"The only thing better than a cow is a human. Unless you want milk, in which case you're going to need a cow."
This is a weird show. It is by no means a dramedy, but there are some lines that made me crack up.
It's sort of X-Files-ish. With lots of Scully and no Mulder. And crazy people. And electronic dream telepathy. And cows.
And massive floating titles telling us where we are at all times. And all I can think is, "Someone's going to walk into one of those and hurt themselves."
It's called Fringe because Olivia Dunham, the star, works for the FBI and runs into "fringe science".
"And this... will rip open your consciousness."
I think I'm not going to be watching this. It doesn't really grab me.
[ November 10, 2010, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: Lisa ]
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
Between this trailer and your review, I am getting really excited about this.
Are their any episodes on iTunes or is it already showing on FOX?
Posted by Elmer's Glue (Member # 9313) on :
Well, if you don't think it will be good, then I guess I'll have to check it out.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Heh. It's available at your local BitTorrent site. And rereading what I wrote, it's actually a lot darker than I described it.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Wow the fringe is much darker, when I read what you wrote I thought It was another Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
This sounds like another show that came out in the mid-90s that was very x-files, only about medical mysteries. In fact, it was written by the X-files team and had actors that were guests on the X-files at one time. I never understood why it last such a short time because I thought it was good. It wasn't even on Fox.
By the way, I never caught the name of the show. Always came home after the credits. Does anyone recognize the description and know the name of the short lived series?
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
$10million budget for the pilot.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Dagnabbit, did I miss the first show????????
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
No. A preair copy appeared in the ether and I snagged it.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
I am watching a stream right now. It's good so far.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
My Review, sans spoilers although if you really want the whole thing to be totally new, you might want to skip the post:
I found the pilot competent, but nothing really striking. The opening was grotesque (warning: if you are squeamish, the opening scene might be one to skip) but other than being eye-catching in its grossness, provided little in the way of interest.
The credits were very Lost-ian and the title and the various place names throughout the show reminded me very much of the words you create in 3D-Max. I think if it was simplicity they were going for they should have got with flat words. The choice to have place-titles as part of the scene itself was interesting but felt a little gimmicky.
The plot progressed in a fairly standard manner, introducing the various characters, who were all fairly standard. All three of the main characters seemed to have been given character traits like you buy tins at the supermarket (I'll have a small tin of womanizer, a tin of tough, a tin of mad scientist). None of these traits, or any others, were particularly convincing. Any tension between the characters was presented with laughable and half-hearted dialogue, and quickly dispelled as the plot progressed. The genius (Joshua Jackson) exhibited few signs of extreme intelligence and never once had a chance to use his brain, the mad scientist (John Noble) didn't seem terribly mad (although he got the only humour in the show and fared well for it). The other main character (Anna Torv) was given few individual traits, but seemed to carry the part off reasonably well.
However, I liked Lance Reddick in his role as someone-who-knows-more-things-than-the-rest-of us. He managed to provide more mystery and ominousness with his obvious dialogue than any scary shrieks and music could summon. I liked to see ReGenesis star Peter Outerbridge passing through; he didn't have much to say, but he did a good job not saying it, if that makes any sense. A woman who I think was played by Charlotte Rampling was suitably evil, but there was nothing unremarkable or new about her portrayal of the Evil Woman character.
Thankfully, despite the horrible characterization, Mr. Abrams delivered an episodic plot that wrapped up at the end of the episode with hints of more X-Files-type plot to come. At the moment, though, I'm getting little of the sense of gleeful mystery I get from the X-Files. The characters display surprise at or disdain for the various science fictiony bits, but there's no sense of fascination from even the mad scientist. What scientist working at any level doesn't take some kind of fascination in his or her work, let alone somebody working in a field unknown to majority of the world?
What I most enjoyed was seeing the bit of Toronto I've spent the last four years living in, doubling variously as Harvard and Boston. The choice of the new wing of the Royal Ontario Museum as the Evil Corporation was interesting. It was lovely to see University College and Knox College (and even the stump of the CN Tower- I guess they have a giant tower in Cambridge, too) doubling as bits of Harvard. Meehee. And the flashiest bits of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology as a centre of operations. The University of Toronto looks good on camera. (You can also see it in The Hulk).
What I'm hoping to see: Much better characterization, better dialogue, a slightly less cliche plot. More spark.
Overall, I think the show suffers from a lack of heart. JJ Abrams can deliver a reasonably good show- I truly enjoyed the first season of Alias- but here he has barely produced a competent one. There's a spark that is conspicuously absent from the plot, the dialogue and consequently the characters and the mystery.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by Occasional: This sounds like another show that came out in the mid-90s that was very x-files, only about medical mysteries. In fact, it was written by the X-files team and had actors that were guests on the X-files at one time. I never understood why it last such a short time because I thought it was good. It wasn't even on Fox.
By the way, I never caught the name of the show. Always came home after the credits. Does anyone recognize the description and know the name of the short lived series?
Prey? Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: "The only thing better than a cow is a human. Unless you want milk, in which case you're going to need a cow."
This is a weird show. It is by no means a dramedy, but there are some lines that made me crack up.
It's sort of X-Files-ish. With lots of Scully and no Mulder. And crazy people. And electronic dream telepathy. And cows.
And massive floating titles telling us where we are at all times. And all I can think is, "Someone's going to walk into one of those and hurt themselves."
It's called Fringe because Olivia Dunham, the star, works for the FBI and runs into "fringe science".
"And this... will rip open your consciousness."
I think I'm not going to be watching this. It doesn't really grab me.
Okay, I changed my mind. I'm all caught up but the last ep. So I have a question for any of you who've been watching this. If shapeshifters have their brains in their backsides, why did they need Newton's head?
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
He didn't say that ALL of their brains were in their backsides, did he? Walter said something about the short-term and long-term memory being split, I assume that the head held the brain and the backside held a long-term memory cortex of some kind.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Ah. Okay, that makes some sense.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
The show really hit its stride in the second half of the first season, and has only gotten better.
The second season was great, and I love the way the writers are telling the story in the current season. The writing has really gotten better, and I am actually starting to care abotu some of the characters in the alternate universe. I am wondering if some of the writers from Lost went to work on Fringe after the show ended.
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
I didn't think that it got really strong until the second half of the second season. Up until then it was mostly "freak of the week". Last season, they really started ratcheting up the ongoing plotline.
I knew that JJ couldn't hold off for long without the ongoing plot.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
You know that Leonard Nimoy was serious when he said he wasn't going to do any more acting, when they have a reading of the will for William Bell (Nimoy's character on Fringe). I think that was the first episode of the new season.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Nimoy also said that he would return if they asked him to. His "death" was essential to the story line, and there was no body. In JJ Abram's world, no body often means no death. Hell, even a dead body sometimes means no death. Didn't the Russian guy on Lost seem dead two or three times before he died by setting off a hand grenade?
Posted by Jenos (Member # 12168) on :
quote:Originally posted by Herblay: I didn't think that it got really strong until the second half of the second season. Up until then it was mostly "freak of the week". Last season, they really started ratcheting up the ongoing plotline.
I knew that JJ couldn't hold off for long without the ongoing plot.
How involved is JJ with the show? He's only listed as the executive producer in the credits, I believe, and isn't he working on undercovers now over Fringe?
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
He was one of the creators and continued to work with Orci and Kurtzman through the second season, contributing to several of the scripts and to the overall storyline. Wyman and Pinker are the new showrunners (since the middle of last season); but from what I've read, JJ keeps involved creatively with all his shows (Lost, Fringe, Alias, etc).
They're all spread pretty thin, however. Between Star Trek, Undercovers, Hawaii 5-0, two or three pilots, and two or three other movies.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
If they do flashbacks with Belly when he was younger, they should get Zach Quinto to do it.
Also, Undercovers is cancelled. So JJ doesn't have anything to do there any more.
But yes, getting caught up on this show was extremely painful, because after a couple of weeks of episodes every day, now I have to wait a week between each ep.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I haven't seen Fringe since midway through season two. How horribly lost will I be if I start watching it again?
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
And I just got into it...
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nighthawk: Writing's on the wall...
I haven't seen Fringe since midway through season two. How horribly lost will I be if I start watching it again?
You're a lot better off watching what you missed.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Fringe is the best show on TV. Figures they would cancel it. Just like happened with The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Best show on TV, and they cancelled it. But I guess that is what you have to expect when network program directors are Mundanes.
In a way, it is funny about Medium. That originally ran on NBC for five seasons, and went up against Ghost Whisperer on CBS as direct competition, but then CBS brought the former to their network for seasons six and seven, and showed the two shows back-to-back for awhile--then killed Ghost Whisperer. Some say it was because CBS did not own GW outright, but shared production with ABC. Perhaps it was the loss of the two shows one after the other re-inforcing each other that caused the decline in Medium's ratings. I wonder if NBC might want it back.
[ November 21, 2010, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: Ron Lambert ]
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Fringe is the best show on TV. Figures they would cancel it. Just like happened with The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Best show on TV, and they cancelled it. But I guess that is what you have to expect when network program directors are Mundanes.
Well, at least TSCC gave a boost to the career of Garret Dillahunt. He is doing a great job on Raising Hope, and I hope it gets picked up for a second season.
Fringe just keeps getting better and better, and I am going to be REALLY sad if it doesn't get another season. They have so much they can do with the series.
I'm sick of cop shows and medical dramas. I wish a good sci fi show would come and stick around for 5 or more seasons.
Sometimes I wish I were a billionaire so I could personally finance a reboot of Firefly.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
It'd have to be without Cap'n Tightpants if you tried it now. He's being Castle. Also, Summer has a show starting in January.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Geraine:
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Fringe is the best show on TV. Figures they would cancel it. Just like happened with The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Best show on TV, and they cancelled it. But I guess that is what you have to expect when network program directors are Mundanes.
Well, at least TSCC gave a boost to the career of Garret Dillahunt. He is doing a great job on Raising Hope, and I hope it gets picked up for a second season.
He creeped me out on The 4400. Then he creeped me out on Life. Then he creeped me out on Sarah Connor. He scares me.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: It'd have to be without Cap'n Tightpants if you tried it now. He's being Castle. Also, Summer has a show starting in January.
Well, I'm not a billionaire yet... And Castle (sadly) won't last forever.
If you haven't seen Dillahunt in Raising Hope, you should. He freaked me out in SCC as well, but he is absolutely hilarious in Raising Hope, and you can't help but love him.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
I always thought he looked a little like a young John Cleese, of Monty Python fame. (Remember him from "The Ministry of Silly Walks" skit?) Dillahunt actually looks rather handsome--which perhaps contributes to the "creepiness" some feel, because of the mixture of attraction-repulsion. Evil is somehow much worse when it wears a seductively nice face.
[ November 22, 2010, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Ron Lambert ]
Posted by Herblay (Member # 11834) on :
quote:Originally posted by Geraine:
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: It'd have to be without Cap'n Tightpants if you tried it now. He's being Castle. Also, Summer has a show starting in January.
Well, I'm not a billionaire yet... And Castle (sadly) won't last forever.
If you haven't seen Dillahunt in Raising Hope, you should. He freaked me out in SCC as well, but he is absolutely hilarious in Raising Hope, and you can't help but love him.
I don't know. With its viewer numbers, it just might last forever.
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
It's like they're ASKING to get canned.
Posted by Unmaker (Member # 1641) on :
Yeah, weird. However, with acting like what we got from the principals this last episode... wow. How could they cancel this show?!?
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
They claim that most of their viewers timeshift anyway. If that's true, it should be okay. And even if not, going up against American Idol wasn't much of a choice.
Also, the episode was actually entitled Firefly before the show was moved to Friday nights. It's still weird.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Firefly was a sleeper, and became an enduring fan favorite. And look what the role of River did for Summer Glau--got her that plumb role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as Cameron, the terminatrix who dances ballet!
Maybe titling the episode as "Firefly" was a way of giving tribute to the original Firefly. And maybe it's a way of giving the finger to the network programming Mundanes.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
I read the producers have said they don't see the Friday night slot as a negative thing. They know the viewers will follow, and they say that they see it as a challenge. They said something to the effect of "Friday is the last night that has yet to be conquered, and we plan on doing it."
I'm hopeful. The actors in the show are getting better and better. Anna Torv was out of her element in the first season, but has really improved since.
Oh! And it looks like Christopher Lloyd will be guest starring in the "Firefly" episode.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
After the suckfest that have been this year's new sci-fi offerings - yes, I do mean 'The Event', what a waste of film that turns out to be - I'm looking for a new show and this might fit the bill.
My family and I are already planning 'Lost' Season 6 and 'Life' (such an lovely show, that was) marathons this holiday. I might add the first season of 'Fringe' to the list. I just checked out the first episode and I'm rather interested - any show which has a guy with his jaw falling off in the first five minutes, seems perfect seasonal TV.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Bella,
Just so you know, the show is kind of slow until the second half of the first season. That is when it really picks up. At least that is my opinion. Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Geraine: Bella,
Just so you know, the show is kind of slow until the second half of the first season. That is when it really picks up. At least that is my opinion.
QFT
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
Is there a particular episode you recommend starting to watch at? (I tried watching the earlier episodes and really didn't care, but I've been watching season 3 and loving it)
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
You really need to start with the first episode, otherwise you may be a little lost.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Start with the first episode, and push through. Totally worth it.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
These guys rock so hard!!!
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Has anyone been watching the show since it came back and switched to Friday nights?
I have loved the past three episodes. I am happy they are going forward with the "First People" storyline. I'm starting to think the Observers are survivors of the First People or they are creations of the First People.
I know the Observers know about the other universe, but I'm not sure if they can travel between the universes. I know they are time travelers, but as far as I know there have been no sightings of Observers in the alternate universe.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I'm guessing that at the time of the First People, there was just one universe. And that something they did split it, either accidentally or on purpose. And that they've been trying to reunite reality ever since. Peter is the culmination of a lengthy breeding program to bring about someone who'd be able to power the machine that does it.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: I'm guessing that at the time of the First People, there was just one universe. And that something they did split it, either accidentally or on purpose. And that they've been trying to reunite reality ever since. Peter is the culmination of a lengthy breeding program to bring about someone who'd be able to power the machine that does it.
You know, you are probably right.
I'm getting kind of worried that the writers are backing themselves into a corner. They are in the 3rd season, but I'm worried that once they tie everything up concerning the alternate universe / the first people...What then?
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Maybe we get a new universe that's a combination of the two. That could be fascinating.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Damn... I enjoy the red eps, but this one... Looks like our side is a goner.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
I always record Fringe so I can watch it later. I hope it will not be considered a spoiler if I point out that LivAlternate has discovered she is pregnant--obviously with Peter's baby. Talk about a plot complication! And not just the soap opera implications--it is hinted that this child of Peter might also be able to have some dramatic part to play in the clash of universes--maybe it could also activate "the machine." Walternate already seems very interested in his grandson, and not just in a patriarchal sense. Granted, when you try to read the messages being telegraphed of future plot twists, you can be misled; but this is something being telegraphed with a heavy hand on the key.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Ron, the part it'll play is what Simon said. Peter has to choose a world. Do you think it's more likely or less that he'll choose the world where his child lives?
When Walternate nixed the idea of experimenting with Cortexiphan on children, I almost cried. In a lot of ways, he's a better man than our Walter.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Lisa, yes, he refused to experiment on children. But still he is willing to destroy an entire universe or at least alternate earth--with all its people (including children)!
There are some good things about Walternate's world. 911 never happened, they use zeppelins for transportation, the copper coating on the Statue of Liberty has apparently been treated, so it won't turn blue.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Self defense. They were invaded, and the results were vast and deadly. I think he's justified. They're fighting a defensive war, and it's one where no one can argue about the fact that our Walter started it.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
But who was responsible for splitting the universe/world into two timelines? This has to be resolved eventually as a physical necessity. Walter did not split the two universes/worlds apart. He upset the balance and hastened the eventual collapse/resolution. But those mysterious "Observers," or the "First People," may be the ones really to blame. Walter just found out about it. If what he did was so disastrously wrong, then why didn't the Observers stop him?
I really hope the writers do not disappoint us, and continue their interesting plotting to a conclusion that really makes sense.
John Nobel is a great actor! I kind of like Anna Torv, too.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
I was really happy they gave us an alterverse episode. I felt kind of bad for Frank when he found out Fauxlivia was pregnant.
I am really interested in Simon. He seems to know exactly what is going on. I want to know who he is, how he gets his information, and what his goals are.
Edit: Oh look I broke 1,000 posts. About time.
[ February 14, 2011, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: Geraine ]
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I watched the credits to see if it was going to be all alterverse or a little of each. I like the fact that they signal us by color.
The one thing I've never really been able to get past is that there were changes long enough ago that the people there don't know who Andrew Jackson is, and yet individuals like Walter and Peter and Olivia are duplicated almost exactly. You'd think that changes that far back would result in some pretty major divergence. Unless the Observers were keeping things matched, I suppose...
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: But who was responsible for splitting the universe/world into two timelines?
Maybe it was Krona. Or an analogous character. Clearly the split happened long ago. It may have been on purpose, but it's more likely that it was an accident. One that the Observers have been trying to fix ever since.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa:
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: But who was responsible for splitting the universe/world into two timelines?
Maybe it was Krona.
Thanks Lisa, I needed that today.
Observers: We are trying to put the universes back together again
Olivia: Well who divided them in the first place?"
Krona: "It was me! Tee hee hee!"
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Geraine:
quote:Originally posted by Lisa:
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: But who was responsible for splitting the universe/world into two timelines?
Maybe it was Krona.
Thanks Lisa, I needed that today.
Observers: We are trying to put the universes back together again
Olivia: Well who divided them in the first place?"
Krona: "It was me! Tee hee hee!"
I love that you got it.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Did anyone see the last few episodes of Fringe? Sunject 13 was a pretty good episode, but this latest one kind of annoyed me.
Spoilers!!
In Subject 13 Bell is not around and Walter is doing experiments with the kids. Olivia is his star pupil and we find out that Walternate originally found out about the other universe through Olivia.
In this latest episode Walter rings the bell to activate the "Soul Magnet" and William Bell's spirit is sucked into Olivia, whos body he takes over...
When did William put the little device needed for that in Olivia?
I thought it was a poor choice. I thought Nina would have been the best person for the job. And Ana Torv's Leonard Nimoy voice was utterly horrible. I actually cringed when I heard it.
Other than that it was a decent episode.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
Who says there has to be a device in Olivia? The only device was the bell. Olivia simply happened to be the best host for Bell's spirit.
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