Customer Reviews

The Middleman: The Complete Series

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Precis of the show: An art major working as a temp on the reception desk of a genetics lab is caught up in a mishap that leads to her being recruited as an agent-in-training by a uniformed man (no, not officially uniformed like a cop or a mountie, and not spandexed and/or masked like Batman or the Lone Ranger; think 1950's Army knock-off, starting with the Eisenhower jacket) who introduces himself as "The Middleman", a secret agent working for a secret agency with a secret agenda to save the world and to fight evil no matter where it is found (so that we "don't have to").

Before she knows it, our temp receptionist, Wendy Watson, is in the middle of the adventure of a life-time, fighting evil right along-side the Middleman (aka MM). And what adventures they are: fighting aliens from space disguised as the members of a boy band, collaborating -- or not -- with vampires who run a fashion company, entering Hades to prevent world destruction, dealing with evil alter-egos in an alternative universe, etc, etc, etc... and many of these adventures are handled before breakfast. Figuratively speaking, that is.

"The Middleman" is a loving parody/spoof of just about every genre any fan has ever been deeply, madly, eternally in love with... and I should know, 'cause I'm that way about all of them: most obviously, of course, is the general SF category -- but within this genre there are also the "robots are our friends -- or are they?" genre, the "invaders from space walk amongst us" genre, the "secret masters of the universe" genre, the "alternate universe" genre, the "Batman&Robin" genre, the... but why go on? If you're an SF fan, chances are you'll immediately recognize one or more of your favorite "what ifs" in every episode of "The Middleman."

And that's NOT to say that this show is derivative or recycled. On the contrary, Javier Grillo-Maxauch, the creator of "The Middleman", (who quite obviously is the SF Fan Supreme) has given every "what-if", every "do you suppose", every "could it be" that form the basis of all good SF tales those special little JG-M twists that raise his premises from "gosh darn good" (to paraphrase MM himself) to truly outstanding.

So. You start with a great concept; add exceptional writing (and, may I say, writing that was much too adult for ABC Family, the cable station that aired the episodes and dropped them after only twelve episodes); follow with casting that is absolutely spot-on for each character (I mean, even with the great writing, many actors would fail to make the Middleman anything other than a Dudley Do-right caricature, but Matt Keesler makes his nameless MM a three dimensional person -- even if he *does* drink milk and eschew any language more colorful than "heck" or "darn"); and finally, have directors who know how to handle parody and satire without making it so "over-the-top" that it fails to connect. The result will be that you have a timeless series.

I was hooked right from the start of the first episode, when Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales), our soon-to-be Middleman-in-training (Middlewoman? Middleperson? Middlebeing?), was completely unflappable in the midst of being attacked by a composite monster created in a genetics experiment gone wrong: "Andromeda Strain" sub-genre, of course. And I was *really* hooked the first time we met Wendy's roommate, Lacey Thornfield (Brit Morgan), and realized that in these two young women Grillo-Maxauch had given us two strong female roles unlike any others on TV.

And yes, with gorgeous guys and beautiful women on display, the romance genre is definitely on view here, in all its permutations: true love, unrequited love, love denied, love willingly embraced, etc, etc, etc. Interestingly, the requisite UST (unresolved sexual tension, for those who don't recognize the initials) in this show is not between MM and Wendy, but rather between MM and Lacey (who would really much rather NOT have her love be unrequited, thank you very kindly -- and I agree, which is why I adore the twist in the final episode which does, and yet doesn't, resolve the unresolvable).

So, we have both the SF and the romantic fiction genres in this show. What else? There's enough action-adventure to please any fan of the genre, enough friendship to satisfy any buddy-movie fan (the relationship between Wendy and MM and between Wendy and Lacey both qualify in this category), and enough "secret shadow government/agency" shticks to grab the Bourne audience -- provided they're willing to accept humor in the plots to take over the world.

I loved the show so much, I paid $1.99 per episode from i-tunes "just in case" the show never made it to DVD. But even with all the episodes sitting on my computer, I'm *still* gonna shell out the money to pick this set up as soon as it's released. The Middleman needs his fans.

This show aired on ABC Family, so it didn't get many viewers. It started out at 8 but then moved to 10 because the subject matter, I guess. I didn't know what to expect from the show when it started but I grew to love it and can't wait to get the dvds. I want to watch it again. The creator of the show said that the show is not 100% canceled. They're in a holding pattern to see how this dvd set sells. So, I'm buying it as soon as it comes out. I can't wait. Please buy this!

Also, I'm very excited that this show is being released by Shout! Factory who has put some the best dvd sets out, including Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life. I know that they will do this show right.

I have seen every episode of the Middleman numerous amounts of times and have been waiting on this DVD set since about the second episode in. Its a TV show that had a lot of things going against it, primarily its network. Who really watches shows on ABC Family? But despite that the show was a truly funny show whose crisp dialogue ( a phrase that can't be used enough when speaking of this show) sparkled with wit, pop culture, and the best of the geek references in a subtle yet well played way. It's Alias but funny. Its Buffy without the melodrama (BTVS forever though :). Its Chuck without the same people getting kidnapped every week. Its all those shows and more and you will not regret buying it. Typically I'd say netflix it but not this one. You'll want the extra features this dvd set offers and once you finish this show then you'll kick yourself for not having caught it while it was on air. Its that good of a show. This show deserves a family guy type resurrection stat!

Wow! This show...totally caught me by surprise. Wasn't doing anything the Monday night it premiered so I watched it when it came on...at 9pm[CST] I think it was. Oh yea...watched the rerun at 11 too. Hahah! The show had captured me within the first 10 minutes. The witty banter and hilarous mastermind criminals. Always beginning their declaration of doom to the world with that usual..."My idea was so sophisticated..."(or however it goes). I'm so so sad to see this show leave the air. :(

The characters are hilarous! The interaction between them is classic. From vampiric puppets to flying zombie fish...this show has it all. And believe me...if you give this show a try you'll find something to make you love it.

P.S. Listen out for the Wilhelm scream in every episode. XDXD!

Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) is a fresh out of college artist paying her bills by working at temp agencies. And she's just had a bad day. An experiment goes wrong in the lab at her current assignment, making a giant monster. She barely escapes from that, only to have her boyfriend break up with her on camera for a class assignment.

It's then that her roommate Lacey (Brit Morgan) lets her know about the job offer from the Jolly Fats Wehawkins Temp Agency. But when Wendy arrives, she discovers that this agency is really a cover for a mysterious organization. The job offer is as an apprentice to The Middleman (Matt Keeslar). The job? Fighting aliens and monsters and anything else that pops up and keeping a tight lid on it so that the rest of the population doesn't freak out.

While Wendy really does want to work on her art, she takes the job. But can she balance a social life and her true calling with saving the world?

I got so hooked on this show last summer it wasn't even funny. And I am incredibly sad that it never made it past these 12 episodes. The show was funny and intelligent with plenty of good action. It never took itself too seriously, which was most of the fun. But it took us seriously enough that we weren't talked down to. It spoofed science fiction and superhero genres in general while using those conventions to tell the weekly stories. And the acting was spot on. This was one of the most enjoyable hours of television I have watched in a long time.

So, if you are among the many who missed this show when it aired, fix that right now. This show will have you laughing at the crazy situations and antics in no time flat.

Fans of the 1960s spy series "The Avengers" -- or breezy, witty, feather-light entertainment -- will particularly love "The Middleman." Adapted by Javier Grillo-Marxuach from the comic book he co-created with Les McLaine, the series delights in great throwaway lines, wacky concepts, and truckloads of wry pop culture references. Despite a frequently threadbare budget, the show is consistently entertaining, often hilarious, and occasionally surprisingly touching.

Jaded artist-turned-temp Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) gets her life swiftly upended when she's recruited by The Middleman (Matt Keeslar), an enigmatic yet preposterously wholesome hero, in his fight against evil. Amusingly, a love of hardcore zombie movies, science fiction, and Xbox shoot-em-ups has left Wendy only too well-prepared for her strange new lifestyle. Together, they'll battle villainous luchadores, fish-craving zombies, mafioso gorillas, and other delightfully gonzo menaces.

Morales' snarky cool sometimes comes across as flat and whiny, but Keeslar's a square-jawed hoot, delivering the most cornball lines with mellifluous earnestness. His sweetly old-fashioned not-quite-relationship with Wendy's roommate Lacey (the astoundingly cute Brit Morgan) becomes the show's secret weapon, providing real and surprising poignancy amid an otherwise goofy show. The snappy dialogue flies fast and furious (with surprising detours into genially risque territory) and all the characters are given admirable depth and charm throughout the series' run.

Badly underbudgeted and mismatched to its teen-targeting network, "The Middleman" never really stood a chance. On the SciFi Channel, it might have become a perennial; here, at least, you'll get a satisfying story told in 12 clever, entertaining episodes.

My husband and I LOVED this show. It was great fun from start to finish. It had a little X-Files, a little Buffy, a little Airplane, and a lot of Get Smart...we were very sorry to see it cancelled. Had it been somewhere other than on ABC Family, more people would have found and enjoyed it. Get this set - you won't be disappointed.

This show is not just for geeks and freaks. It is good entertainment and a refreshing departure from the reality shows and dramas that have taken over an already mentally limiting media. The cast has a great chemistry and the conversion from graphic novels to TV is well done. It reminds me of Get Smart meets Man From Uncle meets Science Fiction Theater but brought into the 21st Century. I loved it and found it addicting in spite of the late night schedule.

What a neat little show! I watched the pilot when it came out and then got too busy to keep up with it. But I had heard good things about it and had retained an intention to see it. I like to watch shows that I missed the first time around as well as rewatching shows on DVD. I just finished rewatching all of the STAR TREK shows, which was a pretty long and ongoing project. I haven't decided what long series I will be watching next so I'm watching a few short series in the interim. I'm delighted to have seen this one.

I read a lot of comics but I have not read THE MIDDLEMAN, so my first acquaintance with this universe came with these episodes. I frankly was not blown away by the show like many of the reviewers here. I would not put this on the list of the greatest series I've seen this year, let alone ever. But it is a sweet, quirky, adorable series that I would very much like to have watched over a four or five year period.

I absolutely loved Natalie Morales in the female lead in the show. The worst thing about the show's cancellation is not being able to see her again on a regular basis. Hopefully she'll get snatched up by another show or a bunch of movies. I was not as fond of Matt Keeslar in the title role. He was OK, but didn't endear himself to me as much as he should have as a lead character. Part of the problem was that he didn't have a chance to loosen up enough. We got hints of how his character might have evolved in what sadly turned out to be the series finale. In that he does a great impersonation of Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell's character in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK) and, as they say, hilarity ensues.

All in all, a neat little show. It seems that each year the list of the shows that have been cancelled that I regret having been cancelled grows and grows. Still, I am happy that we got at least one season of this show than none at all.

I enjoyed these DVDs as I hardly enjoyed other films/series for a long time. I really enjoyed the calmy (sometimes almost stoically) atittude towards a series of weird (or even scary) events. I believe that part of the charm that I have found in the series has been that the attitude of the main characters is that they behave as if it was not a comedy (or satire sometimes) but, instead, the aprticipants of a serious film involving a old (?) mostly centered master (The Middleman) trying to train a young apprentice (Wendy Watson). I also believe that they did a good review of the different plots of several kind of movies in the last couple of decades (science fiction, spionage, zombies, vampires... even some references to westrens). I can recommend it without concerns.