Middleman finale

[norwich36]

Damn, this show better get renewed. I started watching it just as fluffy fun, but it really grew on me.


I seriously think Wendy Watson has now become my favorite female character ever. She's a sidekick but she's the central POV character; her struggles juggling the superhero gig with her ordinary life are realistic, and yet she *doesn't* just dump her key relationships; her friendship with Lacey is one of my all-time favorite canonical friendships--as was only reinforced in tonight's episode; she has an awesome working relationship with the Middleman, *without* it straying into bad romantic comedy land; and she first bonded with her boyfriend over bad zombie movies. What's not to love? I fear this show will definitely be cancelled just because it's too perfect to exist.


And damn, the finale just reinforced all my love. Ok, first with the shallow: Evil Wendy, you can make me your bitch anytime, because humina. I thought you were hot as a good character, but damn. And way to be an evil genius and let Menservant Neville take all the credit/blame for the Orwellian society. And did I mention HOT?

Ahem. Plot, I was going to discuss the plot, wasn't I? Ok, even for a show that has glorious fun playing with silly scifi tropes, I thought this ep was outstanding, perhaps because bearded amoral Spock gave me a permanent love for evil mirror universes. It was just sheer fun to see Pip as a celibate heroic priest ("Come with me if you want to live" "The show with George Takei?" Oh show, you spoil me with your references), and Lacey running a strip club, and Ida as a sex kitten, and the Middleman in leather chaps.

Leather chaps. Somehow I just had to repeat that. But I also loved that what turned him from his clean-shaven Eisenhower Jacket look was the loss of Middleboy! Oh, how sweet that in the mirror 'verse Tylor got to be Middleboy!

But really, the emotional heart of the episode was Wendy's reconciliation with AU Lacey, who AU Wendy had so cruelly betrayed. I may have teared up a little at that scene. And I was so thrilled AU Lacey gets to be the new Middle-apprentice, and the suggestion that she and the Middleman may hook up. Lacey and Middleman are definitely my OTP of the show.

Oh, TV Gods, please renew this show!!!

Comments

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

I seriously think Wendy Watson has now become my favorite female character ever.

I love her with the fire of a thousand Middle suns.

Evil Wendy, you can make me your bitch anytime, because humina.

When Evil!Wendy and Alterna!Middleman were shooting at each other, all I could think was "Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Middle-style."

I loved the AU. Loved, loved, loved it. It did all the things an effective AU should do -- tweaking the characters in ways that make sense based on their normal personalities but that also make sense in light of the changed circumstances of the AU -- and did them so cleverly. Alterna!Pip didn't quite ring true to me, but that's pretty much only because we've never seen Pip do anything for purely altruistic reasons. But I can buy him working in resistance to a fascist regime because he seems like the type who doesn't like to be told what he can and cannot do. But the rest of the alternate versions of the characters made a great deal of sense to me. I can believe that in another life, Wendy's bitterness about her father's abandonment of her could make her that cold-hearted. I can believe Lacey's idealism drying up in the face of what was so clearly a heart-breaking betrayal. And I can believe that the loss of a sidekick he really cared about could shatter the Middleman's belief that fighting the Good Fight is its own reward.

Oh, how sweet that in the mirror 'verse Tylor got to be Middleboy!

It's not only sweet, it's continuity. We know from the episode with the Nacho Libres and Sensei Ping that Tyler actually had an interview at Middle Headquarters that he was unable to make (for a reason I can't remember right now). Wendy got his job as the Middle sidekick because she met the Middleman the same day Tyler was supposed to interview but didn't show.

But really, the emotional heart of the episode was Wendy's reconciliation with AU Lacey, who AU Wendy had so cruelly betrayed. I may have teared up a little at that scene.

I did tear up at that scene. I also found myself unexpectedly moved upon learning that Alterna!Middleman had returned Wendy's bracelet to her.

Oh, TV Gods, please renew this show!!!

I just read in someone else's LJ that allegedly, ABCFamily decided to renew it for a second season because it generated so much traffic for the website that the network is aware it's got a solid, devoted following.

I'm definitely crossing fingers and toes that it gets renewed (and released on DVD) because I adored it.

BUT.

I am also bracing myself for heartbreak if it does get renewed vis-a-vis Wendy and Tyler. Because here's the thing: If Manservant Neville wasn't evil in the alternate universe, then that probably means he is evil in our universe. Which means poor Tyler's going to be smack dab in the middle of it when MN's plan to take over the world starts to come to fruition. And Wendy and the Middleman have to stop it.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

LaT!!!! You are watching Middleman!!!! I was just thinking last night as I was composing this that I hoped you were watching Middleman because it seemed like exactly the kind of show you would love, and here you are! *Twirls you*

And welcome back from LJ hiatus, btw.

But the rest of the alternate versions of the characters made a great deal of sense to me. I can believe that in another life, Wendy's bitterness about her father's abandonment of her could make her that cold-hearted. I can believe Lacey's idealism drying up in the face of what was so clearly a heart-breaking betrayal. And I can believe that the loss of a sidekick he really cared about could shatter the Middleman's belief that fighting the Good Fight is its own reward.

Yes to all of this. That was actually a bit unusual for evil alternate universes in general, but very fitting for this show, which is wonderful with continuity. I could very much see all the altnera-verse characters becoming who they were if different events had happened in their lives. (Though I wonder: do you think Noser was still a wonder-boy ventriloquist in this AU? :D And I expect when we get a little more backstory on Pip his choice will turn out to make sense, too, because I am really impressed with the show's continuity.)

And yes, I remembered the Tyler was the alternative choice to Wendy for the Middle-apprentice, which did make it cool that in the alternaverse he got to really have that job, which I'm sure he was great at. And I agree with you that they're probably setting up some heartbreaking plotline with Manservant Neville being the evil overlord--I almost thought they were doing that in last night's episode, actually. At first I thought they had just swapped out Tyler and Wendy's role, so she was working for Neville and Tyler was working for the Middleman, and I thought she was going to have to come back to the real world and take him out, or something. I expect that will be a major plotline next season.

Which I'm so happy to hear will exist! Yay!

[francopoli.livejournal.com]

"And damn, the finale just reinforced all my love. Ok, first with the shallow: Evil Wendy, you can make me your bitch anytime, because humina. I thought you were hot as a good character, but damn. And way to be an evil genius and let Menservant Neville take all the credit/blame for the Orwellian society. And did I mention HOT?"

It's the glasses. SWOON.

And "evil" Lacey? I did not think that she would look all that great with dark hair, but she pulled it off.

And AU Ida? I laughed my balls off.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I definitely want an icon of her in the rimless glasses. (Though I really like her normal glasses too).

AU Ida was awesomesauce, definitely.