The "The Accidental Occidental Conception" Review
Nov 16, 2013 17:50:21 GMT -5
Douay-Rheims-Challoner, Post-Lupin, and 3 more like this
Post by NewHereAgainoZach on Nov 16, 2013 17:50:21 GMT -5
“Wendy, it’s one thing to set aside a fight with your roommate, but… some things walk beside you for life.”
MM states fact exclusively, but that sentence is truer on more levels than most. The Pilot made clear that Wendy Watson loved her father very much, and was deeply affected by his disappearance in mysterious – and, as yet, unexplained – circumstances when she was the tender age of fourteen. So, when she finds herself conflicted at the Concierge desk in the Underworld, Middleman isn’t the only one who understands her conundrum: my father died when I was ten, and if I were presented with an opportunity to learn more about him, I’d snap it up without a moment’s hesitation. It’s another layer of depth in what could have easily been written off as a meaningless, fun show about a young woman discovering that she’s got the goods to be a superheroine-in-training.
The contents of the refrigerator in the illegal sublet held by Wendy Watson, and another, equally photogenic young artist.
This episode is all about poor decision-making leading to bad results, from the Qin emperor creating the Terracotta general and his insane objective, to Lacey making bold but useless statements that land her in jail, to Wendy not being able to resist the temptation to learn about a secret that’s gnawed away since she was a girl. Even stalwart MM has a hair-curling story about letting "emo" get in the way of doing his job (“Fred was my man, and I was supposed to have his back, but, instead, I’m whistling that stupid song from Robin Hood…”). The important thing is that DubDub and Lacey learn from their experiences, and grow a bit, which they do. Lacey finds an elegant solution to her disgust with Roxy’s fur coats, Wendy leaves the past to protect the present, Ida still gives Wendy a hard time, and Noser stays cool as a cucumber. All is right with the world.
NOTES:
"Don't be distracted by the theme," Middleman tells Dubby in the Chinese restaurant. That's good advice. However, if you decide that you do want a theme with which to be distracted, this episode's is Dune. BOLO for references, and see if the ones you spot match - or exceed my own:
names used in Middlecover reference characters Pardot Kynes, and Feyd-Ruatha Rabban. Duncan Idaho also gets a namecheck, as does the Butler clan. Caladan Lane is named for the planet upon which most of the action takes place. The young heir, Duncan, attends Frank Herbert Junior High School. One could reach and say that using Bryan Adams in MM's story is a reference, as Frank Herbert's son is also named Brian.
Middlecover: Doctors Kynes and Rabban, from the Ecological Task Force. “We think global warming is to blame.”
Cop: “Al Gore just ain’t whistlin’ Dixie!”
Middleman: “No, sir, he isn’t.”
Middlecurses:
“Katy-Bar the Door!”
“I’m as serious as a Hefty bag full of rottweilers!”
“Grapes of Wrath, Dubby! Do you realize how much of the Earth is made up of… Earth?!”
“Gobsmackit!”
“Aw, phooey!”
“Hands Across America!” Subnote: Did anyone else here participate in Hands Across America?
“What in the gosh-darn-heck…!”
“Sands of Zanzibar!”
“Dagnabbit! The service down here has gone to pot!”
“Guns of Navarrone!”
Middlewisdom:
“Caffeine is a drug, Dubby.”
“You let yourself become distracted, and, the next thing you know, a geological rift opens, and the city is overrun by three-toed hominids who once battled man for dominance, while you’ve got your tighty-whiteys ‘round your ankles.”
Dubby: “That happened to you, didn’t it…”
“A Middleman must remain focused, at all times.”
Middlepurpose:
"Our mandate is to protect the people from threats infra, extra, and juxta-terrestrial, not to become consumed with the mundane problems of everyday life.”
Ida's Insult Interlude:
“Oh, don’t push your luck, junkie. I’ll like watching you get the shakes.”
Lacey's got a multi-layered stance against delicious Japanese cuisine: “Mercury in tuna kills humans, and sushi-eaters kill fish, so, no matter where you serve it, HOW you serve it, spicy tuna kills.”
This show has such delightfully placed corpses, the likes of which wasn’t seen again until the late, lamented “Pushing Daisies”.
The curse of immigrants: “Dude, I’m, like, third generation, twice removed. I don’t speak a lick of Chinese!”
Lacey, under pressure from Roxy to accessorize: “Pinktullefairyskirtwithrhinestonembellishedgoldlamewaistbeltandmatchingunicornheaddress?”
"More horsey! More horsey! And tighter. Tighter horsey!"
Love the different ways Middleman and DubDub say “Terracotta roof!”
Dubby, upon seeing the Terracotta warrior re-bonding: "There are waaaay to many copies of Terminator out there..."
Lacey's nickname for Middleman: "Wendy's Boss"
The story of the white boy discovering that he’s the heir to an ancient Chinese ruling lineage: “Duncan, you know how Mommy sometimes takes long, international business trips?”
“The Boy Scouts called; they want their Family Counseling Merit Badge back.”
“But, Dad! I’m being hunted! …Ah; I’m gonna need so much therapy…”
“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I destroy the Earth with bottled water!” “I just had an atypically vivid daydream.”
Best Chyron:
The Underworld
Time Has No Relevance or Meaning
Time Has No Relevance or Meaning
The actor who plays the Underworld desk clerk plays that role with the perfect condescension.
“We’re looking for a Terracotta warrior, and his boy hostage.”
“We’re looking for a Terracotta warrior, and his boy hostage.”
"Can’t kill the dead, can I..."
"No! But, you're funny!"“We’re looking for a Terracotta warrior, and his boy hostage.”
“We’re looking for a Terracotta warrior, and his boy hostage.”
"Can’t kill the dead, can I..."
"You know, all this Middleman stuff? I think my dad would have been proud."
"Maybe he still is."
"Uh, OK, why are homeless men walking around in mink?"
WWWWD?
Wilhelm Scream: Used when Middleman goes "All T2" on the Terracotta General's ass.
As part of my continuing mission to ensure that watching the show is as easy as possible, I have found the entire episode on one handy Youtube video:
I request that those who are familiar with the show (the three of you know who you are!) use spoiler tags when discussing plot details. They're easy to do: just use the brackets [] with just plain spoiler in the first, and /spoiler in the second. Hope you enjoy!
