The season finale of "Mister Sterling," the midseason replacement television series I've mentioned here before, was aired tonight, and it remains to be seen whether NBC will pick it up in the fall. That said, I wasn't happy with tonight's episode. Senator Sterling (Josh Brolin) holds a one-man filibuster to get funding for prison education inserted in an appropriations bill. Portia de Rossi, returning as a Hollywood actress who is Sterling's love interest, gives him her unconditional support all the way through. In the end, Sterling gets his prison education funding - but only if he agrees to zeroing out funding for an afterschool arts program supproted by his girlfriend. He does so, and tells her the bad news. Naturally, she dumps him.
Sorry, I didn't buy that at all. I know Sterling is supposed to be a former prison teacher who passionately believes in his cause, but let's review the dilemma here. He can support funding for either a prison education program or an after-school arts program his Hollywood-starlet girlfriend supports, but not both. So, in other words, he can either support a politically unpopular pet project of his designed to help guys behind bars, or he can sacrifice his self-interest for the woman he loves - a woman who looks like Portia de Rossi - and give up his pet project for her after-school arts program, which can help a lot of children, who are the future of this great land of ours. Hmmm - help the cons or get the girl. Oh, I know what I'd pick!
If "Mister Sterling" gets cancelled, it will be because viewers found an idealistic, hopelessly honest U.S. Senator like William Sterling a little too unrealistic. After all, there is some disbelief even Hollywood can't make us suspend!
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