DMV Series Finale Recap: DMV Finally Delivered the Big Kiss… and It Was a Complete Disaster
- Je-Ree
- May 11
- 3 min read
CBS has officially pulled the plug on DMV after just one season and while the finale titled "Impact Will Be Felt" tried to offer closure, it mostly delivered a case of narrative whiplash. In true workplace comedy fashion, the East Hollywood branch went out not with a bang, but with a fender bender and a series of awkward revelations. From long-awaited romantic blunders to the soul-crushing discovery that corporate heroes are actually white-collar criminals, the final episode packed a lot into its half-hour slot.
The episode kicks off with the staff throwing a party because Noa finally passed his driving test. It is a milestone that should feel more triumphant, but the mood is dampened by the return of the HR consultants. The suits are back to decide if the branch stays open, promising a verdict in forty-eight hours. Naturally, the team decides to handle the stress by getting drunk and making terrible life choices.
The moment fans spent twenty episodes waiting for finally arrived: Noa and Colette shared their first kiss. Since Noa and Mary are officially over, the path was clear. Unfortunately, the payoff was a total "whomp whomp" moment. Colette felt absolutely nothing, describing it as a bad kiss that lacked any of the chemistry we were promised. While Ceci advises her to be honest and nip it in the bud, Colette finds herself unable to say no when Noa asks her out to dinner.
Their subsequent date at Colette’s apartment was a masterclass in discomfort. With candles lit and music playing, Noa manages to make things worse by kissing her on the forehead and asking if she’s "safe," under the bizarre impression that she was a virgin. When Colette finally admits the first kiss was terrible, Noa makes a swift exit. A heart-to-heart with Ceci follows, where Colette laments wasting her life, only for Ceci to show her a montage of her old driver’s license photos to prove how much she’s grown. It is sweet, but it doesn't quite take the sting out of the wasted romantic buildup.
Meanwhile, the B-plot delivers a crushing blow to Barb. After a drunken phone call to her hero, Ray Henderson, she receives a cryptic text asking what he can do to "make it go away." Gregg, ever the opportunist, suggests blackmail to save the branch. However, the truth is far grimmer: Ray has been embezzling from employee pension funds. Watching Barb realize her idol is a fraud provides the episode's only real emotional weight, though it’s quickly undercut by the slapstick ending where she gets hit by a car driven by the very HR consultant who was supposed to be evaluating them.
Also. we learn that Vic never graduated highschool and Gregg offers to help him get his GED.
In a final twist, the consultants decide to close the North Hollywood branch instead, sparing our main cast just in time for the show to be canceled anyway. Noa and Colette try one more passionate kiss in the finale's closing moments, and once again, Colette feels a big fat zero. Finally, Bo Young takes over for Ray Henderson.
It is a frustrating end to a season that was just starting to find its footing. DMV might be over, but the memory of that awkward forehead kiss will likely haunt our DVRs forever.
What did you think of the DMV series finale? Did Noa and Colette deserve a better spark, or was the "whomp whomp" ending more realistic? Head over to the comments and let us know your thoughts on the cancellation.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Although the finale was ok, loved the show and very sad to see it’s going away! Any chance a streaming service will pick it up??
Sad, show had a lot of potential
Great ending, wrapped up nicely even though it was finally getting some legs!!! Sad.....