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It’s the beginning of the end for Son of a Critch, and Mark Critch is promising fans a send-off worth waiting for.
“I was quite happy with the way it ended. I think the last episode is gonna be very, very special. Maybe my favourite part of the whole series,” he told CBC News.
The beloved CBC comedy is back for its fifth and final season Sept. 8, returning for one last trip to Newfoundland. Based on Critch’s bestselling memoir, the eight-time CSA nominated show follows him through the chaos of growing up in ’80s St. John’s.
The show may be built on memories of his past, but Critch — who plays his own father — said he has “made so many new memories I’ll cherish forever with this group of people.”
WATCH | Son of a Critch Season 5 trailer:
In this final season, Mark’s last year of high school collides with Newfoundland’s cod moratorium. As his world is thrown into chaos, he navigates messy first love, changing friendships and family turmoil — all while chasing his dream of becoming an actor.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who stars as young Critch, has spent nearly a third of his life playing the role — something he calls a “terrific journey.”
Fans may recognize him from season three of HBO’s House of the Dragon. He’s also set to star as Link in the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.
“It’s really exciting. We’ve just filmed in New Zealand, and so I’m really excited to see kind of where that goes,” he told CBC News, adding that he’s proud of how the show wraps up and is “just really happy to be back here … to come to such a familiar place with familiar people.”
End of an era
For the rest of the cast, it also felt like the end of an era.
“I think it’s the feeling of, like, all those years that you went to summer camp and now you’re finally too old to go to summer camp anymore,” said Claire Rankin, who plays Mary, Critch’s mother.
“You know, you have to let that go, but it doesn’t mean you have to let those friendships go. And so I think we’ll all walk away with these incredible relationships and memories that last a lifetime.”
That connection became even more personal for Rankin when she began hearing stories from locals about the woman she had been playing.
“There’s quite a few people in St. John’s who knew Mark’s mom and knew her well,” she told CBC News. “It was all these tiny moments that I would get these little glimpses of who Mary was through other people’s eyes as well. And — and to know that they somehow saw enough of that in me was really — it was really good for my soul.”
Endorsement from a Hollywood heavyweight
Rounding out the family tree is screen icon Malcolm McDowell. Known for his roles in A ClockWork Orange, if…. and Star Trek: Generations, McDowell plays Critch’s grandfather — a role he calls one of the “absolute fondest memories” of any show he’s done.
“And, you know, I’m at the end of my career — towards the end, you know, I’m getting up there. So, to finish, you know, doing something like this for five years was a real blessing.”
Ahead of the final season of Son of a Critch, actor Malcolm McDowell calls the show a career highlight and praises Mark Critch as one of the best writers he’s ever worked with. Plus, Claire Rankin shares why saying goodbye felt like aging out of summer camp.
McDowell also puts Critch among the greats.
“I’m in awe of his writing, and I’ve done some pretty damn good writers in my career, you know, and he’s up there with the very, very best,” McDowell said. “I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
The fifth and final season of Son of a Critch premieres Sept. 8 on CBC and CBC Gem.
