The Middleman: Difference between revisions

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Originally a comic book (that itself started as a television pitch), Javier Grillo-Marxuach aptly adapted it for a surprisingly faithful series that had one season on the increasingly inaccurately named ABC Family Channel. The season was originally intended to be thirteen episodes long, but was cut to twelve for budgetary reasons (and still managed to end on a satisfying note). The script for the never-filmed thirteenth episode, titled "The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse," debuted in a table read at Comic-Con '09 with almost all of the original cast, and was released as a graphic novel shortly thereafter. It is definitive proof that [[Tropes Are Not Bad]].

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=== This series provides examples of: ===

* [[Absurdly High Stakes Game]]: Shabumi in "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown"

* [[Action Girl]]: Wendy Watson, bien sur!

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* [[Alternate Universe]]

* [[Applied Phlebotinum]]: The Middleman admits he has no idea whence come the weapons and gadgets and things -- they just show up sometimes in boxes.

* [[Arson Murder and Jaywalking]]: In the 13th episode: {{spoiler|"You murdered my boyfriend, destroyed my workplace, trapped Noser in a giant diamond, gave my best friend Lacey leukemia, and did God knows what to the only father figure I've ever known, and the worst you could think to do to me was ''put me in '''[[Star Wars|a slave girl costume]]'''?''"}}

* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]: In the 13th episode: {{spoiler|"You murdered my boyfriend, destroyed my workplace, trapped Noser in a giant diamond, gave my best friend Lacey leukemia, and did God knows what to the only father figure I've ever known, and the worst you could think to do to me was ''put me in '''[[Star Wars|a slave girl costume]]'''?''"}}

* [[Artifact of Doom]]: The Cursed Tuba.

* [[The Bechdel Test]]: Lacy and Dub-Dub pass, and it's mentioned by name on one of commentaries.

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* [[Eagle Land]]: The Middleman is an excellent Type 1 example.

* [[Every Episode Ending]]: Wendy and Lacey in their illegal sublet, bonding.

* [[~~Everythings~~ Better With Monkeys]]: Well, lowland gorillas.

* [[Everything's Better With Monkeys]]: Well, lowland gorillas.

* [[Evil Twin]]: Played completely straight with {{spoiler|altWendy}}.

* [[Extended Disarming]]: In the first episode, making liberal use of [[Hammerspace]], the Middleman does this, and then goes on to prove his [[Badass]] is in full working order.

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* [[A God Am I]]: In the panel for the 13th episode, {{spoiler|collecting thousands of pineal glands and creating a hivemind from all the uMasters of the world allows Manservant Neville to become a [[Reality Warper]]. He quickly dubs himself a god.}}

* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: All of the Middleman's dialogue is like this, except for once (where it's appropriately bleeped).

** In the Comic-Con 13th episode table read, you can tell the excrement's hit the cooling-device when MM swears twice without being bleeped (which also counts as a [[Precision F Strike]]). Not that there's no bleeping - Wendy gets bleeped at least twice.

** In the Comic-Con 13th episode table read, you can tell the excrement's hit the cooling-device when MM swears twice without being bleeped (which also counts as a [[Precision F-Strike]]). Not that there's no bleeping - Wendy gets bleeped at least twice.

** Most swearing is bleeped, and to emphasize the fact it's a "family" show, the lips of the person swearing are covered by a black box for the duration of the offending words...but there's a fractional delay to let astute viewers know which naughty word was likely the one spoken.

* [[Granola Girl]]: Lacey, at least before [[Character Development]]

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* [[Handsome Lech]]: Middleman '69

* [[Heel Realization]] : {{spoiler|Middleman '69, just before his [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}

* [[Heroes R Us]]: O2STK, the "Organization Too Secret To Know", which apparently bankrolls and operates the Middleman Organization.

* [[Heroes-R-Us]]: O2STK, the "Organization Too Secret To Know", which apparently bankrolls and operates the Middleman Organization.

* [[He Who Must Not Be Seen]]: Sensei Ping, after his introductory episode.

* [[Hey ~~Its~~ That Guy]]: Doesn't that guy from Varsity Fanclub look familiar? It's Bobby Edner, who played Justin Smith in the second episode of Veronica Mars.

* [[Hey It's That Guy]]: Doesn't that guy from Varsity Fanclub look familiar? It's Bobby Edner, who played Justin Smith in the second episode of Veronica Mars.

* [[Hey ~~Its~~ That Voice]]: The aformentioned Little Vladdie was played by [[Gideon Emery]], who is best known for his roles in [[Final Fantasy XII|video]] [[Dragon Age 2|games]].

* [[Hey It's That Voice]]: The aformentioned Little Vladdie was played by [[Gideon Emery]], who is best known for his roles in [[Final Fantasy XII|video]] [[Dragon Age 2|games]].

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]:

** In "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown", {{spoiler|Middleman '69 [[Redemption Equals Death|sacrifices himself]] to save the current-day Middleman, who he had [[Face Heel Turn|betrayed]] in jealousy earlier on.}}

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* [[Ironic Echo]]: approximately half of the snark, lending credence to Wendy's [[Photographic Memory]].

* [[Its Not You Its My Enemies]]

* [[~~Its~~ Personal]]: Certain things make even MM break the rules.

* [[It's Personal]]: Certain things make even MM break the rules.

{{quote| '''MM:''' If there's one thing I hate more than scientists trying to take over the world, it's scientists who twist innocent primates with computer enhanced mind control to live out their sick and perverted fantasies of criminal power!<br />

'''Wendy:''' Is that true? <br />

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** There's a ''literal'' wall of unexplained lamps at the organization's headquarters. This may or may not be where they keep their extra shades in between cases.

* [[Large Ham]]: You will use respect when addressing Sensei Ping!

* [[Laser Guided Amnesia]]: of the two-day variety in Tyler's case.

* [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]]: of the two-day variety in Tyler's case.

*** And then [[Chekhov's Gun|it's used in "The Clotharian Contamination Protocol]].

* [[Literal Metaphor]]: More a case of confused slang terms.

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'''Wendy:''' You stay away from my roommate!<br />

'''Guy:''' I meant a drink. }}

* [[~~Laymans~~ Terms]]: MM explaining the H.E.Y.D.A.R. to Wendy.

* [[Layman's Terms]]: MM explaining the H.E.Y.D.A.R. to Wendy.

* [[Living Forever Is Awesome]]: Cecil Rhodes.

** "Did I mention how great the dating has been?"

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* [[Pineal Weirdness]]: Apparently losing your pineal gland either lets you see ghosts or puts you in psychic contact with your [[Mirror Universe]] counterpart.

** Or if you're a flying pike, your pineal gland gives the antidote for fish zombification.

* [[Post Kiss Catatonia]]: Pip, after Lacey kisses him.

* [[Post-Kiss Catatonia]]: Pip, after Lacey kisses him.

* [[The Power of Love]]: {{spoiler|MM and Lacey}}

** What might be a subversion, as they are taken hostage/over by demonic puppets, which turn into real people if married while on the arms of two people who are in true love.

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** ''[[Sea Quest DSV]]''

** ''[[Star Trek]]'': Namechecked multiple times.

{{quote| '''Middleman '69:''' "Maybe [[Beam Me Up Scotty|Scotty can beam us]] down. Sorry. Obscure reference to a canceled TV show. I'm sure you've never heard of it."}}

{{quote| '''Middleman '69:''' "Maybe [[Beam Me Up, Scotty|Scotty can beam us]] down. Sorry. Obscure reference to a canceled TV show. I'm sure you've never heard of it."}}

*** And another time...

{{quote| '''altPip:''' "You mean the sci-fi series [...] starring the great George Takei?"<br />

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* [[Spy Catsuit]]: "This is how a real woman dresses?"

* [[Spy Drama]]: Spoofed, bigtime.

* [[Star Crossed Lovers]]: Lacey and MM.

* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]: Lacey and MM.

* [[Stock Scream]]: The "Wilhelm" can be heard [[Once an Episode]]. Including the comic version of Episode 13, where it's rendered as "aaaah-aaaaargh!", with a note in the annotation explaining that's the best they could do.

* [[Strange Minds Think Alike]]: This show practically runs on it.

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** And as a "my god" substitute in one episode, "My Little Pony!"... yeah, this show is capital-W ''Wierd''.

* [[UST]]: MM and Lacey. And sort of freakily, Middleman '69 and ''Ida''. Pip and Lacey.

* [[What Do You Mean ~~Its~~ Not Awesome]]: A brilliant physics student invents a way to take over other people's bodies - and uses it to get revenge on a sorority.

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?]]: A brilliant physics student invents a way to take over other people's bodies - and uses it to get revenge on a sorority.

* [[What Would X Do]]: "WWWWD...What would Wendy Watson do?"

* [[Will Not Tell a Lie]]: The Middleman, at least when he's not undercover. Hilariously used in the pilot: