io9: The Middleman

10 TV Episodes that Changed Television

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:14:15 PDT

We're going to be talking about this past weekend's episode of Game of Thrones for a long time — it was a war epic and a dramatic tour de force, filled with palpable ambition. But this isn't the first time a single episode of television has redefined what's possible in the medium. More »

The Doctor Who Crossover We've All Been Waiting For!

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:30:00 PST

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There's an early holiday present waiting for you online. Javier Grillo-Marxuach, creator of The Middleman, has written a new story in which the Middleman and Wendy meet up with a mysterious traveler in a blue Police Box. The box is bigger on the inside, the traveler wears a bow tie, and there's a lovely B.T.R.S./sonic screwdriver showdown. Monday suddenly seems a bit brighter. [Grillo-Marxuach Design Bureau] More »

It's hard to deny that Torchwood is treading water

Charlie Jane Anders — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:00:00 PDT

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The biggest criticism of Torchwood: Miracle Day, now that we're more than halfway through, has been its slow pacing. And after last night's clogged drain of an episode, it's hard not to feel like that's a valid critique. More »

Video proof that Mark Sheppard is science fiction's ultimate badass

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:37:39 PDT

With his recent appearance on Doctor Who, Mark Sheppard cemented his place as science fiction's greatest character actor. But we've been loving Sheppard for years...and we assembled this video of every last one of his scifi roles to prove his awesomeness. More »

The Cape does what no other TV show has managed in years: Tell a truly original story about terrorism.

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:30:00 PST

It's been the golden chalice of television scriptwriting since 9/11: Find something profound to say about terrorism 'n' stuff. Few shows have managed it, and as the years have gone by, it's gotten harder and harder. But The Cape made it look easy last night, with a spin on bioterror that I'm pretty sure nobody else has managed. More »

We need more vampire slayers — just not more Buffy

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:10:48 PST

Warner Bros. had half the right idea with their Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake. It's about time somebody picked up the baton Joss Whedon dropped seven freaking years ago. But we don't need more Buffy, just more heroes like her. More »

Is there any such a thing as being too paranoid when you work at Warehouse 13?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:23:00 PDT

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Last night's Warehouse 13 was a Pete-centric episode, which could have been pretty horrifying. But it was actually a pretty fun episode — especially the first half, in which we got to see Pete being both paranoid and competent. Spoilers! More »

Why we're glad Warehouse 13 is Syfy's biggest hit

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:30:00 PDT

Last night's season premiere of Warehouse 13 reminded us why we're glad Warehouse is Syfy's biggest success story right now. It's got heart. It's full of hope for our strange world. And it's in love with science fiction. Spoilers ahead... More »

In praise of seat-of-the-pants storytelling

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:55:32 PDT

People act like the worst accusation you can hurl at storytellers is "They made it up as they went along." As if having a Master Plan is the same as good storytelling. In fact, it's frequently the other way around. More »

Inside the writers room: Top scifi TV writers reveal tricks of the trade

Marc Bernardin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:20:00 PDT

Now that we know which shows we'll see during the 2010-2011 TV season, the real work can begin: writing them. Six genre-show pros — veterans of shows like Lost, BSG, and Fringe — reveal what happens behind closed doors. More »

Which Trend Is To Blame For The Near-Death Of Science Fiction On Network TV?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:30:00 PDT

Science fiction is an endangered species on the "big four" U.S. networks — Lost is ending, and pretty much every other show is in ratings freefall. Which trend should we blame for this turn of events? More »

"The Middleman" DVD Set Will Make You Scream Like a Trout Zombie

Annalee Newitz — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:30:00 PDT

The complete collection of The Middleman episodes is out on DVD, and now you can discover this tragically-canceled, brilliant show for the first or tenth time, along with tons of goofy extras and strange PSA messages. More »

Discover The Final Fate Of The Middleman, With The Season Finale Reenactment Emergency!

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Where have all the great heroes gone? We got a chance to see the Middleman, ABC Family's gone-too-soon superhero, one more time at SDCC, as the cast read the script for the unfilmed season finale. And now the video's online. More »

The Middleman Returned, And Our Heads Exploded!

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:30:00 PDT

The Middleman, one of the greatest and craziest shows ever to bludgeon television with awesomeness, finally got the finale it deserves. The cast read the unaired finale script, and it was like the greatest rock concert ever. More »

The Middleman's Romance With Lacey Almost Didn't Happen

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

One of our favorite parts of superhero-adventure The Middleman is the on-again, off-again romance between the mysterious hero and Lacey, his sidekick's roommate. But Javier Grillo-Marxuach tells io9 he fought that storyline tooth and nail. So what happened? Spoilers ahead. More »

The Middleman Is Part Of Day One's DNA

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:23:11 PDT

Javier Grillo-Marxuach created The Middleman, last year's best (and most upbeat) TV show. Now he's moving on to Day One, NBC's series about global Armageddon. Has his Middle-optimism deserted him? We asked him. Minor spoilers ahead. More »

Middleman's Unmade Final Episode Comes To Life (Sort Of)

Graeme McMillan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:40:00 PDT

It's the announcement we've been hoping for since we learned that there would be a Middleman panel at San Diego Comic-Con - Mark Sheppard has confirmed rumors that the panel will include a cast reading of the unmade final episode. More »

What TV Shows Should Be Animated To Stay Alive?

Graeme McMillan — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:00:48 PDT

With the announcement that Futurama is coming back as a series six years after its cancellation - mirroring Family Guy's resurrection - we got to thinking about which SF shows could use a little animated spell to get healthy again. More »

The Many DVD Covers Of The Middleman

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:30:00 PDT

How do you explain the awesomeness of The Middleman, ABC Family's shortlived series about a young artist who gets apprenticed to the world's most strait-laced superhero? That's the dilemma Shout Factory faced in creating a cover for the DVD set, and they considered a dozen psychedelic options. Gallery below. More »

The Middleman's Creator Joins The Day One Staff

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:50:59 PDT

Great news! Javier Grillo-Marxuach, creator of last year's coolest show, The Middleman, has joined the staff of NBC's post-apocalyptic drama Day One. Now we're way more excited for the show, in which the residents of the same Van Nuys, CA apartment building cope with the end of days. More »

15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction

Alyssa Johnson — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:00:05 PDT

If you're looking for a job, here's a list of successful, influential corporations you might want to work for. That is, as long as you don't ask too many questions.
More »

10 Unsinkable Science Fiction Stories About The Titanic

AndrewLiptak — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:57:13 PDT

The RMS Titanic sank almost a century ago, but it's still sailing through the imaginations of science-fiction writers and artists. Here are 10 Titanic tales, including Douglas Adams, Arthur C. Clarke, and Doctor Who. More »

High-Tech Gadgets That Detect Magic

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:48:42 PST

Science can't explain magic - but that doesn't mean science can't detect it. Modern fantasy is full of cool gizmos that can identify sources of mystical power... and even track them down. Here's our list. More »

The Middleman's Lost Episode Coming Out At Last

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:30:00 PST

We've been obsessing for months about the lost season finale of world-saving show The Middleman. And now it's finally coming out... as a graphic novel. More »

Check Out The Middleman's Visit To The Dollhouse

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:30:00 PST

Some new photos showcase an upcoming episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse in which Matt Keeslar, aka The Middleman, hires Eliza Dushku's mindwiped shell. Unfortunately, Keeslar's not in his milk-drinking, wisdom-expounding mode. Spoilers and gallery below. More »

Drop Your Linen, Etc.: The Middleman Finally Coming To Your House

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:30:00 PST

If you're suffering from The Middleman withdrawal as badly as I am, then rejoice — the implausibly awesome superhero TV show is coming to DVD at last. More »

The Middleman Episode You Never Saw

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:22:59 PST

Just to torment us, The Middleman creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach posted one page from an unfilmed script... and OMG. It's the darkest, weirdest Middle-moment yet. How can we not see how this turns out? [The Middleblog] More »

Has The Middleman Been Cancelled?

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:40:00 PST

While talking to the mighty Hercules, Kevin Sorbo, about his upcoming Illuminati movie and comic, we couldn't help asking if he'd ever make another guest appearance as frozen-in-time 1969 secret agent, Guy Goddard, on our favorite superhero comedy The Middleman. Sorbo dropped not one but two giant bombs about our beloved show: he'd been in talks for a Goddard spin-off at one point, and the Middleman may be no more. We went straight to the source, Executive Producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach to find out if Hercules' oracle spoke the truth. More »

Onion Imitates Middleman?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:35:08 PDT

It was just two months ago that the Middleman was showing us how to use traffic cones to keep unsuspecting civilians away from a hole in time and space. Now The Onion News Radio's latest headline is "City Places Orange Traffic Cones Around Space-Time Portal." Is someone a fan? Or will the Middleman have to deliver one of his stinging lectures about the evils of plagiarism? [Onion News Radio] More »

"Bechdel Rule" Should Really Be Called "Ripley Rule," Bechdel Tells io9

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:00:00 PDT

Everybody's talking about the "Bechdel Rule" all of a sudden, especially as it relates to science fiction. National Public Radio did a story on it the other day. Novelist Charles Stross dissected his own books to see if they passed the test. (Two of them failed.) This guy rigorously applies it to tons of science fiction books, including every single Doctor Who novelization. Just what is the Bechdel rule, and what's its secret connection to scifi? We asked creator Alison Bechdel herself. More »

We Need Middle-Closure!

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:43:00 PDT

This is so not fair. Not only did The Middleman season one end on a new high note with last night's bizarre alternate universe story — making us feel clawing hostility at the thought that it could be the last ever episode — but it also left way, way too many loose ends laying around. Loose ends that may never be tied into tidy bows of resolution. We enumerate the loose ends, and praise last night's Middleman along the way. More »

Exclusive: Hot Droid-On-Droid Action From Tonight's Middleman!

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:42:00 PDT

It had to happen: the cranky android Ida finally loses her patience that uppity Interrodroid 3000. How could the ID3K ever have thought it could compete with Ida? It doesn't have nearly as cool hair, for one thing. This exclusive clip also includes Ida's brilliant solution to a classic Star Trek dilemma, and show creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach narrating the episode's plot. (Sort of.) More »

First Pics Of Harvey Keitel In Life On Mars, Plus What The Spirit's Really About

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 PDT

Some new photos this morning aren't just spoilery, they're also sort of giddy-making. There's our first look at the new supporting cast of the American Life On Mars, who look a lot like the British version, plus sexy cast photos from Sarah Connor Chronicles, Chuck and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Not only that, but we have a scary new plot synopsis of Frank Miller's The Spirit. We learn the shocking secret of Death Race's ending. And there's some surprising news about who's back — and who may not stick around — on Lost. Speaking of which, Knight Rider may have a thrilling double cameo. There are also new hints about Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures, Fringe, Smallville, The Middleman, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Spoilers ahead, next 1000 words. The Spirit: Lions Gate released a new official synopsis for Frank Miller's movie of Will Eisner's The Spirit:

It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the OCTOPUS (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront ... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are ELLEN DOLAN (Sarah Paulson), the whip-smart girl-next-door; SILKEN FLOSS (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; PLASTER OF PARIS (Paz Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; LORELEI (Jaime King), a phantom siren; and MORGENSTERN (Stana Katic), a sexy young cop. Then of course, there's SAND SAREF (Eva Mendes), the jewel thief with dangerous curves. She's the love of his life turned bad. Will he save her or will she kill him?

I like the way every one of the women of The Spirit gets a cheesy little tag, like "punk secretary and frigid vixen." I also love the idea that these women surround him at every turn; it conjures a great mental image. Death Race: The prison-race movie includes a final scene tying up the fates of Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson and co-star Natalie Martinez, which was filmed months after the movie wrapped filming. It was added after test audiences felt the original ending was too open-ended. So if you notice a final scene that seems a bit tacked on, that's why. [Sci Fi Wire] Life On Mars: The American remake of British time-travel cop show Life On Mars has gone from a C-list cast to a surprisingly A-list one, and here they are shown off in the first official photos, including Gretchen Moll and Harvey Keitel. It definitely looks a lot closer to the British version than the earlier pilot did. [Daily Mail] Lost: Don't panic! Even though Desmond got a happy ending with Penny at the end of season four, he's "still part of the cast." And we'll be seeing Penny again. [TV Guide] But you should panic after all, because Terry O'Quinn says "there's some question" as to whether Locke will appear "all the way" up to the end of the show. [Spoilers Lost] Oh, and some extras had to work late, because they were filming a scene at Hawaii Convention Center, which usually stands in for an airport on the show. This time around, the key word was "Heathrow." More Widmore intrigue, perhaps? [Hawaii Blog] Dollhouse: Will Joss Whedon's new show about brainwashed programmable people for hire feature a beautiful cast? See for yourself. Fringe: The third episode of J.J. Abrams' oh-fine-call-it-the-X-Files show will be called "The Ghost Network." [Spoiler TV] Knight Rider: Because I know you guys get horrendously upset when I don't include a Knight Rider spoiler in here, here's a doozy: original driving wheel David Hasselhoff is making arrangements to put in an appearance in the new show. And he may have his own KITT. The idea is for both Mikes, and both KITTs, to team up to defeat some horrendous menace that can only be stopped by two smart-alecky cars. But the show won't bring back the Hoff unless there's a storyline that really demands it. [Sci Fi Wire] The Middleman: In the last two episodes of the season, the Middleman TV show diverges from the comic in a serious way for the first time. Even though the final two episodes feature Manservant Neville, who's also in volume three of the comic, the storylines will be different. Also, we won't get to find out why/how the Middleman became the clean-living man he is today. That would have been the subject of the 13th. episode of the season, which got canceled to free up money to show the awesome parallel world in the 12th (and now final) episode. [NJ] Doctor Who: There won't be any "Children In Need" special this year, meaning rumors of a meeting with several past Doctors are false. The first special of 2009 is "the Easter special," co-written by Gareth Roberts, and it features a new monster. Catherine Tate would jump at the chance to return, and "anything is possible," says Russell T. Davies. [Blogtor Who] Torchwood: It's rumored James Marsters will be back as the roguish Captain John Hart in the five-episode story "Children Of Earth." [DenOfGeek] The Sarah Jane Adventures: More episode titles from the second season of the Doctor Who spin-off. After "The Last Sontaran" and "Day Of The Clown," there are "Secrets Of The Stars," "The Mark Of The Berzerker," "The Temptation Of Sarah Jane" and "Enemy Of The Bane." (I'm guessing Sarah Jane's temptation has to do with going back in time to the 1950s and having the chance to save her parents from dying when she's a baby. Somebody needs to sit Sarah Jane down in front of a copy of the Doctor Who episode "Father's Day.") Even though Maria and her dad leave after the first story, "don't be surprised" if we see them again, says a producer. Also, one story is a sequel to a Doctor Who story. Bradley Walsh plays "an alien with three identities," and Floella Benjamin (from "The Lost Boy") turns up again. And, as we've mentioned, the Brigadier and Mrs. Wormwood of the Bane are both back. [The Time Vortex] Sarah Connor Chronicles: Not to be undone, the Terminator TV show also features a very beautiful cast, despite the impending destructage of everything. [SpoilerTV] Smallville: Somehow I missed this from those TV Guide scans yesterday. When the Justice League tracks Clark down, he's powerless and in a shady Russian work camp. Afterwards, neither the League nor Clark will be the same again. Also, in the third episode, Oliver Queen's poisoning causes Lois to revisit her feelings for him when she visits him in the hospital. And in episode four, after Jimmy finds the letter Chloe wrote to Clark back in "Fever," Jimmy asks her why she's never said those things about Jimmy. Chloe says Jimmy's insecurity about Clark is wearing thin. Also, Shelby the dog will make a reappearance. Chloe does some investigating for Clark, to find out the truth about Maxima (Charlotte Sullivan), the alien queen who wants to mate with Clark. But then Maxima uses her powers to seduce Clark (??) and Lois walks in on them in an elevator. Also, Clark offers Lois "her old room back" on the empty Kent farm. [Kryptonsite] Chuck: And here's another cast photo, this time for nerd-spy show Chuck. [Spoiler TV] Also, it turns out Captain Awesome's real name is Devon Woodcomb, and his parents go by Woody and Honey Woodcomb. [Zap2It] Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Not only does the new Star Wars video game tell the story of a previously unknown "internecine feud" between Darth Vader and the Emperor Palpatine, it also shows how the two of them unwittingly created the rebellion that eventually destroyed them. Your character, Vader's secret apprentice known as Starkiller, visits a satellite orbiting the smugglers' moon of Nar Shaddaa, on a mission to destroy a Jedi elder, leaving no witnesses. Along the way, you can kill a ton of militia troops, deflecting their lasers with your light saber and then using the Force to hurl a piece of metal through a window, causing the glass to shatter so your enemies are sucked out into vacuum before a safety wall closes. Also, when you Force-throw a Wookiee into a tree on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, the Wookiee writhes realistically and the tree shatters into splinters. [Wired] More »

The Fangs Of Love Are Sharp, And Apparently Wooden, On The Middleman

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:30:00 PDT

I'm still reeling from the revelations in last night's new Middleman episode. Well, two revelations in particular, both involving Lacey, the show's unsung star. I almost had a temperomandibular joint disorder from having my jaw drop so many times. To be fair, the episode's main plot was one that I could take or leave — except that it led to an amazing payoff. Click through for spoilers and jaw-thuds. Obviously all my cries for a bigger role for Lacey were rewarded, and the loss of Tyler for an episode was an acceptable sacrifice. Tyler's back for the last two episodes of the season, and I'm worried Lacey will be shuffled back to the backdrop once again. In an ideal universe, we'd see some further development of the Lacey/MM romance — and after last night, I believe I can call it that — before the season ends. So on the off chance that you've somehow failed to see "The Vampiric Puppet Lamentation" yet, there were two Lacey-related shocks. First, that she's been having some very impressively lit sex dreams starring Pip, the evil plagiarist son of the building owner whose property Wendy, Lacey and the others rent illegally. Actually, Pip is quite cute, despite being evil and idiotic. I was just thinking the other day that I was sad we hadn't seen much of him lately. And then the Middleman's reaction to hearing about Lacey's Pip-sex dreams was the best part. And then, just when I'd finally recovered from the crazed Pip sex fantasies (is this show really on ABC Family?) there was the second shock: The Middleman and Lacey are in love. Oh, and there was a third Lacey surprise, which wasn't a surprise to me because show-creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach mentioned it in our interview: the emergence of the super-skeptic ultra-rationalist side of Lacey. The Carl Sagan-reading, spiritualism-doubting daughter of Dr. Barbara Thornfield MD PhD. I like that side of Lacey, just because it makes her seem less of an airhead, and it'll be interesting to see how she deals with the inevitable revelation of the truth about Wendy's job. Okay, so this episode wasn't all about Lacey. As I mentioned, the "A" plot was another one, like the tuba one and the boy-band one, that felt a bit like something to do in between all the cool character stuff. As the show acknowledged by mentioning Buffy The Vampire Slayer early on, the vampire puppet thing has been done before, and it's a tough comparison to invite. I don't think this episode's puppet-Vlad-The-Impaler storyline was quite up to the comparison with "Smile Time," one of the best two or three Angel episodes ever, I'm afraid. It had a few funny moments, especially the great old TV footage of the ventriloquist putting on Vladdy and going on a killing rampage. But mostly the vampire puppet storyline seemed like an excuse to get the Middleman and Lacey to admit to their aforementioned mutual love... which I'm fine with. And that wedding scene was both creepy and touching. I liked the glimpse of a puppet MM too. I wonder if Lacey really doesn't remember anything about it. I'm assuming we'll learn more about the other woman the Middleman loves in the next two episodes. (As long as it's not Wendy. In that case, I'd rather not know.) I'm still not that crazy about Noser as a character, but at least he's no longer just a one-joke guy. He has a thuggish roommate, Anvil, and a very silly secret past. And a hidden talent. But it's funny that, in an episode which focused on him, he still wasn't that much of a presence, since he was missing most of the time. So pretty much everybody, except maybe Wendy, got some development and revealed some new facets this week. Even Pip — although I really hope he doesn't get redeemed or anything. Pip should really stay Pip. It's why we love him, or at least want to have embarrassing sex dreams about him. More »

It's A Romo Lampkin Universe! (We Just Visit It.)

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:40:00 PDT

If you couldn't get enough of Romo Lampkin, the Blues Brothers-esque attorney who saved Gaius Baltar and hallucinated about his dead cat on Battlestar Galactica, then rejoice! Actor Mark Sheppard is playing the villainous Manservant Neville in the last two episodes of The Middleman season one, and he's also set to appear in multiple episodes of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Sheppard is a scifi stalwart, having played the shifty Badger in Firefly, the shifty Anthros in Bionic Woman, and (probably shifty) characters in Star Trek: Voyager, Jake 2.0 and the awesome M.A.N.T.I.S. [IMDB and Dollverse, thanks Thom!] More »

Exclusive: The Middleman Gives Us The Full Whedon

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:36:00 PDT

Sweet muppety Odin! Tonight's episode of The Middleman dares to go where Joss Whedon has gone before, judging from this exclusive new clip. But fear not: the Middleman's version of the vampire-puppet storyline looks as though it'll be completely different than the puppety episode of Angel. For one thing, Vlad is more like a ventriloquist's dummy. And the bit at the end of the clip, where the puppet-vampire makes his getaway, really must be seen to be believed. More »

Which Widescreen Action Hero Is Like Alice In Wonderland?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:00:00 PDT

Today's spoiler roundup is full of mysteries, like: Which huge action movie stars a character who's sort of like Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz? Also, an actor talks about how a crucial Watchmen plot point will translate to the movie, and another actor sheds some light on the most perplexing part of Terminator 4. There's a new clip from the dystopian goth movie Repo! The Genetic Opera and the new Knight Rider. And new pics from Life On Mars, Sarah Connor and True Blood may contain important clues. Tons of details about Lost season five are starting to leak out, including your chance to join the show's cast. And we have another batch of all-important but unsubstantiated Doctor Who rumors. And there are some new details on upcoming episodes of Chuck, Heroes, The Middleman and Stargate Atlantis. Venture down the rabbit hole into spoiler-land! Terminator 4: Still wondering what the deal is with Marcus, the mysterious character played by Sam Worthington in Terminator: Salvation? Maybe this will help. Worthington says Marcus is sort of like Alice from Alice In Wonderland, or Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz. "That's how I look at him,'' Worthington says. "He wakes up in this world he doesn't know and he goes searching to try and find answers and find his way home." [AdelaideNow] Watchmen: Not much of a spoiler if you've read the graphic novel, but in the Watchmen movie there's a brutal scene where the Comedian tries to rape the Silk Spectre, and is only stopped due to the intervention of another hero, Hooded Justice. This scene has to be in the movie because it sets up everything that happens later with the Silk Spectre, says actor Carla Gugino, including her retirement from crimefighting, her self-image as a sex-symbol, and her second, consensual sexual encounter with the Comedian later. [MTV] Repo! The Genetic Opera: Annoyed they're remaking Rocky Horror? Well, here's a new clip from a movie that wants to be Rocky Horror but isn't a remake. It features Anthony Stewart Head as the organ-repossession guy, and his angsty teen daughter Shilo. Virtuality: Sci Fi Wire got to visit the sets for Ron Moore's new backdoor pilot about deep-space astronauts who escape into virtual reality, Virtuality. A few new tidbits: the crew wears gray uniforms that look like workout clothes, and underneath they have street wear, which mostly consists of T-shirts with the names of colleges on them. There's one main set, a space module, which can be redressed to be different places on the starship Phaeton, and it resembles a "mall common area" crossed with the International Space Station. And since the Phaeton astronauts are also starring in a reality TV show to help pay for their voyage, they're going to shoot some reality-ish "webisodes" at the same time as the TV movie/pilot. There's a lot of improv in their performances. [Sci Fi Wire] Sarah Connor Chronicles: I don't think we've reported this info before. Following the massacre of tons of his FBI agents (in that awesome Johnny Cash-laced swimming pool scene) Agent Ellison apparently leaves the FBI. He's no longer in the mode of searching for answers, instead he's looking for payback against the bastard who killed his people — but that's kind of a tall order, against a Terminator. Also, he takes a job working for Shirley Manson on her Babylon project, which is a name that could make a good Christian man like Ellison uncomfortable. Also, it looks as though the mobster Sarkasian attacks the Connor house soon after his car-bomb has blown up Cameron, at the start of season two. And promos and early promo images show what appears to be Sarkasian's dead body, so don't get too attached to him. [Firefox and Firefox] And here are some jazzy new promo pics. [SpoilerTV and GrrrlTV] Doctor Who: Blogtor Who has a summary of rumors about the 2009 Doctor Who specials, most of which I think we've covered before. Sea Devils, Brian Blessed, Paul McGann, The Master, Donna, Wilf, Doctor's Daughter — everybody's coming back, supposedly. One rumor we haven't mentioned before: a new "Children In Need" skit, featuring past Doctors Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. Grain of salt, as always. [Blogtor Who] Lost: Lost is having an unprecedented "open casting call" for anyone who wants to be in the show. In other words, they're not casting particular roles, just whoever shows up and wants to be an island person. (I'm assuming this isn't just extras.) What does it mean? Maybe the show is seeking a bunch of members of the Dharma Initiative, who are supposed to be a major part of season five. Also, a close look at "Jeremy Bentham"'s obituary reveals he had a son. Did Locke get lucky after he left the island? [Doc Arzt] Meanwhile, Lost isn't just having random casting calls — it's also specifically seeking an actor to play Dan, a high-priced attorney with a real menace lurking below the surface. It's speculated that Dan is Charles Widmore's dirty-deeds guy, who handles his alliance with Sun. [EW] And episode 2 of the new Lost season features two new characters: Nigel, a British kid in his late teens, who's smart and mature for his age, but a bit "rough around the edges." And Sophie, an aristocratic Brit, also in her late teens, who seems innocent and prim, but is really formidable underneath. [Spoilers Lost] The Middleman: Here's a brief synopsis for the Middleman's season finale, which airs Sept. 1: "The duo take on the evil Palindrome, a super-villain who kidnaps Wendy and transports her to a parallel universe." That would presumably be the parallel universe we showed you photos of a while back. [TV Rage] Life On Mars: Here are a few new set pics from the filming of the head-injury-time-travel cop show. [Crazy Days And Nights and Spoiler TV and OnLocationVacation] Chuck: Here's a new description for season two, episode nine of the nerd-spy show:

As Ellie and Awesome's wedding approaches, we finally meet Awesome's parents - Woody and Honey Woodcomb. They're both doctors and just as fit and athletic and awesome as, well, Awesome. Honey is over the moon about the wedding and wants to help Ellie plan it much to her…delight? After all, who wouldn't want to register for wedding gifts at the Buy More and call their in-laws "Mom" and "Dad"? Meanwhile, Casey's former sensei, now gone rogue, is involved with a weapons theft and Team Bartowski has to stop him using Casey's personal knowledge of the man. If Casey had feelings, he'd be furious over the man's treachery. If he had feelings, he be unleashing hell on his former mentor.

[ChuckTV] Heroes: It looks like Heroes will be delving more into the past of its mysterious character known only as the Haitian. At least, the show put out a call for two menacing Haitian militia men, who must speak French but may or may not have speaking roles. They'll appear in episode 11 of the new season. [Spoiler TV] Knight Rider: Remember how this version of KITT is sort of a Transformer? Oh good. Then here's a new video that shows KITT transforming into "attack mode." [Knight Rider Online] Also, the sixth episode of the show will be called "I Wanna Rock And Roll All Night." (Not "All Knight"?) [SpoilerTV] Spooks: Code 9: Here are some new stills of the "Doctor's daughter," Georgia Moffett, from the third episode of Spooks: Code 9, the BBC show about pretty young people who become the thuggish (but cute!) secret police of a new post-apocalyptic Britain. [Blogtor Who] True Blood: Here's a new trailer for the vampires-and-synthetic blood epic on HBO. [Anna Paquin] And here are some new promo stills of the cast. [True Blood] Stargate Atlantis: Gateworld has detailed descriptions of four upcoming SGA episodes. In "The Shrine," Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon are searching for a missing research team, when they find themselves in a flooded valley with only the top of the gate visible. They hang on for dear life waiting for a puddle-jumper to rescue them. But flying back to Atlantis, McKay becomes ill and it turns out he has a brain parasite that can't be removed, which is causing to forget everything and regress to boyhood. Keller summons McKay's sister to be with him, but it's too late — he no longer recognizes anyone. Ronon suggests a desperate measure: a shrine on the planet Talus could grant McKay one last day of being himself, before he dies. And in "Whispers," Dr. Beckett goes with Sheppard to investigate one of Michael's labs, where they find evidence that Michael was experimenting on the genetic characteristics of various life forms. Sheppard takes a team to explore a nearby village, which appears to be abandoned. Except that the chilling walls of fog, and flashes of movement, suggest they're not alone there. In "The Queen," Dr. Keller believes she's found a way to cure the Wraith of their need to feed on humans, thanks to Michael's genetic research. But she needs some Wraith as test subjects. The Atlantis team approaches Todd, a Wraith, with this proposition, but he says they must first win the support of the Wraith Queen. Teyla has to go under cover, relying on her Wraith DNA and an ally with a hidden agenda. And in "The Tracker," Jewel Staite's Keller is — gasp! — captured and tied up in the forest. She's treating a child in a village and tells Ronon and McKay to wait for her in the nearby tavern. But then she goes missing, and both men search for her, with McKay also calling for help. When four hunter Wraith turn up, Ronon suspects it's linked to Keller's disappearance since the hunters exist to chase Runners. Ronon must rely on his own Runner skills if he's to find Keller. [Gateworld] More »

The Middleman's Sexual Revolution

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:00:00 PDT

A 1960s hero gets cryogenically frozen and wakes up in 2008. In the hands of most TV shows or comics, this storyline would have been full of silly fish-out-of-water jokes. Oh, he doesn't understand the internet! He's never seen an ipod! Etc. But The Middleman sidestepped all that stuff and went for the really interesting thing about its Sean Connery-inspired 60s hero: his attitudes to his job and to the opposite sex, as personified by Wendy. More »

It's All About The Tie-Ins For This Week's Comics

Graeme McMillan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 PDT

It's a heavy week for tie-ins at the comic store this week, with prequels, sequels, adaptations and source material for movies, video games and our favorite TV show hitting shelves tomorrow. There's even the re-appearance of the much-delayed Halo comic for its third "monthly" issue in the space of a year, but that's just one of the many cross-media treats waiting for you under the jump. More »

Exclusive: Kevin Sorbo Explains Love In A New Middleman Clip

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:40:00 PDT

Tonight's episode of The Middleman will be the greatest yet, judging from this exclusive clip that ABC Family sent us. Kevin Sorbo plays a Middleman from 1969, who's been cryogenically frozen for 40 years, and he's got some very important advice for sidekick Wendy Watson about love and supervillains. It's a surreal slapstick moment that reminds me of Dr. Horrible. There's also a special message to you, the readers of io9, about how you can support The Middleman. (And there's more info here.) Spoilers below. More »