The creepy clown started it. Somehow you just knew when that harlequin popped up in the toy aisle that all that went asunder last season would not be magically repaired—not immediately, anyway. Joe and Allison would still be unemployed, Davalos and Scanlon would still be on the bubble, and all hell wouldn’t be done breaking loose. The kiddie-luring clown basically said so.
Then Ariel started lip-synching to the Sound of Music, and that confirmed it. (Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’ll explain my Ariel issues later. Right now, a boy’s been kidnapped.) If you missed Medium’s fourth season opener last night, a little boy shopping with his dad broke faith with all natural instinct and went toward a creepy clown. Just before you can say “that’s always a bad idea,” he was snatched by some freak who liked to dance, hadn’t updated his music collection since the Sugar Hill Gang, and had a predilection for putting his “toys” in shiny plastic packaging. Of course, Allison sees all—in her way.
Fortunately for her, there’s a new outlet for her gifts since she’s been outed as a psychic, and dropped from the DA’s office.
See, it’s easy: You have a psychic vision the new DA bastar—um,let’s just call him the DAstard—you have a vision the DAstard won’tlisten to, you pick up the phone, and you call the nice lady atAmeritips. Then you show up for a meeting and discover she’s MaerosePrizzi (sigh…fine, Anjelica Huston—but that’s the way I like tothink of her). Only Maerose doesn’t so much believe you, so you tellher to Google your ass, she does, and you become work friends. It’s anice relationship (and one you might wanna get used to, since Ms.Huston is with us for at least six of the nine of the episodes NBC hasin the can). I, for one, couldn’t be happier—about that, anyway.
I’m pissy about Joe’s unemployment, even if it does mean he gets to meet with Elvin from The Cosby Show(and really, isn’t the unemployment office exactly where you thoughtElvin would end up?). Joe is awesomeness personified. He deservesmeaningful work—or a nice settlement, whichever comes first. Get onthat, Medium.
Also not thrilled about a certain Dubois daughter. Look, we’re justgetting to know each other, right? (Unless you read What to Watch orfollowed the Kid Nation mini-watch, then you already know I’msoulful but heartless.) Please understand, it’s not that I haveanything against little blonde girls—heck, I adore Bridgette—but mustthey make Ariel so insufferable? And what’s she whining about? Thatshe’s a freshman, and therefore unlikely to get the lead in the schoolplay? Yes, but no: “Just my luck. When I’m 9th grade they do The Sound of Music. When I’m 10th they’ll do The Wiz or Dreamgirls.Just watch.” Ahh, the real problem, you see, is that the black peoplemight unfortuitously get their turn. Thank God Bridgette came backwith, “Yeah, it’s tough looking like you.” That, right there, is whythat girl gets the Annual Jan Brady Award for Best Middle Child onTelevision—and not just for 2008—every year.
All in all, a respectable dose of highs (Huston, Arquette’s rockin’real-sized bod, and one very dead kiddie murderer), a few lows (goodluck not associating “My Favorite Things” with pedophiles from now on),and some nice potential for this season. As long as Joe doesn’t have tokeep calling Mommy for loans, we’ll be in business.
What say you?
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…I thought it was a great episode, and thank you for pointing out that Medium has 9 new episodes(well, now 8); it is something to look forward to…by the way, what a disturbing image, the dancing feet, the dropping of the pants…
It is so weird that Ariel is so annoying and boring, because Sofia Vassilieva was completely adorable and fun as Eloise in the Eloise movies. Does Medium really call for her character to be a sourpuss 24/7?
Good episode, I am happy to hear that Anjelica Huston will be in so many episodes I have always thought she was a great actress.
I too adore Bridgette
Thanks for the mini-tv watch for one of my favourite shows!
Ariel is annoying, but she’s a teenager, and like all the kids on Medium, she’s written very realistically. That’s what I like about Medium — that Joe and Allison have a particularly mundane (apart from the obvious) home, marriage, etc. And the kids look and talk like real kids, unlike 95 percent of other tv kids. I like that Ariel is annoying and pouts and thinks the world is unfair. I’m betting everyone on here felt and acted the same way when they were teenagers.
This episode ranks way way up there on what NOT to watch when home alone at night with your little boy sleeping upstairs. I will forever have that poor dead boy in a box scarred in my mind. Scary.
Hey, lay off the Ariel putdowns! I don’t find her annoying at all. And, when she heard that her friend psyched out the other girl auditioning, Ariel did a very mature thing by asking the director of the show to give her “rival” another audition.
Anyway, it’s great to have the show back again!
YEAH!!!! Great Dark episode. Im glad Medium is back! Angelica Houston is a great addition!!!
That whole ‘they might do a black (African-American) show next year’ totally went over my head. Thanks for breaking it down.
My only problem was they kept showing Ariel and the other potential Maria singing “16 Going on 17″ and Maria doesn’t even sing that!
Awwwwright, a Medium watch! Look what Anjelica can get ya!! I felt the same way about the ep. There were some surprising clunks — including the beginning, which can’t pull that off the way Moonlighting used too, Glenn. Buuuuuut I’m SO glad to have the show back. Bridgette = Jan Brady. Never made that “psychic connection.” Very nice. I look forward to more Medium eps AND more of these recaps!!
Mac:
Exactly,
Lisle sings it with Rolph. I did not get that at all.
The dancing guy with the dropped pants just freaked me out!
I thought the “16 Going on 17″ thing was just an audition song—not that they’d actually make Maria sing it. Although she does have that little “then you belong to him” reprise at the end. And yes, two freaky images: the pants coming off and the boy in the box. And they showed the both TWICE! (Also learning to work on Ariel tolerance. Am a human in progress.)
I thought the other girl was singing “16 going on 17″ because she got the part of Liesl (makes sense, second female lead role in the show), so she was rehearsing her one and only big number in the show. And Ariel saw her rehearsing and realized she’d be a better Maria, so she arranged the second audition.
I was confused by the 16 going on 17 song too. I’m glad someone else caught on too. I had nightmares last night about the boy in the box. What a horribly disturbing image to put on TV. My 3 yr old saw it and kept asking if it was a baby. Creepy!
I’m not so much annoyed by Ariel, just TV shows (and movies) get high school so wrong sometimes it’s cringe inducing.
But that boy shoved in the box was really disturbing. I really couldn’t believe they killed off a 3 year old.
Completely agree with Lily. I was home alone with my little ones, including a 3yr old son. HATED this episode. I’ll forever see that smiling little boy’s face, the dropped pants, the bloody box… HATED IT! Didn’t sleep at all, debating whether I still like the show enough to continue watching. Probably not. Too emotionally provoking for anyone with small kids.
While I agree the image of the boy in the box and of the man dropping his pants was disturbing it won’t keep me from watching the show. Medium is a realistic show in the crimes it portrays and sadly things like that do happen in the world everyday. If anything the episode serves to make parents realize that leaving your child un-monitored or out of your sight even for a few seconds could have devestating consequences
I always thought Bridgette looks exactly like I did when I was a child, before I needed glasses
Oh boy for the person who is scarred for life by watching Medium last night, all I can say is that you need to stick to shows like singing bee or maybe just the Disney channel. What happens when you watch the Nightly news??!!!
where i watched the show, it had a disclaimer. It certainly was creepy but well done. -sort of like criminal minds creepy
where i watched the show, it had a disclaimer. It certainly was creepy but well done. -sort of like criminal minds creepy
Alynda, I am so glad I found something else you will be following. I so miss Kid Nation and you! I guess I will have to keep watching Medium, but I will put my boy to bed before he sees any more disturbing boys in a box again.
What are you watching so regularly that the image of a dead, 3 year old bloody in a box didn’t disturb you. It would have still been effective had they not shown the front of the box but the reaction from the behind shot. As a mother of a young boy I don’t enjoy a show I watch for entertainment being so gory/scary I feel I need to spend the night in my son’s room.
I was deeply disturbed by the little boy being in the doll box and have been thinking of that all day. I figured the rats had something to do with his death when Scanlon was up there and the rat showed up running across the rafters. (My sons and I catch the little clues that seem unimportant when they occur).
I was also disturbed by the dropped pants…unfortunately these things do happen and I am mixed about how I feel about this episode. I hope parents will be more aware of where their kids are when shopping or out in this very dangerous world. It is sad that a trip to the toy store, something that was supposed to be a fun time for that little boy, turned out so tragic. All day all I saw was that beatuiful smile he had when the killer was dancing for him. The poor kid was unaware what was going to happen next, but we did and it was repulsive to think about. It was a chilling episdode but I love this show and will continue to watch.
It was a TV show people, it was NOT a real dead boy in the box!!! Stop acting like you saw the real thing, you see worse on the news at night and that’s for real!!!!!
I used to love this show. And I still think it’s a good show- just can’t watch since I had my son 18 months ago. The one with the cartoon showing a baby being killed was the last straw for me. I do miss this show as the acting was terrif. Really loved Joe- wish they used him more. Loved that Patricia Arquette looks like a real human being. And Bridgett makes me long for a little girl to add to out family. I was always annoyed by the older kid, too. Sounds horrible to dislike a kid, but… Also thought the DA was a weak link- is he gone? The popwatch will help me decide whether to watch. Guess I’ll skip this epi… sigh… I hate this strike…
Can’t we all just agree that the images were disturbing (and that that was kinda the point), while still being fans of terrific writing, award-winning acting, and the best depiction of a marriage on network television? I just can’t reject quality scripted programming at a time like this.
@AJ: Hey! Now all we need is RobGrizzly and we can be a family again.
Frankly, I don’t think it’s completely the writing that makes the Ariel character so annoying. The actress has given off that vibe in everything I’ve seen her in, all the way back to those Eloise movies.
Ariel pretty much reminds me of a typical 14 year old who thinks she is the center of the universe. Of course she bugs me, but not in an unusual way. BTW, I love you Alynda! Thanks for the recap.