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Episode Recap: Car Troubles
“It’s a car, our car, and we love it,” Allison mused about her beloved family vehicle, and then the car went boom. What a scary way to start this episode. Luckily, it was just a dream.
Al tried to relay the dream to Joe but he asked, unbelieving, “What do you mean, “blow up”? To which Allison responded with a hand gesture and sound effects to drive her point home. Allison reminisced that the Volvo was the first car they bought together. Supposedly, they’d driven that Volvo home from the hospital after each daughter was born, which would make that car around 14 years old. That’s pretty darn good. Who knew the Swedes made such a durable and reliable vehicle?
She couldn’t start the car herself and wouldn’t let Joe do it either. She was actually teary-eyed pleading with him not to, but to her great relief, he couldn’t get it to turn over, much less blow up. So he surprised her with an SVU that he got for a steal from some guy unloading it through the mechanic. That guy just happened to be what’s-his-knuckle from The West Wing, Joshua Malina. (Joshua also co-starred in another one of my favorite Aaron Sorkin series, Sports Night.)
I was aghast to learn Joe had bought the car outright. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago when neither of them had a job, no prospects of employment? Now he feels confident in the money Megan has invested in his idea, and purchased the car for cash. I see community colleges in the future for the three Dubois girls. However, the car had it’s own perks, “Cup holders? I do love cup holders.” Bridgette was gleeful, as were all the girls when Joe brought it home.
So of course, Allison woke up in the middle of the night and slipped into her new car to bond with it when she finally realized why the car was such a good deal. Mr. Carmen’s wife had been shot in it. “This car is haunted,” Allison was panicked. Oh, this would prove an interesting tale and the unraveling would lead to none other than, you guessed it, the husband. Isn’t it always?
Did anyone else notice that there seemed to be an awful lot of driving without carrying a license going on? First Allison took the girls for a spin in the new SUV without one, then Joe left his at home one day, (or had she dropped him off that day)?
Allison finally decided to get to the bottom of the murder, since the mug shot she’d attached to the murderer’s face was that of a local model. All I could think was, “When Good Models Go Bad.” If that isn’t a reality TV show already, it should be. The car was instrumental in leading her to the real murderer, by navigating her directly to the Carmen’s house and showing her the vision of the crime. I must say the pulley with the gun, and the tennis ball as the trigger, was a pretty ingenious plan. (Gory, but ingenious.)
Pouring over mug shots one night when Joe was working late, Allison dreamt that Mz. Business Partner, aka Meghan Doyle, (the lovely Kelly Preston), was planning a little coup d’etat with her husband. So when Joe called her in real time, similar to the dream, to tell her he’d left his wallet at home, she took it upon herself to bring the wallet to him at work. She said she wanted to see him as happy as he seemed in the dream, but she really wanted to make sure that Meghan had not thrown herself at him.
He assured Allison that, “She’s the money and I’m the brains. She goes home early and I work late,” which only sort of put Allison’s mind to ease and for good reason. Joe was working late another night when the exact scene from Al’s dream started to play out and Meghan became a temptress, albeit, a drunken temptress, and tried to lure Joe into celebrating some good news with her.
Although there was no real way to point the trigger at Mr. Carmen, as it were, Scanlon took a drive over to his house under the guise of retrieving the haunted SUV back from him only to find he had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. (Why was he in the house, then?) Though he couldn’t quite say it aloud, even Scanlon questioned whether or not the car had been responsible. Once again, no conviction of the guilty, but the punishment fit the crime, if you ask me.
Finally, it was awfully nice to see Ariel back and hear her bickering with Bridgette again. Just like old times. Bridgette’s inquisitive monologue about the cereal box’s physics question, whether or not the image portrayed on the box and in the picture of the box within the picture would go on forever until it was just the “size of a molecule,” was hilarious. I remember thinking the same thing as a kid, only it was in the mirrors that reflect one another, but they do go on forever and a day.
To Be Continued shows make me crazy, though the previews for next week did not follow the same story at all, so I can only guess the TBC was really only about Meghan and Joe. I have utter faith that he will resist her temptress wiles.
If you want to see the Dubois in the days before Meghan, just watch some vintage Medium clips in our Online Video Guide.
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Apr 29, 2008 3:49 AM
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> To Be Continued shows make me crazy, though
> the previews for next week did not follow the same
> story at all, so I can only guess the TBC was really
> only about Meghan and Joe. I have utter faith that he
> will resist her temptress wiles.
>
You know, by my count this is the 3rd time they've done a "To Be Continued" this shortened season. If they keep this up I wonder if Allison will see a shark in her upcoming dreams. I wish they didn't put that "TBC" up there at the end. Feels like a 30's movie series.
I like the nice and tidy hours, that is what I am used to. I wonder if the writers are running out of ideas after just 74 episodes. I liked this ep especially that the car called to Allison for help in the middle of the night rather than the DA's office. And I enjoyed it being a family filled episode... lots of kid time and the way they went ga ga over the new car was funny too. I got the feeling that next weeks murder has nothing to do with this weeks so the "TBC" was not necessary.
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Apr 29, 2008 4:39 AM
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I can't think of anything that would disappoint me more than if Joe is more than momentarily tempted by Megan. I'd prefer he not be tempted at all, honestly, but I can see where she might come on to him and he, being rather shocked and more than a bit confused, might not react until she's actually pulled him in for a kiss - but if that happens and he doesn't immediately push her away and get out of there, I will NOT be a happy camper.
For me, Allison and Joe's relationship is one of the best parts of the show. The tension and drama of their relationship comes from the uniqueness of their situation - her being a psychic and all - and from their needs to cope with the various matters that most all families face - raising kids, divisions of labour, budgeting and spending - but they're woven into the stories, realistically played, and we know that no matter what they're arguing about, their overriding love for each other will come through in the end. It's one of the best, realistic and most positive examples of marriage I've seen on TV. I'd hate to see it screwed up because some suits thought the show needed more "romantic tension" or some such crap as that.
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Apr 29, 2008 8:05 AM
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I said something as soon as I heard the husband's story about it not adding up. You're right, isn't it always the husband? And how is it the audience can figure out whodunit so quickly but Allison and Scanlon (and sometimes Devalos) cannot? But trying to throw us off with the model was a nice touch.
Maybe all these bad husbands are supposed to be a counterpoint to show what a good guy Joe is. Oh, I do hope he can not only resist Meghan but put her in her place. But that would probably mean the end of the partnership and she'd probably find a new inventor... hopefully one who couldn't replicate Joe's idea.
That said, it was very nice to see Annabelle Gurwitch as the wife, however briefly.
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Apr 29, 2008 8:10 AM
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In the sequence with Meghan that they showed, it appeared Joe was leaning away and she kissed his neck. I'm betting as that scene plays out, he jumps up and says something to her, she apologizes, and they write it off as her being both happy (about the lack of patents) and tipsy. I still don't see Joe "giving in."
“When Good Models Go Bad.”
I see it hosted by Toccara and starring Janice Dickinson, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss. Ratings gold!
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Apr 29, 2008 8:18 AM
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volvo s are one of the most reliable cars on the road.and one of the most boring....there are afew out there with over 1 million miles on them...and most average 200-300,000 miles easily.
[ yes, i sell them.]
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Apr 29, 2008 8:42 AM
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...I think Kelly Preston's character is lying about the possible problem with the patent; why? I don't know, just the vibe I got from her...and does anyone else think that Joe could be Benjamin Linus long-lost son?...
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Apr 29, 2008 8:46 AM
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Ugh. Me too... I'm so done with the two-parters. Can't they think of a good story to tell that will fit in a single episode?
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Apr 29, 2008 9:49 AM
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and does anyone else think that Joe could be Benjamin Linus long-lost son?...
Ha! Imagine the possibilities for cross-promotion if show creators let their characters transcend not only their shows but networks too. Allison could figure out what the heck is going on on that island, and I'd give her due props because I still don't understand Lost. (I only know of Benjamin Linus through osmosis because my husband watches the show.)
Or we could send Allison over to Ghost Whisperer to help out what's her name's character... or send her to any of the CSIs. Just think of what those corpses could say to her.
As far as other characters coming to Medium... hmm, maybe a Law and Order cop coming to help Scanlon since he can't solve these easy cases until the end of the episode. Or imagine Jack McCoy whipping into shape VanDyke.
The mind reels. Thanks for the laugh. 
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Apr 29, 2008 9:59 AM
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I do hate the predictability of it always being the spouse. That being said, it was a pleasant hour with the Dubois family.
I find that I really like Allison's voice-overs quite a bit. And I laughed out loud at Bridget's "I do love cup holders." I also loved the promotion for the greatest, longest-lasting cars on the market - go Volvo!
Don't think we have to seriously worry about our Joe being even momentarily tempted by Mehgan. Personally, I'll be glad when they get rid of her character.
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Apr 29, 2008 10:32 AM
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The only thing I fear is that Megan will use her majority share for the patent/invention as a way to sexually blackmail Joe. For instance, she might say, "well, if this doesn't happen I'll just take my shares and go." Or something of that nature. I think he will be momentarily tempted by THAT. Not her, exactly, but his fear of being unable to provide for his family. But...hopefully that won't happen, though she does have the power to do so.
And someone mentioned this being the 3rd "to be continued." I'd actually say it was the 4th or 5th. But, I do think the TBC was just for Joe and Megan and NOT for the murder story line so at least that's a little different. I don't feel quite as annoyed since they had at least resolved the murder. Sort of.
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Apr 29, 2008 10:55 AM
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I have a rather weird thought... (nothing new, but still) Why did the husband set up the gun to fire with poster of the model dirctly behind it like that? I mean HE DIRECTLY LINED IT UP? I know Joe buying the SUV was coincidence, but did the guy realize he lived in the same town as a psychic (all the press coverage last year) and set it up to through Allison off the trac?
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Apr 29, 2008 11:11 AM
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I have total confidence in Joe Dubois. They've done another storyline in the past about an old flame trying to get him back, and he wasn't having it for a second.
I agree with anamaria. I think Meghan is *absolutely* making up the thing with the patent so that they have something to "celebrate." Notice how she sounded a little wishy-washy when she was describing it? I'd be surprised if a boyfriend even exists.
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Apr 29, 2008 11:34 AM
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I love the family dynamics and the actors themselves as much as the next person. But, risking the ire of die-hard fans, I have to say that I've been terribly disappointed with Medium since the writer's strike. And it's not just Medium. Except for the crime shows and Lost, the writers seem to be writing for soap operas. That's not my thing, and certainly not why I loved Medium. This is the second hugely popular series I've given up on this week (the first being Grey's Anatomy)....and I've been a fan of both shows since Day One. Never missed an episode of either.
Last night's episode did it for me. So blah and predictable. I didn't even care how it ended. I'll very much miss Jake Webber and Patricia Arquette, but unless there's nothing better on, I won't be watching anymore. Makes me sad to lose these two shows in one week, but I feel like I'm wasting my time. I will acknowledge that having lived through the barren wilderness of the writer's strike, it makes it easier to know that I can and will live without these shows.
I also want to make clear that I'm not putting anyone down who loves the show. I'm just stating that it's no longer something I care for. The acting and writing are good (though the storylines, not so much) and deserve to be liked by those that like what they're presenting now, so I wish for continued good ratings for that reason.
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Apr 29, 2008 12:00 PM
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I know Joe buying the SUV was coincidence
There is no coincidence in this show. This whole episode was about how a car came to Allison for help instead of a victim. It was the car that gave Allison all of the clues and it was the car that in the end forced justice! I loved this episode because it was so similar to all of the rest, but yet so different too. The reason that the husband lined up the gun with the poster was so that his wife wouldn't notice when he drove into the garage.
Joe will have nothing to do with his new boss sexually. Him and Allison have the second best marriage on TV today, second only to Tami and Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights. This would be a SERIOUS mistake if something like this were to ever happen.
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Apr 29, 2008 12:21 PM
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