Writer: Andy Reaser
Director: Allan KroekerCast: Matt Keeslar (The Middleman), Natalie Morales (Wendy Watson), Mary Pat Gleason (Ida), Brit Morgan (Lacey Thornfield), Jake Smollett (Noser), George Williams (Deputy Commissioner), Sherry Mattson (!!!! Promo Girl), Tina Joy Manera (!!!! Promo Girl), Melanie Hawkins (Bonnie Blue), Timothy Josefy (Fishmonger), Todd Stashwick (Head Guard/Mr. White), Al Damji (Rod Argent), Drew Tyler Bell (Pip), Michele Nordin (Heidi) & Joshua Levine (Dave)
A zombie outbreak clashes with Wendy's promise to attend Lacey's "Art Crawl"...Wendy: And I get the feeling you don't share my enthusiasm.
Ida: Then I'm wearing the right expression.
Ida: Then I'm wearing the right expression.
Ratings are low for The Middleman, meaning ABC Family have ordered the producers to ditch an intended thirteen episode. That's not a great sign for the longevity of this comic-book series, but while The Middleman has been sporadically amusing, there's just not really enough to ensure your commitment...
Half the jokes are aimed at knowledgeable geeks, with the other half dealing in slapstick and cartoon-y visuals to keep kids happy. Consequently, there's not much sustenance for anyone over the age of 12 who don't have an obsessive knowledge of genre TV/film. Imagine if Doctor Who didn't cater for general audiences, and instead focused on making a minority of viewers giggle over jokes flying over the heads of everyone else? It just wouldn't work.
That said, "The Flying Fish Zombification" is actually one of the better episodes, as writer Andy Reaser ensures the storyline isn't wholly reliant on the usual insanity of The Middleman's (Matt Keeslar) latest mission. Instead, there are two sub-plots that focus on the characters: Wendy (Natalie Morales) aces her martial arts training with Sensei Ping (sadly, off-screen due to Mark Dacascos' absence), and doesn't believe The Middleman's sincerity over her physical superiority to him; and Wendy's double-life once again intrudes on her home-life with artistic best-friend Lacey (Brit Morgan).
Both subplots give rise to annoyances, however. It's frankly ridiculous to find that Wendy can get the better of Sensei Ping, whose Bruce Lee-like prowess was a big part of a recent episode. I understand her bettering of the martial-arts guru was itself a joke, but it undermined the Sensei Ping character and didn't sit right with me. Wendy's supposed to be an everygirl character, not someone with hidden Kung Fu abilities.
Elsewhere, I really like Brit Morgan's performance as best-friend Lacey, particularly because there's a genuine chemistry between her and Morales, but the whole "double life" aspect to The Middleman is already overplayed. It would be more entertaining if Lacey and chilled-out neighbour Noser (Jake Smollett) were aware of her activities, in my opinion.
The main story involves zombies who crave trout over human flesh, apparently the bite victims of flying pike (CGI fish with just the right level of rubbery silliness to them). As usual, the investigation to prevent a mass zombie outbreak takes The Middleman and Wendy down some interesting avenues, but the mystery is typically a bit silly and washes over you.
What keeps "The Flying Fish Zombification" ticking along is the improving chemistry between all of the actors and sub-plots that mix with the A-story to much better effect. It was also nice to see a bit more expansion of The Middleman's universe, with Wendy's "Middlemobile" being taken out on a mission (hiding a rather snazzy rooftop turbine engine), and the story includes quite a few amusing distractions – from a sexy zombie trio chanting "trooout" to the ridiculousness of a company being named "!!!" ("pronounced" as a silent bodily reaction).
However, while certainly a confident episode and huge improvement over the execrable "The Manicoid Teleportation Experiment", the series is overall beginning to feel a bit stale. The imagination is definitely there to see on screen, but it lacks a sense of sophistication -- beyond its in-jokes, that require a three decade education in sci-fi/fantasy programming.
It might help if there was a recurring mystery lurking in the background of the show, or just a sense of direction for the season, but The Middleman seems content with its simple crime-fighting set-up and standalone episode format. Even if everything about the show is stolen or spoofed from far better films and television shows.
14 July 2008
ABC Family, 10/9c pm
