(S01E13) The summer's officially over on Swingtown, marked by Tom's Labor Day clambake at the shore, which turned out to also be a key party.

Now that the first season of the show has come to an end, it's clear that while they explored hot topics like open marriage, wife-swapping and group sex, the essence of the show was not titillation or a guide page by page through The Joys of Sex. Swingtown was about the characters, three families and the changing times in 1976.

Questions, questions. Will Tom and Trina keep the baby? The Deckers are the open marriage couple and they've enjoyed the freedom to swing. But how amazing is it that they are the marriage that's in synch! They actually talk things out and share what they're thinking. You can't say that about the Thompsons and Millers.

Susan and Bruce have lied to each other in many ways, mostly emotionally. Susan even faked an orgasm recently. And Bruce's relationship with Melinda, while not sexual, is an emotional deceit. When Susan confronted Melinda and learned Bruce spent the night talking with Melinda, it was even more hurtful than if he had made love to her.

All the angst between the Millers came to the fore at the beach, where after a screaming fight, Susan picked a key and went off with a stranger. Bruce was stunned and hurt, but his response wasn't to chase Susan down. He ran to see Melinda.

Susan's been lying too. She was justified in her anger at Bruce, but didn't reveal her dalliance with Roger. And just like Bruce and Melinda, Susan and Roger have not made love. Was it fair for her to be ticked off at Bruce when she was similarly unfaithful? No, but that's how people are.

Roger was determined to honor Susan's request to deny their feelings and move on. He took the job in Cincinnati without sharing the decision with Janet. She initially said yes, like a dutiful wife, but when she got honest and said she didn't want to move, Roger pulled a power play and declared that they were moving.

That more than any other story, illustrated how different things are now. Janet's talk with Trina was the best scene of the show. "You have a say in this, Janet," Trina told her, adding, "Father doesn't necessarily no best anymore." Yes, it's 1976, not 1954.

Janet's on the brink of liberation. She epitomizes the woman who wants the home and family, but also the career outside the house. Her Aunt Trudy/Janet advice column is a catalyst for change. Her pasting the published column in her scrapbook and toasting her success with a sip of champagne was poignant. She was alone. She was celebrating her accomplishment. She is woman, hear her roar.

But did it have to come at a price? Roger doesn't fly to Cincinnati, but not because of Janet and her newspaper job. He can't leave because of Susan. Funny, Janet's love for Susan is also a reason she doesn't want to move, begging the question, do Roger and Janet think they could survive without Susan to lean on and love?

Susan's decision to go to Roger comes on the heels of Bruce blasting her for opening the door to their bedroom and, in his mind, altering their marriage. The door metaphor is obvious and Susan steps through into Roger's room.

Unfinished business is how I view the end of this show. I want to know more. I want Swingtown back. While the series has not reached the high bar of a Mad Men, it's much more than a soap opera. It's compelling, character-driven TV and CBS should give it a thumbs up.

Other points of interest

-- Trina's scene with Tom, when she keeps his key so she can finally tell him about the baby, Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" plays in the background. They decide to decide together about whether to have the baby. Seeing Trina reading Dr. Spock later on makes me think they're going to have it.

-- Name dropping...Bruce Jenner. That was when he won the gold in the decathalon at the Summer Olympics, long before Keeping Up with the Khardashians.

-- Did you notice the JFK for Senator poster in Doug's apartment? That's a nice bit of memorabilia to inform the character. Which is why his deciding to go to Guatemala and help earthquake victims made sense. Also, he tells Laurie, "I love you," and then proves it by leaving her behind with a letter promising to come back.

-- I told you that Janet's buddy at the newspaper, Henry, was gay. He's Janet's guardian angel, but I was surprised that he came out to her. In 1976, coming out like that to a co-worker could cost him his job. That wouldn't have happened, especially since he only knew Janet for a few weeks.

-- Rick was really supportive of B.J. about Sam. When they see Sam's mother Gail fooling around, obviously having ditched rehab, it was sad. They knew it meant Sam wouldn't be coming back for a long time.