The Middleman
- Thread starter FredH
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There's already a thread on this in the general TV & Media board, although it really belongs in this forum. Hopefully it will be moved here and merged with this one.
I did to, it was stunningly horrible.
That's never going to happen. There has been Jericho topics everywhere because the mods don't know what to do.
I fail to see how that follows. Jericho is a show that's hard to define as either genre or non-genre, since it's about a premise that, while unreal, is rooted entirely in known possibilities. It's ambiguous enough that a case could be made for placing it in either category. But The Middleman is blatantly, aggressively a fantasy show, so much so that I'm astonished anyone could've thought a thread for it belonged in TV & Media instead of here.
Cute and charming. I liked it a lot. Natalie Morales is really cute despite what those evolutionary throwbacks over at the AICN talkback said about her. Frakkin' losers.
I'm watching it finally.
I think it's a lot of fun. I love the pace, the comic book references, and quite frankly, that it's not taking itself too seriously.
I think it's a lot of fun. I love the pace, the comic book references, and quite frankly, that it's not taking itself too seriously.
I missed the original broadcast of the pilot, but I'm catching up on it right now. The commercials I've seen this evening are hilarious and the show itself seems to be continuing that VERY nicely! So far it's pretty smoothly paced and quite witty. But ... it's only halfway done.
I didn't like the comics, and some of the dialogue was lifted verbatim but the show had a surreal charm. 
My understanding is that a great deal of it was, or at least that the show is remarkably faithful to the comics. After all, Grillo-Marxuach originally wrote this as a TV pilot, then adapted it into a comics story, and now has gone back and shot what's essentially his original pilot script.
I saw part of it last night - loved the lead, liked the cast, thought it was too cute by half and had a very "Disney Channel" feeling to it.
I miss "Special Unit 2," especially Carl...
I miss "Special Unit 2," especially Carl...
, but I'm looking forward to tonight's episode. 
Did anyone see last nights?
I thought it was alright, but didn't have some of the elements of the pilot that pulled me in.
The pilot had velocity with dialogue to match and really didn't have a "moral."
Whereas this one: Wendy learns a lesson.
So, meh. But I'm still curious.
I thought it was alright, but didn't have some of the elements of the pilot that pulled me in.
The pilot had velocity with dialogue to match and really didn't have a "moral."
Whereas this one: Wendy learns a lesson.
So, meh. But I'm still curious.
I'm afraid this week's episode didn't impress me as much as the pilot. It had less of the mile-a-minute snarky goofiness of the pilot and more conventional character interplay stuff that just kinda bored me. The whole business with Lacey the roommate, not to mention its pat resolution, was very sitcommy. Also, the dialogue wasn't especially witty.
With one exception -- I loved the Middleman's line about protecting the Earth from "all threats extra-, infra-, and juxtaterrestrial."
Juxtaterrestrial! Which is even a valid Latin formation -- "close beside the Earth." (As in parallel realities, no doubt.) That's my new favorite word. We should all try to use it frequently so it'll catch on. 
I also liked "I just had an atypically vivid daydream."
Also, Natalie Morales' lack of strength as an actress is starting to show. Her dry, deadpan delivery was fine for last week's attitude-heavy script, but when she was called on to express relationship angst about her roommate or her father, it just wasn't convincing. (Plus, that "official" hairstyle just doesn't look good on her.)
And already the limitations of the low budget are starting to manifest. The "Terra Cotta Warrior" was just some guy in armor with clay-like gloves, a very cheap effect; they couldn't even be bothered to paint his face and armor to look like terra cotta. And the CG transformation/mud effects were awfully crude. Plus we get a generic office lobby set as the underworld. Even SciFi's Flash Gordon had better production values than this. I'm afraid this is going to hurt the show in the long run. Or keep it from having a long run.
With one exception -- I loved the Middleman's line about protecting the Earth from "all threats extra-, infra-, and juxtaterrestrial."
Juxtaterrestrial! Which is even a valid Latin formation -- "close beside the Earth." (As in parallel realities, no doubt.) That's my new favorite word. We should all try to use it frequently so it'll catch on. I also liked "I just had an atypically vivid daydream."Also, Natalie Morales' lack of strength as an actress is starting to show. Her dry, deadpan delivery was fine for last week's attitude-heavy script, but when she was called on to express relationship angst about her roommate or her father, it just wasn't convincing. (Plus, that "official" hairstyle just doesn't look good on her.)
And already the limitations of the low budget are starting to manifest. The "Terra Cotta Warrior" was just some guy in armor with clay-like gloves, a very cheap effect; they couldn't even be bothered to paint his face and armor to look like terra cotta. And the CG transformation/mud effects were awfully crude. Plus we get a generic office lobby set as the underworld. Even SciFi's Flash Gordon had better production values than this. I'm afraid this is going to hurt the show in the long run. Or keep it from having a long run.
Seems a pretty consistent feeling that last night's episode wasn't as strong as the premiere. I still enjoyed it, but ... well, it's best to wait and see for certain just how it will turn out.
I got a kick out of Elaine Hendricks' (sp?) turn as the succubus running her own fashion design house! Even if I will always think of her as "Meredith" from the remake of "The Parent Trap", she was fun to watch.
I got a kick out of Elaine Hendricks' (sp?) turn as the succubus running her own fashion design house! Even if I will always think of her as "Meredith" from the remake of "The Parent Trap", she was fun to watch.
Done! Like my new custom title?With one exception -- I loved the Middleman's line about protecting the Earth from "all threats extra-, infra-, and juxtaterrestrial."
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