Deception Season Finale Preview: “I’ll Start with the Hillbilly” [PHOTOS] 

[WARNING: Spoilers for season finale]

Tonight is the season 1 finale of NBC’s Deception. This news saddens me because it has developed into one of my must-see shows of the week for a number of reasons: 

• Tate Donovan. If you weren’t totally in love with the character of Edward Bowers at the beginning of the series, you’d have to be by now. If you’re not watching this show at all, then you’re missing another great performance from the actor. From the get go you think Edward’s going to be the bad guy. He’s not. Or at least we don’t think. He is damaged though. I really learned to love the Edward-Samantha marriage as well. It wasn’t what I expected.
• Mia Bowers. I thought Mia was going to be another troubled TV teen I was going to totally despise. It’s so refreshing to find out that I not only believe every sarcastic response or out there reaction she has when faced with the hot mess that is her family, but I feel like she has every right to act out. Yet she manages to be a bit wild and mature at the same time. She’s almost the only sane one in her family. I really think that Ella Rae Beck has done a fantastic job as Mia.
• The Will / Joanna / Julian Triangle. Talk about hot. Both guys in this scenario are beautiful. You don’t blame Joanna for being torn. Each relationship is complicated. I go back and forth on which pairing I like. That’s not only a testament to the writing but to the chemistry that exists between Meagan Good and Wes Brown as well as Good and Laz Alonso. However, I’m not going to lie. Right now I love the fact that Joanna and Julian are going hot and heavy. They’re one of my favorite TV couples.
• The murder mystery. I don’t know about you guys but this show has kept me guessing as to who murdered Vivian.  The killer isn’t obvious. That’s always a good thing.
• Badass characters and moments. How badass is Katherine LaNasa as Sofia? She’s downright scary and seems to treat her family and its business like it were the mafia. Robert [Victor Garber] is pretty dark and deliciously evil as well. But with both characters, they sometimes (on the rare occasion) exude a vulnerability that’s shocking to see. These characters are all so damaged but I love seeing the different ways they deal with the precarious situations they find themselves in the middle of. And I think my favorite badass moment was when Joanna’s mother (who exhibits a mild case of Alzheimers) stood up to Robert. He was trying to play her and she wasn’t having it. So. Great.
• The flashbacks. They inform the show. And where on another series I would be hitting fast forward, I was riveted by the flashbacks on Deception. I loved seeing a young Joanna with her first (forbidden) love, Julian. I loved seeing what Vivian was like when she was young as well as shortly before she died. I was hoping we’d get to see some of Bree Williamson [One Life to Live, Haven] on this show other than being murdered in the pilot and through the magic of flashbacks, we have.

I’m super excited for tonight’s finale because we are allegedly about to find out who killed Vivian. Now the audience will find out. How many of the characters will?

Synopsis for “I’ll Start with the Hillbilly”: Edward makes a tough decision regarding his wife’s condition and seeks revenge. Vivian’s murder case is reopened as new information comes out, and the identity of her murderer is revealed.

PHOTOS from the season finale:

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The season 1 finale of Deception — “I’ll start with the Hillbilly” — airs tonight on NBC at 10/9c. I wish the network would give Deception a second season renewal. Unfortunately, the series is ratings challenged so we’ll see.