All is set for a really awesome season finale on The Gates, ABC’s new supernatural summer show. We have met the Monohans and ordinary family that moves to a gated community for a safer environment and a change of pace. They failed at safe but succeeded in change of pace. Their closest neighbors are a couple of vampires with a living daughter. Their son is dating a succubus. When Nick, who works as the chief of police is not haunted by ghosts (who tried to kill him while they where still alive) he tries to keep the peace between the Vamps and the Weres. His assistant keeps her heart in a box at home which makes it easier to survive being shot in the chest. Half the football team is werewolves and likes to run a teen-pack just outside the Gates at night. And there is a wicked witch who has been building a spell for a whole season. My guess is that it’s going to go off tonight. It is not difficult to understand that Sarah and Nick want to move out of the Gates, but my guess is that it might more difficult than they ever expected. Tonight there is a Bad Moon Rising and tomorrow is Moving Day.

Tonight it’s Sarah’s turn to have scary dreams about the neighbors. Nick tries to convince Sarah they are good people.

Buckley and Vanessa are having a good time in bed. He is getting older; maybe she will turn him tonight? They plan to. They are cute together but we know Devon the wicked witch has been cooking something for these two. She is not a happy ex wife to Buckley who replaced her with a younger model.

Buckley has to sit down and discuss this with the leaders of respective group and Nick, with the tension between vampires and werewolves running high. So Nick is the defacto leader of the ‘humans’? That’s a very male group you have there, Buckley! Neither group likes the change of status quo; the weres feels he is choosing sides and leaves.

Devon the wicked witch and Claire the Stepford vampire bitch in a delightful way about Buckley’s night party. What are you doing out this sunny day- shopping for your ex husbands anniversity party- take something you can return, their marriage will soon be over… – I doubt that very much, haven’t you heard? Vanessa is going to turn Buckley (Claire has a very telling facial expression when she says the last part) etc.

Devon closes the shop and starts spelling and cursing. Mighty strange ingredients you have there. A facial mask, vampire blood and werewolf eyes are the main ingredients in this new tea? Is she feeding it to Sarah? I am starting to have a bad feeling about this. Sarah opens up about her fears and Devon tells her she can trust her. That’s the one you can’t trust Sarah!

Andie continues to take Devil’s Weed which her friend stole from Devon. She and Charlie set a date for ‘practice’ after school. Brett the werewolf quarterback ex boyfriend is back and he is greeted by the teen-pack. One girl in particular is panting for his attention but he only sees Andie together with Charlie. He is not so happy now.

Sarah is obviously under the influence of Devon’s brew as she and Nick prepare for the party. Nick you should notice things like this, your wife is not herself. The party starts and the werewolves’ late arrival is a bit thrilling. I get a feeling the coach’s handshake with Buckley is more significant than it seems. Have Devon concocted a curse that require touch from multiple persons?

It’s a wonderful scene when Sarah’s friends come and talk to her for the first time since she found out about them. Claire put it nicely “Now that you know what we are, try not to forget who we are.” But in the middle of that conversation Sarah spots Buckley and sleep walk over to him. “We must talk, can we go somewhere private?”. Claire notice something is wrong but for god’s sake we switch over to Andie and Charlie all alone at home with little sister.

After banning sister to the upper regions, they tell how much they love each other. A peck on the cheek? Really?

Back to Buckley who sits down with Sarah and tries to explain how he dealt with the Gates when he first found out and how wonderful and valuable her and Nick’s contribution to the Gates has been.  Meanwhile Nick and Dylan chat and drink. The party is interrupted by heavy banging on the door. A message and a big nail “Even Vampires Die”.  That put a lid on the party.

Vanessa and Buckley retreat to the bedroom for the turning. Everything is fine until Vanessa starts to feed, she got something in her throat, and no she begins to age, shrink and die. Buckley calls Nick.

Nick, Peggy and Dylan meet up at the ‘crime’ scene and they take a sample of Buckley’s blood suspecting it to be poisoning. Dylan takes the vial for processing at his lab. Vanessa turned her age, unfortunately for her it was 150.

The man hunt starts the next day. The message nailed to the door had prints from one of the werewolves. Lucky for them he tries to attack them in the wood so Nick knocks him human with the butt of his rifle. I wonder if that trick will ever work again. They bring him down to the station. He tells it all when Nick brings in the Alpha. He only nailed the message to the door. Nick, I think the one you are looking for is sleeping in your bed.

Sarah wakes up and calls Nick at the office but get Leigh instead. Leigh is a bit surprised Sarah doesn’t remember anything about last night.

Dylan returns with the test result. Frank Buckley’s blood has indeed a poison in it. But it is weird shit, it is growing and it is turning Frank Buckley into something that will kill any vampire that comes into contact with him. Suspect werewolf has good hearing and hears it all. Remember he was the one who hates vampires.

Nick visits Devon. He has her pegged as prime suspect but she has a good alibi. They word fight for a while before Nick leaves her a bit spooked. Charlie calls Nick, Sarah took them out of school and now they are not allowed to leave the house.

A bottle of hard liqueur and three frustrated teenage werewolves in the wood. That can never have a happy ending.

Sarah is freaking out about Vanessa’s murder. She doesn’t remember anything about last night, including that Nick told her about the vampires and the werewolves. Nick tries to convince her she was at the party yesterday. “There that’s your purse; you never use it unless we go out.” Sarah finds a small vial in there and starts to remember Devon pouring her tea, giving her the vial and telling her to pour it in Frank’s wine glass at the party. “I poisoned Frank Buckley.”. “It is not your fault, Honey. She drugged you”

Devon has closed up shop and fled by the time they get there.

Lukas is a real party pooper, he brings up Andie and Charlie just as Brett was starting to enjoy himself. Then Lexi tells him about the medicine Andie is taking. “It will allow them to do… things”. Poop number two. Brett who can barely stand walks off with an attitude.

Meanwhile Dylan tells Claire of the ingredients he has found. Among them vampire blood. Claire tells him about Devon’s little blackmailing scheme. It is good to see her come clean about it. Dylan forgives her. I think that was very sweet of him.

Coach pack leader comes by to warn Dylan that the pack knows and that they will be coming for Buckley to get his blood, anyway they can. Maybe they have to find Devon and have her ‘cure’ him before it is too late.

Buckley, Sarah, Nick and Dylan have a sit down where they all open their hearts to each others. Buckley is crushed that the people he has been protecting the last decade is coming to kill him, so he kills himself. It makes sense in the show but it sounds weird.

Nick and Sarah decide to leave the Gate as Buckley’s body leaves with the Coroner.

Brett have somehow ended up in Andie’s bedroom, she is sleeping while he’s eyes sweep the room, there the ‘medicine’.

Dylan and Clair decide to hunt down Devon and make sure this can never happen again.

I get a feeling this is the night of the body snatchers. That Coroner might be a vampire but he had Red Shirt written all over him.

It is Moving Day. Nick is helping Sarah pack; he will follow in the morning.

Dylan and Sarah are looking for clues in Devon’s shop and they find her searches on the computer. She was looking for a hiding place.

Devon is hiding at a Motel and Mia is bringing her stuff. Mia your mother would be very cross with you if she knew where you are just now! Mia asks Devon if she was involved in Vanessas death? She tells her smugly that she only gave Frank means to protect himself. If she never tried to turn him she would have been fine now. Mia realizes she doesn’t know Buckley is dead and tells her.

That got a reaction, Devon show real shock and starts to cry. She begs Mia to leave and starts to cast her spell. She sees a vision of herself killing Charlie in a hospital. That was weird?

Charlie is not happy about leaving the Gates so he runs away.

Brett tells Lexi he snook into Andie’s room and watered the medicine last night when he was drunk . Lexi takes Brett to tell Andie what he did. I assume he won’t be in time.

Nick has to tell Leigh he chickens out and leave this whole mess in her lap. Nick how can you live with yourself? That’s what he looks like when he tells her. “Don’t worry. We will get your family out safely.”

Dyllan and Claire on the hunt just missed her at the motel.

Brett and Lexi come to tell Charlie, but he has already left with his camping gear. They listen as little sister tells Sarah and leave. So Sarah gets a major shock when she comes down and finds Devon there! “Charlie is in danger.” -”What did you do to him?” – “Nothing, but he will die without my help.” – “Get Out!”.

Talking about character switching, are we to believe Devon had a change of heart?

Sarah calls Nick while the happy two goes walking in the woods.

Markus is the only one not knowing.

The vampires know Devon is back and they will not let her leave.

Brett and Lexi go hunting Andie and Charlie in the woods while Nick meets with denial dad, sorry Andie’s dad. He finds out  Andie has not been taking her medicine and tells Nick that she might kill Charlie. Has everyone forgotten that Andie herself will die if she doesn’t take the medicine?

Clair and Peggy return to Devon’s shop in the hope she is there. Claire shows Peggy the list of ingredients. Peggy recognizes her daughter’s handwriting. Shocking discoveries all around. Parents don’t know their kids. That can’t be true. Can it? Mia, you are in trouble now girl. Mommy Peg makes her daughter tell where Devon might hide.

Charlie and Andie find an abandoned house in the woods and decide to take a break there and cuddle a little. While they make out Brett and Lexxi is getting closer. So are Dylan and Nick. Big shout! Charlie is drained. “I killed Charlie”.

Peg tries to help but it doesn’t work. At the end they are left only with Devon as a possible savior. But will they get her in time before the vampires get her?

What is Markus doing in Leigh’s apartment? Sitting there contemplating it seems. Now he notices the strange box. Leigh gets all weak when he opens it and starts to bleed. Markus, what are you up to?

Showdown at the Spa. Claire with a gun in the spa? Not if Nick can help it.

Showdown in the rain? Vampires surround the car. Dylan makes stakes and everyone looks grim.

Fighting time! Dylan and Claire fight off the vampires while Nick takes off with Devon.

Devon is going to kill Charlie to save Charlie? Ok, with a revival spell. They take the character switching a bit beyond the believable here. Why should Devon be doing this? She kills him then revives him. Why does she look so smug? Is there some kind of bound now between her and him? Will he die if she dies? I refuse to believe she turned good. Nick and Sarah thank her as they walk away with Charlie.

Charlie’s first words where about Andie. He wanted to go to her but they stopped him.

Markus is still in Leigh’s apartment, with the box opened. Leigh refrains from killing him and even tells him the truth about how that happened. He turns all guy on her. “Can we fix you?” When he asks, she tells him her real name Isabella Armont”. A guy has been calling asking about her. She is shocked.

Dylan and Claire are back home trying to negotiate with the rest of their group. They will only hear their plea if they bring Devon. They don’t believe they will get a fair hearing so they start to make arrangements for Emily. She is going to her aunt.

Charlie wakes up to a new day and call Andie. Her message is sad but very romantic. She is leaving to protect him. “She is drawn to him like gravity”. But she still leaves.

Sarah and Devon are having tea for breakfast when they come for Devon. “There is something wrong with Charlie”. Charlie walks in totally zombie like, when Nick tries to talk to him he blasts him to the floor. “What have you done to him?” “I said I could bring him back. But I never said he would be the same.” I knew she was up to no good!

Demon Charlie standing there.

A smug Devon and that’s all folks!

Not bad! I so hope ABC is going to renew The Gates. I want to see what happens next.

Next season has so many plots to pick up.

• Charlie’s demonic/undead attitude and powers. Does that mean he can kiss Andie now? What will his grandparents say?
• Will Andie come back now when the love of her life is a demon? And did she take all that Devil’s weed without any consequences?
• Leigh’s stalker. Is he coming to the Gates? What will he do to get to her?
• It Claire and Dylan at war with the other vampires now? What will happen to Emily? She knows their secret.
• Who will be the now leader in the Gates? Will there be two?
• Devon is not going to be idle. I am sure. How will she use all this to come out on top?

The Gates have had a good first season, a bit uneven and suffering in the numbers but I do hope for a renewal. This can be a great show if they stick to it.