Mediation in David Milch’s John from Cincinnati

David Milch’s short-lived HBO series John from Cincinnati (2007) has an unexpected political premise that was largely ignored or misunderstood when the show aired: that the American population has been conditioned by the logic of television serials to expect closure to political events and thus will demand genocidal retribution for the next terror attack after 9/11. This article explores how Milch explains his intent with reference to the concept of mediation and compares Milch’s use of the concept to Richard Grusin’s premediation.