In the season finale of Franklin, the protagonist, Benjamin Franklin, is portrayed as a great man from America, highlighting the series' mission and the pivotal historical event. The future of the United States is in the balance, with Benjamin Franklin leading the conversation as a new nation is formed. He faces opposition from John Adams, his antagonist, and Temple Franklin, who tries to make his way in France as the world begins to change. The production design is flawless, creating a historical atmosphere and providing a good idea of the characters. The filming location is beautiful and heightened by the masterful use of lighting, making it even more captivating. However, the season finale is too repetitive and similar to previous episodes. Franklin has a successful formula for storytelling, but it quickly became overused and predictable. Despite this, the episode finally tied all storylines together with a successful montage featuring most of the main characters at the end of episode 8. Overall, Franklin's season finale showcases the show's strengths, such as its flawless production design, historical atmosphere, and captivating visuals. Franklin's season finale highlights the missed opportunity for the show to address racism and gender inequality in the 18th century. The show's focus is on the titular character, but female and Black characters are underutilized and used as love interests rather than having their own storylines and depth. The historical context is also missed, as the show focuses on the post-American Revolution political situation in France. While episode 8 tells us about Franklin's future, it does not suggest what will happen in the country or how the upcoming French Revolution might have been influenced by the events. While Franklin's season finale is a good episode, it is not great. There is much that the show could have done, such as showing more action regarding the war and discussing women's roles at the time. The season finale proves that even beautiful cinematography and masterful use of mise-en-scene can't save its basic storytelling and plot issues, or at least not entirely.
