You Should Be Watching The Middleman

So, this past weekend, I had a very unique viewing experience. I finally got around to watching The Middleman, the new show on ABC Family (Mondays at 8) about a straight laced superhero. The reason that my viewing experience with “The Middleman” was unique was because, after 5 minutes of the pilot, I was ready to turn it off. I hated everything about it. But, due to a combination of laziness, inertia, and faith in executive producer/creator Javier Grillo-Marxauch, I kept watching. And by the end of the hour, I was kind of in love with the show.

How does a show go from hatred to love in one hour? Simple: Play to your strengths. One of the things I hate is when TV shows and movies strive to be something they’re not. I absolutely love the movie “Cellular”, simply because it clearly wants to be nothing more than a B-movie. I own “Snakes On A Plane” for the same reason. And this is the real strength of “The Middleman.” It knows how bizarre and oddball a show it is, and it fully embraces that.

Now, I’m a fan of bizarre humor. I have a recurring joke with my dad where I tell him he looks like the combination of an obscure celebrity and a random object (a recent example was Rae Dawn Chong and a defective toaster oven). And “The Middleman” fully shares my sense of humor. The first episode dealt with the Middleman battling a super-intelligent Gorilla who wanted to control the mafia. And it felt completely natural.

And that’s the other real strength of the show: It’s funny. Really, really funny. When his new sidekick, Wendy Watson (referred to variously as Dubs, DubDub, or Dubby), comments on the fact that The Middleman used to be a Navy SEAL but he never curses, the show bleeps her cursing. And then they discover that the gorilla has hidden himself in a Gorilla sanctuary. And then the Middleman curses. (It’s funnier than I’m describing it). The brilliance and comedy lie in the details of the show. And it’s really, really detailed.

So you should totally be watching it. Or at least give it a chance. I was completely won over by the first hour. And, while the show has some problems, they are all overlookable, considering how great the show is in all its other facets. So please, give it a chance.

PS: In case you (Yes, you) were wondering, I’ve decided to keep watching Swingtown. After three episodes, I’m still digging the show, and the actors are all suitably charming.