As long as there is hope, I will pimp this show
Ok, all you laggards and people who refuse to believe me. Or even if you just don't believe in internet piracy. Whatever. You now have the chance to (legally) check out my favorite show of the year so far. AXN Beyond, all power and glory be to them, is broadcasting The Middleman starting tomorrow night at 10 PM, with replays on Wednesdays at 1 PM and Saturdays at 1 and 9 PM. Please please watch it, see the awesome, and then drop ABC Family a line at their website thanking them for making the show and beg them to make more episodes.
And if the pilot doesn't grab you - which is beyond me, as I was in love five minutes into the pilot, although it took librarianjessie two more episodes before she was sold - just hang on until episode 5. Starting at this point, the show starts topping itself episode after episode until the mind-blowing, touching and hilarious finale. Please, just give it a chance.
OK, FAQ time.
Q. Is the show really that good?
A. Let's start with the scripts. They be TIGHT. We're talking near Arrested Development-quality complexity. At this point, depending on the context, whenever anyone mentions drowning, I immediately tack on "...in the icy waters of the north Atlantic." In my head. And then I giggle a little. IN my head. Sometimes. Nobody else gets it, but you will. Soon. If you give this show a chance.
And it can turn on a dime and make you cry. The relationships (save one contrivance, but I really refuse to complain about the show, so deadma na that one contrivance) are real, and recognizable despite the often-fantastical quality of the things that happen to our main duo. I think of it as the American Doctor Who, and those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I do not take comparisons to Doctor Who lightly. Also, nearly every episode is centered upon one pop culture theme, and part of the game is to catch that theme as early as you can. And then you hunt for your old copies of Buffy, Die Hard and Ghostbusters, watch them again, and then watch the episodes again. The show is so awesome it rewards repeated viewings, not just of itself, but of other media as well.
ETA: It's also massively subversive. For such a wholesome show, you will not believe the number of sex and drug jokes they managed to cram in. Not to mention the other stuff they subvert. Which you will find out when you see the show.
Q. Is Matt Keeslar really that hot?
A. YES. (Re the pic: Hotass, no? And yes, the back view is just as spectacular) He is also adorable. And way more talented than anyone that hot deserves to be.
Q. Is Natalie Morales really that hot?
A. Yes. She wouldn't turn me gay, but she's supercute, and adorable, and she can match Matt punchline for punchline. Natalie's a little green, though, but it works for the character.
Q. Is Mary Pat Gleason really that awesome?
A. In the words of hammock20 after seeing episode 8, "Oh my God, I love Ida." So say all of us, my dear.
In conclusion, watch the show. And if you can help save it, my sanity will thank you muchly.