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Once you have a long-running television show, and in season 6, Medium certainly qualifies, one of the benefits is being able to really use your cast more. The actresses who play the DuBois children have grown up on this show, so it only stands to reason that their skills have grown and improved over the past several years. That’s why I’m so excited for this season. Ariel is becoming not just another daughter, but her own person.
It started with her haircut, but now, both Sofia Vassilieva and her character are able to step out of the box in which they’ve been since the beginning of the show. The actress is mature enough to tackle new and more complex storylines, and the character is mature enough to have different experiences.
This episode, since it’s a possession episode, really allowed Vassilieva to spread her wings and do things that Ariel normally wouldn’t. She is sneaky, conniving, and murderous– and I like it.
Overall, this is a top-notch Medium episode. The first few minutes, in which Patricia Arquette was doing the voice over and talking about different serial killers was absolutely chilling. There isn’t a chance that you could see those pictures of Jeffrey Dahmer hugging his childhood pet and not get chills. It really set up the premise behind the episode nicely: that sometimes children do not turn out the way we believe and hope they will.
Ariel, of course, hasn’t completely gone off the rails: she was possessed, so it was actually Elena who was buying illegal firearms, plotting murder, and even smoking. Despite the fact that Allison has been through this herself and knows that this is the case, it has to be terrifying to see your daughter doing these things.
I still find it mildly annoying when, after all of these years, the people closest to Allison don’t believe her when she has a vision. However, in this case, Joe should get a pass. Even if your wife is a psychic who has dreams that often come true, and, yes, even if she has actually been possessed before, it’s still got to be ridiculously difficult to wrap your mind around your daughter being possessed by a dead stripper. So in this case, Joe’s incredulity is completely valid.
What I really enjoyed about the resolution is that we didn’t see Devalos and Scanlon give Allison crap and not believe her. We just went straight into the trap that was supposed to bring back Ariel. Scanlon arrested her, and Devalos made her believe that she was going to prison, but it was all as a favor to Allison, which at this point, the lady totally deserves.
Sofia Vassilieva/Image: Zuma Press
Love Sofia! \o/
Yes, it was nice to see Scanlon and Devalos doing Allison a favour, not being their usual sceptical selves.
I did like how Joe and Allison didn’t just say yes when Ariel asked about the scavenger hunt, but still I could understand Ariel’s immediate disappointment. When I got to Ariel’s age, I no longer had to wear a uniform and along with the seniors, we had a school building just for us, although most classes were in the main school still. And I had definitely been to the city, although I had strict rules to ‘follow’.
I liked the bit where Joe acknowledged how much of a support Ariel had been during Allison’s illness too. That was a nice touch.
I loved Sofias work in this epsiode. Mayby not the best episode but definatly not the worst. Hope she’ll get more space in this season cuz I think it would be kinda fun too see how she is growing as an actress.
Thi has really nothing too do with the picture. But I was thinks bout the halloween episode and I’m really lloking forward to it, but I think it would be fun to do a christmas episode as well. And now to the christmas part, I LOVE all those american christmas songs that you hear at all american commercials, movies or whatever. Can anyone tell me a name on any christmas song? Some one that is really popoular? Cuz all I can think of is all the swedish ones and lets face it, none of them are good…
Lina, do you mean a traditional Christmas carol or a Christmas chart song? I would really like a Christmas episode in the Dubois family too.
Christmas episode. wow. they could pull that off now since its a regular season show this year. usually it was a mid season but yeah, would be kinda nice to see thatnd I must say, after 2 wks of tv on Friday nights for Medium, it is number 1 in he ratings. It has definately avoided the friday night death trap that i hve spoke of b4. Nbc has Southland coming and that will be our last hurdle and I dont see a prob there. NBC dont promote their stuff.
Aaron, ITA. I would love to see more time-specific episodes like the Halloween. Up to now, the only holiday they’ve been able to plot into the show is Valentine’s Day, so it’s fun to see them do the Halloween one. A Christmas ep would be awesome. Imagine Allison in a “Christmas Carol” type episode! Wouldn’t that be fun?! There are literally tons of things that they could do with this show at Christmas.
I don’t think Southland is going to be much of a hurdle for Medium. That show was already sinking at the end of the season last year, so it may start off with some moderately good ratings, but I don’t think it’ll last. I don’t think it’ll give Medium too much competition. Ugly Betty is also starting in a couple of weeks, but that one is also aging and its ratings are not as good as they used to be. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed.
Yes Dawn I read that article also it talked about that by next season Fridays may end up to be repeats and reality shows. Medium has been the strongest show on Fridays even beating GW so hopefull we get a season 7. I would also hope CBS would try putting it on a better night before canceling it. Fridays is just a bad night for tv since a lot of people go out.
This is to Lina I just read your comment now .You asked the name of Christmas songs in America. “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” is popular for the kids “The twelve Days of Christmas” is another also “Let it Snow” and “The Christmas Song” these are all traditioanl songs that everyone knows and are played on the radio during the Chrismas season. There are also newer ones written by todays artists if you want to know them too let me know.
I would call it a good episode but not one of my favorites.
On the other topic ,I think a Christmas episode would be fun if they had the Ghosts of past present and future visit Allison. The past could be Dr.Walker
the present could be a current ghost of the episode they are doing and the future could be some ghost from a future show.
Some popular songs are Frosty The Snowman, Santa Clause is coming to Town,
and my favorites – Rockin Around the Christmas Tree and Holly Jolly Christmas those are fun and easy to sing-a-long and dance to.
Thanks Gina and Kelly for the name of a few songs! Dose anyone seen “The Holiday” with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black? Well in that movie is Iris (Kate) in a cab in L.A and is going to Amandas (Cameron)house. They plays the song “Winter Wonderland” from the scene with the cab until Amanda in in england. Anyways, does anyone know who is singing that version?
and to add to my last comment. I like the songs when someone like Dean Martin or so is singing. Like those voices in christmas songs.
Lina- Dean martin sings Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow another popular
song is White Christmas By Bing Crosby . Old classic type Christmas songs.
I don’t remember seeing that movie you said maybe I just forgot it. But “Elf”
with Will Ferrell is very very funny I recommend that if you like comedies you will love it. I laugh every time I see it again. The Polar Express is good too but meant for kids you can still enjoy it. It is vey popuar with Tom Hanks.
Kelly,yeah i think i’ve heard of those movies. I’ll try to check them out. Is there any yearly reruns in america of christmas movies? Cuz i love them to. There are two that are my favorites, one: Love actually. 2: The little mixed one (don’t knw if it’s just in sweden?” when donald duck and his friends celebrate christmas. And they go on a caping tripp, another bout those squirrles who lives in a tree. Well, they show it in sweden every year at christmas eve at 15.00 before we eat and open gifts. Can’t wait for my year in america and to get to celebrate christmas as americans do. And thanksgiving seems great to!
Oh yes there are alot. We kick off Christmas on Thanksgiving. We watch The Macy’s Parade and at the end there is Santa Clause to kick off the Holiday season.Every Thanksgiving they show “A Miracle on 34th Street” with Natalie Wood . They also show “A Christmas Story’. Then when it gets closer to Christmas there are so many Christmas shows I could never mention them all. They call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday It is a big shopping day where the stores open really early with special sales. People start lining up at the stores before they open to get a bargain . And this starts the holiday season here.
“It’s A Wonderful Life” is a classic too. “A Christmas Carol” is a good one that someone mentioned about the three ghosts that would make a good medium show.
Then there are tons of kids specials Like “Mickeys Christmas Carol” with mickey and Donald it is really cute. And of course “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the red-nose Riendeer” there are way too many for me to tell you of.
I don’t know of any squirrels that live in trees movie but we have “The Chipmunks”
who put out a movie last Christmas and have a cute Christmas song too.
Kelly, I think the squirrels is called Chip’ n Dale in the english version (piff & Puff in the swedish one) And the “movie” that I mention with donald duck and his friends is actually american and called (From All of Us to All of You) in the 50’s. With a cricket and some other animals, it’s Disney and it’s tradition in sweden.
Christmas sounds SO much fun in america! I love america and all your holidays. I’ll try to find the movies that you mentioned, cus i’m already getting the christmas spirit! I like everyting bout the american christmas, well, mayby not that you open the present at christmas day, but that is gonna be fun to do when i’m in the states.
Lina, We have Chipn Dale here to I have heard of them but thye were more popular when I was Child they are not so popular now since there is so much new stuff out.
A lot of people open gifts on Christmas eve here also, we celebrate both days.
In my famiy we let the kids open one or two gifts Christmas eve and say they are from us and the rest from Santa Claus they get Christmas morning.
But I know plenty of families who open gifts Christmas eve.
Oh I was at Costco yesterday and they have the Christmas decorations out already.
so that kind of gets you in the Christmas spirit even though I just started decorating the house for Halloween.
Kelly, Okey. Well just Chip n Dale isnät that popular. It’s the Movie that is every year, that all swedes are watching 15.00 every year. Even though i’ve seen it 18 times, it’s still “fun”.
Ok, well, mayby I wont miss the swedish christmas that much while i’m in the states. But I Think the american santa is more “real”, american children never gets to see santa or what? Cus in sweden while there is kids who we celebrate with there is someone in the family who dresses up as santa and gives everyone there presents.
And I can’t wait to celebrate Halloween. It sounds fun. Cus we don’t “celebrate” it like americans do. We mayby buy a pumpkin, but nothing more. And watch horror movies. That’s it.
Santa is suppossed to come at night and leave the gifts while the kids sleep but they see Santa at the mall and get pictures on his lap. Some Families do have Someone dress up and give out a gift or two on Christmas eve.
A friend of mine throws a big Christmas party about two weeks before Christmas each year. She pays the bus driver and his wife to dress up as Santa and Mrs Clause. Everyone must drop off a gift ahead of time for their own child and she keeps it at her house until the party. Then Santa calls the child up by name and gives them their gift.
This same friend loves halloween and does a big party each Halloween too. It is so much fun. She does a spooky walk in her backyard. We all bring a Halloween dish
like I usually bring “bloody Toes” which is little hot dogs you cut out a piece for the toenail and put ketchup there to look like blood and wrap it with crescent rolls or pita to look like a bandage. when I first made it it looked so gross I thought no one will eat it but the kids all loved it.
In my neighborhood everyone goes out trick or treating about six o clock when it gets dark. It’s fun because everyone goes together and This one house the guy is a DJ so he blasts songs like “Thriller” while they trick or treat. When I lived on Long Island everyone just went out trick or treating at all different times of the day so I like this better.
Lina, I did a year abroad with university and came back home late on the eve to spend actual Christmas at home. It’s about family, wearing silly hats you pull out of crackers and I would have missed the best dinner I eat all year too! When I was a kid, I went to the Christmas pantomine (nothing to do with miming) every year. And then on Boxing day is a holiday for most and you eat turkey sandwiches for about a week afterwards.
Also, according to google, it was Darlene Love who sang Winter Wonderland in the film.
Kelly, I love that version of Miracle on 34th Street. I really love It’s A Wonderful Life too, one of the cinemas here shows Christmas films chosen by the public and that’s rather nice.
This was probably my least favorite episode for several reasons. The premise was ridiculous, Joe’s skepticism gets sooo old, and mainly, Ariel was the star. I find the actress who plays her extremely irritating. She is possibly the worst actress on television. I know she’s young, but by now, she is a veteran and she should be better at her craft. The other kids on the show are great. If they want the show to keep going, they should be featuring her less, not more. I really think Ariel is a reason the show has struggled over the last few years. I can barely stand to watch her scenes and I know many others feel the same. Also, I wish they would just focus on Allison’s psychic dreams of murders and nix the possessions and the dead people talking directly to her.
Hi Linda,
Yes, I love those two movies too, I look foward to watchin Miracle on 34th Street every Thanksgiving after the parade. After that they show the American
Kennel Club Dog Show too.
Kelly, I’m not sure when exactly Christmas films start here. Christmas displays are in some supermarkets already though.
I’m assuming the dog show is like our Crufts, I do know that it wasn’t shown on television for the first time in 40 years this year. I can’t remember the row exactly, something to do with cruelty though.
Linda, I am not sure what Crufts is, but at the dog show they have all the pure breeds compete. They pretty much have to look perfect for the breed and behave well. They walk around in a circle with a trainer and the judges pick the best in show for different catagories like herding dogs, working dogs etc. I think most of the people that do this really love the breeds and treat them well but I guess there is always gonna be an exception. I haven’t heard of any cruelty at the dog show and I’m sure the ASPCA watches for it.
The episode was brilliant and Sophia V. was incredible! Definitely one of the best episodes of the show. Right up there with “The One Behind the Wheel”, when Alison is taken over. The latter was heartbreaking. They did a great job in making the episode fresh and engaging, even though they had used a similar scenario before.
[...] seemed a little bit rushed. All in all, I’m still a fan of Sofia Vassilieva and “Who’s That Girl,” but I have to say this is my favorite episode of the season so [...]