|
 I may have mentioned before that I like “The Middleman” – the show, and MM himself, Matt Keeslar.
This episode starts with the very perky Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) meeting her prospective Love Interest Tyler Ford (Brendan Hines) in the Battle – sorry Batter of the Bulge Pancake House, and finding the prospect of LuftWaffles and Panzer Cakes very resistable. That’s 4 reasonable puns in the first 22 seconds of the episode, and they haven’t even gotten going yet… Dub’s date with Tyler develops into an intimate Code 86 but Dub is concerned that her Mutant Ability to forecast the miserable end to most of her relationships seems to be failing her. That all pales slightly into the background when a Jewellery store that belongs to a definitely not former KGB agent is subjected to a small breaking and melting by the perpetrator currently known as The Candle – last heard of in 1969. Resident Cyborg Ida (Mary Pat Gleason) is galvanised into releasing her former boss the 1969 Middleman – the former Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), now known as ‘69’. Old 69 advertises some Balthorium G – the element the Candle uses to power his melting ray – in the Thrifty Nickel (long story) to entrap him into a meeting. Pause for a long stakeout chat while there’s a knock-down drag out fight going on in the background. The Candle turns out to be allegedly dead, with a young pretender wearing the wig and wielding the melting ray. However ’69 doesn’t want to believe the allegedly bit, and gets a little free with the “picking up teeth with broken fingers” comments. He’s seen as being way too fixated on the Old Candle and promptly shown his retirement. However Guy (as it now turns out he’s called) finds more Balthorium on the second hand market and still sees an evil plot; so recruits Dub to break into Lord Jeremiah Purcell’s nefarious mansion. (Hey - how come the bad guy’s always English??) This involves learning how to play Shiboomy – a fiendishly complicated card game where it’s vitally important not to lose your head. And dressing like Emma Peel. Anyway the second setup fails too, and the allegedly unextinguished Candle escapes to an alleged Supervillain hide out on Snake Island (would I make this up?) to where the MM’s and WW must follow. We follow the Asbestos-insulated MiddleSub (the heat, you know) to Snake Island where despite a suspicious lack of bad guys the current Middleman winds up trapped and in danger of his life – and the twist? .. well that would be spoiling the final meltdown. Fade to Dub and Tyler getting 86’d again, with Ida patiently watching… Did I mention Ida skates? Imagine Dame Edna Everage on castors. Without the hat. |
