Makes you wonder how ever we did bottle stories before Die Hard doesn't it?

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Okay, seems like a good time to ask: what exactly is a bottle show?

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Slightly of topic I know, but it's driving me nuts...what is that song that MM plays in the first episode in the car on the way to the wide guy hangout? it's also played after he arrives in the nick of time in the flying saucer in 'Mancoid Teleportation'. Something about ..."and justice is his ride"??? Help me! I have an ear worm!

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It was performed and composed by Tree Adams, the show's composer - I believe it's called, "Palomino" or something similar.

It doesn't exist for purchase... YET.

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I'm not reading the spoilers but just by putting the Buckaroo Banzai theme up there as Current Music you've raised your insanely high coolness factor to even greater levels.

Kudos.

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I bet this place is FULL of Blue Blaze Irregulars.

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Ooh finally a quasi Alan Rickman reference (he played Hans Gruber in Die Hard). Lol makes me happy anyway. Finally an episode where I know some of the references lol.

Jamie/Middlecast

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"kiss my asimov"

Absolutely my favorite line!

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Don't forget, "Die Hard" is based on the Roderick Thorp novel "Nothing Lasts Forever." I've read his novel "Rainbow Drive," and seen the movie version of "The Detective."

I've always had a soft spot for ST: TNG's "Starship Mine." It was sort of like "Die Hard" on the Enterprise.

It's also great to see Mark Sheppard. I also enjoyed his recent run on BSG.

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"the nakatomi protocol" is a good one. Shortly after 9/11 the following exchange took place:

Me:

September 30, 2001
at 12:45am

So a couple of weeks ago some wacky folks with an unspoken message brought down a couple of tall buildings. As a result, security has gotten tighter. Sometimes for reasons I can't quite put my finger on...

You see, my company does web sites for a lot of the studios... Artisan, Dream Works, Disney, Fox, Sony, etc. As a result we occasionally have to visit our clients at their location. Well, it seems they've tightened security at the Fox tower.

For those of you not in LA, the ~35 story building that is a central part of Twentieth Century Fox was noneother than the "Nakatomi Plaza" whose roof was blown off in Die Hard.

You can understand why I might find heightend security at such a building humorous. Of course, then you also have to ask, WHY would they raise security at the executive offices of a film studio? Would it REALLY be a religious or political target? I guess a lot of film execs are self-important. But you probably could have figured that one out on your own.

A Famous Actor Whose Name Doesn't Make This Exchange Any More Funny:

at 4:20am

What are the two biggest exports of the US?

Weapons and Films.

Some cultures feel that American Imperialism is represented in the modern age by lousy films/tv exalting a corrupt culture infecting every country on earth- witness poor countries gathering around a tv set to watch Dallas, dirt poor people wanting Levis and MTV etc.

And I'm sure the mideast wasn't really tickled by world-wide blockbusters such as ALADDIN, however catchy the songs might have been.

Destroying the movie studios (as a symbol) will come as no surprise, self-important or not.

Me:

at 11:35am

Yeah, but this is Fox we're talking about. If they'd blown up Fox Plaza within a week of the attack, we might have been spared Mariah Carey's Glitter. Comeon people, it's all about timing.

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During WWII some wag put up a sign at Warner Bros that read, "In case of air raid, go directly to RKO -- they haven't had a hit in years."

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I think all of us would be smart to check out Jessie Spano's pill popping scene and remind ourselves to say nope to dope!

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I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so...scared!

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I caught Ode to joy and most of the other bits, but I'm severely Die Hard deficient. I got only a few.

And my favorite bottle show ever was the ST:TNG where they kept going through the time loop.

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Now I have the urge to watch Die Hard. I knew I had it saved on my DVR all this time for a reason!

Edited at 2008-08-26 06:53 am (UTC)

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Great series, great episode.

But what's the purpose of starting this extending storyline with Tyler and Fatboy unless the show will continue past the upcoming season finale??

Has ABC FC given a thumb's up, or do they still love their little piece o' crap anti-Gilmore Pregnant teenqueen refuse?

I'd be okay if the Middleman changed networks, but I can't figure out where else it would thrive

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SciFi, maybe? :\

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It's not up on iTunes yet... when should i panic? i need to see what happens!

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Old-school Doctor Who references for the win! They made me writhe with joy!

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This Tyler/Fatboy thing has me worried. I don't think any good can come of it. Tyler in a suit? No way.

On a less suspicious note, I loved it when MM showed up at Wendy's loft in a biohazard suit. Then soon after, MM said something about he'll be godfather to an aardvark before *insert deadly situation* occurs on his watch, then Wendy asked, "what's with the salty language?" LOVED that. And the shower scene! "You might find the next phase a bit awkward..."

Then it was so sweet at the end with the Code 47 (hope I got the number right). If that didn't put all the Wendy/MM shippers to rest, I don't know what will.

I just hope next week, we'll find out not only what comes of the Tyler/Fatboy thing, but also about the other woman MM loves. Another great episode, can't wait for 12!

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Then it was so sweet at the end with the Code 47 (hope I got the number right). If that didn't put all the Wendy/MM shippers to rest, I don't know what will.

i don't think anything will. and it's so gross! they are clearly bro/sis, not luh-vuhs.

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Now that I am no longer covering my eyes to avoid spoilers, I am now going through post and yay context!

(also finally got my Middleman collection trade, and have been peeking at it at work sneakily and omg.)

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I feel extremely ungeeky for never getting the references.

Also, I was expecting a gorilla suit.

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The Fatboy thing has gotten me a little worried.

The entire thing has SPECTRE written all over it.

The moment I saw the interview scene, I had a feeling that Fatboy will be an opposing force to O2STK, with Ben becoming an opposite number to Wendy.

I guess we'll have to see what happens next week, and God willing, next season.

In the bleeped words of an immortal text: "Yip-pe-ki-yay, ************."

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Whoops. I meant Tyler, not Ben. (It was late, and I was fighting off insomnia.)

We should really update the Wikipedia page...

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Any chance we can get the full on-screen text from the "die hard inside an android" joke? There was an ABC Family graphic on the screen at the time that covered up about half of it on my TV.

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That bugged the heck out of me too - shows just how much they care about the show - they cover up half the text-based jokes with chyrons that take up 1/3 of the screen!

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Old School Doctor Who.
If I didn't love this already, I would now.

(Oh, and I loved MatrixIda.)

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"today john wayne doesn't get to ride off into the sunset with grace kelly" - yet another quote from "die hard"

I'm sure you know this already, but that line from "Die Hard" was itself an inside joke. There actually is no movie in which John Wayne rides off into the sunset with Grace Kelly. The reference appears to be to "High Noon", in which Grace rides off into the Sunset with GARY COOPER at the end.

Meanwhile, I note your list above does not reference one "other" apparent amusing nod to pop culture -- the tie on the stairs/door used by Wendy and Tyler. It's been used famously in such diverse sources as Elizabeth George's Detective Lynley novels and The Simpsons:

Kirk Van Houten: If you see a tie on the door knob, that means I'm with a lady.
Homer: But you don't have a door knob.
Kirk Van Houten: I don't have a tie either!

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The reference appears to be to "High Noon", in which Grace rides off into the Sunset with GARY COOPER at the end.

Which would be why MM felt the need to point out that very fact in mid-crisis...

Edited at 2008-08-27 05:58 pm (UTC)

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"commander benton and specialist heriot"

Which the hubby and I both heard as "Specialist Harriet." As in :: flash ID :: "Harriet Jones, [insert current job description here]." And here we thought it was ever-so-clever to do that while flashing IDs, and mix in a classic Who reference while you were at it... ;->

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How long until I get to buy this show on DVD and watch it over and over and over and over again?

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However long it is, its too long.

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Best show on TV Javier. Best show on TV. (Take that to the suits!)

I'll miss you guys.

LL

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Is it just me or was there also a subtle Star Trek (Original Series) nod with "Maybe the probe's developed artificial intelligence and returned to judge its makers."?

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Yes, definitely a reference to the original series episode that Star Trek 1 was later a rehash of with VGER. The probe wanted to destroy humans because they had become so illogical, or something like that!

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At least now I know why Hans and Javi were giving each other knowing looks on Javi-Cast #7 when they were answering my question about where the pneumatic tube system was in The Middleman HQ.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but I was looking at Wendy all pervy-like, when I should have been concerned for her and Em-Em's safety during the Silkwood Shower Sequence...mmm...alliteration.

If you remember way back when, the Journey to the Center of the Ida also recalls that issue of The Avengers where Ant-Man was poking around in the innards of the synthezoid, The Vision.

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"I'm embarrassed to admit, but I was looking at Wendy all pervy-like, when I should have been concerned for her and Em-Em's safety during the Silkwood Shower Sequence"

I think we were all looking at one or the other of them pervy. Heck, I was looking at BOTH of them pervy. Eye-candy for every demographic. What's not to love in a scene like that?

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