Film School Rejects » Fringe Recap

Fringe 2.1 Review: Welcome Back, Olivia Dunham

Neil Miller — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:34:54 +0000

Fringe Airs Thursday at 9/8c

Episode: “A New Day in the Old Town” (Season 2, Episode 1)

Warning: This review contains revealing information about several surprises that play out very early in the episode. No spoilers, we just suggest that you watch the episode, then come back to read and discuss.

Think about it. You’re an executive producer on one of television’s best new series, the hottest show in the Fox prime time lineup. The final moments of your first season’s finale have been the most talked about moments of last fall’s TV season, save for the finale of Battlestar Galactica. How do you follow up sending your main character into a parallel universe where the World Trade Center still stands and Leonard Nimoy is a crazy scientist? Where do you go from there?

In the opening moments of Fringe’s stellar season two premiere, we are witness to the aftermath of a simple car accident. A man, waking up from the accident, gets up and proceeds to run away to a nearby building. After entering the building, he meets a stranger in the hallway. Without a word, he kills the man and drags him into the apartment and proceeds to use a crazy little device to augment his face and steal the man’s identity. It is gruesome, awesome and it is not the whole story. That’s just a precursor to the wild, incredible opening sequence to the show’s second season.

Moments later, Peter (Joshua Jackson) and his father Walter (John Noble) are at the scene of the crime, wondering why records show Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) as one of the drivers. The only problem is that she’s not in her car. That is, until Walter gets in and fiddles with the radio a bit. The car jumps to life, spooks Walter and begins going crazy. A second later, seemingly inexplicable, Agent Dunham comes bursting through the windshield of the car, rolling into the street unconscious, about dead.

That’s how you begin the second season of Fringe…

And if you’re that writer, you deserve a pat on the back. The first ten minutes of season two are the best that this show has seen in its short lifespan. And that includes the final moments of season one. From there, this week’s premiere opens up with a bevy of character introductions and set-up for an incredibly promising season. We meet Agent Jessup, played by Meghan Markle (who is a bit stiff, but shows plenty of potential), whose curiosity about Agent Dunham’s dimensional jumping car accident leads her to become involved with Walter and Peter. And in turn, she becomes a part of Fringe division. We also meet this new shape-shifting bad guy, who has come across dimensions to track down and kill Agent Dunham. And as you’ll see in the end, there is no end to that bad guy’s determination.

Kudos to the writers of Fringe, who have taken a stellar season finale, full of intrigue and surprise, and spun it into an additionally complex second season premiere. They begin by showing sending us to crazytown, only to reel us back quickly with a cat and mouse game centered around the mortality of the show’s main character. In a word, brilliant.

What we’ve learned with the season two premiere of Fringe is this: there is more water in this well, plenty more water. The introduction of Jessup is an interesting one, as it further plays with our emotions around the dimensionally challenged Agent Dunham. It will be interesting to see how her storyline continues to play. As well, did everyone catch the weird moment between Agent Broyles (Lance Reddick) and Nina Sharp (Blair Brown)? That was an uncomfortable little moment that should play out to an interesting end.

In the end, season two’s opening frame did what it is supposed to do — remind us why we’ve been watching this long, and to get us excited for more. And to tell you the truth friends, I am very excited to see what happens next. What did William Bell tell Agent Dunham? Who is this crazy shape-shifting soldier working for? And what’s the deal with Walter’s obsession with custard…? All will be revealed as season two of Fringe rolls along. Care to come along for the ride?

TV Review: Fringe Goes to Break With All Sorts of Craziness

Neil Miller — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:17:18 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Airs Tuesday 9/8c

Episode: “Safe” (Season 1, Episode 10)

Synopsis: After a series of mysterious bank robberies, a suspect is found embedded into a wall, causing Walter to realize that they have not only found a way to literally walk through walls, but are looking for something he’s made in the past.

Review: Leave it to J.J. Abrams to drop us off at the end of a series with a long break ahead of us and leave it all just hanging. He’s never done this before, has he? In this instance Fringe heads into its winter break, destined to return in January to answer for us all of the questions that will plague us in our sleep — like what the hell?

“What the Hell?” is probably the best way to describe Fringe, which is quickly becoming one of the most unique and daring shows on television. And while this is my first shot at reviewing it, I will say that I’ve been following along all year, enjoying every moment of it. In a show that is dominated by a strong performance from newcomer Anna Torv, much of the spotlight seems to be stolen by the dynamic duo, John Noble as the nutty professor Waler and Joshua Jackson as his estranged son Peter. On the shoulders of these three characters, this show succeeds in selling us on the value of the odd, the gruesome and the sometimes outright ridiculous. And in this final episode until January everything continues to go the way of your looniest sci-fi dreams.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will stay away from revealing the wacky, but awesome events of the episode’s final moments. What you should know about this week’s episode of Fringe is that once again it is all very well executed. For a show that centers on such odd and fantastical topics — everything from turning people into radioactive weapons to walking through walls — it does a good job of catching its audience and making it all feel very grounded. It has this authenticity that is comforting, especially to the die hard sci-fi fan. And what a refreshing and wonderful thing that can be. As well, as I mentioned before, the performances really sell it — John Noble is hilarious and wild, one of my favorite characters in the new TV season. He alone makes Fringe a weekly must-see. If you aren’t watching Fringe, then head over to Fox.com and get to watching the first ten episodes. You’ve got until January to get caught up with the rest of us — come on people, I do not want to be alone in my anxious anticipation of what happens next.

Up Next: Fringe returns in January.

TV Review: Fringe 1.6 – The Cure

Conrad Rothbaum — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:16:36 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “The Cure” (Season 1, Episode 6)

Synopsis: In a Dunham-centric episode, we find her grappling yet again with her inner demons as yet another female victim is used as a guinea pig for the benefit of yet more evil science. Seeing herself reflected in the face of the latest radioactive dying girl, Olivia finds herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Peter makes a deal with the devil.

Review: Perhaps it is just that for the last several weeks I have been inundated with theoretical science and the latest sock puppet for the purveyors of the pattern, but this week’s episode of Fringe was most certainly the straw that broke the camel’s back. Especially juxtaposed with the last couple of weeks’ stellar, fresh episodes, I am unenthusiastic to see the formulaic nature of the show begin to show. In “The Cure,” not only does the formula begin to show, but the writers seem to want to beat us over the head with it.

It was perhaps the worst episode of Fringe so far—there was not a single compelling plot or direction took in it. Even the least engrossing scenes of Fringe were followed by entertaining ones, or an interesting bit of foreshadowing or characterization. Nothing in this episode is subtle: the foreshadowing came when we see the friction rising between Dunham and Broyles, and we are basically told that a confrontation between the two is coming, and why (Dunham actually mentions sexism blatantly to him, not trusting the audience to pick up on it themselves). Peter goes to Nina Sharp for a favor, and she ominously grants him one in return for a promise that he will repay the favor someday. I wonder if that will turn out alright. Also, we see the sexual tension build between Olivia and Peter. Obviously. Awkwardly.

The idea of humans as tools comes up again with the “Rare Disease” being injected into this weeks’ guest star. While I like the themes presented in the show, I feel that bringing them up so redundantly is not the way to communicate them. I hope to see some other themes presented in the next few episodes, and I hope they are presented in clever and exciting ways.

Despite the episode’s many faults, there was one bright spark in it, and it comes when Olivia’s true origin is told—apparently she shot her abusive stepfather when she was nine years old. Only, she didn’t kill him, and is angry at herself that she let the biggest monster in her life escape. This is the one poignant moment in the episode—Anna Torv is getting increasingly more comfortable in her character. Her slight, ironic, bittersweet smile perfectly complements her almost-faltering voice. We finally have a large missing puzzle piece: the reason Dunham is so traumatized by women in distress.

Up Next Week: Peter straps himself in to talk to the dead—“Wait, you’re going to stop my heart??” Apparently complications arise. See you then!

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

TV Review: Fringe 1.5 – Power Hungry

Conrad Rothbaum — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:30:32 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “Power Hungry” (Season 1, Episode 5)

Synopsis: Fringe blasted back onto your TV screen this week with its cracked-out science and haphazard overarching story! In the opening moments of “Power Hungry,” we happen upon one “Joseph Meegar,” a man with electro-magnetic powers that manifest themselves at the wrong time. He’s out of control, and Agent Dunham (Anna Torv) and the Bishops are the only ones who can stop him. On top of that, Dunham keeps seeing her ambiguously traitorous ex-boyfriend, John Scott, when no one else can. Did I mention that John Scott died four episodes ago? Yeah, that’s how this show rolls.

Review: Arguably the most lo-fi episode of Fringe yet, “Power Hungry” cannot be called a change of pace, because the word “pace” implies that the show is progressing at a set speed with similar installments, and the last few episodes have been surprisingly dissimilar to the first few. It looks like J.J. Abrams and his crew are making good on their promises to add variety to the show, and change the “pace” every step of the way. In this episode, the writers flex their surprisingly impressive literary muscles as they focus primarily on characterization.

Fringe is supposed to be a drop-in show, meaning that anyone can drop-in on any episode and still have an enjoyable experience without being confused by continuity (unlike, say, Lost), and it’s certainly true that the average viewer could have had a good time following the experience of this week’s misunderstood, manipulated villain and his mentally meek mishaps as he accidentally kills his mom, crushes his crush and maims his boss (this is cable, right?)… But the heart of this episode was in Olivia’s struggle with the memory of her ex-boyfriend.

Using Fringe science as a character-device rather than a plot-device for perhaps the first time, the writers excellently decide to bring back the mental communication experiment seen in the first episode, or rather, to expand on it. Apparently, the experiment had unfortunate side effects and, long story short, parts of John Scott still exist in Olivia’s brain. Olivia begins to have waking dreams where he appears from thin air and swears that he loves her and has always loved her. Making a common jilted lover’s fantasy a reality for Dunham, the writers gracefully illustrate the torment involved after losing a loved one using hypothetical science as a palette.

As far as the rest of the story, the episode draws an interesting parallel between Meegar’s confused guinea pig character and his dismay at his lack of control over his life and the excessive control exerted upon Dunham by her FBI superiors.

While perhaps it was not the most all-around entertaining episode of the lot (not a single CG explosion!), it was certainly the most exciting installment when it came to character development and story progression.

A Few Curiosities:

What do you make of Walter’s theory of humanity as six billion unique systems of electrical signals? It creeps me out to think that we are just electrical impulses scampering across the brain.
I liked the slow start in the first scene. You can tell they worked hard to get you attached to Meegar.

Up Next Week: A cure for a rare disease makes patients radioactive. Walter obsesses about cotton candy. Peter strikes a deal with Nina.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

TV Review: Fringe 1.4 – The Arrival

Conrad Rothbaum — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:21:39 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “The Arrival” (Season 1, Episode 4)

Synopsis: This week on Fringe, we are introduced to a character called “The Observer,” a hairless man who has been present at the scene of many Pattern-related events. Soon Dunham (Anna Torv), Walter (John Noble), The Observer, and an as-yet-unidentified bad guy (famous face Michael Kelly) are all vying for control of a certain object of interest—an enigmatic, explosive cylinder. Meanwhile, Peter (Joshua Jackson) begins to grow discontent with his roles as “consultant” to the FBI and babysitter to his father.

Review: This episode of Fringe was a slight departure from the usual massive dynamic-chasing, fringe-science-using romps. Instead, we are given a bit more character development/ interaction. I found this fact very refreshing. Not only are we introduced to this “Observer” fellow (you don’t know how disappointed I was when a Google search revealed that he did, in fact have a name. I really wanted to just call him “Waldo”), but the writers realized that Peter needed a reason to stick around, and they gave him a great one.

Peter becomes predictably disenchanted with his new occupation and, after Walter’s latest tantrum (forcibly sedating an FBI agent and insulting Peter’s mother), decides it is time for him to cut and run. However, a wrench is thrown into the works: Michael Kelly’s character and his futuristic gun. Michael Kelly explodes on the scene ray-gunning an entire SWAT team in search of the explosive cylinder (the show’s first really cool action sequence, in my opinion). The search brings him to Peter, and he uses an interesting form of torture/ interrogation, wiring Peter’s brain and turning his emotions into pain. “When was the last time your father kissed you?”

Dunham becomes interested in the Observer after she notices him in two corresponding photographs that relate to the pattern. She brings the information to Broyles, who informs her that they have been searching for that very man for 3 years—from the first time he started showing up in photographs relating to the pattern (see Broyles’ “Where’s Waldo”-like smorgasbord of pictures). It’s good to see Torv becoming more comfortable in her character — I actually enjoyed her this episode, and almost related to her.

The show kicks it in high gear toward the end, when the search for the cylinder-missile brings Peter into a confrontation with the enigmatic Observer—a confrontation that so profoundly affects him that he realizes he must stay and answer all the unanswerable questions offered by The Pattern. Joshua Jackson continues to impress.

While not the best episode of the lot, I dug the character development and the new threads of intrigue provided by the writers. It’s an installment like this that makes me look forward to future changes of pace and the possible places the malleable structure of the show can take us.

Up Next Week: When a rather simple man has the ability to harness electricity, dangerous and deadly consequences follow.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

TV Review: Fringe 1.3 – The Ghost Network

Conrad Rothbaum — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:09:35 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “The Ghost Network” (Season 1, Episode 3)

Synopsis: After something close to a bio-terror attack on a bus leaves all of the passengers frozen in amber, Agent Dunham’s team enlists the help of average-joe-precognitive-artist Roy (Zak Orth) to track down the killer. Using him as a sort of satellite radio, mad genius Walter and his son, Peter, begin to unravel the plot which involves Massive Dynamic (again), the DEA, and, of course, an ominous third party. In the episode’s final moments, we see that Massive Dynamic is in the process of resurrecting (?!) double agent John Scott for reasons that are not yet clear.

Review: More hypothetical science is practically applied in the latest episode of Fringe. This week, the plot revolves around the cliché of the tortured psychic who uses charcoal to express himself (didn’t we see that in Heroes less than a couple of years ago?), and Dunham’s search for the killer. For me, the episode was the least of the three for a simple reason: It did not offer us much new material.

“The Ghost Network”, while it had its moments, felt like filler: the overall plot did not budge until its final moments. Treading water would feel fine to me (I am, after all, a huge fan of Lost) if the episode presented us with any fresh ideas. Instead, we see that Massive Dynamic still has a hand in everything, the interviewee still has something to hide, Walter still has a solution for everything, and Peter is still snippy. What’s more, the climax of the episode felt rushed and familiar—the episode didn’t bother giving us any allusions to whom the guy might have maybe worked for—and did anyone actually gasp when he jumped in front of the bus? The show’s formula is starting to show, and that’s never fun.

But, as I said before, the episode had its moments. Its shining moment came in the first scene, with the bio-terror-like attack on the bus. That scene was excellently crafted—it was particularly evocative when the sounds of reality fell away to only the pulsing rhythms of the soundtrack. I am enjoying more and more of Walter’s minor tantrums and hysterics, and the scene in the diner where we find that he is more aware than we give him credit for was a nice touch.

Curiousities:

The first scenes are always the best on this show. Be on time for the next one.
The piano is a nice addition to the lab. I hope the lab just keeps getting odder and odder and thus more endearing.
Since Walter’s past seems to consistently catch up with him (Roy turns out to be Walter’s old lab rat, and the visions are the results of various experiments) maybe we can expect a flashback episode?
“You were supposed to check in before you came home.” What are you up to, Peter?
Of the recent Pattern-related events: “You yourself are somewhat responsible.” So far, Dunham has been the least interesting character. Why don’t they just come out with it and tell us why everyone else thinks she’s so damn intriguing!
After all this, I have just one ultimate question: When you can interview the dead, who needs to download their conscience?

Up Next Week: The appearance of a mysterious cynlinder triggers odd behavior and surprising revelations.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

TV Review: Fringe 1.2 – Same Old Story

Conrad Rothbaum — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:51:09 +0000

Fringe, FOX, Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “Same Old Story” (Season 1, Episode 2)

Synopsis: We’re back in the world of fringe science this week with FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) in pursuit of a man who kills prostitutes. His method? Removing their pituitary glands. Things get complicated—the science this week involves hyper-aging humans and anesthesia overdoses.

Review: The plot thickens. Fringe is supposed to be a show that one can drop in on, but I imagine this being much more rewarding if viewed in the long term. This week, we see Olivia has some major issues with violence toward women (see hyper-fast pregnancy sequence) and more and more is revealed about the relationship between Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter Bishop (John Noble). Walter is still the ever-lovable comedic basket case, but did anyone catch the look in his eye when he snapped at Olivia, and how quickly Peter picked up the pieces—immediately saying, “Okay, that’s enough!” It was a side of Walter we hadn’t seen, and apparently one Peter has seen all too much of.

What we didn’t see this episode was much of Broyles—apart from briefing the dynamic trio and his secret meeting with some honchos at Massive Dynamic, he was mostly absent. Nothing happened between he and Olivia (at least nothing in reality)—but he seems to have retained his complete 180 from the beginning of the Pilot and is now defending Olivia’s merits as an agent. This episode tries to remind us of Massive Dynamic’s presence with their employment proposition to Dunham, but we don’t need reminding. I can’t wait for build-up of intrigue around the company to pay off.

As promised, the show gave us some fringe science this episode—and damn it if it wasn’t cool! While I’m still not sure that I like how easy it is to get information out of cadavers, the idea of a hyper-aging serial killer was certainly an interesting one. While the idea of government-funded genetically engineered soldiers is not a new one (read a comic book), the real inspired stroke here was to make the hyper-aging mechanism the crux of their failure. And let’s be honest here: how fucking eerie/ awesome was the end? That sent chills up my spine—if that was the twist presented in episode 2, what do you think the twist will be in episode 22? I, for one, can’t wait to find out.

Curiosities:

Another post-coital scene in a seedy motel. What transpires right after that scene—the man leaving her on the curb of the hospital—could only inspire me to say one thing: The men on this show suck.
A mention of St. Claire’s again, eh? Expect it to be a major plotline in the show.
I was happy to see more detective work this episode. It felt more realistic—however, this fact was immediately undermined when Dunham and P. Bishop raid the warehouse alone… two agents with no backup. Where is the backup on this show?? (I know, searching for realism in this show is an act of futility, but still.)
That homemade defibrillator thing was cool.

Up Next Week: Dead bodies of bus commuters are frozen inside like insects in amber.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

TV Review: Fringe 1.1

Conrad Rothbaum — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:22:17 +0000

Fringe (Fox) Airs Tuesdays 9/8c

Episode: “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)

Synopsis: In the series premiere of J. J. Abrams’ latest series, “Fringe,” we are introduced to the life of FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv). We follow her as she is thrust into a case involving paranormal phenomena, deadly viruses, and ominous tech companies. When her boyfriend and fellow agent (Mark Valley) is horribly disfigured and left in a coma due to their investigation, Dunham is forced to enlist the help of mental patient Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his bad-boy genius son, Peter (Joshua Jackson). Using Walter’s knowledge of “fringe science,” they can use methods that no FBI operation has used thus far—even going so far as questioning the comatose. When it becomes clear that juggernaut pioneer-science corporation Massive Dynamic is somehow involved, Dunham quickly realizes she is in over her head.

Review: So, here we are! Our key has freshly ignited the new, intriguing vehicle that is J. J. Abrams’ Fringe! The series starts on a low-note: the frightening illustration of a doomed airplane experiencing some intense turbulence as it passes through a magnetic storm and all the passengers/ crew are infected with some sort of hyper-virus. Strange decision to kick things off with something so gruesome and cringe-inducing, but what other show can claim to show a man’s jaw melting off of his skull in the first five minutes? I’ll tell you right now: I was watching this show in a group of eight or so people, and there was not one among them who could hold back a gasp at the sight of those horrible disfigurements witnessed during the show’s opening moments. Truth be told, there are a lot of grotesqueries throughout the pilot and my weak stomach can only hope that this is not a template for the rest of the show.

The pilot suffers a bit from what I like to call “The Introductory Episode Blues”—the show is a bit tedious in its first installment, introducing us to the life of FBI Agent/ swimsuit model Olivia Dunham (who is introduced in bed with her lover and later appears in black lingerie). We are shown her traitorous love, Agent John Scott, and her tough-love-believing superior officer, Phillip Broyles (played by the inimitable Lance Reddick, who exudes authority and absorbs respect with ease). The relationship I am most interested in seeing develop is the one between Broyles and Dunham: there is a sort of bi-polar quality to it. In the beginning, he won’t touch her with a ten foot stick, but in the end, he’s practically begging her to go off in search of paranormal adventure with him.

Pretty soon the investigation into the downed airplane leaves her boyfriend in a comatose state of translucent skin, and Dunham pulls some files on the chemicals involved in the incident. The connection leads her to Walter Bishop and his damaged son, Peter. May I please just go off on a slight tangent about Joshua Jackson here? I never did watch “Dawson’s Creek” so I did not know what a quality actor he was and is. In fact, here we have a case where the actor is better than the material he is supplied with. His talent fills the 3^rd dimension missing from his 2-dimensional character, and I am interested to see what he does given more substance. Back to the review—John Noble is equally compelling as the basket-case genius Walter Bishop, and much comedy is milked from his listless mental troubles (“Oh. I’ve just pissed myself.” “Great.” “Just a squirt.”).

Pretty soon Fringe science (the science of craziness) and Massive Dynamic (which needs to be capitalized, and I will fight anyone who says different) become involved, and we are shown some truly weird shit. Using electrical impulses from the brain and a hallucinogenic compound, Dunham is able to speak to her comatose lover in a truly cool/ trippy (dream?) sequence. Along with that we see a cybernetic hand and some pretty bitchin’ wallpaper over at Massive Dynamic headquarters. Once all this is introduced and John Scott reveals his true nature as a traitor (as another tangent, let me say here that I hate it when protagonists are in love with douche bags—perhaps this will lead to a “Lost”-like twist and we will find that he had Dunham’s best interests at heart when he tried to send her car off a bridge) and we are given a glimpse at the larger conflict of the show.

It appears that all of these paranormal happenstances across the globe over the last nine months are not exactly happenstances. They are connected, according to characters that obviously know a lot more than we do. It appears that J. J. Abrams is casting an even wider net of intrigue than in “Lost” and “Alias” here: he has set up the building blocks of something major and complex—and opportunities to say things about federal institutions/ employees and large, overbearing corporations.

Here’s to hoping we see the damn thing follow through.

CURIOSITIES:

-“…Responsible for some of the most terrifying terror known to man…” Laughter. I can only assume Reddick was ad-libbing there and that the intensity in his eyes was what saved that take in the editing room.

-What is up with the asylum Bishop attended? I remember him mentioning their “choice of therapy” and then his voice trailing off. Expect to see some more about this.

-Why is Peter Bishop so afraid of his father? Thus far, Dad seems like a harmless old eccentric.

-“In a place like that you lose a lot. You lose being trusted.”

-When does Fringe take place? I don’t seem to recall technology that is freely displayed at MASSIVE DYNAMIC ever being implemented, so it couldn’t be contemporary, could it? Perhaps it takes place in an alternate universe.

-I expect more betrayals from within the FBI. I really do expect this show to use its balls out science fiction to expose things about how the FBI is run and its intents/ purposes. If it’s not relevant to the world we live in today, the show is ultimately worthless.

-Time travel will be an element in the show. Duh.

-“How long has he been dead?” “Five hours.” “Question him.” I can’t decide whether I’m laughing at them or with them. The show has already proved that it isn’t beyond self-parody with a few well-placed lines, mostly from Joshua Jackson’s character.

-I’m not fully convinced of Torv’s acting ability. She’s Australian, right? Her husky voice attempts to cover up her accent, and it succeeds in that respect, but it also succeeds in calling attention to the whole affair. Oh, and she sucks at crying.

-In the interest of full disclosure, I have only seen one episode of the X-Files. Just how derivative is Fringe?

-Dying words: “Ask yourself why Broyles sent you…to the storage facility…”

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch Fringe this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

Film School Rejects » Fringe Recap

Fringe 2.1 Review: Welcome Back, Olivia Dunham

Fringe Airs Thursday at 9/8c

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TV Review: Fringe Goes to Break With All Sorts of Craziness

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TV Review: Fringe 1.6 – The Cure

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TV Review: Fringe 1.5 – Power Hungry

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TV Review: Fringe 1.4 – The Arrival

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