The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Clotharian Contamination Protocol," the eleventh episode of the ABC Family show, "The Middleman."
It's nice to see actors and actresses from "Battlestar Galactica" getting work on the different networks. During this episode, we see Mark Sheppard (soon to appear in "The Dollhouse"), who I understand is a friend of Javier Grillo-Marxuach, the show's creator. I also hear that Sheppard was actually used as a template for Manservant Neville, the character as he appeared in the original graphic novels. It's kind of cool that he actually plays the person in the show itself.
Here's the basic plot for this week: The Middleman and Wendy recover the Voyager 2 space module, which they discover has been near the planet Clothar (last heard about in "The Boyband Superfan Interrogation"). The pair take the vessel's black box back to Middleman HQ, where a ticking device explodes, sending nanobots around the HQ, causing Ida to become evil. Ida says The Middleman and Wendy must enter the decontamination chamber, and she locks them in once they get nekkid and begin scrubbing each other.
During the process, The Middleman tells Wendy about Code 47, which is the practice of leaving a pre-recorded message to loved ones before leaving on a dangerous mission. Wendy refuses to follow the procedure, declaring that she would be a terrible friend if she had to leave a message instead of letting people know how much she cares before she leaves.
After the pair discovers Ida's deception, they contact the Clotharian homeworld and discover that the planet is upset that Earth keeps sending out devices that will turn the universe into Earth's "peep show," recording and looking at everything they come across. The indestructible nanobots in Ida's brain will spread throughout the world and plummet Earth back to the Stone Age technologically.
The Middleman plans to use the Baby HEYDAR to shrink himself to a size small enough to enter Ida's brain and turn her off, but things don't go according to plan and Wendy ends up in Ida's noggin instead.
When things look bleakest and it appears that she won't survive, Wendy begins to tell The Middleman her own Code 47, thanking him for being the closest thing to a father she's had since her own Dad disappeared. The Middleman tells Wendy to never give up, and that sparks Wendy into coming up with a plan of being covered by the indestructible nanobots when she is being returned to her regular size by MM.
The other main storyline features possible Middleman Tyler, who saves the aforementioned Manservant Neville, a well-known business genius (known to everyone except Tyler, apparently) during a confrontation on the street. Neville wants Tyler to work for him, so he puts Wendy's beau through a bevy of odd tests. After they are done, Tyler still doesn't want to work for the man until he tells Tyler that instead of just writing songs about changing the world, he can actually do it. Tyler signs on. How long before Tyler goes against The MIddleman and Wendy?
What Worked
This episode had a ton of wonderful allusions to Star Trek, Doctor Who and other genre shows. But what I enjoyed most was the text-overs that kept counting down to "the inevitable detonation" until ... it doesn't happen and gets referred to as the "not-so-inevitable detonation." Very funny!
Of course, Tyler is back on the show where he belongs, and his storyline is also fun, yet still a contrast to the MM/Wendy plot. I still marvel at the ease with which Brendan Hines speaks those complex lines of dialogue with a twinkle in his eye. If this show gets a renewal, Tyler should be a regular cast member.
We see Ida dressed up in a formal black dress, which I'm sure was a nice change of pace for the actress ... and the viewers!
Oh, and Mark Sheppard was smooth and cool with that accent and all. He was in the show just enough to keep things moving but not enough to overwhelm the other characters. I wish they had utilized Kevin Sorbo in the same way a few weeks ago.
What Didn't Work
Again, I have thought a long time trying to come up with something bad to point out, but there isn't anything again this week. This show is the reason I smile so much when I am leaving work on a Monday night ... I can't wait to get home and watch it!
Next week: the season finale!
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
"The Clotharian Contamination Protocol" was written by Margaret Dunlap and directed by Jon T. Kretchmer. "The Middleman" stars Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Brit Morgan, and Mary Pat Gleason.
Wayne Hall, news editor for Airlock Alpha, is ready to join the Tyler Ford Fan Club. Wayne's also chief of security/publications editor/webmaster for the U.S.S. Chesapeake, a local Star Trek and science-fiction club in the Washington, D.C., area.
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About the Author:
Wayne Hall is the former news editor for Airlock Alpha, writing from the Washington, D.C., area. He first joined the site in October 2004 as a staff writer, and wrote the monthly "Wayne's Worlds" column.
