The Middleman, a show cut long before its time, is finally out on DVD. I give it a review over at Tor.com. The jist of it is, “Dear show, I love you. Love, a Peter Piping Weirdo.”

But that’s just the beginning! I have a short photo essay and some teeth-gnashing left!

As regards the episodes:

The casting of this show was universally spectacular. Every single guest star, from foulmouthed 14-year-old Cindy to Roxy Wasserman to the Buster Keaton-esque Cecil (who I swear is in that Funny or Die Ballad of G.I. Joe video – can I get a witness?), is perfect for the part. I don’t even need to talk about the main cast, do I? No. No, I don’t.

Going in, I figured that, DVD-wise, nothing could top the cast commentaries. The writers’ commentary snuck right up there (those guys are awesome vicious!), but the actor commentaries were infectiously entertaining, especially the Cursed Tuba Contingency episode, where everyone spends most of the episode cracking up. (When Smollet points out that he hardly ever leaves the hallway set, and then jokes that Noser is looking around the yacht like “Wow, all these people?” I cracked up so hard I had to hit the pause button. Damn you and your deadpan delivery, Smollet!)

I also loved the Palindrome Reversal Palindrome commentary, though, since with only three people in the room it was a lot easier to get a narrative going. Best moment, paraphrased:

Javi [innocently]: So, where did you get your mannerisms for Mirror!Middleman?
Keeslar: [fifty-year pause] …it’s mostly Kurt Russell.

No worries, Keeslar; we all knew.

But my favorite thing ended up being the Ralph King photo gallery, which brings another dimension to the show, a sort of film-noir veneer over the candy-color set, drawing the drama out of unguarded moments. Some of the pictures are winsome, some are heartbreaking.

Jolly Fats urges you to WORK. (I can just SEE Ida’s face as the Middleman put this up.)

Speaking of Ida:

A picture of Wendy Watson that I just love:

And this picture, which breaks my heart and makes me happy at the same time. Damn you, Ralph King and Matt Keeslar! You’re working together!

For those who are new to the series, I reviewed individual episodes as they happened, so I won’t rehash them here. I’ll just say: it’s a damn shame it was cancelled. I’ll never stop thinking this. Never.

Great Mother of Preston Tucker, it was quite a show.