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February 18, 2005
Medium - The Best New Show You're Not Watching
It looked stupid, and I'm not even sure why I watched the first episode, but I have to admit I'm liking NBC's new mid-season series Medium. Here's why:
First of all, nobody's hot. Patricia Arquette is not hot. Her husband on the show is not hot. The kids are all under 5, so maybe if you're into that kind of thing you'd find them hot, but they're not hot. Nobody's hot. And I find that suprisingly refreshing. I tried to watch Marti Noxon's new series Point Pleasant which debuted a few weeks ago. Noxon was a major player in the Buffy/Angel-verse, and I'm willing to give any such alum a chance. But everyone's hot in Point Pleasant, and it's distracting. I don't need hot in every TV show. If I want hot I'll go on the Internet. That's what it was invented for.
So the fact that nobody's hot on Medium allows you (me) to really focus on plot and character development. And here's where the show is again atypical. It's slow. There are long scenes which just show the husband and wife dealing with their marraige, kids, her special "gift", which really have nothing to do with the current episode. And they kind of work. Don't expect a big-budget action sequence with explosions, or super-natural effects where you see dead people floating in auras (did I mention her special gift is she sees dead people?) Instead it's just average everyday life, with the occasional spooky dream sequence.
And what's also nice is the show isn't about her discovering or gaining her power. It's just accepted that she has it, and she's trying to live a normal life. Too often in these kinds of shows the first episode is about some freak event where the lead character gets some super-natural ability, and for the rest of the show they're stuggling with it. This show is again, refreshing, in that she just has this ability, and that's it. There's no conflict in her accepting who she now is. She's not taking outrageous measures to hide it from her husband. In that respect it is so relaxing to not have to deal with that typical baggage.
So I say check it out. I know it won't be for everyone, and it'll probably get canceled in a few weeks if it isn't already. The first episode has a completely over-the-top Texas Ranger character and you really have to work to look beyond his overacting, but if you can make it through him you may have found yourself a new show.
Posted by russellneufeld at February 18, 2005 09:11 AM
Comments
Yeah, knowing my luck, they'll cancel it now that I'm hooked! ;)
I've been watching since the first episode, and the season finale was a true cliffhanger.. great writing.
-d
Posted by: David at June 5, 2005 07:48 PM