On DVD: Medium The Complete Season Three

 

 

Directed By Glenn Gordon Caron

Starring Patricia Arquette

 

I may have said this about previous seasons of Medium on DVD that I've reviewed but it bares saying again, I should be watching this series as it airs on TV but unfortunately it goes up against the juggernaut that is LOST.

 

The Movie

  

This first two seasons of Medium were fantastic and this one continues the trend.  Obviously I enjoy television series based in horror and science fiction but this one has more going for it than just it's scary stuff.  What's more surprising to me is that it's a realistic family drama, and I still like it!  It's because this family is so real and so engaging.  Often I feel like I am one of these people or I know them, that's just how realistic it is.  Patricia Arquette plays the main character in the series, a mom and wife who just so happens to be able to communicate with ghosts and who has visions or dreams about people who have been murdered or kidnapped or had something similarly bad happen to them.  She works with the local district attorney to solve mysteries usually instigated by dreams or visions she ahs at the beginning of each episode.  She's perfectly subtle in the role and as somber as the stories she is thrust into.  She could chew scenes but smartly she keeps it pulled back coming off like a loving wife and mother but also as a sleep deprived woman haunted by her visions.

 

Each episode features a mystery of the week but intertwined with it are season long story arcs for individual family members.  the family are side characters to Arquette's Alison but they don't feel any less important.  This season finds the daughters starting to exhibit abilities similar to their mom's plus the dad, played by Jake Weber, has his own lengthy and dramatic story this season.  The season three cliffhanger even brings in a couple of heavy weight guest stars Neve Campbell and Jason Priestly,

 

As is with the previous two seasons this season of Medium is very well written and executed.  It has a lot of style but the style is subtly applied similar to the way Arquette plays her character.  It's a hidden gem that I don't think has as many viewers as it deserves.  You just don't hear much about it during the season but it should be a triple A show.  Check these DVD's out.

 

9/10

 

The Video

 

The widescreen video presentation here is some of the best TV on DVD you're likely to see.  Colors look great, especially skin tones, and black levels are solid.  Darker scenes do feature some minor grain but detail stays fairly strong.  I'd love to see this series on HD-DVD.

 

8/10

 

The Audio

 

The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround presentation here is top notch for TV.  It's not the DVD you wanna demo your surround system with but it does sound pretty darn good.  There's a good amount of immersion with some directional sound and some creepy music spread across all speakers.  Dialogue, score, and sound effects are well mixed and clean.

 

8/10

 

Packaging and Bonus Features

 

Like the previous seasons the discs come in thin cases housed in a cardboard box featuring Patricia Arquette on the cover shrouded in a color filter.  It's ok, just not mind blowing.

 

The biggest extra on the disc are three audio commentaries with the cast.  The commentaries are a lot of fun and you can really tell that these actors get along great.  There are some behind the scenes stories as well as some "actor-ish" discussions.

 

There are deleted scenes from 7 episodes and for the most part these scenes should have been deleted.  It's still cool to see them though.  There are a few featurettes too.  Drawing on Dreams is a brief discussion of the work that went into an animated short used in the season opener.  Directing with David Arquette is another very brief featurette covering the episode David Arquette directed and the onset relationship between him and his sister.  Acting is My Racquet is well a waste of time and sadly it's shorter than the previous two more interesting shorts.  The Story of Medium is a lengthier making of featurette that features clips form the season and interviews with the cast and crew as they discuss their work and their co-workers.  There's a 25 minute featurette covering the special effects and a gag, reel.

 

The bonus features here are pretty basic but at least there are bonus features.  Often with TV show box sets like this are little to no extras so having what's offered here is icing on the cake.  With that said, these extras, other than the commentaries, feel a bit to much like marketing reels.

 

7/10

 

The presentation of this season is great with good video and sound and some extras to boot.  As I said earlier Medium is a hidden treasure that begs to be discovered.

  

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

The Review

The Movie 9/10

The Video 8/10

The Audio 8/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 7/10

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

 

-Stephen Lackey