Medium Episode 4.02 “But for the Grace of God” Recap
TV Guide has a really detailed recap of the But for the Grace of God episode that aired January 14th. I know some of you were interested in the music playing and the recap identified the major song and has the lyrics for it. The song is by Crowded House and is called “Don’t Dream It’s Over”.
TvSquad also has a recap up by Paul Goeble, who apparently is still upset about the creepy scene with that poor little boy from last week. (I think I am, too. I was so glad when the girl came walking out of the house alive this week, although Ariel still has those horrible dreams about Allison’s friend to deal with. Aren’t you glad you aren’t a psychic medium?)
And believe it or not, NBC is finally catching on to stuff and has recaps this year, too. They also have the entire episode up again, but have completely changed the delivery method from the last episode so you can have a bigger video. Very nice. Oh, and in the fan comments for the NBC recap, there’s info about another song on this episode: Melanie is brushing her hair to Foo Fighters “The Great Pretender”.
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12 opinions for Medium Episode 4.02 “But for the Grace of God” Recap
Dawn
Jan 16, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Thanks for sharing the links to those recaps, Katelyn. They were pretty good, but I’m surprised by some of the comments by the fans on those sites. I can’t believe how nitpicky these people can be. Don’t these people realize that this is television? I personally don’t agree with the people who said that the writing felt forced or the episode was flat, or that this season has been terrible so far. Obviously these people are not true fans of the show, or they were expecting something different than what they’ve seen so far. I think every episode so far has been better than the last. The writing has been great and the acting, as always, as been superlative. Patricia and Jake and Sofia, particularly, have really been on top of their game, and I think the addition of Anjelica Huston has brought a fresh new dynamic to the show that has reinvigorated the writers and given them a whole new perspective on the Dubois family. I wasn’t sure how that was going to affect the show, especially with Allison’s abilities being revealed to the public, but it hasn’t hurt the show at all in my opinion. It’s only made it better and given it a fresh new look. I loved the way this episode focused on the relationship between Allison and Ariel and I thought Patricia and Sofia did a wonderful job with that. And the continuing story of the Dubois’ financial struggles is a great addition to the story and only makes the characters more real and relatable, because this is something that everyone has to deal with, and you can feel for them, not just as two-dimensional television characters, but as people who could be living right next door to you. And I just don’t get why people want to just pick the show apart, and the writing, and the actors, instead of just enjoying it for what it is; a wonderfully crafted, well-written, well-acted hour of television. I am sick of hearing people complain because they saw a child molested, or a dead body. What do they think they’re going to see? It’s a crime show. She sees dead people. She sees crimes. Those things happen. But this is television. Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it.
Okay, I’m off my soapbox now, lol.
Katelyn
Jan 16, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Maybe they’re people who don’t watch any other crime shows? I think that for the most part, Medium is much less graphic and gross than the CSI and Law and Order shows. At least Allison doesn’t stand around talking to corpses while she saws them apart to find evidence like the CSI shows do.
Also, they have to realize that crimes against children are going to be a major part of this six story arc, because Cynthia Keener works for a company that finds missing people and the majority of missing people tend to be children and young women.
Holly
Jan 16, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I don’t know if this is legitimist or even relevant due to the writer’s strike, but there’s an article that says that Rene Echevarria has been fired. Here’s the website:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a85386/hugh-jackman-among-studio-axe-casualties.html
I don’t know what to make of this. I like his work on Medium. Does anyone know what this means for the show?
Katelyn
Jan 16, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Holly,
I’ve heard of at least one other Medium staff person being fired. It may sadly be completely true. The networks simply don’t want to waste money paying salaries when people can’t work because of the strike.
Dawn
Jan 16, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Katelyn, I think these people must not watch much television, or watch Medium because they don’t watch crime shows, and they think it won’t have those aspects, but it is part crime show, and it is a supernatural show, so what do they think they’re going to see? One commenter on one of those sites was whining because this episode dealt with a cop who was a pedophile and hinted at child molestation, and she said she had been a victim of it most of her young adult life, and the show made her sick watching it and she could never watch Medium again. Not to sound cruel and heartless, but that sounds like a personal problem to me, and if something like that is affecting your enjoyment of things, like television or everyday life, then it sounds like it’s time to get help with whatever issues you have. The television show isn’t the source of your problems, and if it bothers you, then perhaps it’s time to take a good look at yourself instead of blaming something or someone else for your discomfort. It just takes all of the enjoyment out of a show for me to hear people criticicize it and pick it apart rather than just enjoy it.
Holly, I read that too (in Variety, so it would seem to be true), and that saddens me too. I hate to think of such a wonderful creative team being broken up. Hopefully when the strike is over, everyone will be back to work and will be rehired on the show. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for this to end soon and well. Katelyn, I hope that other person you heard about being fired wasn’t GGC, because he just signed a very lucrative deal with CBS Paramount a few months ago to develop new shows for them. Hopefully that won’t impact his work on Medium and he will continue to be a strong creative force behind this wonderful show.
Lena
Jan 16, 2008 at 5:34 pm
The content of the shows are more emotional than graphic in my opinion. I find it ironic in our violent culture that folks would find emotional themes more disturbing. Both give me problems, however, I find the amazing writing and acting on Medium hard to deny. Criminal justice is a nasty business regardless if you are a cop or a judge. Shows these days are more realistic, but not as realistic as reality- ask any victim of a crime.
I too am concerned about what the strike will do to Medium. It appears that both sides have locked down. I found Jake’s comments in that radio interview sadly compelling, he said that set workers are really being adversely effected.
Dawn
Jan 16, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I agree, Lena. It is disheartening to think about all those people being out of work, but hopefully, if all goes well, and the DGA and the AMPTP can reach an accord, that will open the door for the WGA and the AMPTP to reopen negotiations and hopefully even speed along the process. I would love to hear that the strike has ended and that all of these people are back to work, especially the ones on Medium. I read that the pilot season for next fall has already been scrapped and that there will be a lot more reality/unscripted shows next year as a result. But I would like to think, or it is my fervent hope, that if there are no pilots, then once the strike ends, the networks will hold on to all of the scripted shows that they have, at least for one more season, which would give us at least one more season of Medium to look forward to.
I also agree with you about the content of the shows, Lena, but I find it silly that people will watch violent, gory, bloody horror movies and action movies, and never complain, yet when a show like Medium even alludes to violence or the darkness of human nature, they get all bent out of shape. I think sometimes some people have a hard time distinguishing between fantasy and reality. But who knows? Maybe that’s just a testament to how great this show is that they are actually disturbed by some of the emotional content. Ya think?
nansee
Jan 16, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I agree, I don’t think the people who’ve made the comments quite get the show. I’ve loved the season thus far and have been continually reminded as to why I love it and have missed it. It’s a crime show with a family element that includes children; it’s not a children’s show. It has been mentioned that part of what makes the show so effective and disconcerting is the juxtaposition of these two elements. If I have to read one more time about someone’s kid having nightmares after watching it, I’m going to scream myself.
That said, I was also pleased that the girl in 4.02 wasn’t dead either. (Shocked, actually.) And I’ve liked AH’s portrayal. The new season is different and has opened up a lot of new and interesting and creative possiblities that many shows are too formulaic to bother with.
Also, I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, but can anyone comment again about why the preview for the second episode was incorrect? Thanks. nansee
Bret Jenkins
Jan 16, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Okay, I am probably out of place here, but I like the show because of the mystery, the bumps in the road of life, and the family aspect. I put up with the gory, violent and sick, hideous criminals. Though I must admit I found myself strangely attracted to the Kesley Grammar’s character. I thought it was a great role. I enjoyed the old mystery programs like Columbo where most of the crimes weren’t so brutal and sick. And some Medium episodes are depicted in such a manner.
I like the mystery. How Ariel and Allyson figure out the crime inadvertently together is so much like mother-and-daughter relationships. Often their lives are indeed connected and intertwined and they don’t even see it. I appreciate how the show dramatizes the strains of keeping a family together, of how business decisions effect families, and how good guys like Allyson’s husband may finish last, but live a wonderful life nonetheless. The show draws into questions the notion of success and failure and shows us professionals with integrity and how people with less integrity often exploit these situations. The new DA is a classic example.
Ariel’s dilemma over the role of Maria is classic moment as well. I loved the crosscutting at the final moments of the show between her situation and Allyson’s. Unfortunately, due to the gruesome subject matter and graphic details, it is probably not a show fit for a fourteen year old girl to watch. Too bad because Allyson and her family are very honest, sincere people who would serve well as role models for young women and men. But then again, most young women and men are probably watching Desperate Housewives.
Lena
Jan 16, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I really love the intelligent comments on this post. I firmly believe that Medium appeals to an intelligent and sophisticated viewer. I never thought about it until now, but I liken it to my taste in music. I have an ear for fusions of different genres; for a quick example, rock + reggae = The Police. I have many other examples of my eclectic preferences. But it made me realize that’s what I love about Medium. Different story elements that could stand alone, yet blend together in a harmonious work.
Dawn
Jan 16, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Well said, Lena. And everyone else, too. I agree with everyone’s comments on this subject. I think that Medium is a sophisticated show that appeals to a certain type of viewer, i.e., those who like to be entertained, but also who like television that makes them think. I don’t want to sit down to watch an hour of television where the story is the same one I’ve seen on a dozen different shows, only the names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent (esp. the writers who can’t come up with anything more original), or whose plots are so contrived and outrageous that is impossible for me to suspend disbelief, even minutely, enough to enjoy it, and therefore feel as if I have just wasted an hour of my life that I’ll never get back. Give me an hour of Medium anyday, with thoughtful, thought-provoking stories, and well-developed, relatable, believable characters, and wonderfully talented actors, over ten hours of any other show on television today.
Betty
Jan 17, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I wish Bret was stil doing the reviews at TV Squad - don’t know why he isnt’, but he always hit the nail on the head.
I’m sick of the people complaining about the stuff they see and how horrible it is. Believe me, reality is stranger and worse than fiction ANY day. The way I see it, if viewers pay attention to what they are seeing and think it is horrible, use that to help solve these problems in real life. It’s amazing how many people are completely clueless about crimes that happen in their neighborhood or even in their own families that go unpunished every day. Be alert and notice behavior that can be indicative of molestation, kidnapping, abuse, etc and don’t sit back. Let these programs be somewhat educational. For all the people horrified by these images on Medium, how many of them have willingly forked over $10 to go see Saw IV or Scream VII, or the latest horror movie?
Allison has told Joe on a number of occasions - she sees these horrific images in her dreams and even in real life, but she comes home, she has children, she has a family and it makes everything OK - it balances out the horror.
For those who have experienced abuse or molestation in their real life - share this information with others and it will have been worth it to save just one person from what they went through - hopefully they will save more than one. Use your pain to help others. The Amber alert was started after a child in Texas was abducted and killed because law enforcement failed to act speedily. The Laura Recovery Center in Texas was also started by the family of a teen girl Laura Kate Smithers who was kidnapped and killed. This family used their grief to form search parties to go out and search for loved ones that have gone missing within hours so they can help recover missing loved ones - they even helped to search for Natalie Holloway in Aruba.
Anyway, Medium does a fantastic job of interweaving crimes and family dynamics of real families. So many families today are only one paycheck away from being on the street - it’s refreshing to see what real struggles people go through everyday instead of glossing over these problems in typical TV land ways.
I certainly hope this writers strike will be solved soon and that the fantastic writers who have been let go will be re-hired as soon as things start to get back to normal.
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