My Dad is not exactly known for having great taste in television.  Being a reality TV addict, I can’t say much to defend myself.  However, my bad taste and his bad taste are two very different things.  He is into the chick dramas like “Grey’s Anatomy” that just bore me to death and I am still watching “Real World” and “The Biggest Loser” religiously.  So when he suggested on more than one occasion that I watch “Medium”, I was very skeptical.  Now that “The Bachelor” is done with its ridiculously cheesy and soft scripted season, I have a little more room on my DVR for Monday nights, so I thought I should give it a shot.  The verdict?  Let’s just say that my and my Father’s similarities go beyond our stubborn nature and outrageously thick eyebrows.
Within the first few minutes of the show, I admittedly found myself being bored and allowing my mind to ponder Tuesday nights episode of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”  Please don’t judge me.  The first scene was what appeared to be a suburban neighborhood in the middle of the apocalypse.  Although I’m sure movies and shows with this subject matter are very entertaining to some, they don’t exactly spark my interest.  But, when I complained about it, my girlfriend insisted that I give it a chance instead of flipping to VH1 to watch “Rock of Love Bus” reruns.  Although I don’t normally admit when my girlfriend is right and I’m wrong, I must in this case.  After one episode, I am officially a fan of Patricia Arquette and her creepy little toe-headed children. 

As a self proclaimed critical and judgmental person, it must be said why I am sold on this NBC drama.  First of all, there is never a dull moment in the show.  It is not so suspenseful and outrageous that you find yourself with a couch cushion shoved up against your face, but each scene is entertaining to watch.  As the show progresses, viewers get to watch Allison’s (Arquette) dreams evolve into a key factor in solving a crime and bringing justice to the guilty.  We are watching a wife and Mother deal with the blessing and the curse that comes with having a sixth sense.  We, as viewers, get to see firsthand how difficult it can be to shoulder this responsibility of having visions – visions that play in Allison’s head like a movie she would never pay to see.

Besides the suspense and entertainment one will experience during this one hour drama, I believe it has great value in how society’s views of women need to evolve a bit.  In Monday’s (March 9) episode, Allison’s oldest daughter Ariel having inherited her Mother’s sixth sense is dealing with the fact that her intuitiveness does not apply to each person she comes in contact with.  As a young teenager, she is learning to embrace her gift while, at the same time, accepting that it will leave some things to be figured out on her own.  On the majority of television sitcoms and dramas, teenage girls are portrayed as boy crazy, shoe obsessed, spoiled brats.  It was refreshing to see Ariel (Sofia Vassilieva) be represented in a different light.  In watching Monday’s episode, I learned that Vassilieva’s character is an extremely bright math student.  Hold the phone – a female who is good at math?  That’s just crazy talk.  But, yes she is so intelligent that the cute boy in class, Gavin, asks her to tutor him.  Of course, she obliges only to find out that he has a copy of the mid-term they are studying for and passes it off as practice questions.  Translation- Gavin causes Sofia to cheat unknowingly.  Rather than giggling about it and chalking it up to the “boys will be boys” mentality, Sofia reprimands Gavin and cancels their upcoming date.  Thank God for NBC finally placing a young, strong female character to be a positive role model for young female viewers out there.  It is obvious that Sofia gets her strength and intelligence from dear old Mom who is successful in her career and a loving Mother and wife at the same time. 

Although I have made no qualms about the fact that I do not always have the finest taste in television, I hope you strong female readers will heed my advice in this case.  “Medium” is a great show in all aspects.  Shows that represent women in such a positive light need our support.  And for my dear old Dad, I never seem to regret it when I put your words of wisdom to use.