Let it be said, I am not a man afraid of whimsy. Indeed, I am willing to embrace it. And so this adaptation of Lost scribe Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine’s comic book series was right up my alley.
Temping artist Wendy Watson gets attacked by tentacle monster during a dull day at work at A.N.D. Laboratories. She manages to wound the creature before The Middleman intervenes and saves her. Impressed by her composure in the face of weirdness The Middleman ends up recruiting her as his partner. Their first mission as duo is a strange case involving mobsters and genetically engineered gorillas.
Whereas most modern sci-fi is coloured in drab grays, blues and browns, this is a primary colour world of square jawed pulp action. The closest current series to the look and viewpoint of the show is Pushing Daisies, though The Middleman’s budget doesn’t quite amount to same unified level of hyper-reality that Pushing Daisies manages. Rather, it has more in common with 60’s science fiction programming, many have pointed out similarity in tone to the Adam West Batman series and the show itself makes reference to The Avengers’ starting credits when Wendy joins The Middlemen. It has a low budget, make-do pep to it’s step. There’s also Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, Due South, The Tick, and Venture Bros comparisons to be made.
But forget all that, here’s all you need to know:
It’s Torchwood without all the crying.