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The Middleman

My wife likes it. I'm not sold yet. It's cute, it's funny, but something just doesn't ring with me. Maybe it's the lack of Klingons.
 
Alright! Tonight's episode is Indiana Jones based!!! :techman:

"Henry Jones University"
"Agents Brody and Forrestal"
 
Oh, I didn't catch those. But there are some great lines in this -- "Half a drake deep," "You can't negotiate with plagiarists," etc.
 
There were also a couple of Howard the Duck references, such as the duck in the warp hole being referred to as Howard at one point, and MM's use of the line "trapped in a world you never made" to Cindy. Those could count as obliquely fitting the George Lucas theme, although I'd think that a comics fan as big as Javier Grillo-Marxuach would prefer to forget Lucas's dreadful film adaptation of the Howard the Duck comic. (At least, it's widely reputed to be dreadful. I don't think I've ever actually seen it.)
 
There were also a couple of Howard the Duck references, such as the duck in the warp hole being referred to as Howard at one point, and MM's use of the line "trapped in a world you never made" to Cindy.
I'd almost be tempted to call it a George Lucas episode, but there were no references that I caught outside of the Indy and Howard variety.

Those could count as obliquely fitting the George Lucas theme, although I'd think that a comics fan as big as Javier Grillo-Marxuach would prefer to forget Lucas's dreadful film adaptation of the Howard the Duck comic. (At least, it's widely reputed to be dreadful. I don't think I've ever actually seen it.)

Except for seeing a svelte Lea Thompson in her underwear, yeah... that film is lamentably forgettable.
 
It was good.
Sometimes I think the show is so uneven. I have to say when it's less about Wendy learning a lesson and more of a campy romp I like it better.
I'm very charmed by this show.
Especially Middleman's "outbursts."
 
I found it touching that MM was so gung-ho about coming to WW's defense over the plagiarism. Nice to see him getting passionate about something that matters to her personally, as opposed to something Evil-related. I think she should've shown more appreciation for that.

And it's nice that WW cared so much about protecting Ida even though Ida's never been anything but horrible to her. No chance Ida will show any appreciation for that, though.
 
Well, now I'm gonna be looking for excuses to start sentences with "Hellaciously byzantine..."

In all the numbers being spouted from a "billion miles away", did anybody catch "1138" anywhere in the episode? (I remembered only after I'd closed the browser tab!)
 
Okayyyy.... so far I'm having trouble picking up on any particular running gag in this week's episode. Then again, things are pretty fast-paced. A couple of fish or shrimp puns, maybe. But that's it so far.....

Edit:
Okay, Wendy and Noser just exchanged RUsh lyrics! Cool!!
 
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Okayyyy.... so far I'm having trouble picking up on any particular running gag in this week's episode.

The proper names all came from Westerns, no doubt, although I only recognized a couple of names like Peckinpah. Although there was a use of the proper name Wolf or Wolfe, and I'm wondering if scripter Hans Beimler was giving a nod to his former DS9/Dresden Files writing partner Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

Anyway, Beimler gave us a more dramatic episode than usual, which is a bit offputting for this show, but still quite good as a more serious, change-of-pace story. My main problem was the climax -- there were a lot of passengers who witnessed Wendy firing a harpoon into that guy and killing him. Why didn't she get arrested for murder? I don't think "It was necessary to prevent him from playing a cursed tuba the sound of which would cause all its listeners to drown in the icy waters of the North Atlantic" would cut it as a defense.

I'm really growing to like Matt Keeslar. He's a very sympathetic actor, and, I think, one of the best actors on this show. And he has a terrific voice that he uses well.
 
Okayyyy.... so far I'm having trouble picking up on any particular running gag in this week's episode.

The proper names all came from Westerns, no doubt, although I only recognized a couple of names like Peckinpah. Although there was a use of the proper name Wolf or Wolfe, and I'm wondering if scripter Hans Beimler was giving a nod to his former DS9/Dresden Files writing partner Robert Hewitt Wolfe.
Harland and Wolff is the company that built the Titanic.
Edward J. Smith was Captain of the Titanic.
 
I'm really growing to like Matt Keeslar. He's a very sympathetic actor, and, I think, one of the best actors on this show. And he has a terrific voice that he uses well.


Agreed. More so now that I rewatched Dune the mini-series. He played Feyd...it took me hours of scratching my head...thinking, this guy looks familiar, why, why, why? Then I realized it was Keeslar. He was perfectly icky as Feyd...and perfect as the Middleman.
 
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