Jonathan Silverman is best known for his role as Richard Parker in the Weekend at Bernie’s movies. He even starred in the short-lived NBC comedy The Single Guy. So when I saw him pleading for his life with a gun to his head in an episode of Medium this season, one could understand my skepticism after the gun went off, killing his character in the first minute of the episode.
After five seasons on NBC, Medium is now on CBS, the same network affiliated with its production company. It was hard to believe CBS would cast a better-known actor for a minute long scene at the beginning of an episode, just to kill him off. Of course Medium, being what it is, was not done with Silverman’s character. By the end of the episode, Silverman, or SAL explained to Alison how he set up his murder so his family could collect his life insurance.
Throughout the episode, of the same name, “SAL” talked to Alison’s daughter through the home’s security alarm system, much like 2001 A Space Odyssey’s HAL. By the end of the episode SAL revealed himself to Alison and his insurance scam. I enjoy episodes of Medium for it’s story telling, how they allow the dramatic irony to build tension to a crescendo. However, because of the casting choice of “SAL”, watching this episode I felt as if the dramatic intensity was diminished.
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Authored by new contributor Kenny Kling. You can follow him on Twitter at soxinseven04.
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