Chesapeake Shores Series Finale “All Or Nothing” Spoilers Ahead
Chesapeake Shores is now over, and the final season didn’t exactly deliver in all the ways we were hoping for. While every character is thankfully happier than they were at the start, it’s disheartening that the writing spent more time on over-the-top drama than organic, nuanced storytelling. Instead of feeling satisfied with what we’ve gotten, dramatic narratives took over the better, more engaging arcs. In more ways than one, tragically, the characters took a backseat to the plot, bringing to our screens unnecessary issues that shouldn’t have occurred in the final season, let alone the concluding episode.
Throughout the show’s curtain call, while I expected to love the entirety of it, only one episode truly stuck out with storytelling beats that didn’t feel rushed or convoluted. Season 6, Episode 7, “It’s Not For Me To Say,” got to the heart of the O’Brien family gorgeously, putting aside theatrics for the organic storylines we’d signed up for. However, in Season 2, Episode 10, “All Or Nothing,” we got a wedding, a blowout with the miscommunication trope, a proposal, a pregnancy announcement, a baby arriving too quickly, and a couple’s quarrel resolved instantaneously. Still, this sentiment isn’t to conclude that there weren’t some great and heartwarming storylines throughout, but they were arcs that this genre shouldn’t have tackled in its final season.
Tropes are the best, but there is such a thing as featuring too many all at once, resulting in the Chesapeake Shores series finale and, inadvertently, the season’s downfall. The show and the cast had a lot of potential to go off with stars bursting through the sky, but since the theatrics outshines it, it leaves us wanting more. Nonetheless, there’s plenty of good to highlight, wherein a lovely, tear-jerker montage does so gorgeously at the very end.
Abby and Evan
There’s nothing better than to know with utmost certainty that Abby O’Brien got both the career and the guy in the end. As someone who started watching the show because of Megan Ory, it’s pleasing to know that her character journey ends well. I’ve been Team Evan since day one because of Robert Buckley but throwing the curve ball regarding his father’s presence in a penultimate episode only outplayed the further development we could’ve gotten for them as a couple. This paternal arc and the ordeal with Mandrake should’ve been introduced earlier and shouldn’t have been left for resolution in a series finale of all episodes.
But that sweet proposal made up for it, as well as Abby’s memories and Ory’s performances framing the montage in the end. She came home to Chesapeake Shores, not expecting to find any of this, but life had better plans than she thought possible. Thus, Evan buying a house to settle in before proposing to her was the kind of romantic gesture heroes in novels are known for. He doesn’t even question the fact that he wants to be a part of her family, which makes it much lovelier, considering that his only family has been Mandrake. (And the joke about who Mandrake works for now worked just as well for comedic relief.)
Abby and Evan are a solid pair, made better by the promise of spending forever with one another. They are opposites in more ways than one, but their tender means of finding ways to laugh together has been a highlight throughout the season. I imagine it would’ve been delightful if we’d gotten more content.
Bree and Luke
Nothing baffles me more than how the Chesapeake Shores series finale handles Bree and Luke’s arc. The script was painful. There’s no other way of putting it. I’ve read a lot of romance novels, I know how the miscommunication trope works, and it’s never felt more forced than it did in “All Or Nothing.” Luke’s insecurities are entirely understandable, but the execution failed to touch on those insecurities, jumping straight to a curvature that’s hard to come back from.
Instead of putting us through a narrative where we could’ve gotten to know Luke or his past better, the series threw the kind of knife that twisted in a bizarre stab. I believe they love each other strictly because of the show’s ending, but it’s tough to believe that it’s not scripted, and that wasn’t the case with them before. There was ample potential to tell an even more compelling story here, but it’s cheapened with the unnecessary drama.
(Further, what on earth was the point of wasting time with Bree’s book-to-screen adaptation storyline that went nowhere, when we could have seen the two of them grow more as a couple?)
Connor and Margaret
Connor and Margaret’s relationship has been the sweetest showcase in Chesapeake Shores Season 6. It’s easier to believe their conflict a bit more than it was to take in Bree and Luke’s, but again, I wish it didn’t occur in the series finale.
Connor and Margaret are a reliable pair of two very similar people who find a great partner in someone else. Thereby, utilizing the workplace romance has operated to the show’s benefit because the two of them going from flirty to tense to solid was fun to watch. There’s a steady balance here that I appreciated beyond what we see in “All Or Nothing.”
Again, I wish the series gave more time to the slow, soft moments to allow us a chance to dive deeper into their layers, but alas. Additionally, while there are a few things the series took too far or didn’t give enough attention to, credit goes where credit is due because the earlier narrative with Connor’s recovery were surprisingly strong.
Jess and David
From the start, Jess’ arc has been my favorite, and the line about things coming full circle on the day of her parents’ wedding brought the story to the essential conclusion. In a nutshell, this moment is a significant reason why the Chesapeake Shores series finale works. While it’s incredibly on the nose, it’s a type of cliche I always welcome, so I’ll let it pass. However, Jess harbored the most trauma from Megan’s initial departure; dealing with that, working through it, and becoming a mother herself is something the series should have explored further. Instead, the writing wastes time with David’s family scandal through an angle that isn’t even appropriately concluded.
Still, Jess and David will always be my favorite couple on this show, and knowing they’ll be parents makes my little heart grow ten sizes. If any pair on the show deserves a spin-off series, it’s the two of them. From the moment they meet, they’ve been building solid foundations from the ground up, starting with the inn and extending that to their relationship. They’ve fought together through everything, allowing each other to be vulnerable, brave, scared, and their best selves in every sense. Their relationship has been the most organic depiction of a romance novel story that stays with you through everything.
Kevin and Sarah
In every sense, Kevin and Sarah’s storylines throughout the final season were fantastic until the misplaced baby delivery. The penultimate didn’t need to end with it on a cliffhanger. We know Kevin is capable of a lot; we didn’t need to see it. You know when sometimes something dramatic happens, and you just know it’s scripted? Yes, these things happen, but the execution didn’t stick, not even a little.
As my second favorite couple in the show, I wanted to see more of them. I wanted to see which medical school Kevin would attend and how that’d go. Further, to only get five seconds of them with the baby, as opposed to a few more shots after the tragic events last season, was also disheartening. However, much like all the couples, it’s beautiful to know that Kevin and Sarah’s family is growing right alongside their adoration for one another. They’re the kind of couple who’ve supported each other through every dark storm to the bursting sunlight.
Mick and Megan
Mick and Megan went through so much throughout the final season that I wouldn’t even know where to begin adequately. But the series ending with their wedding feels right in a way nothing else could have. The only downfall was once again Diane Ladd’s absence as Nell. It could have made for such a perfect moment if she had made an appearance.
As massive fans of the second chance romance here at Marvelous Geeks, there’s nothing quite like seeing a relationship take another leap toward forever. And to be surrounded by their kids this time around just makes it even sweeter to watch. Go travel the world, parents; you deserve it!
While the Chesapeake Shores series finale was far from perfect, it’s still the type of conclusion that allows the audience to feel the weight of the loss. It’s easy to miss these characters. I already do. (Can we get a Christmas special!?)
Now streaming on Frndly TV: What are your thoughts on Chesapeake Shores series finale? Let us know in the comments below.