I’m very happy this season of The Detour turned out so well. I think how much I hated the season finale of 2 skewed by the perspective of that entire season when most of it was really funny.

This season took place entirely in Alaska with the Parkers still on the lamb. With the family on the run for going on two years, they’re all getting worn down and in desperate need to get some semblance of a life back. When you have to lie to everyone (and your parents being often bad at said lying) that’s hard to do. There was a good mix of outlandish gags with honest family moments. The Detour has never been afraid to be absurd and I think this arc found a good tone to stick with.

With the family trying to settle in one place, it gave everyone something to do and work on. Robin and Nate try to get jobs, Jareb’s run as town mayor was hilarious, and Deliah’s struggle to be a normal girl was the strongest part of the family. She’s rebellious (the hell she gives her mother is great), smart, and witty. She keeps her cards close to her chest and you have to keep an eye out for her.

And man did they stick the landing. The complete opposite of last year. It was like watching a murder mystery come together (and as such I won’t be specific about what happens, I think it works best to go through the realization of what happens with the characters). It weaved together many smaller moments from the entire season brilliantly and brought the main arc of the series to a close. The set up for another season is intelligent, something I never considered at the start of the season. I was surprised and honestly affected by the last moments of the show. The writers knew exactly where they wanted to go when they started writing. Next year (if it happens, I don’t know if it’s been greenlit) is going to be very different and I’m excited to see where they take it.