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Episode Recap: Wicked Game Part I
There’s no easy way to break into this episode of Medium lightly. Combining the heartwrenching loss of a mother’s daughter with the despicable crime of kidnapping and the gruesome abuse of women for man’s folly, this episode really revved it up from last week… All I can say is thank god there’s at least one person around to dream about these terrible crimes. If it wasn’t for Alison, how many people’s deaths and abuse would go unsolved?
Alison awoke having dreamt about Cynthia dreaming about her lost daughter who had been kidnapped nine years earlier in a crime that was never solved. You can imagine the level of pain that Cynthia must have felt as an investigator of missing people who was not able to locate her daughter. It was high time that Anjelica Huston finally got the chance to flex those Oscar winning chops of hers and run the gamut of emotions in this ep. From despondent to hopeful, rageful to apologetic and a myriad of other feelings as well, Cynthia was torn apart as the memory of her daughter was brought back from the past into her present.
Al kept trying to piece together what had happened to Susie Keener, but was being led astray by the nature of dreams. Each of Alison’s dream was progressively more violent and horrifying. But, sometimes a dream is a powerful tool for Alison, telling her the story exactly as it is, and other times, it is simply a guide. She can’t take everything literally, and finds it increasingly difficult to tell what’s true from what is only a partial truth. She upset Cynthia so much as one of her dreams led them to Joanne’s mother, who assured them her daughter had never been abducted. Cynthia basically threw Al out with the bathwater, which she seems to do at least once each episode.
Of course, Cynthia's tune changed when the authorities found two more women who had been kidnapped and badly beaten and one of them was Joanne. Cynthia called Alison to apologize, but by the look on Alison’s face, the damage had kind of already been done. Fired and rehired in less than a week. That poor Dubois family.
Joe was back at the unemployment office. Riddle me this Batman, as this is the 21st century, I believe you can log in to the unemployment website for your state and answer all of those questions online. Granted, playing the scene out allowed for some comic relief, another visit with Geoffrey Owens and to expose Joe’s humiliation at having to ask him mother for money, but really, it’s kind of unrealistic.
I know you know what my favorite part was - the girls dancing in the garage to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Totally cute. And all because of Joe’s little invention. Later, there was some silly music and Joe running around in a cartoon, so the real question is what was up with the cartoon imagery?
Ah, well, that’s easy, Joe was having dreams of his own. He was ticked at Alison for not letting him dive into their daughter’s college find for his science project. Remember, he got the idea for that project from his steamy dream with the swimsuit model. And although he wasn’t acting out any sexual fantasies, (or maybe he was), he did discover he was more of a science geek than previously thought. However, I can see both sides of this argument. On the one hand he’s nuts for even suggesting they take that money out of the bank and use it on his little scheme. On the other hand, he was right in saying the whole marriage has been about Joe believing in Alison and when he needs her to take a leap of faith for him, she didn’t. Though, for her part, she never asked him to use that $30K to help her with her dreams.
Who knows how they will resolve that one. My thought would be that just as Alison is about to concede, they find a windfall of cash.
Some pretty good lines of levity, (which were necessary, considering the disturbing plot):
“Looks like the wicked witch is not so wicked anymore.”
“Someone’s having a pity party and I didn’t get my invitation.”
“I still have my pity party decorations. Wanna borrow some?”
Next week you can tune in for the conclusion of this two-part episode, but you can get your fill right now watching Medium clips on our Online Video Guide.
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Mar 25, 2008 1:19 AM
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This post is up early! I TIVO'd this ep. and just finished watching it. Alison has to go back working for Cynthia; that's their primary income. For the record, Joe should be getting way more than $240 @ week unemployment. I was getting may more than that when I was on it in Cali. and I was making way less than a rocket scientist...
I enjoyed the comedic break with Joe's enigmatically inspirational dreams. The singer sewing machine was invented through dreams and if they can overcome the R&D $30k, he could get rich and I hope it happens. It looks like the invention can overcome the UVA/UVB rays that eminate from regular tanning beds due to passive solar and/or lunar panels. Joe needs a more optomistic arc now.
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Mar 25, 2008 2:20 AM
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To me, the whole point of the in person meeting at the unemployment office was for the one comment to Joe that, with all Joe's skills, when was Joe going to stop feeling that he needed permission to earn money. That night he had his own dream!
I still pretty much can't stand Carolyn, but it did help to learn some of her history.
Wow! $30,000 in the bank. That was a surprise. How could they not have already dipped into that?
As always, I just love the family scenes. They are so real. The dance scene was so much fun.
I'm trying to figure what is happening with the different girls and the timeline. It seems that Joanne was or became part of the "problem."
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Mar 25, 2008 2:50 AM
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Um...that "silly cartoon" was actually a take on Kanye West's "Good Life" video. I was pleasantly surprised that some hip-hop music was included in this episode, who would have thunk it? I thought the nature of Joe's dreams were stereotypically male - bikini babes & cartoons...lol...
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Mar 25, 2008 8:18 AM
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Listen, I loved Medium and still love Allison, her family, Manny, and Lee. What I don't love this season is the pitch-black tone the show has taken. To have Allison solve a mystery and get justice for a distraut family is fine. Having to see depictions of women raped and tortured, children raped and murdered, girls burnt to death, etc. is just getting to be too much for me. Add to that that the show has this season, more often than not, NOT brought the villain to justice, and I don't get any payoff watching this anymore. It's just all becoming too disturbing for me. Why, oh why, did the producers have to mess with the winning formula that guided this show to success in the first place?
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Mar 25, 2008 9:09 AM
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I thought Joe was going to become a science teacher. Making millions off of his idea is better though.
When are Manny, Lee & Cynthia going to start trusting Alison. Every week, they never believe her, then she ends up right.
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Mar 25, 2008 9:37 AM
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Great ep, so-so recap though.
I actually felt bad for Cynthia this week. previously I had not been liking this character at all, but how hard to have thought you had news on your daughter's kidnapping only to appear to lose it again.
Joe's frustration is more than just about Alison saying no to using the kid's college funds - it was her lack of discussion and thought and support over it. He'd barely gotten the thought out of his mouth, the phone rang and he asked her not to answer it, she did anyway and as soon as she hangs up she's all about her case - not saying sorry Joe - what was it you were saying ?? Typical marriate - huh ! LOL
That's why I love this show - in alot of ways a very realistic view of real marriage.
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Mar 25, 2008 10:03 AM
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MariaTMc - agree that the amount of unemployment seemed ridiculously low. Each state is different in their rate of pay, but in NJ I think the highest amt tops off at around 800 every 2 weeks. Unless Arizona has such a low cost of living and in turn low salary rates - then the amount is pretty unrealistic.
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Mar 25, 2008 10:07 AM
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Okay - I had to Google to find out but the $240 is a maximum benefit in Arizona:
How much are the unemployment payments in Arizona?? The minimum is $60 per week and the maximum is $240 per week (2007).
Hard to believe but it is straight from the State's website.
I am a single male and was really offended by the fact that they had the $30k for the kid's college fund and Allison thought that it was untouchable. I'm sure that people will disagree with me on this one though!
I loved the episode and am anxious to see how they can punish that evil witch who pretends that she is abducted! How sick is that?
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Mar 25, 2008 11:24 AM
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Yes, unemployment in AZ is a max of $240 per week. I know because my husband is on it right now. (and no, it doesn't stretch very far)
As for the college fund, depending on how it's invested, they may not have easy access to it. Some "college funds" are actually in the minor's name (and SS#) and prohibit removing the funds except for the "benefit of the minor". I suppose it could be stated that basic living costs (mortgage, food, clothing) could be considered for the benefit of the minor, but to use them as starter funds for a business wouldn't fly. If the minor discovers that the parent (or custodian of the fund) has squandered his/her money, they can actually sue that person for money lost. This is because once the money is deposited into someone else's SS#, it's THEIR money, not the person in charge of making the investment decisions.
In this case, it sounds like the money might actually be in a trust (as opposed to custodial accounts) since Alison stated that her signature is required to remove the money too. Some trusts require that all trustees have to sign to take action of any kind on the trust, while other trusts state that trustees can act alone. (Or it could be that Alison, not Joe, is the Custodian of the girls' accounts, thereby requiring her signature for withdrawal.)
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Mar 25, 2008 12:07 PM
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I agree that these episodes are increasingly disturbing. Locked in a basement and tied up like animals to be tortured? So horrific.
Why on earth would you borrow $10,000 from your mother if you have $30,000 in savings? Have they already used retirement savings? You should use the college savings first because you can always start saving up again when times are better, and you can get student loans later if needed. Using college money doesn't mean your kids won't go to college.
In my experience, you can withdraw savings from an IRA or 529 College Savings Plan without penalty as long as you don't withdraw the *interest*. The interest is what is taxable.
This is why financial experts tell you to save 3 or 6 months salary--it can serve as an emergency fund in times like the Dubois family is going through. If you need the money now, use it now!
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Mar 25, 2008 12:54 PM
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Depictions of woman and children abused. Pretty realistic I would say. That is usually what I read about in the newspaper here in Tucson, AZ. We could use Allison's dreams to solve some unsolved missing cases here with woman and children.
AZ is not the state you want to live in to make high wages. Eating sunshine is the option.
I loved Joe's invention and dreams!
Typical marriage, my hubby who invents is exactly like Joe, he would say the same thing, I support you, why don't you support me.
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Mar 25, 2008 2:08 PM
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Moondancer 627, no arguments that rape, torture, and murder of women and children is realistic. The issue here is whether it's entertainment. They say porn comes in two flavors: violence and sex, and this show that I really do love is getting closer and closer to porn IMHO. I click off the TV and find myself a bit sick to my stomach imagining the ongoing torture of these characters. Not pleasant. I much prefered when Allison had a dream, caught the bad guy, and they arrested him. Now we spend sooo much time enduring the victims' horror. That's not entertaining or fun for me. It all just seems unnecessarily sensationalistic.
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Mar 25, 2008 2:50 PM
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Great recap, Paula. I also loved that garage dancing scene of the girls. Bridgette is just so goofily adorable.
That was some dark and twisty ending. Didn't see that coming. I, too, am disturbed by the violence but I just fast forward when it becomes unbearable. I can't stomach the CSIs and the Law & Orders because of all the violence but Medium has a lot of great things going for it. It has one of the most realistic TV portrayals of a working marriage, and Patricia and Joe (I'm suddenly blanking out on his real name, sorry) are just terrific actors. I met Patricia years ago (she bought a cake from a bakeshop that I used to work at), and she's really nice, just like Alison.
In this ep, I was glad to see Hannah from Everwood on TV again. She's great. Evil Johanna's mother was also portrayed by another Everwood alum.
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Mar 25, 2008 3:19 PM
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I thought it was a great episode tonight. Can't wait to see how it all plays out next week.
But I think we are forgetting is how yummy Joe is..when he was sitting on the table watching the girls dance and he was doing his goofy dance. I had to play it back a few time..he is sooo cute.
And I do think allison was wrong, she should have sat down to listen to Joe about his idea. Sometimes I have to be reminded that men have feelings too,a nd I have to take a step back and listen to my hubs.especially when they feel lousy about themselves.
I love this show.
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Mar 25, 2008 5:00 PM
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