During the early part of the century (which I know is only 11 years old now…) there was a rising interest in the world of mediums. Charlatans like John Edwards (thankfully, no relation to me) were tapping into people's tragedies by making them believe it is possible to communicate with dead loved ones. Not to come off sounding to cynical, I do have my own set of beliefs when it comes to the supernatural and have little doubt that some form of communication might indeed be possible. Just not from hoaxsters with TV shows. Still, that interest spilled over into the world of episodic television. We saw shows like "Medium" and "The Ghost Whisperer" draw big ratings throughout their respective runs. This month Paramount is releasing the 7th (and final) season of "Medium", and of the two shows, I initially thought this one had the lesser chance of success. Of course, this train of thought materialized before I ever saw a single episode. It was all about the casting.

Patricia Arquette led the series, portraying a fictionalized version of a real 'medium' by the name of Alison Dubois.

I had never been much of a fan of Patricia Arquette, considering her to be the lesser talented of the Arquette siblings. Somehow she managed to star in a ton of movies, but to me always seemed to be sleepwalking her way through her roles. Emotion and Patricia Arquette reacted as polar opposites. This is why I was so surprised that her starring role on a TV series would somehow equal success. But become a success it did, going so far as to earn Arquette an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. So my curiosity got the best of me and I forced myself to sit down and watch the 1st season set when it was originally released.

I learned that if given the right role at the right time, anybody can be a performer. Arquette's portrayal of Dubois was as far removed from anything I saw her attempt in the past as it could be. Haunted by nightmares and premonitions, as well as a strange ability to communicate with the dead, Arquette delivers a character who is often stretched to the limits of her emotions. And I have to give the show credit by not making her a flake. She is a happily married mother of three, and in the only unbelievable part of the structure, they are totally understanding and patient about her abilities.

As the series began, we were introduced to a woman who does not want the abilities she was born with. Alison wants to become a lawyer and live a normal life with her rocket scientist (yes… rocket scientist) husband. But when she finds she is able to help solve a murder, she begins to accept and believe that her 'gift' might have been given to her for a reason and she pursues it. As the series progressed her 'powers' only got stronger.

I’ve since watched the all of the seasons, and was surprised at how much the show improved with each, so much so that I was actually sad to see it come to an end. The stories were getting darker and the supernatural threats to her family started becoming more prominent. I’m so glad to have watched the series on DVD as it has had its share of foibles with the network. During the 4th season, NBC kept it off the air most of the time and used it as filler the remainder. It always ticks me off when decent shows (and in many cases… superlative shows) are treated this way, yet the networks will continue to air crappy ‘reality shows.’ As it is, I refuse to watch any of that sludge for fear of brain cell sucking.

When I watched the 7th season DVD for “Medium” and had to wonder how in the world NBC could have treated it so shabbily. After the events of the previous seasons, it was good to see life for the DuBois family finally getting a little respite. Though these final 13 episodes offered up the usual assortment of dead people seeking retribution, there was enough creative writing to keep it feeling fresh and inventive. This was easily as strong a season as any it has had.

The DVD of the 7th season of "Medium' offers up a widescreen transfer that looks pretty good. The discs also deliver a very nice 5.1 audio track.

While there aren’t a huge number of special features on this set, what is offered up isn’t too bad. “The Making of Season 7” is a fairly lengthy behind the scenes piece and delivers some interesting bits of interview snippets from the cast and crew. There are also featurettes that focus on the series as a whole, a look a detective Lee Scanlon, how popular the series has been worldwide, and a funny gag reel.

With this final season, both "Medium" and its star still surprise me, and while it doesn’t exactly rank amongst my very favorite shows, still managed to entertain me far more than I would have expected. It was an extremely creative show, and anyone who has ever seen any of the pre opening credit lead-ins would have to agree. I’m glad the series had an opportunity to actually end, though I would have certainly enjoyed another season or two.

Episodes:
Bring Your Daughter to Work Day
The Match Game
Means and Ends
How to Kill a Good Guy
Talk to the Hand
Where Were You When?
Native Tongue
Smoke Damage
The People in Your Neighborhood
Blood on the Tracks
Only Half Lucky
Labor Pains
Me Without You
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Jake Weber, Miguel Sandoval
Extras: The Making of Medium Season 7; Memories of Medium; Shadows & Light; Meet Detective Lee Scanlon; Medium Around the World; Gag Reel
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 6/21/2011
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.paramount.com/homeentertainment

We'll give Medium: Season 7 a B+.