Middleman review: “The Pilot Episode Sanction”
17 June 2008
by R.A. Porter
Over the past decade or so, cable networks have been slowly figuring out that as long as the broadcast networks are going to cling to the outmoded Fall-to-Spring television schedule, they should counter program with new scripted shows in the summer. Several of the cable channels have realized that a different type of program is called for in the summer – lighter, bubblier, more fun and at least a little family-friendly.
USA has been doing this for years, with Psych, Monk, and now Burn Notice. Even SciFi does it with the excellent Eureka. Now ABC Family is getting in on the fun with their new show, The Middleman.
I’d been looking forward to this premiere for a couple of weeks now, getting clued in from some reviewers I like and (I’m a little embarrassed to admit) ads in comic books. Based on the Viper Comics title of the same name, The Middleman is similar in tone and substance to Men in Black. A secret organization, advanced weaponry and technology, a recruit plucked from the general populace when she shows great acumen under fire, and aliens. And not just aliens: monsters, mad scientists, evil magicians…the gamut.
Created and executive produced by Javier Grillo-Marxuach – who created the comic along with artist Les McClaine – this show is a *blast*.
We meet and learn just about everything we need to know about Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) in the first two minutes.
She’s on the phone with her mother, telling her about her job at a lab working with the top scientific minds in the country. She gets another call and puts her mother on hold: Wendy’s working reception. Back to her mom: “lots of art school grads get science jobs.” Another call, and in the lab behind her we see an explosion and a lot of smoke. Back to mom: “Yes mother. I am still dating that guy. And his name is Ben. No. He is not a homosexual. He’s in film school.”
By the time a giant, tentacled monster breaks through the glass behind Wendy, we’ve gotten to know a lot about her. And now we learn the rest. Unfazed, unworried, she tries to run by gets snagged by a tentacle. She grabs a letter opener and stabs at it.
The Middleman (Matt Keeslar) arrives to save her – not without a bit of humor about whom he’s saving – and that’s that. Wendy is convinced to keep the truth to herself and The Middleman disappears. I should point out here that I momentarily forgot I was watching ABC Family when Wendy asked “what about the hentai tentacle monster?”
The Middleman isn’t necessarily the nicest guy, however. He does steal Wendy’s Zippo (a memento of her father who disappeard mysteriously) and use it to frame Wendy for the “gas main” accident at the lab. This makes her unemployable by any of the temp agencies in town and she’s forced to turn to the Jolly Fats Wehawkin Temp Agency – a front for the Middleman and his sidekick, Ida (Mary Pat Gleason) the very grumpy android.
Once she’s passed her series of increasingly frightening tests – typing, IQ, polygraph, stress, some kind of crazy-helmet-and-video, ESP – she finds out the truth. This leads to this great exchange:
Middleman: You ever read comic books?
Wendy: Yeah. I think Jughead’s a real hoot…Powers, Fell, Astro City, The Spirit, X-Men – old school, not Ultimate – Mouse Guard, and the Flash.”
Middleman: Barry Allen or Wally West?
Wendy: Do you want me to leave?
Ah, nothing quite hotter than a super-cute girl who digs comics.
On the Job
Understandably upset that she was set up, she takes off. Goes home, puts on some emo music to paint by…then turns on something that actually rocks and paints the tentacle monster. Realizing she’s got no job, no prospects, and lives in a world where aliens, monsters, and mad scientists exist, she meets her new boss at the crime scene.
Someone’s bumping off all the mobsters in town. Some careful detective work – they find a banana peel and then analyze it, and if you don’t know what kind of villain we’re dealing with, you haven’t been following along – leads them to the culprits. Off to Simionics LTD where they meet Jack Bauer’s ever-competent Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub). I always figured she’d be a mad scientist. And that’s surely what she is. Wendy puts it best: “Genius primates. Because that’s a problem that needed solving.”
One of the gorillas has “gotten lose” and is killing off all the mobsters in town. In the end, poor Spanky the Gorilla is less Gorilla Grodd and more unwiling pawn of a mad scientist. Chloe couldn’t really help it, though. Every year, the government gives her less and less money for her research. She needs to complete her research so she can realize her dream “to build an army of genetically engineered super-apes to take over the world.”
One completely non-gratuitous Planet of the Apes reference later and the case is wrapped up.
This show’s a blast. Kid-friendly, yet not kid-only.
This is about the closest I’ve seen to a live-action comic book in years. It’s funny, witty, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and doesn’t slow down from start to finish. My one complaint is that Matt Keeslar might need to step up his aerobic routine. He’s running out of breath on some of the more word-packed lines. And they *are* word-packed. Like Gilmore Girls x 2.
All in all, a fun show that I recommend as light summer filler.
Tags: abc family
posted by R.A. Porter in → Reviews
June 17th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Funny show and good write up. Actually, I think I liked your write up better than I did last nights show, although, I'll still keep watching. I will give the show credit for some great and funny one-liners. I think one of my favorites was Wendy talking about her day with Ben, she says, “It sucked so bad, if it sucked any worse I'd be inside out.” – lol
June 17th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
There were some things I liked more than others, but overall I liked the tone a lot. If they can keep that tone going, and smooth out some of the shakier bits, I think it'll be fun for the whole summer.
I think my favorite line might have been at the end when he says what he hates worse than scientists who want to take over the world, and then Wendy repeats it verbatim and says it's awfully specific.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
@ Porter (sorry, I thought I hit “reply”) –
Gotcha.
That last bit was good as well. Have you ever watched the movie The Lost Skeletons of Cadavra? It's in a similar vein as this – quirky but hilarious. They made it in 2001 (I saw it in the theater and then bought it on DVD when it was released), but you would think it was an old 50's B-movie.
Also, I think the programming of new shows was all thrown out of whack when 9/11 happened. A lot of networks shuffled their schedules and start-up's around until, anymore now, there seems to be new shows starting nearly anytime during the year. 24 originally started in the fall (the first season was right around 9/11 because there was all kinds of controversy about showing the episode with the plane blowing up), and now it starts in Feb. LOST starts in January, I think only its initial season had a Fall beginning. Monk and Psych seem to split their schedules – starting in the summer (July) and then taking time off and resuming in Jan/Feb time.
I actually like it because as one show is ending, I usually only have to wait a month or two for my next favorite show to start – so it's kind of nice.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I have never seen that movie, but just added it to my Netflix queue on your rec.
I like the new scheduling too. Keeps the watching more spread out and relaxed.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
LOL, that was a short review?
June 17th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Yeah, well…I *thought* it was going to be short!
June 17th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
June 17th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I haven't seen this yet obviously, but the way it sounds, I'll bet you guys would like Reaper…it's a goofy, fun little show with good writing and a cool supernatural-type story.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I've never heard of that – what channel?
June 17th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I was up in the air about Reaper, and I can't figure out why. I loved the pilot, thought the second episode was so-so, and then was on and off the rest of the season. I know the later episodes I caught I liked a lot, but I felt I'd missed too much. I think I'll catch back up in time for next season and not be so indifferent this time around.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Comics blogger extraordinaire Chris Sims (who all right-thinking comics fans should bookmark and read regularly) has his review of the show up. He's a fan of the original comic and loves the adaptation.
I know I'll be picking up the omnibus when it comes out based on how much I enjoyed the show.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:21 am
That was a hilarious line
June 21st, 2008 at 8:22 am
It's on The CW…I think I listed it in my Top 10 shows I watched this past year.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:22 am
It's running again right now on the CW, but it's like 3-4 episodes into the season now.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:25 am
Okay, I totally loved this first episode…it was funny, quirky and quick-paced.
Certainly giving it another shot. It had a weird combination of the fast-talking of Gilmore Girls, plus Wendy almost being a Kristin Bell type of actor with the wit and geek-appeal from Veronica Mars, plus that Men in Black goofiness.
Loved it!
June 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Cool! Glad you liked, it Mike.
September 18th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.
September 20th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I like to watch Supernatural and also Lost, becous the sexy cast lol. BTW found this site on google, searched for some TV Show Plot.
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Supernatural is the best show ever seen. Do you agre with me?
September 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Thomas originally wrote Veronica Mars as a young adult novel, featuring a male as the protagonist. Episodes have a distinct structure: Veronica solves a different case of the week while continually trying to solve a season-long mystery. The first two seasons of the series had a season-long mystery arc, introduced in the first episode of the season and solved in the season finale. The third season took on a different format, focusing on smaller mystery arcs that would last the course of several episodes.
September 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I am simple ahardcore fan of this nice episode. Stargate Atlantis follows the present-day adventures of John Sheppard and his military team from Earth that, along with two dozen other teams, venture to distant planets. They use an alien device known as a Stargate, which is housed in the city of Atlantis on the planet “Lantea”.