Loose Ends season 1
| Loose Ends | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring |
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| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Release | |
| Original channel | FX |
| Original run | June 26, 2013 – September 11, 2013 |
| Season chronology | |
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Next → Season 2 | |
The first season of the American television drama series Loose Ends premiered on June 26, 2013, on FX, and concluded on September 11, 2013, consisting of 10 episodes. The series was created by Natalie Chandler, who not only wrote the entirety of the first season, but also served as executive producer alongside Mark Calhoun and Tony Banner. Its main character is Eddie Chance, a college dropout-turned-hard-edged vigilante. Bentley DeLuca portrays Chance, whose life begins to cave in around him after the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Heather. While preferring to stay an outsider, troublesome situations lead him to several points of no return. The series is set in the fictional city of Kelso, Rhode Island. FX broadcast the first season on Wednesdays at 10:00 pm in the United States.
In its first season, the series received numerous accolades. For his performance, DeLuca won two MovieNation Awards for Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie, TV Show or Miniseries and Outstanding Performer of the Year. Joseph Noelle also received some recognition for his portrayal of Barry Chance, earning a MovieNation Award nomination for Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie, TV Show or Miniseries.
Plot
Eddie Chance (Bentley DeLuca) is a proud college dropout whose piercing intelligence spares no one. He's not afraid to back up his words with actions, and knows all the angles; yet he prefers to stay an outsider, and does — until the day that his ex-girlfriend, Heather (Teresa Palmer), reaches out to him unexpectedly and then vanishes. His feelings for her still run deep; so much so, that he becomes consumed with finding his troubled inamorata. To find her, he enlists the aid of his only true peer, Fitz (Jay Baruchel), while keeping his reckless younger brother Barry (Joseph Noelle) only partially informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous personal investigation. Determined to find out what happened to Heather, Eddie has to sift through the upper class elite of his former classmates, including the jocks, stoners and seductive drama students. As he does so, Eddie discovers that Heather's disappearance is linked to something darker and far more serious than he could have imagined.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Bentley DeLuca as Eddie Chance
- Joseph Noelle as Barry Chance
- Jay Baruchel as Aaron "Fitz" Fitzgerald
- Taylor Kitsch as The Rip
- Michael Trevino as Tagger
Recurring cast
- Teresa Palmer as Heather Matthews
- Craig Horner as Phillip
- Zach Gilford as Kyle
- Camille Winbush as Gina
Guest cast
- AJ Ortiz as Fredo
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Ziploc, Oh Fredo, Tag, Rip and a Pilot" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | June 26, 2013 | 4.90 |
| Eddie Chance (Bentley DeLuca) makes a shocking discovery, which leads to a series of flashbacks to two days prior. Eddie goes to Fitz (Jay Baruchel) for help with getting in touch with Heather (Teresa Palmer). Barry Chance (Joseph Noelle) throws a debaucherous frat party for his newfound friends. Eddie confronts Heather's boyfriend Phillip (Craig Horner). | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Tell Me to Walk Away, Fitz" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | July 3, 2013 | 3.76 |
| Fitz agrees to help Eddie uncover the mysteries consuming him. Gina (Camille Winbush) raises suspicion by refusing to tell Eddie what she knows. Kyle (Zach Gilford) and Eddie come to blows over Eddie's line of questioning. Barry attempts to repair his fractured relationship with Eddie. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Throw Him Under the Bus" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | July 10, 2013 | 3.44 |
| Sheriff Montgomery (Billy Campbell) warns Eddie about his dangerous sleuthing. Eddie meets with The Rip (Taylor Kitsch) and persuades him to consider Eddie for a spot in his operation. Phillip details a nefarious scenario that threatens to compromise Eddie's plans. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "One Was Stolen" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | July 17, 2013 | 3.39 |
| Fitz shares with Eddie that Fredo (AJ Ortiz) was a student who fell into a coma after injecting The Rip's poorly-cut heroin. The Rip suspects an uprising from Tagger (Michael Trevino). Barry hears from someone who knows about what happened to Heather. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Tough Gets Going" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | July 24, 2013 | 3.21 |
| Tagger vents to Eddie, vowing to ruin The Rip. Heather's body turns up, putting Eddie in a delicate situation with Montgomery. Kyle and Gina come up with a plan to protect themselves from backlash over the silence. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Your Secrets Are Not Safe" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | July 31, 2013 | 3.29 |
| Eddie demands answers from Barry. Heather's checkered past becomes the center of her murder investigation. Eddie arranges a meeting between Tagger and The Rip, to resolve their issues for the benefit of his larger plan against them. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Don't Kill the Messenger" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | August 7, 2013 | 3.18 |
| Barry attempts to cover his tracks after having a discussion with Fitz. Gina comes clean to Eddie about what she knows. Eddie gets caught in the crossfire. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "What's Yours Is Mine" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | August 28, 2013 | 3.51 |
| Eddie breaks down over Heather. Tagger devises a take over of The Rip's operation, declaring war on him. Fitz comes across some new, useful information. Montgomery considers how to deal with some of his most lawless citizens. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Unzipped and Unlocked" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | September 4, 2013 | 3.47 |
| Chaos erupts when it is discovered that the tenth ziplock is now missing. Eddie clues Montgomery in on what he's been planning in the final hours. Barry considers leaving town. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Something Wicked This Way Comes" | Mark Calhoun | Natalie Chandler | September 11, 2013 | 3.64 |
| Eddie cleverly orchestrates a big showdown between The Rip and Tagger, ending with both criminals cancelling each other's lives out in shocking circumstances. Eddie meets up with Barry at the Kelso University football field. Eddie explains to Barry that he knows Barry set Heather up to take the fall for Barry's theft of the ninth ziplock, and that Barry manipulated Heather into meeting Tagger, who ultimately killed her after being led to believe he was responsible for Heather's pregnancy. Eddie tells Barry he has put this truth in a note to Sheriff Montgomery, who will find the large ziplock in Barry's car. Barry vindictively tells Eddie that Heather expressed regret that she couldn't keep her pregnancy because she didn't love the prospective father, and that Heather was three months pregnant when she died, implying that the baby was Eddie's. The episode ends with Eddie watching Montgomery approach them and take Barry away. | ||||||
Production
Development
On March 26, 2013, FX bought the original concept from Natalie Chandler's Nattiewood, Inc., executive produced by Chandler (series creator), Mark Calhoun and Fox Entertainment Group's Tony Banner. On the same day, the network announced a 10-episode straight-to-series order for the 2013 summer television season. All 10 episodes were written by Chandler and directed by Calhoun. The series was renewed for a second season on May 31, 2014, by FX.
Filming
Chandler considered filming the series in Rhode Island, where the fictional city of Kelso is located, but found British Columbia, particularly Vancouver, to be a more practical choice. On-location filming usually takes place in locations within the province, including Buntzen Lake, Cleveland Dam, Heritage Park, The Bridge Studios, Sutherland Secondary School and Vancouver City Hall. Because most episodes take place in rural Rhode Island, filming often takes place at an old military base. Having been shut down for years, the buildings have been removed, leaving just roads on which sets are erected, such as for crossroads scenes. Other locations used on the show are often reused two or three times, with the art department making variations to conceal this.
Casting
On April 6, 2013, it was announced that Natalie Chandler had cast Bentley DeLuca in the show's leading role of Eddie Chance. Throughout the month, other main and recurring roles were announced as cast: Teresa Palmer as Heather Matthews, Jay Baruchel as Fitz, Craig Horner as Phillip, PJ Boudousqué as Tagger, Camille Winbush as Gina, Joseph Noelle as Barry Chance, Taylor Kitsch as The Rip, Zach Gilford as Kyle and Billy Campbell as Sheriff Thomas Montgomery. On April 15, 2013, a recast occured following the pilot table read, when Boudousqué was replaced by Michael Trevino, who took over the role of Tagger. Producers said in a collective statement: "PJ is a pro, and has been very patient and accommodating with us. As we moved closer to production, it was clear we needed to go in a different direction for the character, and PJ agreed to do what was best for the show. He's an immensely gifted actor and we hope to have the pleasure of working with him again." On May 15, 2013, it was announced that model AJ Ortiz would appear in an episode in the first half of the season.
Reception
Critical reception
Loose Ends has been met with wide acclaim from critics, with many praising the writing, directing, and the acting abilities of its cast. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a rating of 93% based on 42 reviews with an average rating of 8.1 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Loose Ends can at times be a brutal, violent and harrowing portrait of an over burdened system, where thugs rule the streets and the corrupt contaminate the upper echelon of society. It is also an original revenge/vigilante story." Metacritic gave the first season a score of 84 out of 100 based on 34 reviews. Deadline critic Dominic Patten said in his season one review that "the 10-episode FX series is mesmerizing and discomfiting, engaging the viewer on a visceral and an intellectual level". Critic Ed Bark praised the performance of Bentley DeLuca and wrote that he would be a favorite on television for years to come.
Ratings
The first season averaged 3.57 million viewers and a 1.16 rating in the 18–49 demographic.
Accolades
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | MovieNation Awards | Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie, TV Show or Miniseries | Bentley DeLuca | Won |
| Outstanding Performer of the Year | Bentley DeLuca | Won | ||
| Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie, TV Show or Miniseries | Joseph Noelle | Nominated |
Home media release
The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray. Netflix currently streams season one in many countries. The show is available via traditional by-episode purchase by most online video retailers, including iTunes.
| The Complete First Season | |||||
| Set Details | Special Features | ||||
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| Release Dates | |||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| June 7, 2016 | July 16, 2016 | August 11, 2016 | |||
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