Being Erica recap, episode 11 (series finale): wherein Erica Strange cries a lot and says goodbye forever
Every show comes to an end, whether we like it or not: Friends ended with crying, Will and Grace ended with crying (NBC Thursdays tend to be big cry fests) and, yep, Being Erica ended with crying—lots of it. Erica begins the episode talking about endings, and how every beginning has an end. We’ve learned that Dr. Tom will be unable to see Erica once he retires from his practice, but he has yet to tell Erica, and in this final episode, titled “Dr. Erica,” we witness Dr. Tom battling between resuming his duties as super-doctor and living out his life with Amanda. Of course, this inner battle comes as a result of Erica’s sadness, who has a constipated look on her face for almost the entire episode (we get it, she’s sad—we’re sad, too). In a moment of epiphany, which arises from a Dr. Naadiah intervention, Erica realizes that “the only constant is change” and that convincing Dr. Tom to stick around is actually likely to hurt him. This episode is a whirlwind, as you can imagine, so look forward to the return of Leo, tears, Dr. Erica’s fabulously appointed office, more tears and an adorable pug (which is really just an excuse to include Brent and Julianne in the finale). Here, our recap of Erica’s final CBC-televised jaunt through the time-space continuum.
The show begins with Erica taking on her first fiction writer, who intends to tell the story of a 30-year-old woman who is never satisfied with life. Erica loves the idea, naturally, but quickly starts to feel strange when visions of a heroin addict’s imminent struggles pass through her mind. This prompts Dr. Tom to call Erica into his office, where he explains that this moment is the sign that she is ready to be a doctor—and, of course, that this heroin addict will be her first legit patient. She is Dr. Erica. Of course, this news comes with the even more troubling news that he, in fact, is retiring from being a magical time-travelling doctor because he’s in love with Amanda (a fact he shares through some form of telekinesis). But the real trauma doesn’t come until after Dr. Tom asks Dr. Erica to teleport to her office, which is absolutely beautiful. Seriously, who knew that buried beneath a series of magenta dresses and sequin tank tops is a lady with such refined (yet modern) tastes. Good job, Erica. When Tom drops the bomb that he’s not permitted to see her ever again, Erica becomes hysterical, drenching herself in tears and scrunching her face every which way to indicate maximum sadness, and then leaves, asking if she can have some time to regroup.
Tom is called in to Dr. Naadiah’s office, and he’s visibly panic-stricken by the idea of abandoning Erica (he likens it to his relationship with his daughter Sarah). Dr. Naadiah encourages Tom to move on to the next chapter of his life, but he can’t see past Erica’s sadness. A somewhat upset Naadiah calls Erica into her office next, because, unlike Erica, she actually works, and forces Erica to confront her deceased brother, Leo, in what can only be described as limbo (or season one’s intro). Leo is excited to show Erica how he can live from memory to memory without moving on to “the next step,” but after being taken back to her childhood and reminiscing fondly about a family trip to the Louvre, Erica tells Leo that his life is sad because he’s stuck. She tries to reason with herself and Dr. Naadiah that Leo and Dr. Tom’s situations are totally different, but with the smooth-talking guidance of Dr. N, she realizes that while Leo is delaying a new beginning and Erica and Tom are delaying an end, they’re all acting in a destructive manner (say it with them, every beginning has an end—you’ll hear this about 20 times, so it’s best you get used to it now). Erica finally lets go, and with the passing of Dr. Tom’s spiral notebook of Strangeisms (the file on her he kept when she was a patient), he—along with the contents of his rich mahogany office—vanishes in a flash of light, leaving Erica standing (and crying) alone where time doesn’t exist (a white box).
Although there were moments of sadness while viewing the final episode (we’re human), we felt like the secondary cast was poorly utilized. The only two characters who received endings were Erica and Dr. Tom, despite Adam, Jenny, Dave, Ivan, Julianne and Brent suffering through the Strange life for many seasons. Julianne and Brent fought over a pug, while Ray Ray (the new girl) claimed to have pet-only psychic abilities and Dave and Ivan fed a dog cookies (nary a bear joke to be heard, not even for the finale). Not even a cute pug can compete with Erica’s psychological trauma, because she’s the centre of the universe (of course, the program is called Being Erica). The show ends with a sequin-trimmed, blazer-wearing Dr. Erica handing her card to her first patient, Sarah Wexler (that’s Dr. Tom’s daughter, for the uninitiated), and as she walks away, a montage of life moments flash on the screen: Leo moves on to “the next step,” which is also explained with a flash of light (if you still can’t explain the science of time travel appropriately during the series finale, why bother discussing theoretical concepts of afterlife?); Adam and Erica pack boxes to move into an unrealistic mega-loft space; Sarah looks at Erica’s card thoughtfully; Sam and Barb hang with the baby; Dr. Tom and Amanda walk around like normal people; and, because it’s absolutely necessary, Erica walks in her typical bouncy fashion down a Toronto street (perhaps at the corner of Joy St. and Hope Ave.) saying, “My name is Erica Strange and today is the end of one chapter and the beginning of the rest of my life.” Do we smell a Godiva’s reunion?
: wherein Erica Strange cries a lot and says goodbye forever&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/863_17365_web_8column.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_108119" align="alignleft" width="353" caption="Presenting: Dr. Erica"][/caption]
Every show comes to an end, whether we like it or not: Friends ended with crying, Will and Grace ended with crying (NBC Thursdays tend to be big cry fests) and, yep, Being Erica ended with crying—lots of it. Erica begins the episode talking about endings, and how every beginning has an end. We’ve learned that Dr. Tom will be unable to see Erica once he retires from his practice, but he has yet to tell Erica, and in this final episode, titled “Dr. Erica,” we witness Dr. Tom battling between resuming his duties as super-doctor and living out his life with Amanda. Of course, this inner battle comes as a result of Erica’s sadness, who has a constipated look on her face for almost the entire episode (we get it, she’s sad—we’re sad, too). In a moment of epiphany, which arises from a Dr. Naadiah intervention, Erica realizes that “the only constant is change” and that convincing Dr. Tom to stick around is actually likely to hurt him. This episode is a whirlwind, as you can imagine, so look forward to the return of Leo, tears, Dr. Erica’s fabulously appointed office, more tears and an adorable pug (which is really just an excuse to include Brent and Julianne in the finale). Here, our recap of Erica’s final CBC-televised jaunt through the time-space continuum.
The show begins with Erica taking on her first fiction writer, who intends to tell the story of a 30-year-old woman who is never satisfied with life. Erica loves the idea, naturally, but quickly starts to feel strange when visions of a heroin addict’s imminent struggles pass through her mind. This prompts Dr. Tom to call Erica into his office, where he explains that this moment is the sign that she is ready to be a doctor—and, of course, that this heroin addict will be her first legit patient. She is Dr. Erica. Of course, this news comes with the even more troubling news that he, in fact, is retiring from being a magical time-travelling doctor because he’s in love with Amanda (a fact he shares through some form of telekinesis). But the real trauma doesn’t come until after Dr. Tom asks Dr. Erica to teleport to her office, which is absolutely beautiful. Seriously, who knew that buried beneath a series of magenta dresses and sequin tank tops is a lady with such refined (yet modern) tastes. Good job, Erica. When Tom drops the bomb that he’s not permitted to see her ever again, Erica becomes hysterical, drenching herself in tears and scrunching her face every which way to indicate maximum sadness, and then leaves, asking if she can have some time to regroup.
Tom is called in to Dr. Naadiah’s office, and he’s visibly panic-stricken by the idea of abandoning Erica (he likens it to his relationship with his daughter Sarah). Dr. Naadiah encourages Tom to move on to the next chapter of his life, but he can’t see past Erica’s sadness. A somewhat upset Naadiah calls Erica into her office next, because, unlike Erica, she actually works, and forces Erica to confront her deceased brother, Leo, in what can only be described as limbo (or season one’s intro). Leo is excited to show Erica how he can live from memory to memory without moving on to “the next step,” but after being taken back to her childhood and reminiscing fondly about a family trip to the Louvre, Erica tells Leo that his life is sad because he’s stuck. She tries to reason with herself and Dr. Naadiah that Leo and Dr. Tom’s situations are totally different, but with the smooth-talking guidance of Dr. N, she realizes that while Leo is delaying a new beginning and Erica and Tom are delaying an end, they’re all acting in a destructive manner (say it with them, every beginning has an end—you’ll hear this about 20 times, so it’s best you get used to it now). Erica finally lets go, and with the passing of Dr. Tom’s spiral notebook of Strangeisms (the file on her he kept when she was a patient), he—along with the contents of his rich mahogany office—vanishes in a flash of light, leaving Erica standing (and crying) alone where time doesn’t exist (a white box).
Although there were moments of sadness while viewing the final episode (we’re human), we felt like the secondary cast was poorly utilized. The only two characters who received endings were Erica and Dr. Tom, despite Adam, Jenny, Dave, Ivan, Julianne and Brent suffering through the Strange life for many seasons. Julianne and Brent fought over a pug, while Ray Ray (the new girl) claimed to have pet-only psychic abilities and Dave and Ivan fed a dog cookies (nary a bear joke to be heard, not even for the finale). Not even a cute pug can compete with Erica’s psychological trauma, because she’s the centre of the universe (of course, the program is called Being Erica). The show ends with a sequin-trimmed, blazer-wearing Dr. Erica handing her card to her first patient, Sarah Wexler (that’s Dr. Tom’s daughter, for the uninitiated), and as she walks away, a montage of life moments flash on the screen: Leo moves on to “the next step,” which is also explained with a flash of light (if you still can’t explain the science of time travel appropriately during the series finale, why bother discussing theoretical concepts of afterlife?); Adam and Erica pack boxes to move into an unrealistic mega-loft space; Sarah looks at Erica’s card thoughtfully; Sam and Barb hang with the baby; Dr. Tom and Amanda walk around like normal people; and, because it’s absolutely necessary, Erica walks in her typical bouncy fashion down a Toronto street (perhaps at the corner of Joy St. and Hope Ave.) saying, “My name is Erica Strange and today is the end of one chapter and the beginning of the rest of my life.” Do we smell a Godiva’s reunion?){kind=link}
I’m going to miss this show.
bixi in the last scene, yay!
Really liked this show and I will also miss it. It was fresh and unique. Such a nice change from the normal run-of-the-mill fare that tv offers us these days.
Fabulous wardrobe.
I must be a cursed individual and therefore pass that curse on to whatever television I happen to admire for it’s not long after they get cancelled.
The history of this goes as far back as “Then Came Bronson”,more recently “Joan of Arcadia” and now “Being Erica.” Any show that has substance and character some executive clown decides to take it off the air. And now in this case it’s a Canadian show.
Four years is a pretty small run for a show of this calibre which is corroborated by English and American networks wanting to produce remakes of the show.
I think our Canadian producers are examples of walking contradictions having the foresight to produce such an intelligent show as “Being Erica,” then proving just how brain dead they actually are by removing the most original Canadian show in the last 30 years of our broadcasting history. No wonder we have trouble competing with American television when we make such a dim-witted decision.
There were almost as many goodbyes as The Lord of The Rings, but the show went out in a satisfying way. Unfortunately the folks playing the “Where’s Judith” drinking game went home sober.
Check out our thoughts with our finale recap on bitchstolemyremote here: http://wp.me/p1VQBq-dj
Does anyone know who the designer is of Erica’s first outfit in this epidsode?? Can’t tell if it’s a blouse and skirt or a dress, but just gorgeous…
Being Erica was a great show and I will miss it. It might be due to the fact that I am an eternal optimistic, but I do hope that a subsequent series (i.e.: Dr. Erica) will be written, in which Erica would be Sarah’s doctor and in which we would find Being Erica’s characters (such as doctor Tom, as Sarah’s dad). Who knows…
I am certain I do not fit the demographic of viewers but it doesn’t really matter. Got hooked from day one for some reason. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this series. CBC hits one out of the park once in a while and this was one.. Well done Erin et al. Too bad that’s it.
I love this this show and would to see a spin off as well… maybe “Being Sarah”?!?!?!?
I cannot believe the it is over, the best show on television. I too watched it from the beginning and every week when it was on wound not move from the couch until the hour was up. I met a lady who once told me, I don’t watch television, but, I really like this little show called Being Erica, huh. I wasn’t ready for it, I thought it was just the season’s finale, not the FINALE. What’s up CBC you get something like Being Erica which make’s Gray’s Anatomy look like fluff and you just ditch it. I agree, there could easily be new episodes where Erica is now looking after Sarah, why the hell not did you fire the writer’s? Are they asking for more money, give it to them and bring our girl back. What’s next canceling Heartland. Get rid of that detective from Newfoundland and 22 Minutes which is now just painful to watch. For God’s sake wake up and listen to your viewers for a change.
I heard this show was based on a true story
This show will definitely be missed.
*side note/correction*
Telekinesis is the ability to move objects with the mind
Telepathy is the ability to read/share thoughts
I was not prepared for this to be the end… I LOVE this show… it puts me in a happy place week after week… it was perhaps the first Canadian show that I actually watched and enjoyed and it didn’t matter that it was Canadian (it didn’t have that “canadian” feel that most of our broadcasting seems to have!) I cried almost as hard as I did at the end of Lost… we need more of this kind of TV!!!!
This show was my favorite. It is the only show that I have watched in so long that actually has a substance, a real meaning. This show spoke to me and even helped me understand my life better. I hope there is a sequel series or a show of a similar caliber comes into being.
Thank you Erica, Dr. Tom, and the show. It really has been an amazing 4 seasons.
Actually, it was some form of telepathy, not telekinesis.
And man, I’m really going to miss the show.
This has been, by far, my favourite tv show in years. It was fresh and it tackled real life issues in an entertaining way. I will miss it very much! Hopefully, as one poster already mentioned, it will be segued into a show such as Dr. Erica. It really was too brief a run for this show!
A beautiful, funny, touching, gorgeous, smart, poignant show — I will truly miss it! (makes me sad like when Gilmore Girls ended a few years ago)
So sad to see that it was the series finale. It can be taken so much further and still be amazing, unlike so many of the other useless shows on tv right now that drag on. I really don’t see the logic here, but would love to hear an explanation from the station.
I can only think of a new season titled Being Dr. Erica. I hope there will be. If not, we better start a petition to be heard. I love this show so much. I will miss it big time!
I will very much miss this show. I rushed through work on Monday nights just to see. it. I also think that Erin(Erica) should keep going as the next chapter “Dr. Erica” should be named. I also think that CBC needs to run this too. I do hope that Erin does get into another show if this one does not pan out but it will with everyone writing and telling their opinions and how much they like it. I think if I ever bumped into her in Toronto or somewhere that I would tell her everything of how I felt about the show and of her as a great actress.
I was SO sad when I heard this was the last episode. I absolutely LOVED this show and yes, I was bawling my eyes out on last nights episode. I wish we could see Sarah as the patient… BRING ERICA BACK!!!
So long?Well..better adieu.The show will be missed(I’m gonna beg Santa for a new season…hoping my wish will come true)
This show was truly amazing. Although I love all my cop shows, etc, Being Erica added something to my life. Sometimes it felt like I was the one in therapy! So sad to see it end.
Al I can say is this: It’s CLEARER inside of me WHO i will always be….
What an extreme shame. I agree, it was a fresh and interesting take on life. I loved Dr. Tom and Erica and the whole concept. I loved the streets of Toronto backdrop and the lessons learned along the way!!!! Why is it everytime something with substance comes along it gets cancelled. It was fun but it really did make you think about your own life choices and examine yourself but in a very entertaining way. I also was hooked from the first episode. Maybe I do not fit the demographic either but I so looked forward to this show every week. It was my happy place. Why can they not carry it forward to Dr. Tom s daughter Sarah in a pay it forward kind of way. Makes you think change is possible!!!! Please reconsider….CBC!!!!!
How is it that such a great show with a positive perspective and insights comes to an end after just a handful of seasons?
This is the kind of TV we want for the new era! Not the violence and drama filled shows that are all over on air these days.
CBC ought to really rethink this ending and bring back the series! Undoubtedly one of the best i’ve seen!
And for those who aren’t keen on sequels, just remember that life itself is one and full of them!
Thanks for the great work!
Who’s Doctor Tom? I thought this was about Being John Malkovich?
Awwwww, I can’t believe this, I was axiously awaiting a new season, this show will truly be missed. Being Erica was one the most refreshing shows I have seen in a long time,farewell.
What happens to the guy who won the cameo spot on Being Erica eating McCain pizza?
I wish that they had a new season of her being the doctor! That would be really cool to see! I’ll miss this show!
I loved this show from the beginning. Thoughtful, insightful, written with wisdom and cast with genius.
I will miss all of the characters, and especially Dr. Tom. Wish I had him around when I was a 30 something. I have a few regrets that I would like to change. :-)
I would tap that
I’m really sad that this show is over! I Loved every minute of it. I didnt think that Dr. Erica was the last episode! I will truly will miss this fabulous show! It was the best TV show i have ever watched by far!!
It had a good run but really it is time to move on. I think that CBC’s new shrink drama is Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays is brilliant much better than Being Erica and has way more potential than they think as it can go beyond the one character. So anyone in withdrawal I suggest this show as a replacement.
I really enjoyed this show. I watched on hulu and final season in 3 segment splices on youtube…sadly enough I’m in the US so didn’t have access that I could find for last season. I thought they wrapped up all the characters well. The show is Erica. In the couple of previous episodes they brought in the wedding, Adam and Erica moving in together, Jenny back into Erica’s life, Julianne and Brent finally together, Leo moving on, and last but not least Dr. Tom’s daughter under Erica’s wing…what a great ending. I loved it and cannot fault. I hope they do make one for the US, I would follow in a heartbeat. I just hope that the “Erica” is as addicting as this one.
Can’t believe its over! Fantastic show. What is CBS thinking?
I can’t believe it is over ! I’m in shock. It is an absolutely fantastic show that my husband and I both looked forward to watching. Outstanding acting. We had the last show tonight as we had it PVRed. In shock and sad there will be no more….
Other than the horribly rushed way the Kai/Adam storyline was handled, I do think the season ended well. Not ready to say goodbye to the show. Double-sad!
I’ve watched every episode from the beginning and will really miss this show! Wonderful, unique premise!
I so loved this show! Am really going to miss it.
Loved this show. I totally understand why they had to end Erica’s journey… she, like all of thirty-somethings – need more than make-up to fake being 22. And the show ended EXACTLY as I predicted it the first time I saw it. I usually don’t applaud the predictable but this show really took me in. I would also love to see the evolution of the Canadian version where we see Dr. Erica flourish in her confidence and bring on a new patient for us to know and love. Let’s face it: while Sarah makes a great first patient we really know all we need to know about her. CBC PLEASE bring this show back. It’s cruel that there were only a handful of episodes a season but then to take it away completely is both unfair and unprofitable. I promise to keep watching!
Would love to know who made her dress!
http://beingericasclothes.blogspot.com
I’m looking for more info on why CBC canceled the show in its fourth season. It was still evolving, and as others have mentioned, secondary character plots were just emerging. It seemed to just be winding up. Dr. Erica can take on a new patient each episode or two in Season 5. Each patient would have a new story- you can see that the writers were going there. What’s going on with Canadian broadcasting? “Being Erica” the newest, entertainment version of the Avro Arrow.
The show was part fantasy and part ‘real’ in just the right amounts. Great combo. Refreshing, entertaining, and made me think about my own life all at the same time. Will miss it. CBC should definitely keep it going!!
Being Erica is a fresh, unique, Canadian show which will be greatly missed. This is the one show that I looked forward to seeing each season and, until today, thought would return. This show is one of the few on TV that looks at people from different perspectives and makes points that generate discussion. I hope that this cancellation will be reconsidered, or the show reinvented like Boston Legal and the thinly disguised – Harry’s Law. At least they should allow the show to end by examinging how Erica handled her first case.
Speechless for how sad I am that I will never see my friend Erica again!
absolutely loved this show, its completely unique and i’m crushed by the fact that there are no more seasons. why did they have to cancel it?!