TVSquad

So, when exactly did Joan of Arcadia become Buffy the Vampire Slayer? I mean, I'm not complaining - this was one of the best, and weirdest, hours of episodic television I've seen in a while. In this, the last episode of the second season, God sends Joan's dead friend Judith to tell her that she needs to start preparing for a "test". From there on, the episode heads into a labyrinth of physics and metaphysics, as each major character struggles with their respective spiritual callings.


 We find out that Joan's mother gets her own visions: instead of God, she sees visceral previews of bad things that are about to happen. The Punk-Rock Ex-Nun worries that maybe she should go back to the convent - "the full metal nun jacket" - but then realises that she's just freaking out because she's falling in love with Joan's brother.  And, of course, biggest news of all, Joan discovers that The Creepy Internet Millionaire (Who Saved Adam's Life) also talks to God - and is about to use his VIP access for evil. It's basically a Darth Vader turning-to-the-dark-side thing, and it's genius. Joan is rightly freaked out when she realises that God is setting her and The Creepy Millionaire up for a duel: ""My ex-boyfriend is siding with the devil. I have no weapons. That other Joan? She had an entire army - I have nothing." But she also doesn't have a choice.

We won't know if Joan of Arcadia gets a third season until around May 18 - but if it doesn't, this is going to be maybe the worst cliffhanger series ending since Angela Chase drove off in Jordan Catalano's car, staring back at Brian Krakow all the way. How do you set up the apocalypse and not deliver? Well, maybe if CBS cancels the show, it'll bounce back on PAX.