User reviews

I've watched the series a number of times over the years. I seem to have different thoughts each time. I initially thought it was excellent and loved all the characters. But re-watching it now, I see that Alison is extremely bent on having her way at any cost, which is a bit frustrating. In fairness, I'm aware that such people do have an inner voice that can be akin to being forced or perhaps better said is that they must obey. But in the episode where they flashback to her and Joe getting married, I really thought that was outrageous. And the fact that Joe marries her anyway is beyond believable. She JUST showed him what his future will be like. But during their perpetually dysfunctional marriage the writers do depict Joe as never really understanding his wife despite the saint-like patience he exhibits when she, time after time, gets into trouble. Watching it this final time (I think I'm done now), it's frustrating how clueless Alison is when something begins to take shape and how condescending Joe continues to be in every scenario. For me, S6 is the most boring. It focuses too much on the Grade-A brat, Ariel. Every good parent will be fuming to see her blatant refusal to follow rules and at how she bullies her sister Bridgette. But having said that, I know it is all part of the attempt to show the family as an all-American family with struggles we can all (or most of us) identify with. I definitely believe in psychics but I've read a lot of stories about them and while they do show the compartmentalized process of trying to understand what the psychic is being shown, the ones I've read about are typically much more confident rather than pushed and pulled around by ghosts. As a spiritual guide, I do take issue with the way the writers depict the dead in some instances or how they characterize the afterlife. But that's another story. By the end of the series, I felt Alison should have had a much better understanding of her own ability and yet the writers continue to make her a hapless idiot stumbling through every episode. I felt this was a bit far fetched. The earlier seasons are the best but the last 2 clearly have a whole new writing team and perhaps this is why there's no season 8. I thought all of the characters were very well-played (even Ariel). And if I can just say, in S6 E14 when Diedrich Bader played all those characters I was super impressed. I never thought much of him although I feel like I've seen him in a number of things (Oswald on the Drew Carey show, for one). Imagine having to get into character and have the exact mannerisms of 6 or 7 different people. It was truly incredible. Kudos to Bader. Also, to who asks why did Morrow kill Sato, it should be clear from watching - maybe you fell asleep at the end? Ask yourself what happened to Gloria's son. And to How a Real Medium Rates this show: Thanks for the insight, very interesting.

At first I wasn't sure if I would like this how. I ended up loving it. It's strange and goofy in a lot of ways. But the stand out to me was the husband, Joe. He is portrayed as a wonderful, intelligent, funny, caring father and devoted husband. Note the last part. How he could be so devoted when Allison was so emotionally and mentally abusive to him is beyond me. She is horrible. She demanded attention, gratitude and support in all aspects of her life at all times of the day and night, so much to the point where she would abandon her family and husband in order to fulfill her need to be right. No matter the immediate family need she would dump all responsibility on poor Joe.

I ended up loathing her by season 6 and watched for Joe and Bridgette, whom was hysterical. Kudos to the supporting cast and players but Allison was just an abusive wife . Terrible person, just awful.

It's been more than ten years since the first episode of 'Medium' aired. It was one of my favorite shows - a mixture of horror, crime, and warm family drama. Today, watching the series on amazon instant video, the series is just as entertaining as it was when my kids and I first watched it.

The parents in the drama, played by Jake Weber and Patricia Arquette, are reasons for the show's success, along with excellent scripts and plot lines. They interact in a way that reeks of verisimilitude and what we all HOPE could be marital communications. Joe is a little bit too adoring of his wife, Alison du Bois. Alison is a little too perfect a mom, rarely truly losing her temper with her three girls. Irritated, maybe, angry, not much.

Still, they talk to each other like real people with jobs and housework and kids who need to be driven to school. This is refreshing.

The episodes are built around crimes that make a person cringe. Pedophilia, kidnappings, rape. Murder is common, but cannibalism even makes an appearance.

Every episode features lots of dreaming. Lots of dreams. Very cleverly done, very smart, very creative. But beware: some of the stories are moving and frightening and tragic, so your own dreams might not be so pleasant if you are binge-watching 'Medium.'

An excellent dramatic series.

I guess if her character doesn't act the way she acts there is no story. Very thick at times. For someone who has the gift all her life, I find she makes questionable decisions. I actually couldn't stand the actress as well, her acting was questionable for me. I tried to like her, but unfortunately I couldn't stand her face/way of acting during certain episodes or scenes. All the other actors, where for me more relatable and connectable. Loved them all. The storylines were great, great dialogues and filming.

I have watched every single episode at least 4 times. It's the only show I'll sit through and watch. Patricia Arquette is a phenomenal actress. Everyone on the show is fantastic. I really hope they bring it back one day.

This is a good show with plots that always keep me guessing. At times it feels like there's a little too much "Hollywood" in them and I wish it would stick to what an actual medium would experience, but I still enjoy them. It's supposed to take place in Phoenix, Arizona. They use street names and local landmarks that I recognize from the 11 years I lived there, but--and I know this is minor--the outside shots are in no way filmed in Phoenix. Phoenix is in the desert and the outside shots usually look like they're filmed in lush, green settings with tall trees that would probably not survive there. Very few cacti, which should be plentiful in the desert. Other than that I enjoy the show and wish there were more like it on TV.

In my opinion the series started off really nice but then it all changed. Allision is out of control, she bends the rules when it applies to her, she whines non stop, she puts any dream over her marriage and children. To sum it up you can only take so much whining and seeing her whole family take the back seat to her life.

I know this isn't a review, but don't know how to get this Question out there. Sence they are bringing back older showed/series, HOW ABOUT GETTING THE MEDIUMS GIRLS TO COME BACK IN A SHOW ALL GROWN UP, and extend there phyhic powers they had on the show. (...is...Like the conners?) Now there is a show people would love to see!!!

This isn't a series deserving either 10s or 1s. The highest and lowest reviews seem to be based on whether people agree with the premise of a psychic being genuine and working with police.

FWIW, the premise is fiction. The "real life medium" it's based on is not believable. The police depts and the Texas Rangers in particular deny she ever worked with them and no evidence backs up her claims. There's no sign she's ever solved any crimes. Far from making a living working with police, she's only made money off of her dubious claims with her books.

But that doesn't make the series and less well written, acted, or entertaining. Think of it as a detective show with a paranormal twist. On that count it's worth seeing, and not on the "based on a true story" false claim.

Medium is an okay entertaining series about the wife and mother Allison Dubois and her ability to communicate with the dead and through that helping to solve crimes, while having to juggle the balance between a highly stressfull job, her abilities and parenthood with a mathematician for husband. So far so good.

But to watch that husband of Allison Dubois is painful. He has got to be the pure embodiment of everything Martyrian. Always sighing of ALL the terrible hardship he has to endure, when his "weird" wife has to go out for the 4th (!) night in a row to catch a mad serial killer, while he, all alone poor man, has to get the kids to school and talk to a teacher. Oh love and behold the hardship of his life.

Male martyr in plain sight. Painful.

I was very impressed by the pilot. It quickly set up how this woman got into helping solve crimes. We did not have to slog though a long set-up, because it got quickly to the action.

I liked seeing her husband and daughters. Her husband was portrayed as a very supportive man. I already care about how she will handle this atypical job and be with her family. Will she have to do a lot of traveling, being away from home?

She is a strong character. I liked how she stood up to the sheriff (or police chief, whomever). And with moments like "Tell him you know about the kiss." we see that she is also very perceptive with a quick mind.

In spite of her strengths, she also showed a natural reaction to being odd/different. I also appreciated her frustration when she felt that what she was trying to do was for nothing.

This episode had good acting, drama, suspense, humor. And it wasn't creepy. I'm really looking forward to future episodes.

Many reasons could be said about this show and why i think its a 10 of 10. One reason is the smart script. I cant understand how some people can compare this show to Ghost Whisperer. The characters feels real and every show is scary, smart and "funny".

But i must say that the last episode was the weakest. It felt like the writers just " OK we got fired so lets do something funny whit the last episode, its doesn't matter". The end, and particularly the final scene didn't feel like a "real" episode of medium, more like one of her dreams. It felt "unserious". But OK, 1 bad episode out of 129 very good ones is OK.

The characters are mostly realistic, despite the premise of the show. (Yes, the main character is loosely based on a real person; I mean secondary characters.) Some of the acting was quite good at times. (And no, I don't mean the nepotistic casting of Dinardo, the blonde woman who played Lee Scanlon's girlfriend/fiancée/wife. She was wooden, terrible with few moments of growth. Bro cringey performances from her. But she's Glen Gordon Caron's real-life wife. It's the only reason she was cast & nothing can convince me otherwise.)

The family dynamic was believable & heart-warming; it was nice to see such a strong, loving husband/wife relationship. (Plus, Jake Weber was One Hot Daddy. And he made a great Joe Dubois...the ending pissed me off, but at least it wasn't a true "Hollywood happy-ending".) The kids were all fantastic.

The writing was often sloppy. Not the overall plots, but the dialogue, which was abysmal at times. (I'm convinced if viewers were flies on the wall during rehearsals, they'd have seen eyerolls, heavy sighs, & possibly vocal objections & suggestions to the script-writers, from the actors. Esp the seasoned ones.) Sometimes the performances were uneven, but I chalk it up to directors chosen for certain episodes and the awful dialogue.

Also, why the dressing of the main actress (Patricia Arquette, who doesn't receive enough credit as an actress and did what she could with the material. The only exception was when she cried in the show. It was...laughable) swung wildly btwn fabulous & sloppy (this seems to be an overriding theme on the show) is a mystery. Budget? Terrible costumers? The actress wanted comfort in certain filming days? Did appreciate her various haircuts over the span of the series though.

I recently re-watched the series and overall, it was an enjoyable show, but def needed polishing & better writers. For those who are intolerant to imperfection, this show should be avoided.

The actors are very well cast, and all excel in their roles.. The writing is quite intricate, there are subtle 'teasers' (they go by unnoticed at first, and later in the episode, you realize, 'wait' they hinted at this earlier'.. quite clever..

It has the perfect balance of supernatural (never overdone)..humor, drama, and sometimes a really touching subplot, about, family, relationships.. They give some ample time to the co-stars to shine in a scene or two. (although I would have loved to see the the younger girl, get more action.. She, her older sister, and the other supporting actors all shine at doing their part to make the show a really total great package..

Right from the beginning it's quite good.. Somewhere in the 2nd season, the whole project, (writing, development of characters, back ground history, start to come to the surface to give this series an even deeper depth, than you were aware of at first..

Love it..

The dialog in this show is often mind-numbingly stupid. Especially between Joe and Allison, and especially when they're in bed. Typical dialog: Allison: "It's raining outside." Joe: "What the heck are you talking about? I don't understand what you are trying to say to me!" I should mention that Allison is ostensibly a college graduate (having been in law school before the show started) and Joe ostensibly has at least one PhD (I think they said in mathematics, even though he works in aeronautic engineering). But from their dialog, it would be EASY to assume the two had not yet graduated from the 6th grade.

Also, Joe seems to be in seriously poor health. He often sounds like he's barely conscious (not just in bed, but most of the time). He often barely moves his mouth when he speaks (which only contributes to the impression he is in poor health).

Also, despite the fact that Allison, Ariel AND Bridgette often burst into tears for no apparent reason, not one of them has sought treatment (as I would INSIST if I were Joe and had to live with this).

Most episodes of this show can be summed up by the following: Allison has a vision that relates to a crime that has occurred or is about to occur, her husband/boss/co-worker/etc doubt her conclusions and Allison nags them until it is somehow proved that she is correct and they, being the dumb men that are, have been wrong all along.

I know the show is supposed to be based on a real person, but the show must take a lot of liberties. And I'm surprised the real Allison Dubois is OK with the way she is portrayed.

But the plot lines to the crimes are usually pretty good, even if the main character is rather annoying.

I see that this Friday's episode (January 21, 2011) will be the series final show as according to a preview from last week. Too bad we lose another good quality family show (the other show was Ghost Whisperer which went off the air in May of 2010, but we can still see the reruns on other networks). I can see one of the shows being canceled or moved to another date and time as both had similar themes. All the same both shows will be missed. There were many great actors/actresses in each show of both programs, and some actor/actresses got work and recognition of their fine talents. So CBS please bring back more family quality shows like these, we have enough crime dramas to last us a life time. THANKS

I really liked the show at first, I'm not finished yet but the when Allison have her dreams or a Vision that seems important she leaves information out or questions will be asked and she'll say she doesn't know when she just had the vision. And she jumps to conclusions and the actors are reactions are slow to some situations .

OMG. When I saw the first couple of episodes I was intrigued and entertained and creeped out and fascinated. But then I realized Allison Dubois was a real person and was a consultant on the show. So, of course, I researched her, thinking she must be truly amazing. Well...don't hold your breath. The show is Dubois' wet dream of what she wishes she were. Maybe she's delusional and actually thinks she IS that humble, sweet, better-than-good person with a non-stop, reliable "gift." But in reality, after looking at cases and the police depts she claims to have helped, it's all a lie. There is not one case where she provided anything substantive that gave any kind of help, according to the police. Apparently, she was just a freaky neurotic who pestered them with her 'dreams' and hunches and non of them panned out. None. Of. Them. She's known to them as a fraud. So now I'm not too fond of the show that overly praises her and constantly tells her she's valuable and special and gifted and vital and a secret weapon while the actress playing her gazes bashfully down at her feet. And Patricia Arquette's breathy, whispering, non-enunciated mumbling gets worse each season. She can't catch the "ct" on the end of "district attorney" to save her life. Maybe it's because her teeth are in dire need of braces. (How come an actress working regularly can't afford dental care?) It's hard to watch after season 3. But I bet somewhere Allison Dubois (who should be surnamed 'Dubious' instead) watches it over and over and tells herself she's just as amazing as the script portrays her. Ew.