There has been a rising interest in the world of mediums over the last few years. Charlatans like John Edwards (thankfully, no relation to me) have tapped 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, this interest has begun to spill over into the world of episodic television. Just in the last couple of years we've seen shows like "Medium" and "The Ghost Whisperer" draw big ratings, with both readying for further seasons. This month Paramount is releasing the 3rd season of "Medium", and of the two shows, I 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. While she managed to star in a ton of movies, I always felt as though she was was sleepwalking 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 that was released last year.

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.

This month I had the opportunity to watch the 3rd season, and again I was surprised that the show had improved even over the 2nd season. The stories were getting darker and the threats to her own family started becoming more prominent. It becomes ever more evident that her children share her talent to some degree, as well as her half-brother Michael. But it is the end of the 3rd season that brings with it the biggest challenge in that her powers become revealed to the public.

The DVD of the 3rd season of "Medium' offers up a widescreen transfer that looks terrific. I'm still not thrilled with the series' 'shaky-cam' effect that is used a little too often, but once you get used to it, it is not too bad. The discs also deliver a very nice 5.1 audio track. Paramount also opted to package the set using the 'thinpack' cases, which I really like (they allow the box set to take up a lot less room on the shelf).

Like the 1st and 2nd season sets, I was also glad to see that Paramount decided to continue to pad the 3rd season set with special features. Most of the older shows they release have little to none, but since this is a brand new series, it got the lion's share. First off, there are commentaries by some of the cast and crew on three of the episodes (see the episode list below), as well as a pretty funny gag reel. You'll also find a featurette on the direction show's 3rd season was taking, another that focuses on this season's dreams, and yet another where we hear what it was like to have Patricia's brother David direct and episode. My biggest complaint, and one that I see on way too many of Paramount's full seasons releases, is the lack of subtitles. It's bad enough for the hearing impaired, but occasionally we like to watch these shows late at night after the kids go to sleep. We'll keep the sound low and put on the subtitles just to keep us from missing something.

With this 3rd season, both "Medium" and its star have continued to surprise me, and while it doesn’t exactly rank amongst my very favorite shows, still manages to entertain me far more than I would have expected. Paramount's DVD release is well worth a watch and I'm actually looking forward to catching some of the series as it airs its 4th season.

Episodes:
Four Dreams, Part 1 (Commentary by Glenn Gordon Caron and Larry Tang)
Four Dreams, Part 2 (Commentary by Aaron Lipstadt and Javier Grillo-Marxuach)
Be Kind, Rewind
Blood Relations
Ghost in the Machine
Profiles in Terror
Mother's Little Helper
The Whole Truth
Better Off Dead
Very Merry Maggie
Apocalypse, Push
The One Behind the Wheel
Second Opinion
We Had a Dream
The Boy Next Door
Whatever Possessed You (Commentary by Miguel Sandoval and Jessica Kender)
Jo Day Afternoon
1-900-Lucky
No One To Watch Over Me
Head Games
Heads Will Roll
Everything Comes to a Head

Starring: Patricia Arquette, Jake Weber, Miguel Sandoval
Extras: Cast and Crew Commentaries On Select Episodes, Drawing on Dreams, Directing with David Arquette, Acting is My "Racquet", The Story of Medium, Season 3, Gag Reel, The Making of Medium, Season 3
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 10/16/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Medium: Season 3 a B.