GW loved to finish off each season with a blockbuster episode, from the plane crash in S 1 to the Shadows/ Shinies battle in S 5. This was no exception, as the predominant story line of Melinda discovering the fate of her father is finally resolved. And it should be no surprise that a red herring was present throughout.
While it seems that emphasis on her quest was downplayed through much of the season, it was hinted at continuously. Many of the episodes had as their central theme parent/child relationships: the newly grown-up Ned and his mother, Becca and her parents, the violent child who occupies his brother's body, and, most importantly, Payne as father who is not the father... These are all analogous to Melinda's search.
One further point is the enigma of the 6-person/5-shadows scene at the end. Several interpretations have been suggestioned on the internet. It is ambiguous, but three possibilities exist as to who has the missing shadow:
Mel's mother, who never returns to the series
Professor Payne, whose last appearance is in S4 E1, leaving for a 6-month sabbatical, and then disappearing
Jim Clancy, whose body dies in S 4 and is buried, even though his spirit returns in the body of Sam
While it seems that emphasis on her quest was downplayed through much of the season, it was hinted at continuously. Many of the episodes had as their central theme parent/child relationships: the newly grown-up Ned and his mother, Becca and her parents, the violent child who occupies his brother's body, and, most importantly, Payne as father who is not the father... These are all analogous to Melinda's search.
One further point is the enigma of the 6-person/5-shadows scene at the end. Several interpretations have been suggestioned on the internet. It is ambiguous, but three possibilities exist as to who has the missing shadow:
Mel's mother, who never returns to the series
Professor Payne, whose last appearance is in S4 E1, leaving for a 6-month sabbatical, and then disappearing
Jim Clancy, whose body dies in S 4 and is buried, even though his spirit returns in the body of Sam