Medium – Joe gets the best job ever

I’m torn with this week’s Medium episode, “The Medium Is The Message.” On the one hand, it was a very interesting serial killer case that brought Scanlon back into the fold. In addition, it  also played right into our worries about what the effects of the coma will be on Allison. On the other hand, they gave away the killer way too early. Elsewhere, Joe’s job hunt finally pays off with what most of us would consider the best job ever. Joe, however, needs some adjustments.

So, to the case. With Medium‘s play on the Zodiac killer, and a great guest star in Fisher Stevens, it had all the makings of a great episode. And really, it was still very good. But the one problem I had with it was that they gave him up too quickly. Seeing the note in Allison’s first dream of the kidnapping took all the mystery out of it. Without that, I really could have been sold on the author, Lance Pauling, as a copycat killer. Who else knew more about the case? And he was left handed. Add the suggestion of sagging sales for “The Final Translation” and you have yourself a hell of a suspect.

It is what it is. Despite that mystery not being quite as mysterious as it could have been, it was still a good story. Stevens did a great job in the therapy sessions, and in the final confrontation in interrogation. And I really liked how they worked the symbols into the story. So much is still up in the air about what the long term results of Allison’s coma are. The idea that she would suddenly be seeing symbols was completely believable. More believable, in fact, than the idea that Allison still doesn’t have some sort of hands free device for her cell phone. The permission slip as Rosetta stone bit at the end was clever as well.

Meanwhile, down at Burroughs Strauss, things were just getting weird. I really had no idea what to make of Keith at first. As Joe headed to the parking lot I thought we were seeing the beginning of an ongoing thing where Joe keeps getting close, but doesn’t land the job. Instead, he landed the job where you do nothing. (I had one of those for two months once. It’s very strange.)

Of course, that didn’t sit right with Joe. I really liked how it all played out. He was so beside himself trying to figure out what he should be doing. Then, when he bounced back and made his play for being an actual part of the team, it was a perfect Joe moment. I hope they stay with that for a little while. I’m very curious to see more of the Joe/Keith dynamic and how it all works out.

So, at the end of the day, the fourth episode goes in the books as being very good. The only mark against it is in the execution of the mystery. That’s an unfortunate, but forgivable, misstep. On the whole, season six is off to a great start.

Clacked by Brett Love
on Oct 17, 2009 @ 09:09 EST5EDT