the new banker. He hopes the man can talk Melvin and his men out of killing Seth. Creeley approaches the bank and there is a sign saying it’s closed for Election Day. The door is not locked and he cautiously enters. The feeling is very tense and I’m convinced he will find the banker dead. It doesn’t take long for me to be proved right. Creeley finds Dyson with a bullet to the head.
The Sheriff returns to his office and gets out all his guns. He tells his nephew Raymond (David Haysom) to deputize “every farmer, moonshiner, fornicator and degenerate gambler who is willing to help.” Creeley comes running into the office and lets the Sheriff know that Dyson is dead. Raymond tells them he knows where Melvin is as he turns up the radio. We hear Melvin giving an “Election Day” speech from the Radio Station.
Do as I Say
Seth is brought into the Radio Station where Melvin pulls the bag off his head. When Seth asks where Amelia is Melvin tells him it’s out of his hands and he leaves. They take Seth to a back room where he comes face to face with that slimy asshole Martin Eggers Hyde (Gabriel Mann). Hyde tells Seth he knows he is really Seth Turner and is Creeley’s brother. He also lets him know that the banker who shared this information with him is now dead. Seth responds by telling him if he has hurt Amelia he will “split him open from asshole to throat”. This is something I really want to see, it’s the least he deserves.
Hyde presents Seth with a script he wants him to read on the radio denouncing the strike. When Seth says he won’t do it Hyde turns a light on showing Amelia in the room next door with a gun to her head. He tells Seth he has to choose between his wife and his cause. Hyde promises him if he reads the message they will let Amelia live, but that Seth will have to die. Seth tells him he needs to speak to Amelia before making his decision.
Painful Truths
Hyde shows Seth the switch to talk to Amelia and the switch to go live on the radio. As Seth sits down and flips the switch to talk to Amelia, I’m praying he has secretly turned on the live radio also. He tells her they want him to denounce the strike and tell the farmer’s to give up. Seth tells her after what they did to DL he is sure they will kill her if he doesn’t. The look on Amelia’s face when he mentions DL breaks my heart, she didn’t know he had been killed. She tells Seth not to read the message, that they will kill them both even if he does. At this point Tanner (Bradley Stryker) puts a gag in her mouth. I’m still hoping so hard that Seth is broadcasting this discussion over live radio.
Seth tells Amelia that he is just as responsible for Cynthia’s death as Creeley because he never told her who he really was. It still makes me mad that he continues to blame Creeley for her death. He then lets her know he did the same work as Creeley, that he was a thug, a strikebreaker, a killer. Amelia can’t speak because of the gag in her mouth but you see her heart being torn apart. The man she loves and trusts had been lying to her all this time.
Hyde tells him it’s time for him to read his speech and flips the live radio on. I’m so disappointed as I really did hope that all that time he was talking to Amelia he was broadcasting. Seth denounces the “Un American War” the farmers and workers are waging and commands them to stop. As he struggles to read the line “who needs Jesus Christ when you’ve got Henry Ford” shots suddenly ring out. Hyde looks out front to find the Radio Station surrounded by Sheriff Berryman, Creeley and several armed men.
A Deadly Showdown
As the Radio Station begins playing music The Black Legion begins firing on the men. As Legion members try to exit the building they are picked off one by one. A few of them manage to shoot some of the farmers and make a run for it. One of the Legion members is shot in the leg and Victor (Arnold Pinnock) towers over him demanding he remove his hood. It’s Tanner and he tells Victor he better kill him now before he gets his hands on him. I’m yelling Shoot Him! Shoot Him! But Victor is a good man and he knocks him unconscious instead.
With all the gunfire from The Legion ended Creeley and the Sheriff cautiously head toward the Radio Station. A few more Legion Members run out the back and the Sheriff shoots one of them, the other two manage to escape. Creeley enters the building and a member tries to shoot him, but Creeley wounds him first. He then finds Amelia and Seth in the back room. Creeley asks Seth if Amelia is okay and Amelia responds “no, she’s not” She then walks to the front room where the Legion Member is calling out for help. She picks up a gun off the floor and empties it into the man. Poor Amelia has clearly snapped, but after all she’s been through it’s no surprise. Seth tells Creeley if they get out alive he will confess to the murders he framed him for. I hope Seth is being sincere, but part of me doesn’t really believe him. After checking all the dead Legion Members they know that Hyde managed to escape.
An Arrest is Made
Back in town Melvin Stubbs is giving a speech when Sheriff Berryman, Creeley, Seth, Amelia and several farmers approach. They hold everyone at gunpoint as the Sheriff arrests Melvin for kidnapping Amelia, murdering DL Sullivan and leading The Black Legion’s attack. He tells the gathered crowd that it’s just all theatrics and he is innocent.
Martha and Connie are still in town waiting for Preston who is still not out of the woods. Martha is so happy to see that Amelia is still alive. Amelia tells them that Melvin was lucky that the Sheriff got to him first. That she wants to see him burn. This phrase suddenly causes Connie to realize who killed her husband. Amelia tells Connie she tied that son-of-a-bitch to a car, doused him in gasoline and flicked a cigarette at him. I can’t tell from the way she tells Connie if she knows that it was her husband or not. This episode is really showing us just how ruthless Amelia can be when she snaps. I’m not sure who scares me more, Amelia or Connie. As Amelia walks off Connie asks Martha if she will watch Brittany if anything happens to her. This is NOT going to end well.
The Election
Seth tells the farmers to get everyone into town to vote, there is only a half hour left. The farmers feel defeated and want to give up the fight. Sam, Jr tells them he is not just fighting for food prices anymore but for all the farmers rights. He convinces them all that they need to have each other’s backs and they need to vote. I love this kid, he has far more wisdom and guts then most of the other men around him.
Sheriff Berryman tells Melvin and his men that the State Police are on their way to get them. Seth and Amelia come in and tell Berryman that they counted the votes and Melvin won the election for Sheriff by 7 votes. My heart literally sinks with this news. I thought everything was going to finally settle down in town, but this will throw everything back into chaos.
An Unexpected Visitor
Back at the brothel Creeley and Bessie are quickly packing so they can get out of town. A knock on the door immediately has them, and myself, on edge. I’m shocked to see Tennyson Duvall when Creeley opens the door. My first thought is, the Zach McGowan fans will be thrilled and my second thought is this won’t end well. Duvall enters the room followed by Hyde. I’m not sure how he dares to show back up in town after what happened at the Radio Station. When they ask Bessie her name Creeley tells them she’s just a dumb whore trying to get a buck out of him. He then roughly throws her out of the room. I’m sad he has to treat her this way, but thrilled that he is saving her life. Hyde has lied to Duvall and told him what a great success Creeley has been and blamed all the trouble in town on Seth. Duvall then tells Creeley he won’t be leaving town anytime soon. What does that mean? Is he planning to kill him? Does he have another job for him? This has me feeling very anxious.
Seth and Amelia are back home and are having a very painful discussion about what has happened. Amelia is heartbroken over poor DL being killed for their cause. DL’s landlady shows up at the door and gives them a copy of the book he had been writing, “God’s Body” which is dedicated to Amelia Davenport. Amelia breaks down crying and Seth is lost on what to do to help her.
Didn’t See That Coming!
At the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Berryman, much to Raymond’s surprise, releases Melvin and his men from the cells. Berryman asks Melvin what his policy will be regarding minorities now that he’s Sheriff. Melvin asks “Deputy Tanner” what their policy is. He says they will hang the “nosey whore” and “uppity dairy farmer”. I didn’t think it was possible to hate that man more, but obviously it is. Berryman removes his Sheriff’s badge and then with no warning shoots all five of Melvin’s men. I’m dumbstruck, just watching with my mouth hanging open. A shocked and scared Melvin asks him what he’s doing that for. He tells him that “nosey whore” is his daughter and puts a bullet into Melvin’s head. Finally shaking of my stupor I start cheering. Berryman tells Raymond when the State Police get there to tell them he is at his house. No one deserved that more than that vile piece of shit Melvin Stubbs.
Hyde and Duvall drive Creeley out into an empty field. I’m really scared for Creeley. Hyde tells him to grab a shovel. Oh My God! Are they going to make him dig his own grave? Duvall tells him about the factory he plans to build where they will manufacture chemical weapons for the military. Duvall pulls out a gun and shoots Hyde. Wait, what? Hyde is as shocked as I am. “You shot ME?” he says to Duvall. As it turns out Duvall was grooming John Dyson to replace Hyde, but Hyde killed him. Duvall also found out that he had hired The Black Legion and risked the Duvall’s good name. He then shoots Hyde again. I cringe as the blood explodes from his head. I realize I was wrong, one person deserved this fate more than Melvin. Martin Eggers Hyde.
Good News and Bad News
I’m still nervous though, not sure what Duvall’s plan for Creeley is. Will he kill him too? He tells Creeley he has good news and bad news. I’m convinced the “bad news” is that he will have to die too. The good news: he is offering Hyde’s job to Creeley. He immediately accepts. Now I’m not sure what the bad news could be. The bad news: Seth still remains an obstacle.
Seth is back at the Radio Station and he goes live giving a very moving and powerful speech to the workers and farmers about continuing their fight. He asks everyone who can hear him to go outside and fire a shot to let everyone know they will not be broken. As he finishes his plea to the people, all over Iowa guns are fired off showing their willingness to continue to fight for the soul of America.
Unanswered Questions
As Amelia finishes reading DL’s manuscript there is a knock at the door. It’s Connie and she wants to talk to Amelia. She can only be there for one reason, to kill Amelia. Seth returns to the house excited to talk to Amelia, but she is nowhere to be seen. I’m getting really nervous about what happened to her. I wonder if Seth will assume she left him. He then finds a book, I assume it’s a Bible, on the floor with blood on it. We fade to black as Seth stares into the next room.
How can they leave us like this? Is Amelia dead? Is Connie? What will happen to Berryman when the State Police arrive in town? Will Creeley and Bessie finally find happiness together? Will Creeley agree to kill Seth for the Duvalls? So many unanswered questions. This whole season has been incredible and we NEED a Season 2. Thank you Tony Tost for creating this beautiful and moving masterpiece!
Thanks for following along with me on this Damnation journey! And if you missed any of my previous Damnation reviews, check some of them out: