136 replies to this topic

[Docteur Qui]

I noticed that there isn't a thread for this show here, so thought I'd start one. I just finished watching the second episode of Season 2 and wanted to know what other people's thoughts of this show are? There will be spoilers...

I watched the first season on DVD which I think helped me appreciate it more than I would've on a week to week basis. The show started fairly strong, with a premise that was part X-Files, part Alias and part LOST. The "monster-of-the-week" format really doesn't do much for me these days, I guess because I'm such a follower of serialised shows like LOST, so the first half of the season really took some warming to. I didn't dislike the characters; I particularly loved Walter Bishop and found him a refreshing and entertaining main character, but Peter's pessimism annoyed me and Olivia didn't seem any deeper than a Sydney Bristow clone. The personal development of these people really wasn't touched on to begin with which was disappointing - the most entertaining part of Sydney Bristow's character when Alias started was her strained relationship with her dad juxtaposed with her friends and her love interest, and they were all fleshed out early on. Same with LOST, which was character first, mystery second, at least to start with).

However, the show really hit its stride in the latter half of the season when the seemingly unrelated "Fringe" incidents took shape and became tied to the mythology. Some awesome revelations took place which gave the characters a lot more weight (though Olivia's discovery that she was experimented on as a child echoed Sydney's childhood more than a little bit) and it became an exciting and intriguing show. Some truly interesting characters popped up too, mainly Nina Sharp and William Bell (the always excellent Leonard Nimoy, albeit in a brief appearance in the last episode). The second season started well - though the second episode is once again a standalone monster affair - and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here, and just what the writers have in store.

So... Anyone else watch the show?

[Greg1138]

Hmmmm....this is a new one on me.....sounds like I need to check it out.....

[Wycket]

I really liked this show, as it has definitely filled the void left by The X-Files. I almost gave up on it midway through the first season, but I'm glad I didn't. The cast all have good chemistry and I like the fact that the whole conspiracy is starting to unfold.

[king mark]

I'm in the "I watched it a few times but couldn't get into it" category

[Docteur Qui]

Yeah I think if I'd been watching it from week to week I would've lost interest pretty quickly.

It's worth a shot though, if you can watch the episodes back-to-back.

[Bryant Burnette]

Here are some of my fandom credentials, so you'll know where I'm coming from:

HUGE X-Files fan; HUGE Lost fan; Alias fan.

I enjoyed the first season of Fringe, but like many, didn't necessarily feel that it amounted to a whole heck of a lot until they started kicking in the mythology. And once they'd done that, they had an annoying habit of completely stopping it again in favor of monster-of-the-week episodes that, more often than not, underwhelmed.

So far, I'd have to say the second season shows signs of big improvement. There have only been two episodes, granted, but they've been better by far than the average first-season episode. Last night's, for example, wasn't a great episode, but it seemed to have a very solid grasp on integrating the monster-of-the-week elements with character moments, and also mixing the standalone aspects in with the mythology-based elements. If that's a format the producers can maintain from this point forward, then the end result is going to be a show where lesser episodes are still quite good, and that will serve to make the high-point episodes all the more satisfying.

If I might be allowed a brief moment of self-promotion, I'll be writing reviews of each new episode and posting them at http://www.loadedcouchpotatoes.com/. Not just Fringe, either, but Dollhouse, Mad Men, and whatever else I have the time and energy to write about.

[Olivier]

Season 1 was shown here on TV this summer only (two episodes per week); I liked it, and am now following Season 2 (downloading it, as I started doing for Lost with Season 5).

Walter Bishop is a very good character, that greatly benefits from John Noble's acting.

I was surprised that

Spoiler

the German villain was killed in the first season's finale after such a build-up (though, of course, a doppelganger of his from an alternate reality may well be featured later on)

. This, and the beginning of Season 2 (

Spoiler

the Fringe division being shut down, and Charlie's death & replacement by a killer)

, are typical of Abrahms's series: things get greatly shaken up at every season change-- which is a good thing, as the situation is renewed (Sloane's division was busted), relationships are redefined (Sloane kept changing sides), and you never know what to expect.

The biggest and most tragic revelation, of course, was that

Spoiler

Peter is actually dead, and that this one was thus taken by Walter from an alternate reality

.
I'm very curious to see how it will all unfold, and hope it will become as good as Lost has (even just half as good would be excellent).

Thanks for the this thread, which not only provides a place to discuss Fringe, but also prompted me to do what I have meant to do for some weeks: search for some sites to read about the series.
http://fringewiki.fox.com/?t=anon
http://fringepedia.n...iki/Fringepedia
Very nteresting: http://fringepedia.n...iki/Glyphs_code

[Docteur Qui]

If you followed season 2's premiere you would've seen that the

Spoiler

Fringe division wasn't in fact shut down, Peter assisted Agent Broyles in convincing the government to keep it open. If anything this was a weak plot point that was resolved too quickly to create any real tension.

Still, looking forward to the next ep...

[Olivier]

If you followed season 2's premiere you would've seen that the

Spoiler

Fringe division wasn't in fact shut down, Peter assisted Agent Broyles in convincing the government to keep it open. If anything this was a weak plot point that was resolved too quickly to create any real tension.

Still, looking forward to the next ep...

Right, but it's not quite clear either. At the end of the episode,

Spoiler

Peter gave the replicating device to Broyle to help keep the Fringe division open, but we did not see the result of this bargain, and in the second episode, they met outside to discuss what Peter considered a case worth investigating, which suggests they're operating semi-officially only.

[Koray Savas]

I watched my first episode of this show today. I don't know which one it was, but it dealt with a guy and his weird engineered mole-baby.

I was not impressed. Bad acting, bad dialogue, cliche dissonant tones for music. It's like one of those CSI shows except it's science fiction.

[Docteur Qui]

Koray, you saw the most recent episode. Wasn't great, but I didn't think it was that bad. It's still one of the more polished shows on TV I think. I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with the acting. The music for the early episodes is quite good, but I agree that lately it's become murky and generic. Is Chris Tilton still doing it?

In other news, I forgot to say before that the doubling of Charlie better go somewhere different and exciting, because the "replacing best friend with clone-mole" was done in a big way for Alias.

[Koray Savas]

Koray, you saw the most recent episode. Wasn't great, but I didn't think it was that bad. It's still one of the more polished shows on TV I think. I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with the acting. The music for the early episodes is quite good, but I agree that lately it's become murky and generic. Is Chris Tilton still doing it?

The acting seemed very dry and cardboard to me. They don't have any emotion in their voices. I'll probably watch more of it, but like I said, I wasn't impressed. As for the composer(s), it should still be Tilton and Seiter.

[Olivier]

Regarding spoilers, I suppose we can leave them untagged when they refer to episodes that have been aired and tag them only for true spoilers (upcoming episodes), as we do in the Lost thread, can't we?

Any ideas who the fake Charlie may be taking orders from?
Since (as stated above) I was surprised by the German villain's death, I suppose his alternate self could very well be the one.

[Wycket]

Well I think that its clear that Bell is the one telling "Charlie" what to from the parallel universe. As for the music, its credited to Giacchino and Tilton, though I assume Giacchino's only involvement at this point is the theme music.

[Docteur Qui]

And a cool title tune it is too. Best since the "Alias" end titles.

I don't think it is Bell giving those orders. For starters I don't see him wishing harm on Olivia, and the parallel-agent was at first ordered to assassinate her. Secondly these people seem to want to discover just what Bell said to Olivia in the alternate universe; she has vital information that they need from her and for some reason can't get anywhere else. That's my take on it!

[Wycket]

Yeah, I agree with all you said and you're probably right about it not being Bell, though I don't think the 5 minute conversation he had with Olivia is enough to tell what his real intentions are at this time. If not Bell, my only other guess would be parallel Walter, as from everything Peter has said about him he is a zealot and has a reason to be quite angry at his counterpart.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Parallel Walter... that'd be awesome!

Especially since Parallel Walter would be pissed that "our" Walter has "his" Peter!

[Jason LeBlanc]

So I haven't watched any of the 3 episodes that have aired so far in 2010. Are they any better than the recent bunch before that? I felt like the show was starting to slide.

From what I understand there's only 1 more new episode before it goes on break until April

[Docteur Qui]

Yeah, it seems FOX are doing what they're really good at; namely shuffling around decent shows and putting them on constant hiatus so viewers have no chance to connect with them. Bloody hell.

Don't watch the first episode that aired in 2010 - it's awful and confusing and I had no idea what was going on until I found out that the studio inexplicably decided to air a "lost" season one episode to kick off the new year. Hardly anyone knew that was the case, and I'm sure it turned more than a few confused viewers off. It's fairly obvious why the episode was not aired in the first place - it's a rare clunker for the series, something that hasn't been the case since early in season 1.

The most recent two, however, are definitely up to scratch. Though they (frustratingly) do not further advance the overall mythology, both contain very strong performances and subplots for Walter (particularly "Johari Window"). The stories themselves are generic Fringe but Walter really makes this series something to be excited about.

I kinda get that they want this to be the "anti-Lost" with more of a focus on self-contained stories. But there's so much they've set up for the parallel universe plot that I'm worried they're going to rush it and miss the potentially brilliant character moments. Would it really hurt them to even just mention the coming "war" between universes? Or even a hint of Massive Dynamic? I miss Nina Sharpe! Weren't her and Broyles seeing each other? Gah, I'm frustrated just thinking about it.

[ashinyobject]

It looks to be a mythology based episode for next week.
Those a definitely my favorite.

I feel like there are two different shows with the same characters.
One show has an overall story arc (Like the Star Wars movies)
And one show is "The Adventures of Walter and Friends" (Like the Star Wars side products: Holiday Special, Clone Wars TV shows, the upcoming live action TV show)

The former is the one I want to see and care about.
The latter is interesting and watchable, but ultimately unnecessary aside from the character development.

[Docteur Qui]

Okay, so I just watched "Peter" and was blown away. It's getting comparisons to the Richard Alpert episode of LOST but the two are quite different from another, yet both deliver quite an emotional punch. Easily the best episode of the season, and it's looking to be a great launching pad for the emotional development of Peter.

[Wycket]

Yeah, anyone who has doubts about this show should go on Hulu and watch the two most recent episodes. They are heavily mythology based and will prove why this is one of the best shows around. Hopefully it'll get the 24 slot next season so it can benefit from the House lead-in.

[Docteur Qui]

By the way, how awesome was the retro, 70s/80s version of the main title in "Peter"? I loved that little touch!

[Olivier]

By the way, how awesome was the retro, 70s/80s version of the main title in "Peter"? I loved that little touch!

It was great, both the visuals & the music.

[Wycket]

Oh, I loved all the 80s bits. From the opening titles, to the music, to the location cards, and the Eric Stoltz reference -- all were terrific.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I finally got a chance to see this episode tonight. Watched it right before LOST actually, which was funny watching 2 straight hours of JJ Abrams alternate dimension television

I agree it was a very good episode. Kinda restored my faith in the show - the season has been really up and down as far as I'm concerned, but this was a solid effort. Peter's kind of a dick for not returning Peter to his rightful world! I know it made his wife happy but... oh boy. Also, I posted a theory a LONG time ago that I think is true more than ever - the alternate version of Walter (Walternate, lol!) is going to end up being the series main bad guy

[Wycket]

Yeah, I think your right Jason. I've had the same theory for a while (basically since Peter said his dad was like a dictator) and nothing has passed to make me think any different.

If it is the case, its one of the best moves a show like Fringe (ratings challenged) could do. They introduce a villain who is portrayed by a great actor. And luckily enough, they are already paying said actor to be on the show, so they could save a little green in the process. Plus, I really want to see John Noble in his serious tone for an extended period of time.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Just watched the Season 2 finale. I have to say this show really came into its own late this season! Every episode from "Peter" onward (minus the misguided "Brown Betty") have been great, with the finale being pretty satisfying. They have a way on this show to bring up questions every week, but then answering them that same week, or at least giving you clues to how they are going to answer them. It's not like LOST where there are a million questions and they keep introducing more before answering old ones, but also not like Alias where it is extremely serialized and it ends up being one long storyline with all the cliffhangers, etc. Instead its its own, different kind of storytelling that is working perfectly for the story they are telling.

I like that the finale leads to some interesting story ideas for Season 3, without a specific OMG cliffhanger moment. They have time to plan out a season exactly the way they want. Though that being said I can't imagine Olivi-alt will still around for longer than, say, November sweeps. We'll see!

[Wycket]

Yeah, I thought the second half of the season was great too. Brown Betty was especially disappointing, because I imagined that Walter's trips would be more Guillermo del Toro like rather than a noir detective story, but it had it moments. As for Alt-Olivia, I'm sure it will just be til sweeps as Jason already pointed out, but it could be interesting to see what Ana Torv will do with the character.

[Koray Savas]

I kinda want to get into this show, but I just know it won't compare to LOST. I have a feeling it's very mythology-centric and not character-centric.

[Docteur Qui]

No, quite the opposite in fact IMO. The character of Walter Bishop is one of the most layered and intriguing creations on television - in just two seasons he's almost as well developed as John Locke or Jack Shepherd were in 6 years. And John Noble's portrayal is nothing short of brilliant.

Also, for the most part the episodes are fairly self-contained and "monster of the week", with mainly just the character relationships carrying over. There is an overarching story though, and because the pieces are more subtly put in place it's quite satisfying when the payoff comes (generally in the season finales). It's up to you whether you like this or the more serialized approach, but I for one find it refreshing when it's done well.

[Jason LeBlanc]

It's absolutely worth checking out on blu. It's basically a cross between X-Files and Alias, with very little Lost-like elements. It drags a bit towards the end of season 1 and the beginning of season 2, but once they found their groove its been quite good.

[Jason LeBlanc]

So who's watching Season 3?

The whole thing last week with the ancient drawing of Olivia was STRAIIIIIIIIGHT out of ALIAS.... yikers. They could have come up with some other way for the machine to work IMO.

Also the jump to the future was straight outta LOST! (and BSG, and DH, and...) Is this a permanent jump?

[Taikomochi]

I've been keeping up. I haven't seen Alias, so the Olivia machine elements seem original to me(or at least not directly taken from another show...) I have no idea about the time jump. To be honest, I thought it was kinda a disappointing twist.

[Docteur Qui]

I've been keeping up with this show, but assumed others hadn't so wasn't posting.

It's been an incredibly strong year for this show, though it had a couple of bumps along the way. I wasn't a fan of the retconning that happened - particularly Olivia and Peter's existing history from their childhood. And the whole William Bell/Soul Magnets storyline wasn't used to its full extent. Still, overall it's been great.

I also got the ALIAS vibe from the drawings, ever since Peter's face appeared in one last season. It doesn't bother me much though; ALIAS went all over the place and got bogged down in its mythology, and while Fringe is similarly in danger of doing so, it seems for the time being to be righting all of the previous wrongs.

[Jason LeBlanc]

It's been a great season, the show has been getting better and better every year. I've enjoyed all the plot lines this season, and I don't think the show is getting bogged down my the mythology the way ALIAS did at all.

Olivia being possessed by Williams Bell was great, she did a wonderful job impersonating Nimoy.

[Chaac]

I read this had some stuff I like so I'm planning to see it.

I've only seen the first two episodes and it struck me as cold and distant.

[Jason LeBlanc]

The show took a while to get going in its first season. Once the mythology started to develop at the end of the first season and throughout the second it got really good.

For a while in season 1 its just a monster of the week type show. Once you get past those you're in for a nice surprise

[Thor]

I love this show, although - like ALL tv shows - it takes some episodes to "get". Unlike others here, though, I appreciate both the more independent "monster of the week" episodes in the first two seasons, as well as the more mythology-driven focus in recent times.

And I'm a HUGE John Noble fan! Loved him in LOTR, love him here. How he shifts between Walter and Walternate is nothing short of brilliant.

[Taikomochi]

And the whole William Bell/Soul Magnets storyline wasn't used to its full extent.

Exactly! It was like they got Nimoy to come back, but then he decided he didn't feel like it, so they just wrapped it all up with him doing his voice overs by phone. It had no impact on the story.

...it stroke me...

Awwww yeahhhhh.