ABC Family Renews 'Greek' For a Fourth Season

I am relieved and delighted to start this week off with some good great news: ABC Family has renewed veteran teen dramedy Greek for a fourth season!

The network made the official announcement late Friday. Rumors had been circulating the week prior that last Monday's episode ("The Tortoise and the Hare," 3x14) was going to be the make it or break it event for the show. If the episode got high ratings, Greek was a sure-thing for renewal. But if it failed, the outlook was pretty bleak (which, I speculate, might have something to do with ABC Family trying to freshen up their collection of originals). Whether this was true or not, things have obviously worked out. The show has been spiking in ratings all year and now it's won the chance to come back with a 10-episode fourth (and most likely final) season.

Here's why I say the fourth season will most likely be Greek's last. First, the majority of the main characters are nearing graduation, and to attempt a Saved By the Bell: The New Class-style situation (read: coming up with completely lame/improbable reasons why graduates are still hanging around campus) would be a complete disservice to the show. I don't think the writers would go there.

Second, it would be a mistake to try to continue the show with Rusty, Dale, and Calvin (i.e. those left behind) leading the pack. I love these guys, but their stories have always been on the periphery. And to make them main plot material, they'd need help. But the writers have not made a consistent effort over the course of the first three seasons to integrate younger characters into the main cast. So, to try and stuff the fourth season with clever introductions to new, younger characters in an effort to show that there will be a story to tell in the next season would lessen the amount of time and attention devoted to wrapping up the storylines that matter: the Casey-Evan-Cappie saga, Ashleigh needing to find her true love and believe in herself, what everyone will do with themselves after graduation, and so on.

The point I am trying to make is that 10 episodes is a good number to wrap up already existing drama and tie-up any and all loose ends. I am relieved to no end that we will have the chance to get some real good closure here.

Greek airs Monday nights at 10 on ABC Family. There are 6 episodes left in the third season. The finale airs March 29th.