The Middleman

The Cursed Tuba Contingency

Season 1, Episode 7, Aired 7/28/08

Episode Summary

Wendy and The Middleman don Edwardian clothing to destroy a cursed tuba from the RMS Titanic before it can harm innocent civilians. Elsewhere, The Middleman and Lacey share a movie together and consider dating.

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Cast & Crew

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Matt Keeslar

The Middleman
Natalie Morales (II)

Wendy Watson
Brit Morgan

Lacey Thornfield

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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This episode was downright entertaining!!

10

"Perfect"

By VGFreak8, Jul 31, 2008 Report Abuse

When talk of a cursed tuba comes up, The Middleman and Wendy investigate. It has the power to drown people with the icy waters of the North Atlantic. It was the only surviving instrument from the Titanic and the man who played it is still alive. He is also cursed and must live forever until the tuba is destroyed. Lacey and The Middleman meet at the movies and have a small, short mini-date. At at Titanic party, the tuba is planning to be used, so Wendy and The Middleman must stop it. Lacey and Noser show up too, but Wendy tells them to leave because she doesn't want them to drown. They figure out that the immortal guy is the mastermind, even though he seemed innocent. Wendy kills him and saves the world! The Middleman and Lacey want to see each other, but The Middleman says they can't because of work and Wendy.

This episode was great! I really wanted Lacey and The Middleman to be a couple! I like them together! The tuba storyline was also interesting! This episode gets a 10 out of 10 from me!moreless

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Another hysterical outing with nice character twists.

9.2

"Superb"

By SWERJ321, Jul 30, 2008 Report Abuse

As a Titantic buff myself (the actual event more than the movie), I got a kick out of this ep. It was fun seeing the return of the fashionista and her flirting/fighting with MM. I really loved Cecil's character, which turns the usual "cursed Immortal" concept on its ear as MM assumes he wants to end it out of guilt but it turns out, he really enjoys living forever and doesn't care who he hurts. It was interesting to see that despite his gruffness, MM does look for the best in people and was hurt by Cecil's chicanry.

The plotline of him and Lacey was interesting as it shows another side, of the Middleman wanting a normal life outside of his work but unable to really do so. The revelation that he's never actually seen the end of that movie sums it up perfectly and it was sad how he had to end it, with Lacey devestated and not understanding why. Wendy was good trying to help him with it and her usual kooky antics and reactions to Cecil and the party were fun. I also loved how she saved the day with the spear gun. So a bit more depth to characters but once more, it's the off-the-wall writing that makes this show so damn fun.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Trivia: The Middleman claims he's from the American Shrimp and Crab Amalgamated Processors, but says he can't use the acronym due to copyright reasons. The acronym ASCAP belongs to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers... who among other things protect copyrights. (There is no American Shrimp and Crab Amalgamated Processors organization in real life.) Edit
- Trivia: There are numerous real-life references to the RMS Titanic and the films and books surrounding it: * The names Erica Ambler and Ray Ward Baker refer respectively to the writer and director of A Night to Remember (1958), another movie version of the sinking of the RMS Titanic starring Kenneth More, Honor Blackman and Ronald Allen. * The Middleman uses the aliases of Harland and Wolff. Harland and Wolf is the company that built the RMS Titanic. * Edward J. Smith High School refers to Edward J. Smith, the captain of the Titanic. * A school poster in the background says the team is "Fighting Icebergs", a reference to the iceberg that sank the Titanic. * The Middleman's exclamation of "Sweet Molly Brown!" refers to Margaret Brown, an American socialite aboard the Titanic on its first and final voyage. Edit
- It's never explained how Cecil escapes Middleman HQ. They know he's hunting for the tuba, and he's not to be trusted, so it's unlikely they'd let him go until they at least recover it, and nothing in the episode establishes they let him go. Edit
Notes
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- The CSIs were styled after the first-season cast of CSI. The episode's script also referred to Michael Gier's character as Bearded Petersen Guy. Edit
- Injoke: All of the names on the (fake) posters at the theater are those of The Middleman production crew. Only the Ride Lonesome poster is real. Edit
- The music heard at the beginning of Ride Lonesome was composed by Tree Adams specifically for the episode: the production crew were unable to get the rights to use the actual music. Edit
Quotes
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- Johnny John: Look, I've got a beautiful woman in here, who is hot, willing and able, who finds me devastating in my raw, feral power. Did I mention she was hot? Do you have any idea how rare that is for me? Wendy: Yes I do. Edit
- Lacey: What do you do for a living? The Middleman: We are international consultants that solve exotic problems for corporations, individuals and even governments. Obviously our clients often prefer anonymity. Lacey: That's so clear... concise. Edit
- Lacey: It's just, I mean, God knows I've spilled a lot of fake blood on your stuff, but what the hell is this. It almost looks alive. Wendy: Don't worry, it's dead. Any movement is just reflex action. Lacey: You mean it was alive? Wendy: A bug. I stepped on a bug. Lacey: With both my boots?!? Edit
Allusions
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- Ida: Time to quit your grinning and drop your linen, people. Referencing a line spoken by Bill Paxton's character Pvt. Hudson in Aliens (1986). The movie, a sequel to Alien (1979), had Sigourney Weaver return to the role of Ellen Ripley and also starred Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen and Paul Reiser. Edit
- Lacey: Noser, get the axe. Noser: What axe? Lacey: Like in the movie... Referencing Titanic (1997). Lacey is referencing the scene where Rose (Kate Winslet) frees Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) with a fire axe. Edit
- Noser: So, how did your day begin? Wendy: With a friendly voice. Noser: Really? 'Cos all I heard was the sound of salesmen. Wendy: Of salesmen? Noser: Yeah, of salesmen. Referencing "The Spirit of Radio", a 1980 song by Canadian rock band Rush. It reached #13 on the UK singles chart and is Rush's only entry on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Edit