Review: The Middleman, Episode 1.2, "The Accidental Occidental Conception"

The enjoyably tongue-in-cheek adventure show developed by former Lost staff writer/producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach based on his comic book series of the same name continues with another fun episode, this one by staff writer/co-producer Sarah Watson.

This week, the Middleman and sidekick Wendy Watson are aided by a reformed succubus as they face off against a mystical Chinese warrior with the fate of the world in the balance. There are also several clever nods to The Devil Wears Prada and Frank Herbert's Dune. I like this show a lot. It makes for something light and entertaining to watch on Monday evenings.

Viewers might notice it's broadcast in an unusual aspect ratio. I couldn't tell what the ratio was, so I went to the source and asked creator/showrunner Grillo-Marxuach on his blog. He responded, and it turns out the network is broadcasting it in the 14:9 (1.56:1) widescreen ratio instead of the more common 16:9 (1.78:1) widescreen ratio. 14:9 is more commonly used in Britain, Ireland, and Australia as a compromise between 4:3 (1.33:1) fullscreen and 16:9 widescreen. The show is filmed in 16:9, though, and it will be released on DVD and iTunes in the correct aspect ratio.