Just once more and it's all over for ABC's 'Again'

By Steve Murray

Never again for "Once and Again," at least not after tonight.

After three years, ABC's critically lauded but lowest-rated drama comes to an end, with an episode that tidily ties up loose ends.

This isn't groundbreaking television, but a sensitive study of the shifting emotional sand beneath an extended family, their children and friends, centering on Rick (Bill Campbell) and Lily (Sela Ward).

Tonight's finale, called "Chance of a Lifetime," has the couple grappling with "too much good news." Lily has a big job opportunity, but, oops, so does Rick. And his would mean picking up the whole family and moving out of the country.

Bickering follows, as it does as well for commitment-phobic Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Lily's ex-husband, and Tiffany (Ever Carradine).

The show saves its biggest emotional ammunition for Rick's ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson). Damaged emotionally and physically after being struck by a car earlier this season, tonight she gets a glimmer of a chance to pull herself out of the mire.

More than 23,000 viewers recently signed an online petition to keep "Once and Again" on the air. The show's humanity and intelligence deserves that kind of support. And with its focus on family, it's just the kind of show ABC insists is the network's priority. But come the 11 p.m. news, it's all over. Luckily, the show's writers knew this would be not just the last episode of the season, but the entire series. They handle the exit with considerable grace.

For loyal viewers who've chased the show since its 1999 debut (in its three years, ABC bumped it around to seven time slots), creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick offer a poignant bonus. The episode is capped by a behind-the-scenes segment, letting the actors express their feelings, crack wise and get choked up. It's a sweet "thank you" to the fans.__ Atlanta Journal Constitution (April 15, 2002)

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