If ever there was a year for grand, sweeping changes on Medium, this is it. The show is back from the brink of cancellation, coming off of a big cliffhanger, and on an entirely new network. The possibilities, they are endless. All of that added up to me completely buying the idea that Allison could have lost her abilities, completely. OK, not forever, because it is Medium after all. But I was prepared to take quite a trip. Now that the big premiere is in the rear view, we know that’s not quite the case, but things aren’t exactly back to normal either.
Kona talked a bit about it in her preview for season six, but now we can get into a little more detail. It certainly looks like most of the effects of Allison’s stroke are going to be short lived. After just one episode she’s having visions and getting the use of her right side back. But the visions have brought an entirely new wrinkle, and I like it.
The waking dreams that seem to freeze time for Allison are a fascinating, and frightening, idea. It’s interesting enough just from the angle that her ability is changing and adapting. The real scary bit though, is how does she know? Can it reach a point where she starts to lose grip on which is her reality? Probably not, but the fact that the idea is there is intriguing.
Back at the house, it’s more of the same. For the most part, things are back to normal, but there are those small changes. Most notably, Ariel seems to have aged about a year for each month Allison was in a coma. The extra responsibility has had her grow up awfully fast. I suspect that won’t be without its consequences. And I’m also reasonably sure that those things will work out in the end, because the DuBois family remains as solid as ever.
The case of the week? It was fine. I was actually on to the wife really early, so much of the surprise was lost. It still worked really well as a back drop for the changing and adapting visions. Seeing the actual stabbing was particularly chilling.
Overall, “Deja Vu All Over Again” made for a great return. After five seasons, the new twist with the visions has the show feeling fresh again. And it looks like Medium is finally going to have a stable home at CBS, after having been jerked around for years at NBC.
Clacked by Brett Love
on Sep 26, 2009 @ 10:58 EST5EDT
Great review, Brett! And I agree. It was a fantastic return for Medium, and the new twist with her abilities opens up a whole nother realm of possibilities for the show. Can’t wait to see where they go from here.