(S01E05) "I'm sure it had something to do with commies. It always did back then." - Walter
You know what? I don't even care if the stories are believable or not. I'm totally on-board with Fringe. I'm mesmerized by the storyline and characters, especially Walter, whether he's drinking Jean's milk out of a lab container or laughing gleefully as pigeons are released with GPS tracking devices. He's my favorite TV character at the moment. I'm even liking Peter and Olivia these days.
This episode had me hooked from beginning to end -- from the moment the elevator drove itself into the ground to the mysterious appearances of John to the electrical-impulse storyline. I loved it. Not only that, my 14-year-old son and his buddies love it, too, which makes me think it's reaching across a lot of different age groups.
There was so much going on in this episode -- action (elevator dropping), intrigue (people engineered to have abilities), comedy (Walter shuffling around to make electrical charges), even romance (John and Olivia) -- and I never once felt bored or waiting for it to be over.
Points of interest:
Olivia seeing John. I was screaming at the TV to have Olivia ask Walter about the strange appearances. But she didn't have to. He knew right away. But I'm not so sure I agree with his theory that they're hallucinations, and the result of her being in the tank with John. That kiss seemed awfully real. Then again, maybe that's true. When he led her to the secret room full of files, maybe that was his consciousness telling her where to go. Still, if their brains have merged to that extent, why doesn't he just come out and tell her everything, instead of saying she's "on the right track" and he didn't betray her, but she'll have to wait to learn more?
People altered to have abilities. Heroes crossover! The clinic with Dr. Fisher experimenting on humans made me think about this week's Heroes episode and Dr. Zimmerman doing similar work for The Company.
Olivia creeping down a dark hallway with a flashlight. I was quaking in my boots for her. It reminded me of the last scene in The Silence of the Lambs, where Jodie Foster is searching through the pitch-black basement for Hannibal. Only she didn't have a flashlight, which made it even scarier.
I can't wait for next week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-15-2008 @ 10:31AM
cdawg said...
I agree - I don't care how unbelievable the stories are. I would however like the homeland security guy to further address the unlikely coincidence that EVERYTHING pattern related was at one time a Walter experiment!
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10-15-2008 @ 10:38AM
DONB said...
is it just me or is Fringe getting worse from week to week.....I find it a lil boring....the characters are a bit annoying....especially agent whatshername!!!!!
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10-15-2008 @ 12:04PM
RAYMOND WOODCOCK said...
If you dont like Fringe! DONT WATCH IT.
10-16-2008 @ 5:06AM
Tom said...
I am totally in agreement. I Tivo'd this weeks episode and watched it in the background. When it didn't get my attention, I put it on again tonight, and again it couldn't hold my interest. Delete.
Then I watched the premeire of "Eleventh Hour" and wow! Here's a show with potential. Not perfect, but after one episode, I can already tell it's better than "Fringe." I'm buying stock in "Eleventh Hour" and pretty much giving up on "Fringe." Now public opinion being what it is, "Eleventh Hour" may just be "Chicago Hope" to "Fringe's" "E/R," but I'll stick with it. "Fringe" sucks so far, each week is SUCH an X-Files knock-off poorly done.
"Eleventh Hour" feels more unique, is definitely better acted (and populated with better actors), and as far as Scully wannabes go, Marley Shelton is way frigging hotter than Anna Torv. She's smoking! I will tune in just to see her! And the show has a lot of potential. It needs to get better and settle in--I'm betting it will.
"Fringe" makes me cringe.
10-15-2008 @ 10:48AM
vacelts said...
It was touching moment when Olivia confided in Walter about her John visions. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him and I’m not sure I agree with Walter on she’s seeing John.
http://vacelts.newsvine.com/_news/2008/10/14/1999178
-john-scott-returns-to-guide-fringes-olivia
Loved how Walter made Olivia’s necklace float. It was almost as cool as the tracking pigeons.
The Observer was back. He walked out of the elevator right before it crashed. I wonder what that means?
I was surprised to see Astrid willing to be alone with Walter after the last episode. But apparently she forgives and forgets. And Walter still can’t remember her name, but at least he now knows what letter it starts with.
Walter continues to check with Peter about his health which reinforces my belief that he experimented on his son.
http://redlightnaps.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/fringe-the-ghost-network/
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10-15-2008 @ 10:50AM
Bryan said...
I thought this was the weakest episode of the season and by 9:50 I was yawning and already standing in wait for it to end so I could go to bed.
Aside from Walter and whatever skeletons I'm sure his son has in his closet, I find myself struggling with everything else. I wish there was a different female lead and I wish every episode didn't leave me saying, "ehh, it was much better when it was called The X-Files".
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10-15-2008 @ 10:51AM
Kim said...
Jane,
Nice to see a TV Squad blogger who actually likes the series she/he is writing about. I agree with you that Fringe has become must see tv for me. Is it the best series ever? No, but I like it. It's not as riveting as Lost and Alias have been for me but it's also nice to know that my world won't end if I miss an episode once in a while!
Olivia is the weakest link and my only criticism of the series thus far. That girl just can't act! Is it too late to replace her?
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10-16-2008 @ 12:13PM
eric f. said...
Agreed about the review, but I really enjoy Olivia.
I am happy that shows like Fringe and Eleventh Hour are so good.
10-15-2008 @ 10:55AM
Rock Robertson (DJrock3k) said...
@ vacelts: Yeah, the first person I saw last night was The Observer leaving the elevator.
After I stopped laughing at their sneakiness, I thought: " nothing good comes from him appearing".
The guy is the show's bad luck charm.
And yes, Walter is well on the way to becoming Best. Mad. Scientist. Evar.
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10-15-2008 @ 10:57AM
SassylilB said...
I liked Last nights episode. It was good (my favorite being two weeks ago with the watcher!), enjoyable and entertaining! As far as believable, I stopped trying to figure out if TV was believable a very log time ago!
It entertaining and that's the main thing!! Out all the shows I am watching this season this is one of my favorites!
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10-15-2008 @ 11:24AM
Christopher said...
Did anyone else notice at the very beginning when "Electro Man" gets into the elevator, that the bald, hairless guy called "The Observer", I believe, is seen walking out of the elevator putting on a hat? I swear I saw him! Perhaps this will be one of those visual things to watch out for in each episode...how he shows up at all of these things that happen related to "The Pattern"?
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10-15-2008 @ 12:03PM
George said...
I think the big revelation, the one that will answer a lot of questions and create even more, is when we finally meet Massive Dynamic CEO William Bell. It's obvious that his identity is going to be a big deal; otherwise we'd have seen him by now. I recall reading an interview in which Kurtzman/Orci/whoever-it-was said that the actor who's going to play Bell doesn't know yet that he's going to play him. The only way they'd know this for certain is if the actor in question is already under contract to the show. So... it could be Mark Valley, suggesting that Agent Scott is a Bell clone or something similar. This puts Walter in a more sinister position, as he'd have recognized Scott -- and perhaps he did, given that his tip led Olivia to Massive Dynamic.
Alternately, Joshua Jackson might be playing Bell. Perhaps Walter and his wife were unable to have kids by conventional means and Walter "borrowed" some DNA. Perhaps he simply brought home a successful in vitro fertilization or cloning experiment to avoid it being liquidated by the government. Regardless, it's interesting that Peter, who knows a lot more about scientific matters than Olivia does, has never sat in on a meeting with Tina Sharp.
Or the bald man is Bell, but I'd prefer to believe that the bald man is from the future.
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10-15-2008 @ 12:07PM
Cyantre said...
It's official. Fringe does Heroes better than Heroes.
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10-15-2008 @ 12:10PM
J. Western said...
I really like Anna Torv (Olivia). I didn't realize others find her annoying. The funny thing is I have a picture of her as my wallpaper on my iPhone (Fringe Publicity pic). I guess that's not quite as creepy as having a candid of her I took while she was on the phone. Hopefully I'll never drop my phone while standing next to her...in an elevator, after going to a doctor to help boost my self confidence.
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10-15-2008 @ 12:10PM
Courtney said...
I totally agree with you on the show. I feel like this episode got us back to the fantastic level of the pilot.
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10-15-2008 @ 1:58PM
Cody said...
I think you're referring to the scene where Clarice is searching through the basement looking for Buffalo Bill. There were no scenes like this between Clarice and Hannibal.
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10-15-2008 @ 2:38PM
Jo said...
I think it would be totally awesome to have William Bell turn out to be Krycek.
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10-15-2008 @ 3:04PM
AnnD said...
I LOVE this show! It may not be as good as Lost, but in my opinion, it's better than Heroes (too much crap going on there). As far as Olivia, I think the actress plays her so straight because she doesn't know who to trust, and has to keep all of her feelings to herself. But I think she's beginning to trust Walter, which I have a feeling may bite her in the butt later!
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10-15-2008 @ 3:21PM
Gina said...
After the last episode, I was ready to write this show off. I started watching because of JJ Abrams, and that is what kept me watching. I knew I could have turned it off and stopped watching, but JJ has always been one to slowly build shows. He did the same with Lost, and I wasn't totally on board with that one in the beginning either. This week's episode of Fringe pulled me in, and I was watching from beginning to end. I think the series might not be the best right now, but I can definitely see where it can have potential. I'm going to keep watching.
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10-15-2008 @ 3:40PM
DONB said...
YAWWWNNNNNN!!!!!!! All the way from Bangkok
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