Cool News
Hercules Says J.J. Abrams’ FRINGE Is The Best New Fall Series He’s Seen So Far!! What Say The Newspaper Critics??
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
What’s the difference between the “Fringe” that leaked months ago and the one we’ll see tonight? New dialogue makes more clear why Walter Bishop was locked away. At least one scene was added to make the Joshua Jackson character more likeable. Lots of cool new CGI effects were added, and they play a big role in the pilot’s new final shot.
For those who missed it, here’s what I posted on June 20 (beware the spoilers!):
Fringe 1.1 FAQ
What’s it called?
“Pilot.”
Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to the “Alias”-“Mission Impossible III”-“Star Trek” team of J.J. Abrams (“Felicity,” “Lost”) and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (“The Island,” “The Legend of Zorro,” “Transformers”).
What does Fox say?
“When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, "Boston Legal"), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble, "Lord of the Rings"), our generation's Einstein. There's only one catch: he's been institutionalized for the last 17 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson, "Dawson's Creek") in to help. When Olivia's investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown, "Altered States"), our unlikely trio along with fellow FBI Agents PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick, "The Wire"), CHARLIE FRANCIS (Kirk Acevedo, "Oz") and ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent") will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth.”
The big news?
I’d be shocked if we see another fall pilot this year as good as this one. Scary, funny, suspenseful and superslick “Fringe” will fire imaginations and, like the three Abrams-scripted pilots before it, leave viewers craving more.
What’s this about “a larger, more shocking truth?”
That “larger, more shocking truth” business is interesting, and complicated. The description of superscientist Walter Bishop as “our generation’s Einstein” represents a rare bit of understatement on the part of Fox’s publicity department. Bishop is more like this generation’s Milo Rambaldi, the shadowy 15th century seer/inventor who haunted the events of “Alias” by designing technology he saw in our future. Bishop’s twentysomething son (who turns out to be plenty brainy himself) believes with Sydney Bristow-esque naivety that his chemist father made his living in a basement below Harvard University “doing research for a toothpaste company.”
Aim? Aquafresh?
As it happens, Walter Bishop’s lab beneath Harvard had little to do with toothpaste and more to do with rapidly evolving technology into the realm of science fiction. “He was part of a classified U.S. Army experimental program called Kelvin Genetics,” the FBI girl tentatively explains to Bishop’s shocked son about 30 minutes into the 2-hour pilot. “They gave him the resources to do whatever work he wanted.”
And all this is somehow tied to the plane mishap?
There was “an accident” in that Harvard lab some two decades ago. Ubergenius Bishop was arrested. Bishop’s lab-mate and only confidant was a fellow named William Bell who, sometime subsequent to Bishop’s institutionalization, became the superrich, superfamous and superpowerful founder of a now-$50 billion high-tech defense contractor called Massive Dynamics, which appears to manufacture robots, weapons, proprietary pharmaceuticals, and a host of other modern miracles. And Massive Dynamics (an entity of which the long-sequestered Bishop remained wholly unaware) recently employed someone with an intimate knowledge of what happened on that plane bound for Boston.
Say. Didn’t Fox already air a series about FBI agents investigating the uncanny?
It did.
Will subsequent “Fringe” episodes deal with sentient extraterrestrial crude oil, killer bees or humanoid tapeworms?
We learn late in the “Fringe” pilot that what happened on that horrifying flight is somehow tied to a wave of three dozen incidents investigated and “authenticated” over the prior nine months. Dozens of kids who disappeared a decade ago have just begun reappearing, having not aged a day. A mysterious plane carrying a very noisy device apparently appeared in the skies over Asia not long before a tsunami killed 83,000 people. A man woke up from a long coma and began jotting down a seemingly endless stream of numbers – numbers that turned out to be “above top-secret” coordinates for NATO battlegroups stationed in the Pacific. Few are aware of these incidents, but certain U.S. officials are calling them “The Pattern.”
Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “X-Files” pilot?
Ha! The “Fringe” pilot strips its hot blonde FBI girl down to her underwear just before it sticks a cold metal rod in her brain and drops her in a tank full of saltwater. So yes. The pilot also suggests the “Fringe” series will offer more interesting characters and a more persuasive and coherent mythology than did Fox’s earlier sci-fi FBI series. The production values, stunts and special effects are eye-popping and even its superimpositions (showy, floaty text that tells us whether we’re in Boston or Baghdad) are supercool.
“Twin Peaks” had FBI agents investigating weird stuff every week, didn’t it? Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the “Twin Peaks” pilot?
Nothing’s as good as the “Twin Peaks” pilot.
Is the “Fringe” pilot as good as the Abrams-directed “Alias” and “Lost” pilots?
It is not. But those were two of the best pilots ever forged.
How rate you “Fringe’s” cast?
Terrific top to bottom. Torv and Jackson are compelling and convincing leads. Blair Brown (one of the pilot’s many nods to “Altered States”) is spooky as a creepy Massive Dynamics exec. “Wire” walker Lance Reddick brings beautiful suspicion and disdain to his latest bald-guy-in-charge. And Noble does a spectacular job as the broken brain at the center of the tale – summoning a performance by turns sad and funny and scary.
Abrams didn’t direct this pilot, right?
Emmy-winning director-producer Alex Graves, whose work has graced “The West Wing,” “The Practice,” “Gideon’s Crossing” and “Journeyman,” helmed the pilot. His work here is striking and exceptional.
Isn’t Abrams essentially abandoning “Fringe” as he did “Alias” and “Lost”?
I gather Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci all have busy, expensive big-screen careers and will not be actively involved with the series. The good news is Jeff Pinkner, an “Alias” vet who wrote the superb “Lost” episodes “Not In Portland” and “The Man From Tallahassee,” has taken over as series showrunner.
This sounds … promising. How long before Fox cancels it?
“Fringe’s” lead-in this fall is the megahit “House.” Its lead-in next spring is the super-megahit “American Idol.” “Fringe,” I suspect, is going to be a ratings monster.
Fox airs the 2-hour “Fringe” pilot Sept. 9.
AICN’s “Capone” says:
… The pilot is a slam dunk … prepare to be immensely entertained. …
The Associated Press says:
… As Olivia, newcomer Anna Torv is suitably authoritative or vulnerable, as the situation requires. Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek") establishes Peter as cocky but caring. And John Noble ("The Lord of the Rings") is perfect as Dr. Bishop, the not-so-mad but scattered genius. Meanwhile, viewers are treated to a couple of sly twists that should bring them back for the second episode. Based on its opener, "Fringe" does action, intrigue, mind-blowing science and horror-film ick. It even does humor and romance. What DOESN'T it do?
USA Today gives it three and a half stars (out of four) and says:
… What Abrams brings to Fringe is a director's eye for plot and pace, a fan's love of sci-fi excitement, and a story-teller's gift for investing absurd events with real emotions and relatable characters. But more than anything, he's an entertainer; what permeates his shows is the joy he takes in the medium, in contorting conventions and genres into something new.…
The New York Times says:
… as pilots go, this one is sensational, an artful, suspenseful mix of horror, science fiction, layered conspiracies and extended car chases. “Fringe” sets out to stretch the boundaries of conventional network series. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… an uneven but promising jumble of horror, thriller and comedy …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… frequently overwrought but occasionally interesting … I'm willing to give "Fringe" a few more chances to convince me that anything is possible.
The Washington Post says:
… apart from the opening sequence -- think gooey, taffy-pull flesh and projectile viscera -- there's not all that much that's freaky or creepy about "Fringe." … The good news here is the pilot often has the look of a feature film, as, with a reported budget of $10 million, it should. … merely throws together a lot of ingredients in a not-very-satisfying salad.
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… Though the pilot has some flaws in it - mostly from a clash of tones - it still overdelivers on creativity, creepiness, fine acting and burgeoning character development. Nobody should need a free pass after giving that much to viewers, but a lot is expected of Abrams and Co., and "Fringe," with its "X-Files" and "Altered States" influences, is boundlessly ambitious. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
There may be a good show buried deep within "Fringe," but the 90-minute premiere episode is a mess -- and an overstuffed, head-scratching bore, too.… At the end of the "Fringe" premiere, viewers get intriguing information about Sharp and what goes on in the Massive Dynamic labs. That closing scene gives me some hope that "Fringe" may be able to pull itself into something more coherent in future episodes.
The Boston Globe says:
… Abrams grabs us straight away with a "Twilight Zone"-ish mystery that promises to push us to the brink of the imagination. Of storytelling ambition, it must be said, J.J. Abrams has no dearth. But after the electrifying start, "Fringe" unfolds as an uneven, unwieldy piece of work that provides very few chills and thrills. There is potential here, and if anyone can pull a good series out of a slack, meandering premiere, Abrams can. Still, this eagerly awaited show is a disappointment, one that unsuccessfully strains to evoke the paranoid spirit of "The X-Files." As it skips - at times nonsensically - from twist to turn, "Fringe" never truly got me to care. …
Variety says:
… given the auspices and hype, "Fringe" disappoints … the show is handsomely produced, and the premise provides access to a potentially fertile vein of modern paranoia; still, for a series that will need to tap into an avid core of viewers to succeed, the formula appears lacking in the necessary chemistry to conjure a fanatical "Fringe" element.
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… What really makes "Fringe" so promising is that it is potentially reminiscent, in a small way, of the battle-of-the-sexes charm that once made "Moonlighting" the best hour of TV of its time. …
8 p.m. Tuesday. Fox.
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The Making of Star Wars
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Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays!!
Definitive Editions: $34.99/Season!!
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make me want to check this out, the previews donot
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nuts
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Since I think they suck as writers and from those reviews it seems they are delivering their suckness in spades.Well, here's to hoping, they some how pull it off. Good sci-fi, hell even okay sci-fi has been mostly missing from TV as of late. I hope they manage to do this I really do.
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-without the porn.
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sucked massive hairy balls but am willing to give this another shot if there have been substantive changes.....
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the changes are far from huge
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degenerated into the paranoid, multi leveled conspiracy shtick.
I'll watch for the first few.... -
-- guess I'll have to check it out myself. You've steered me right on a bunch of great shows I wouldn't have checked out otherwise (BUFFY, GILMORE GIRLS, PUSHING DAISIES), but your notorious (and weird) dislike of the X FILES makes me skeptical of your take on this very X FILEy little number. Here's hoping it's up to your usual standards.
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maybe I won't then. I just found it boring, trite, hollow characterisation and generally wasn't anything that we hadn't seen before. Very high production values and it 'looked' great but it just didn't interest me.
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in fact, there's a lot here that is quite reminiscent of a certain other TV show Abrams is vaguely involved in from time to time...
DeJa Vu all over again? -
This all sounds so much like Alias it is ridiculous. Abrams is all high concept but never knows how to explain everything. Or anything. He did this on Alias and he did it on Lost. It's all very cool but leaves you like a plate of chinese food with MSG. Hungry and bloated afterward.
Herc as usual drinks the Kool-aid. Abrams says "no this time I won't fool you" and Herc says "baaaahhhhhh" like a good little sheep reviewer. -
I imagine it would star a fat guy.
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i was totally game after watching the pilot. i liked where the story was heading. i do however foresee a long stretching of the main storyline. which is ok as long as it isnt done tedious or ever changing as the x-files or millennium which the latter completely changed from season to season. so lets bring it on
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I did like parts of it, mostly the interaction between the mad scientist dude and Josh Jackson. The setup for the big ass mystery was pretty annoying due of the disgusting lack of subtlety throughout the episode. If the big questions feel run into the ground from episode 1, theres a fucking problem. Also, I kind of wanted to stab the main character in the face a lot of the time. That totally uninteresting woman in the lead really brought down everything else around her.
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The best thing about the pilot is Blair Brown, and she gets criminally underused. I suppose her character must be brought out slowly, but it's not a good sign that your most compelling actor is only given two minutes of screentime.
And saying this is as goos as the X-Files pilot? No way. Mulder and Scully got off to a pretty stable start. Fringe is a too unbalanced and there are too many misfires. Potential is there greater things, however.
And finally...this show owes its premise/existence more to Doomwatch than to The X-Files. The tone and mission are EXACTLY what Doomwatch was doing back in the '70s. The Brits beat us to it!
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oh yea. Make the GL movie WB.
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I guess I’ll be another dissenting voice on this one, as I found the pilot, while certainly slickly directed, to be rather dull when it came to story and character execution. The magical casting genie that oversaw other Abrams projects must have been taking a day off when this show went into production. Anna Torv never goes beyond bland and blonde, and the opening scenes she shares with her dull, hunky partner were damn-near cringe-inducing. They’re like FBI agents crossed with a Gap ad. Jackson is woefully miscast as a scientific genius, and none of his scenes with Noble are emotionally convincing. Worse yet, they managed to take the brilliant Lance Reddick and dull him down to the point that he’s essentially a non-entity – it’s hard to believe this is the same guy who was so electrifying on THE WIRE.The storyline Is little more than a wonky medical mystery, a mix of CSI with a dash of X-FILES; the mythology is awkwardly shoved in at the last second. And speaking of XF, that pilot was light years more interesting than what we’ve got here. XF in the early going managed to capture lightning in a bottle and brought us two of the most compelling leads ever seen in a genre program. Infinitely more compelling than anyone we’re introduced to in FRINGE. Even when XF went off the rails, Duchovny and Anderson were mostly a pleasure to watch as Mulder and Scully, while I can’t even recall the names of FRINGE’s characters a few days after watching. The best that can be said about the pilot is that it’s highly polished, which it should be at a cost of 10 million. The inherent problem, however, is that the rest of the eps will be shot for considerably less and will be much more reliant on story and character. If the staff doesn’t establish these well (and quickly) I see the ratings taking a fast nosedive.
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Just watched an x-files season 7 ep again and she just kept getting more horny as time went on...
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This sounds like a good show but Fox has a long history of canceling promising shows, as do most networks. I think I'll skip this one and if it's still on and getting good reviews in two years then I'll go back and catch up.
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...I give it 6 eps before it's cancelled.
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i don't know... i mean FOX is famous for axing shows, but the amount of money, talent and promotion they've put into this, i can't imagine anyone at FOX will be too quick to pull the plug on this. that said, i am very excited to see this tonight... i may be one of the only people on here who didn't see the leaked pilot.
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and found it a total snooze, couldn't make it to the end
but I'll try one more time, maybe these extras scenes will help -
Sep 09, 2008 8:51:11 AM CDT
...and two years from now it will be an unintelligible mess...
by pdorwick
...just like Alias became; just like Lost became. J.J. can't finish.
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Lost is fantastic.
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I swear he has a dominatrix fetish or something. Remember Kate was to be the hero in Lost? Felicity, Alias, now this. I will ABSOLUTELY watch every episode even if I have only followed LOST, this looks good. And my wife is obsessed with Joshua Jackson to the point that my fucking cat is called Pacey, 8 years of living with a black cat called Pacey.
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Clearly you like to follow shows where things are obvious and laid out for you. Here's 90210 future plotline, the black kids parents return! And their Ghetto, but he is torn between his new family and his love for his broken one. Oh and the skinny bitch gets skinnier. There. Happy? Don't want to strain your brain between episdoes of Big Brother or 2 and a Half Men. Damn people like you piss me off.
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Truer words were never spoken.
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Sep 09, 2008 9:46:07 AM CDT
Could people please stop putting Lost and Abrahams together
by lovecraftfan
It keeps getting better and better and it has nothing to do with Abrahams and all to do with Lindoff and Cuse. In face J.J. has been loudly distancing himself from Lost.
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...Graves needs to do some feature work ASAP.
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I like when they do that so I can watch stuff I don't tend to look at on weeknights.
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Not really that excited for it though.
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Herc likes Gilmore Girls but not X-files.
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that had a great cast and a great pilot, but eventually fizzled out completely. HOPEFULLY, this will not be the case. I like the good critical buzz around the show, and we do need a good, new sci-fi-ish show on the airwaves.
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Can't wait to see this, Dollhouse and Sci-fi's new Sanctuary
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Is Lt Daniels (Lance Reddick) from the Wire in just the pilot? Or is he a cast member??? He is so the fucking man!!!
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that one chicks forehead distorts my flat screen TV
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But I did see Anna Torv on Letterman. Very, VERY nice.
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...doesn't Rufus Sewell have a new show, ELEVENTH HOUR, coming out? Any word on that one?
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I can't force myself to sit down and watch a show by the writers of "Transformers".There's just no way.
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I like to watch shows that are good. Period. Ambiguity is one thing, but incompetent writing is another. The fact you confuse the two is kind of sad. Good luck with the inevitably disappointing finale of Lost....and 90210? Where did that come from? I know it would tie your little world up if I liked that show but I sadly don't. The fact of the matter is that I probably like a lot of the same shows you do and that is why you're so threatened by my opinion: In the back of your mind you have a nagging suspicion that I might be right about "Lost".
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not on the Lost thing, cause that show got right back on track after some season 2/early season 3 stumbles. Then again, as everyone ever has pointed out, Abrams has nothing to do with Lost anymore. But Alias became such a hot mess by the end (and boring and repetitive before then); Abrams clearly had no idea where he was going with it. Still, like a sucker, I'll check this out.
As for "it'll be canceled, so I won't watch," so basically you'll help expedite the cancellation by not watching. Great plan. -
A dull, plodding X-Files rip off, with a boring cast and a duff story. I really can't see why anyone would watch this, especially with Kurtzman and Orci bringing their brain dead writing to it. I'm sure it's worth giving it a chance just in case it improves, but I think the base premise is too derivative to succeed.
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A dull, plodding X-Files rip off, with a boring cast and a duff story. I really can't see why anyone would watch this, especially with Kurtzman and Orci bringing their brain dead writing to it. I'm sure it's worth giving it a chance just in case it improves, but I think the base premise is too derivative to succeed.
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...also gave us Gillian Anderson in her underwear (as she asked Mulder to check her buttular area for "alien implants" that turned out to be mosquito bites), so there. The underwear was pinkish (or "champagne") and silky. Yeah... silky... ahem. Anyways, I'm there for Fringe, since The Middleman's season is over now, and I need my X-Files ripoff fix.
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How long before all the seeming intricacies boil down to 'making it up as he goes along'?
How many times are you going to let this guy fool you? -
The pilot's suitably interesting, but I have difficulty seeing how the writing and direction can maintain that quality week after week. And unlike Lost, which I believe does have a (loose) master plan, I don't think this one knows where it's going.
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she had granny pantys on
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So yeah, he kinda had something to do with LOST
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Do these FBI Agents keep getting their asses handed to them by the villians the way Mulder did in the X-Files early on?
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1. Lost season 3 was pure filler - boring as hell. Season 4 made absolutely no sense when tied into the previous seasons - especially season 1.2. Arguing with Lost apologists is starting to make me feel like I am in hell.
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2 words - FUCKING AWESOME!
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In one of the forum chats on another site they mentioned the Official Widget for Fringe containing some crossover with the X-Files and an appearance by Mulder and Scully. Any one know of any legitimacy to this?
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Could you be more condescending... probably not. Lost is the ultimate example of a pseudo-complex show. It gives the illusion of complexity in order to cover up a myriad of dramatic flaws - a kind of "intricate for dummies". Just because you can't tell you're being fooled doesn't make the rest of simple. At least the Hannah Montana writers aren't pretending their show is something it isn't.
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You clearly hate Lost yet you keep watching. Why? It makes no sense. You will never like the show.
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The fucked up thing is that I do love the show which is why I get so frustrated with it. I thought the first season and a half was some of the best drama - film or tv - that I've ever seen. To watch a show with such immense promise become so cynical towards its viewers makes me irrationally angry. The anger you feel toward a loved one can be like no other anger on earth. I will continue to watch until the bitter end, all the while hoping the promise of the first season is even somewhat fufilled.
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http://www.powells.com/blog/?author=104
www.dangerousminorities.blogspot.com -
Yet to come up with one memorable line of dialogue.
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ith the Squick factor amped way up
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Not a good start.
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from the 4400?
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look mad ugly.
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Joshua Jackson is trying to do his best "Clooney." XD
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But it does pick up, and ends up being a pretty cool episode.
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seriously why do all the "cool" shows have to be so dark?
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So far.
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watching last now. that's what i get for clicking this article late today. fuuuuuuuuuck!
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I don't like the faces the girl makes either.
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his voice is reminding me of the one armed man from TP.
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sure is horrible
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... but that is some BAD writing. Does 72% of the dialogue consist of cliche and Josh Jackson wisecracks? I will give the older doctor props for his excellent "Maximilian Schell in the Black Hole" impersonation, though.
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Predictable, badly written, worse acted...third rate knock off of the worst things about x files. BAD JJ, BAD!!! I hope your concentrating on Lost and Trek, cause this dog wont hunt....shit son...
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If its too complex for you dont watch. But part of the design and paradigm of the show is that realities presented in earlier episodes dont line up later because (Newsflash!!!!) THERE IS SOMETHING FUCKED UP GOING ON ON THE ISLAND...jeeeez dont watch it. This Fringe shit is just bad. If the pilot of lost was this bad we wouldnt be here talking about Fringe and JJ wouldnt be making star trek.
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It sucked cause the old dude was like "You need to be in a LSD tank with NO CLOTHING!" and she was wearing Bra and Panties. What A gyp. She is too serious. This needs offbeat comedy.
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this is going to be about the emerging singularity
Treating as if it is an event in progress -
Lance Reddick needs to end the episode by saying "I'm getting too old for this shit!"
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Mulder (on the Simpsons): But somewhere out there, something is watching us. There are alien forces acting in ways we can't perceive. Are we alone in the universe? Impossible. When you consider the wonders that exist all around us.... voodoo priests of Haiti, the Tibetan numerologists of Appalachia, the
unsolved mysteries of "Unsolved Mysteries." The truth is out there. // Moe (hauling a whale): Oh, who thought a whale could be so heavy?! [sees Mulder] Cheese it!
The feds! -
oh, ok, fox you muthas, now i just have to remember that, although i saw enough to keep me hooked. not as good as the X, but still entertainment and that Joshua Jackson isn't as annoying as i though he'd be (never watch those dawson's type of shows. not my thing.)
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a Scottish pedophlic priest that has visions of where to find dead people in the snow
That would have been sooooo much cooler
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That did not look like ten million. Lost looked like 50 million. They spent ten million on the hollow man effects.
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So very, very alone. I liked the latest X-Files movie too, though, so there you go.
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as I enjoyed the hell out of it. Mind you, it probably could have used a little trimming, but was a fairly solid pilot.
But then again, I liked Threshold, and look where that ended up. I don't really pick the good ones. -
Sep 09, 2008 8:53:45 PM CDT
Anybody watching this "hole in the wall" game show?
by shut the fuck up donny
these male hairdressers cannot be for real. I think the trio of Liberace, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Paul Lynde would be more butch than this.
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Terrible accent! Pushing Daisies pulls it off though.
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Where was it spent? On the flying letters? The overturned SVU? The cyborg-arm? Pffft.
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that was a solid introduction to what could be a fairly kick ass show. people are way too picky and bitchy about being blown away from the beginning. All the best tv series in history had fairly humble beginnings and had to build and build to get better. awesome pilots and first seasons usually lead to a case of "holy fuck, where do we go from here" syndrome...Lost is probably the only show i can think of that had it (awesome pilot and first season) lost it (very uneven and drowning in mediocrity second season) then got it back (slowly over season three til an awesome season four).
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might even watch the rebroadcast Sunday
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Crazy how much they cram into pilots nowdays. Liked the characters. Enjoyed the plot. It does seem to be a cousin to the X-Files.
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Spoiler: In the lsd questioning tank Torv's character is in a graveyard. To the right behind her is a tombstone that says "He's Not Dead" on it. Anyone see anything else that linked up with that? Seeing as how this is an Abrams show I figure he's going to have things like that around.
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At least this new show will SOUND great. The pilot was okay, but the leads were dull and the dialogue not much better. And the establishing subtitles looked like double ripoff of the opening credits of Panic Room and the "chapter 1" titles on Heroes. They're "cool", but they'll likely become distracting in the long run. Hey wait, what am I saying? This is a sci-fi show on Fox. There will BE no "long run"...
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You people sure are hard to please. I think it was a fine pilot to set up a series. Ya gotta give something a chance. Must every pilot be groundbreakingly great to garner any attention? I'm giving it a few more episodes at least, based off of this first one.
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But I didn't. It was ok for a while, and I liked John Noble as the graying scientist, but the entire show lacked soul. It lacked quirkiness, zip, drama, FBI badass tactics, and fear.
"Fringe" I expected to enjoy fully, since I'm a big fan of "Lost" and the first two seasons of "Alias." But I came away feeling not just "That's it?" but also "Man, that kind of sucked."
My biggest complaint was Agent Dunham. The actress playing her did a fine job, but her character was weak as shit. Seriously, a weepy FBI agent on a show about tracking elements of scary cutting edge science? That's a joke. Grow some fucking balls and develop a personality of strength instead of weakness.
Plus, the fact she was injected with a half-syringe of LSD but suffered no long-term mindwhack was a lost opportunity to do something really freaky and interesting with her character. Imagine if the CEO had unleashed her robotic forearm while Dunham was tripping but trying to keep her shit together? Instead we received an implausible and inconsistent timeline littered with mono expressions.
I enjoyed John Noble's character, but the rest were weak. I'll give this show one more week, but it better hit one out of the park next time or that's it.
Give me more, JJ. Please. -
That sucked ass! Major cow ass! X-Files was light years above this tripe. Bob Orci, I have to kill you.
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that was actually a pretty fucking cool idea about the robotic arm and dunham trying to keep her shit together. maybe you should write for this series. i agree to the extent that this was the weakest of abrams pilots (haven't seen felicity). hopefully it builds from here and i think it will. but i do hate it in pilots or first shows like this when they are establishing the character and they have something traumatic happen to them and they are all weepy and there is a sad music montage when we really don't give a flying fuck about that character yet...
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I am more disappointed in Herc for liking this piece of shit than in the show for being a piece of shit. Cliches should be treated like felons and not allowed to congrate with other offenders. This is the most inept dramatization of the FBI I have ever seen, and that is not a political statement. I will find something else to do on Tuesdays, and the next asshole that even says "honey" or "sweetheart" in my presence is losing teeth. God that piece of shit pissed me off!
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I'm with you. I liked it. I didn't expect much and after a total shit day at work it was entertaining. I'll tune in again next week.
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About weepy trauma striking a main character when we don't give a fuck about that character yet. Agent John's death scene was another element of the show that was really poorly handled. I was cringing instead of leaning forward to sympathize with her tears or seething anger as he died. She showed no expression at all, which was exactly the wrong way to handle that scene. Terrible.
The pilot episode of "Alias" gave us earned sadness for a main character. Sydney's fiancee's death was brutal, bloody, and unexpected, thus her weeping, crying reaction was earned and dramatic. It made us care about her.
Unlike Agent Dunham, who has given me nothing so far. I mean, absolutely nothing. No quirkiness, obsessions, odd habits, unique viewpoints, or even favorite foods. Nothing. Which many would argue will be established as the show goes on. I say establish it early, and give us a sense of who a character is right off the bat instead of making us wait. For movies and television, it's bad writing not to.
And the idea of Dunham seeing the CEO's robotic arm while trying to keep her shit together on LSD was one of about five things I came up with. Sad, because I never do that while watching a good show.
Like I wrote, I hope this show gets better. -
That was a pretty good quote.
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I can only hope...
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Anna Torv reminds me of a young Cate Blanchett.
Her natural Australian accent is noticeable as she plays an American FBI Agent.
Still she's a good actor and easy on the eyes. -
Well, Joshua Jackson has grown up. The dialogue isn't the old Dawson's Creek WBness.
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I want to believe that this show will be one of the hits of the Fall Season. I want to come back and watch it next week. I want Fox to keep it on instead of cancelling it like Firefly, Tru Calling, Wonderfalls.
I also want to believe that the Giants and the Jets will play in the Super Bowl this year. What is more likely to happen? Manning vs. Favre or Fox keeping this show on for more than say five Episodes?
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It's a pilot, so I'll give it room to grow, but I didn't think there was a single believable character in that whole show. I'm already suspending disbelief for the high-concept... don't ask me to swallow completely arbitrary decisions by every single member of the cast. Every action was set up with some very clunky motivation, *especially* the pairing of the core duo. "We can't get you authorization to talk to a mental patient. Better you fly halfway around the world to recruit his son to sign the papers that will let you see him." Or when the guy got immunity for a terrorist attack on an entire plane full of people. Or ... well, there's a long list of idiotic moments. But it's a pilot, and those things tend to get smoothed out as a show goes on. It has a fun premise, even with a complete cypher for a lead. I'll give it a chance.
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Pretty good, but now as good as I expected. I will also give it room to grow. I hope the characters become more compelling because right now I don't really care too much about any of them.
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"We can't get you authorization to talk to a mental patient. Better you fly halfway around the world to recruit his son to sign the papers that will let you see him." Hmm.. HELLO??? The scary black dude is totally leading everyone here, isn't that clear? he set her up to go to the storage containers... Don't you also imagine that scary black dude needed the BOTH the Bishops AND Blondie in the first place? He just made Olivia do the leg work to test her and see if shes ready for the Job. Its a bit of bad writing at first glace, but i think its more about who's pulling the strings... OF COURSE scary black dude could have let her march into St. Claire's with "the Patriot Act" (has scary black dude put it) but its obvious that he's putting her through her paces- showing, not telling, what he wanted her to do.
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I wanted to like it, but nothing about that episode made me feel involved, interested, or intrigued.
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I really liked it, and love the main character. No doubt in my mind it'll be hit! Although not as mainstream as something like 24 or Lost.
The main thing I didn't buy was all this medical procedure in the basement. I wish they'd stop doing that on television shows: it's just unrealistic to do such complex procedure with such carelessness. There's suspension of disbelief and then there's this. No doubt this turns away anyone who isn't a sci-fi fan and has a more critical eye.
Seriously, even a dentist has an assistant, gloves, etc, and you're not a bleeding wound on a table.. :P -
Was it just me or did ever snide and snarky comment coming out of Joshua Jackson sound like he was still on Dawson's Creek? This guy's a supergenius and he's making asinine statements like the black guy from Transfomers (it doesn't matter which token black guy you look at, they both were given nothing to say). Just horrifying interplay with his father. Hopefully the writing improves, the premise and senario was intriguing.
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This sort of things has to stop. it's not cool, David Fincher's title sequence in Panic Room was stupid, stop it.
It completly takes me out of the scene when this stuff shows up on screen. It reminds you you're watching TV. It takes a few seconds to realize it's not a "real" object and other characters, cars, plans, are not seeing that object, even though it's perfectly 3D shaded to fit in the scene. And it serves NO PURPOSE other than to take you out of the scene and distract you.
it's a dumb, childish, show-off-y amateurish "let's copy Fincher" thing, and I want it out of this and Heroes.
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This show's pace was waaaay too slow. The casting director did not do his job correctly this time. The acting was so poor that I was laughing at the tv. At least the X-Files had humor in it(lone gunmen anyone), this show is just way too dark and dull for my taste. I now truely believe that Jennifer Garner getting her role was a miracle. The actress on this show just looked bored. Jennifer was Alias. That show should have lasted 8 seasons. CBS, please replace this garbage with three more season of Alias or at least get Kevin Sorbo to complete the last season of Hercules. Tv is really missing great sci-fi fantasy shows like Xena/Hercules/Alias/Lexx. X-Files light just won't do it anymore. Even Mulder left that show due to boredom.
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I meant FOX. Now that I think about it Fox will cancel this show really soon anyway, they alway do.
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but they did a lot of little touches here and there in the editing, and apparently that was enough. i can't explain it, but this time around i found the pilot to be pretty badass. maybe because it was in HD...
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So...I too watched the pilot tonight...I agree with a lot of the latter reviews, great premise and great potential, just the pilot seemed too stuffed. It was too much to digest in an hour and a half. I will continue tuning in for at least the next episode or so until I am swayed. The critics are right though, it needs to be more coherent.
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Thanks for spelling my name right!
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Really? You don't remember a single line?
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fair
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Somehow your words confuse me about what you consider to be best pilots ever.
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as in Abrams? I watched a better series instead that night: Wolverine and the XMen.
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lacks a certain something. That something is Carla Gugino's tits. I'll give it a few more episodes, but for every interesting concept, there was just some cringe inducing writing and leap of logic. I would say the show is basically 1 part X-Files, 1 part Silence of the Lambs for substance and 1 part Lost 1 part Heroes for style.
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This will develop into a cult favorite and a wonderfully addictive show. In fact, I just pissed myself.
Just a squirt.
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...seasons going to end in irritating cliffhangers like Lost does. I swear to God Joss Whedon is the only guy in TV who knows how to make a proper season finale.
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Wow. I'm surprised by the amount of hate here. Criticism of the dialog, pacing, and characterization? Sure, I've got some of that myself.... But the seething hatred?
My heart goes out to some of you joyless motherfuckers, it really does. I'll keep watching, and if it gets worse instead of better, I'll stop. -
I agree. Sometimes it seemed like they phoned it in. But there were times where I sat there noding...like that was pretty good. And you have to remember that shows like this are sometimes as much (if not more) about character development as they are about the sci-fi elements.
For me, I think it has promise - and these days that's about all you can ask from a pilot. -
...6 eps, tops before Fox yanks it.
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...I DVR'd the show while I was working, came in about 40 minutes into it before flipping over to my recording. They were outside the building at Harvard and I thought, "Hey cool, Harvard built huge letters spelling out their name outside one of their buildings."... then I realized they were just ripping off the Panic Room title sequence. Weak.
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Looked great. But not enough going on. The central character, the female lead had weak charisma. She looks very good. But, hot chick alone does not a TV show make.
Does every water isolation tank have dramatic lighting from underneath?
And talking about darkly lit shows. CSI takes place in a desert community. How many times have they arrived at a house during the day, walk inside and need flashlights because it's so dark in there? -
Ok in parts, weak in others. The auto-piloted plane was as poorly handled as any plot device in recent memory. And the large superimposed letters spelling out the location was idiotic and distracting, especially in Baghdad. Trying too hard, guys. Some good ideas but not enough to keep me coming back. I doubt this will last the season.
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Sep 10, 2008 7:46:53 AM CDT
I was more impressed by the new Bond trailer than all of FRINGE
by spyguy
It's like the non-alien episodes of THE X-FILES, only dumbed down for pigs in lipstick.
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I actually really liked Threshold... there was a really cool cast on that show. Plus you had Ethan from Lost (William Mapother) fuckin shit up as a villain in the pilot episode which was badass.
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high-school level writing (from JJ and 2 of the highest paid writers in Hollywood mind you), contrived, mess that disappoints, WTF a cow, annoying 3-D titles, X FILES PILOT BLEW THIS AWAY...
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Terrible character and casting. Theres nothing going on with that character. Doesn't even come into the same ballpark as Dana Scully or anyone else.
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We're reacting to the show and the hyperbolic praise larded on it by the moderator.
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My other favorite quote from Fringe is, "I'll go make the LSD."
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I liked it. Not as good as the Lost pilot, and Herc is plain old crazy if he thinks that last night's offering tops the X-Files pilot, but I liked it, and will tune in next week to see how it progresses. I liked Joshua Jackson, even if he was given some clunky dialogue. I loiked John Noble a lot, and I thought the ppor man's Laura Linney, aka Anna Torv, did a fine job. I thought the show was pretty slick looking. I liked the floating title cards, even if I'm not quite sure what they add to the show, and felt like most of the budget was up on the screen. Well done, JJ. Could have been done BETTER, but still well done
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I'm surprised at all the random hate I'm seeing from this show. Perhaps I'm biased because I did want to like it, considering it's the spiritual successor to the X-Files. . .but still, all in all, it was pretty entertaining.
Yes, a major corporate conspiracy is kind of cliche, and yes, giant floating letters is pretentious and irritating. But the premise is a solid one, and John Noble is amazing--so count me in.
And I kept on expecting to see SkyNet and Terminators appear after I saw that woman's bionic arm. Very odd. . .but kinda cool. -
The pilot was OK - comparing it to the Alias/Lost pilots is not really equitable, since JJ directed both those pilots himself. But the premise is great, and with JJs credentials behind it this show will definitely get a full season, which gives the show plenty of time to find its voice. For me, X-Files was just OK until the awesome season 1 finale. Thank God for my dual tuner, since my wife is watching 90210 (groan).
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I don't care for that actress and jackson, he looks like he's trying to be Clooney and he sounds like his balls haven't dropped yet.
This would have been so much better if it was with Mulder and Scully instead of "hey Honey" and Clooney jr. -
all these ensemble sci-fi mystery shows always have a dwarf
Who's going to zex up the female lead? -
...they coulda had her in one'a those transparent deals... or do I wish for too much? (Yes, I am just being a jerk... what else is new, right?)
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This was SO much better than "X-Files: I Want to Believe." If they swapped the 2 leads of Fringe for Mulder and Scully I would have enjoyed the movie more. Seriously can someone tell me what the big deal about the X-Files movie was? A bunch of scientists in a barn? Really??
Anyway, Fringe has promise. I just don't want to start enjoying another show only to have it canceled after 1 season. Maybe I'll just DVR all of them until I hear season 2 has been greenlit. -
No.
Does it give me a better vibe and more hope than Moronic Woman did after it's pilot?
YES. -
...if Aaron Eckhart says no. It all depends on what the studio wants. Mark is just an average actor, but he looks the part, and playing Captain America does not require any great acting effort.
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The comparisions are to the X-Files pilot not the film sequel.
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yes, I love his music- however, pls stop doing the heavy, loud cello note that reminds everyone of LOST. Keep it on LOST but don't repeat that here.
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...but I'm looking forward more to Dollhouse. I'm sure I'll continue with Fringe since you can't judge a show from its pilot. But Alias and Lost seemed so focused when they started, only to watch them end up with more loose ends than they can handle. This show seems like it has even greater potential for that and I'm not sure I want to sign on for more frustration.
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Sep 10, 2008 12:39:46 PM CDT
Joshua Jackson couldn't act his way out of a wet nutsack
by richard cranium
However there were enough intruiging things there for me to give it another look. Especially seeing as how I'm already going to be watching House right before it anyway...
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are better than the pilot. OK, it was no Lost, and some of the plot details had me scratching my head. You needed a live cow....why? Just to be a "colorful crazy"? A civilian can casually walk into an FBI interrogation room? Valley's character became mobile enough to escape just as Dunham discovered his secret? And so on...Noble was fun (calling Spongebob profound), and there was enough to warrant some more looks. Give it a B-.
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I agree.. all his little sarcastic quips seemed like bad acting AND bad writing. LAZY = You get your characters to do something that no normal person would ever do.. but it's ok because one of the characters is verbally confirming what we are thinking. WEAK... I'll keep watching tho
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maybe the bar's low, but it certainly seems like it's going to be better than most of the new crap out this year. I thought the titles were cool, for someone's who's a fan of X-Files and Lost, this fits right into my interest zone. Anna Torv has some room to grow - it is only the pilot, after all. But John Noble was fantastic. Some of his line deliveries were funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I actually didn't mind Jackson. The look he gives after his father revives the agent said it all about how he had changed his mind about his father. Definitely looking forward to more.
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Not really, as NBC led the ratings last night as America's Got Talent kicked the heck out of Fringe with a 6.7/11, while all Fox managed was a 5.2/8. That's a pretty modest opening for something that was so heavily hyped.It just goes to show that you can never predict these things and that hype doesn't always translate into success. I'd imagine many viewers thought the previews looked dull and derivative. It's rare that ratings take a drastic upturn after the pilot -- and Fringe is no watercooler show that will suddenly start pulling in weekly viewers who didn't bother catching it last night. I wouldn't be surprised if the ratings continue to bleed away.
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I realize some people were comparing the 2 pilots. I however, was commenting that the movie would have been better with the plot from Fringe.
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After the pilots of Lost and Fringe- you really don't want be an air passenger in the Abrams universe.
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Love "Lost." Love "Cloverfield." "Fringe" is top-to-bottom terrible. It's big budget but not cinematic. The lead actress should immediately be replaced with Madam Puppet, such is the audio-visual rape she is performing. The characters are tired cliches. (Another angry/gritty Black head of law enforcement? Really?) The music didn't know what it wanted to do. The cinematography is the same old "you are there" zoom lens cop drama crap we've been watching since Sipowicz's ass. And the script to the opener was a fucking abortion. The saddest part is seeing that they clearly threw so much money and effort into this that they will all be horribly stunned when it doesn't make it past episode 5. I won't make it to 2.
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Because I thought it sucked. Too over the top.
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chance they'll re-show it soon?
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I have to admit, I didn't make it all the way through the pilot. After the first hour, I saw no reason to needlessly waste another 1/2 hour of my life. Bad acting, bad character motivations, bad script (a lab shut down for 17 years is up and running, not to mention spotless, without even a hint of time passage - really too many examples to go through), bad from a production value standpoint (ZERO atmosphere), and overall just a pathetic X-Files knockoff, even season 9 of the X-Files was far better than this. This show is seriously stupid even by the previous low standards Fox has set.
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Fox is showing it again Sunday.
Nody - good to see you my old friend. Giacchnio did it, and some of it sounded like it was straight from LOST...little effort. I thought it was too much in places too. -
I prefer serials like LOST and Heroes. So J.J.'s insistance that we won't have to follow this one to get the big picture gets me less excited. I dig the science. I'm not yet sold on Torv, yeah she looks good but she's the main character and there's nothing interesting about her. We need to know more. Noble is excellent, and I actually liked Pacey. Also MORE Lance Reddick!
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Or is it the other way around?
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Threshold was interesting, distinct and unpredictable
The characters and the actors were very appealing. -
was the same episode told over and over
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but the pilot itself was disappointing especially given the hype, budget and Abrams' involvement. It was quite good in a few spots but sloppy in others. First, given the advanced science and paranormal subject matter, the dialog, pacing and plot need to be sharp, clean, smart but they weren't. The plot promises a lot of intrigue and mystery but the atmosphere (mostly lighting, directing, production design... well pretty much everything) was rather bland thereby diminishing the mystery potential by several fold. Characters seemed to be derived simply to fill a purpose/role rather than as a mechanism to drive the story forward. The main female lead in particular was given little, which is a shame since I think she's a good actor. The other actors weren't bad by any means but neither were they memorable. The story didn't seem to be nearly as tight as it could've been, resulting in a watered down/diluted feeling. I'm also assuming things (acting, story) will settle down as the series continues. It's not as bad as I'm probably making it sound (and it is only a 1.5 hr pilot after all) but I was expecting something on the level of Lost and Frings has a long way to go before it reaches that rank. I'm certainly interested in where this goes.
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Threshold was all of those things, but unfortunately they took too long to get to the meat of the story. For over 4 weeks they rehashed the same plot ("somebody's trying to spread the virus! Who is he and how do we find/stop him?!"), leading people to believe it was just a CSI-style clone with some technobabble. However, I think part of the reason of this, though, was the writers wanted to use this time to focus on character development.
Unfortunately, by the time they started introducing elements of the story that would play into the long-term payoff (the vegetables with teeth?..That was wonderfully fucked up), the audience had already bailed.
I hope, here, JJ is better able to pace out plot and character development so that the base doesn't become disinterested too quickly. -
Exactly. Threshold used the same story format for the first 4-6 episodes, leading to an early feeling of monotony. By the time the story began to diverge from the formula, the audience, and the suits, had already given up on it. It's a great case study on how NOT to focus too much on one aspect of a show. X-files, I think, is the exact opposite in that they successfully mixed it up the in beginning, allowing the audience to extrapolate the personalities and dynamics of Scully and Mulder from the myriad cases they tackled. So, by the time the show started focusing more narrowly on the impending invasion, the audience was comfortable with the set-up.
I hope that even made marginal sense. -
She should be the capable assistant of a male agent who politics his way up in the FBI.
Torv is bland. Acting lessons needed instead of just blowing producers for the job.
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but admittedly, the tough, take-charge woman has been the typical hero in TV (and film, for that matter) for the past 5 or so years. Right off the top of my head I can think of Alias, The Closer, Bones, Karen Sisco, Threshold, Fringe, Saving Grace, Buffy, Charmed, and I know there's a lot more out there.
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Mulder has this interesting backstory. And Scully played well off Mulder. She was the skeptic, he was the believer. Fringe's lead actress, Torv, has no interesting backstory and no one to play off of. The relationship between Pacey and his father is certainly more interesting.
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Seriously that cut-to-commercial "isn't thiscreepy" music cue drives me nuts!
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Who liked this crap ? What a waste of my time. Strip me off, ram a metal rod in my brain, fill me full of LSD and lets talk to the fucking martians.
There was nothing good about this, apart from the beginning with the co pilot and his jaw hanging of. By the end of this piece of shit, my jaw felt the same.
Another shit show, with no ending, and more questions than answers. Personally I hated the fucking x files towards the end.
For a woman, who'd just been jacked up on God knows how much LSD; There is no God; she pulled it together very nicely in the end, to smash the love of her life of the road, and kill him. Did she really need to do that? wouldn't they have caught him in the end? And then,after killing her fucking hubby, whos body is probably still on its way to the morgue, shes hitting on the crazy old man's son. The old man, whos just been released from the loony bin.
I see the pattern, I see the pattern of shit shows, made over the last 10-15 years which suckers in stupid motherfuckers, who think that Heath ledger's performance in Batman is worthy of an Oscar. My fucking arse.
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and tell us how you really feel.
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It definitely didn't deserve all the hype it has gotten. Too many cliche plot devises (Did anyone not believe the second she told her FBI boyfriend that she loved him that he was going to get blown up minutes later?). None of the characters really registered because they were also a little cliched.
The show has potential, but it didn't grab me right away like other Abramss' shows like Lost and Alias. They need to tone down the cliches, bring more depth to the characters, and get a little more focused.
If this is the best new show of the season, this season ain't going to have many good new shows. I think it is good enough to watch, but so far it ain't much watch television. -
..Inside, Cold Case, Judging Amy, and so on...do we have Silence Of The Lambs to thank for all these...It is becoming quite the cliche..the strong woman, handling a tough "mans" job, but given time before the last commercial break to show her shed a tear or two to indicate she has feelings...
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You know it's coming. Along with the amnesia plot and the alternate reality plot.
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Slight spoilers ahead, nothing too major.
Sadly this has to be one of the worst pilots I've ever seen. At 1hr and 22 mins it's about 30mins too long. While well shot, much of the dialogue is clunky and boring and the end plot twist is anticipated two commercial breaks before the reveal.
Joshua Jackson is miscast in his role as the scientist's son. Sadly I don't think he'll ever escape his Dawson's Creek alter ego; I kept waiting for him to start whining about Dawson and Joey or how Jen won't let him bone her. I wonder who he did to get this part. Anna Torv attempts to give a heart wrenching performance as Olivia, but many of her expressions keep her looking slightly constipated through the majority of the proceedings. And WTF was up with the token African American lab assistant? If she's going to be a main character in the show, they certainly did a shiatty job of setting her character up. The only actor that's really watchable in this steaming piece of poo is John Noble, ie the crazy scientist. He's believable and has some genuinely funny lines and reactions to the world he's been absent from for so long. The corporate secretary is rather good as well and her little reveal is a nice bit of spice that helps kick the proceedings into a higher gear. That said, two good characters out of five is never a good sign for a pilot episode, especially when most of the screen time is spent on the ones you don't care about. Plot wise, the Megatronics company, or whatever it's called, is painted so thinly from the get go you just KNOW they're up to no good. So much of the oomph they hope to hit the audience with comes across as a light breeze.
The pluses: the visual effects were extremely well done. The opening title sequence is cool. If they keep up the location work at this high of standard and the 'floating titles' effect, this may very well be one of the best looking series after LOST.
The cons: The acting, the screenwriting, the plot
Other thoughts: Without giving anything away, I thought the ending left much to be desired. I was looking for there to be a 'hook' of some kind that would make me want to tune in next week but I was sadly disappointed. They TRIED to do this with the end scene (don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you), but IMHO it just didn't work. Oooh a spinning leaf. This company is DEFINITELY EVIL!!! Honestly, I can't believe some studio boss didn't tell Abrams to take one more pass at the script. Sometimes network intervention can really suck, ala Firefly, but in some cases it's definitely needed.
Quick summary: With so many other good shows coming back on the air, I really can't justify carving out another chunk of my time to watch another episode. If you want good/campy sci-fi, do yourself a favor and check out the BBC's Torchwood instead. -
yeah, some things were silly (like the lab being untouched for 17 years, etc), but shit people... this is a show about paranormal activity. why is suspension of disbelief so hard for some of you retarded geeks? it wasn't a perfect pilot, but it was pretty damn good... i'm happy to have another x-files/twin peaks style show to watch. its been too long since the x-files was relevant and even longer for twin peaks. bring on the conspiracies and spooky science, fringe, i'm all in.
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http://tvblog.ugo.com/index.php/tvblog/more/preview_fringe_season_one_episode_two_the_same_old_story/
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I'm guessing Blair Brown's character will find out that she never had cancer. It was just a very sick way to manipulate her. And Master Billy Quizboy called- he wants his hand back.
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The hero's infected lover was beginning to look a little like an excited Sally Impossible.
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At least I thought it wasn't in the version I saw months ago. Talking about the boat floating by Torv's head in her dreamstate. In that it looked to me like a one-man rowing boat, aka a *skull*. And everyone knows floating skulls are cool. But now it's just her uncle's kayak or some s#%&.
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Saw it. Not much impressed. Liked the older scientist guy's character. I'll give it another chance. 'nuff said. Loved the TERMINATOR Season 2 Episode 1 though. Summer Glau telling someone she loves them is a WET-DREAM for all her fans. Count me in SUMMER.
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I actually liked it much more the second time. I love the whole Massive Dynamic thing with the CEO or whatever once sharing a lab with Walter. The last part with the creepy woman with the robotic arm setting up to "question" Agent Scott post-mortem kicked ass. I even liked pacy more the second time. He was actually pretty hilarious. I found myself laughing several times at his lines. Some of it was heavy handed, like the cow-bit, but overall I thought it was solid. Sadly if there is a weak spot I think it's Lance Reddick. He seemed to phone it in but maybe he'll settle into the character. You guys should try it out again.
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I'd love to have another show the caliber of X-Files & Twin Peaks but this ain't it. I'd rather watch a leper peel his skin off than the acting holocaust that is the female lead. Script was awful. Direction was boring. Twin Peaks & more so, X-Files, are cinematic. This is "Howard The Duck" starring Showtime soft-porn-caliber leads.
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it was a great pilot, will def have me tuning in all season. i love how so many people on these boards are "experts" on pacing and dialogue in movies and tv....let me tell u something...the only thing ur an "expert" at is pulling your pecker consistently 5 times a day....3 times while watching anime, and the other 2 lookin at chicks on TV shows.... thats all i think some of u look for is hot chicks...so of course u dont like the story, ur looking for ur next orgasm....it wasnt boring, it wasnt bland, i hate joshua jackson but even he was tolerable...and get off the bitchfest over orci and kurtzman, they are great writers , get off ur prepubescent, year and a half outrage cuz transformers wasnt a carbon copy of the 80s cartoon u wet ur fucking diaper over.....if u dont like the show , or are bored dont post here...but dont pretend to be experts on stuff u have no clue about...i actually only have one complaint about the pilot, and thats using too much LOST background music...its very distinctive and actually distracting ....ears say lost, eyes say fringe......about the canceled shows....CBS gave up on INVASION...that show deserved at least a 2nd season...even SURFACE deserved a 2nd season. NOW and AGAIN was an awesome show, but again CBS gave up on it.......FRINGE was awesome, even for the pilot, which with most new series is kinda rough edged anyways...but it was well thought, great dialogue..nice special effects, big overall arc, another thing im sure u asses will hate,like u hate on LOST....cuz there will be less answers and lots of questions....and god forbid u fanboys dont get your answers in a prompt fashion...then we will start hearing the cries of "filler" ....there is no such thing as filler , its called "u werent paying attention" ...every episode of every show that has a plot arc moves that plot along in each episode, even if just slightly..each episode cannot focus directly on that arc for the whole episode ... get used to it.....well im done , have fun guys
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Gotta give 'em the chance to find the characters within themselves. And then develop the characters.
Remember all the shows that have lasted, the chars were kinda rough in the begining. And when new seasons start they still don't seem to be right on, but as the season advances, it starts feeling right.
I'm glad they got the gooey plague plot out of the way. Noe the more fun stories can come into play. -
that pilot was gonzo! I loved it!
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how can you hate on a mind meld? my favorite one is with doogie and the slug in starship troopers.
in fact, i have a hard time understanding how so many people today like to use absurd as a bad word. absurd is my favorite word.
reanimation, lsd, robot prosthetics, big brother corporations with mysterious ceos, spongebob squarepants, wacky scientists, a cow, a montage lab experiment, see-through skin, puking zombies, self piloted planes, a cartoony introduction to locations, accidental urination, screams in an asylum, noir interrogation tactics, shared consciousness, surrealism, a graveyard, buried mini cassette tapes, suffocation by pillow and a male femme fatale made me an instant fan.
And I thought the tonal shifts, pacing and acting were brilliant. even if it's not your thing, i would think people would at least appreciate the ambition. -
Yes. Fringe is good. Shockingly good for a modern FOX show, in fact. It's worth tuning in, but I'm still not going to watch American Idol.
-
Hit the screen with top-quality programming, scripts honed to perfection, roles under control, every frame, every pixel, every second totally gooooooooood.
Or get the fuck out of the way. Others with ideas are ready to assume command.
This is it. You've had yours, JarJar. Now get of the fucking way!
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