Writer: Jordan Rosenberg
Director: Norman Buckley
Cast: Matt Keeslar (The Middleman), Natalie Morales (Wendy Watson), Mary Pat Gleason (Ida), Brit Morgan (Lacey Thornfield), Jake Smollett (Noser), Eden Sher (Cindy Marshall), Drew Tyler Bell (Pip), Billy Beck (Hipster), Alan Smyth (High Aldwin), Matt Winston (Dr. Eliott Marshall), Arloa Reston (Reporter), Stephen Holland (Critic), David Brandt (Himself), Thomas Fiss (Himself), Jayk Purdy (Himself), Drew Richards (Himself), Bobby Edner (Himself) & Sean Davis (Joe 90)
Director: Norman Buckley
Cast: Matt Keeslar (The Middleman), Natalie Morales (Wendy Watson), Mary Pat Gleason (Ida), Brit Morgan (Lacey Thornfield), Jake Smollett (Noser), Eden Sher (Cindy Marshall), Drew Tyler Bell (Pip), Billy Beck (Hipster), Alan Smyth (High Aldwin), Matt Winston (Dr. Eliott Marshall), Arloa Reston (Reporter), Stephen Holland (Critic), David Brandt (Himself), Thomas Fiss (Himself), Jayk Purdy (Himself), Drew Richards (Himself), Bobby Edner (Himself) & Sean Davis (Joe 90)
"Pip is about to reap the whirlwind. Thatmeans we're gonna do bad things to him."
-- Lacey (Brit Morgan)
The gauge of a good Middleman episode is determined by how imaginative and consistent the week's mystery-adventure is, and how well its sub-plot supports and enhances that entertainment. With that in mind, "The Boyband Superfan Interrogation" works very well -- marrying a creative storyline about a stalker of a world-famous boyband, with the close-to-home villainy of Wendy's ex-boyfriend...
Varsity Fanclub are the boyband in question; a clichéd fivesome being stalked around their US tour by Cindy (Eden Sher), an obsessed teen using high-tech "warp-hole" technology to jump to Varsity's interstate gigs. The Middleman (Matt Keeslar) and Wendy (Natalie Morales) get involved after discovering one of Cindy's warp-holes in mid-air -- lodged open by an unfortunate duck!
Jordan Rosenberg's storyline is amusing and the internal logic stronger than usual, meaning it's easier to get drawn into the nutty mystery. As usual, there are some duff moments and the nudge-nudge references are beginning to irritate, but the story overcomes these slip-ups thanks to an inventive back-story to Cindy's obsession and a humorous twist on Varsity Fanclub themselves.
The sub-plot again focuses on Wendy's private life. This time, her unscrupulous ex-boyfriend Pip (Drew Tyler Bell) returns to plagiarise her paintings and palm them off as his own at "The Gate" art exhibition. Wendy's unable to protest, because Pip's father could throw her out her apartment, much to a disgruntled Lacey's (Brit Morgan) disgust.
For once, the sub-plot is just as entertaining as the main story. It helps that the characters surrounding Wendy are being used and developed quite nicely now -- Noser (Jake Smollett) is freed from his "cameo" role, Morgan still gives one of the Middleman's better performances as emotional Lacey, and now evil boyfriend Pip earns some credence. The way the sub-plot concludes was also rather snug and satisfying.
In fact, while this episode wasn't especially exciting or funny, it was more unified and the storyline developed agreeably. The only notable downer was a weak story element involving cantankerous android Ida (Mary Pat Gleason) malfunctioning and having to be replaced. It just slowed the story down too much and might have worked better as the emphasis of a different episode.
Still, this is a fairly minor complaint in an episode that showed signs The Middleman's beginning to find surer footing. I can't imagine ever really embracing it, and its summer scheduling without much competition is perhaps the best place for it -- but it's at least refusing to sink without a trace. It's just a shame that, like Chuck, the credits sequence has twice the energy and verve of what follows. And, y'know, it's still the only place to see Natalie Morales ditch that dour military jacket for a skin-tight cat-suit.
21 July 2008
ABC Family, 10/9c pm
