A Gr-Eight Year On The Fringe

So guess what, as we prepared for the EIGHT MONTH hiatus for our most favourite TV Show (”LOST”) we only went and found another obsession! Along came “Fringe” to ease the pain of LOST being off the air, but it became so much more than just a pacifier, this show actually does rock. Here are eight of our favourite things about Fringe in 2008(we could have included more, but eight is such a perfect number for this year, dontcha think?):

(No particular order)

The Observer: What started off as a curious occurrence has turned into a full-blown obsession. The Observer has got many fans watching that bit more closely, searching for any sign of his shiny bald head. His appearance in every episode so far is no coincidence, he’s the hook that reeled many people in and the skill with which he was formally introduced in “The Arrival” was brilliant. He adds an ‘other-worldly’ feel to the show, that’s not to say he’s an alien (that’d be lame), but there are many things about our own world that we do not yet understand, including the notion of time, space and reality - should the Observer offer a solution to these mysteries, we could be closer to perceiving our own world in a different light.

Father/Son Relationship: As a LOST fans we’ve been conditioned to approaching mythical father/son relationships with trepidation, after all, the law of LOST suggests that the son must overcome the father (usually by murdering him or by stealing his company from underneath him). However, the “Fringe” father/son angle is a more hopeful one. Sure, Peter still has  resentment for his nutty father, but clearly there’s so much love there - did you see the way he looked at him when Walter asked whether the world sees him how he sees Dashiell? You wouldn’t catch Jack, Walt, Locke, Ben or Kate looking at their dads with such love (partly because they’re already dead). Likewise, Walter, as self-interested as he is, obviously adores his son - heck, he tried to go back in time to change the fate of the ‘bird-flu’ ridden Peter. That’s love right there.

Agent Dunham: Many people gave her grief for being “cold” and “distant”, but Agent Dunham has warmed our hearts. She’s been one of the best new female characters on TV in many a while. She can’t be ’smiles a minute’ because her life has been turned upside down and she has two strange men stalking her every waking (and sleeping) moment - give a sister a break! What we like about Dunham is her duality - she’s smart, yet she clearly doesn’t know it all (nor does she claim to), she’s hot but naturallyso, she’s tough but has vulnerabilities that she clearly has to battle through (and boy does she battle!), she can drink your ass under the table but she retains her femininity - We could go on but you get the idea. She’s a cracking character who we’ve barely scratched the surface with. We love Walter but Olivia has been a treat because we didn’t expect Torv to do such a good job so quickly.

Massive Dynamic: Would “LOST” be the same without the Dharma Initiative? Would the first season of the once great “Heroes” have been the same without Primatech? Doubtful. Every mythology-laden show needs a shadowy organisation that toes the line of ambiguity. Massive Dynamic are brilliant because you can clearly see how they could relate in that thing we call the ’real world’. Multi-industry corporations are so common that we sometimes forget to ask ourselves ‘why?’. Why does company “A” do so much, is it because they can, because they should, or because no one else does it better? How can such control be regulated, monitored and shared when the same company who runs your email service, also controls your web browsing and your search engine results (yes Google, I’m talking to you *smiles sweetly*). There are far better examples, but we thought Google could use the linkback.

Nina Sharp: Oh Nina, we do love you. Not only are you a strong woman in charge of the worlds most forward-thinking company (Willam Bell? Pah!), you’re not a hard-ass like so many TV shows try to do with powerful woman at the top. No no no, our Nina is funny, charming, endearing, charismatic and she has a bionic arm that terrifies me senseless. We all need a bit of danger to go with our favourite characters! In all seriousness, Nina is great, she lights up the screen with her red hair and mind f*cks Olivia on the regular. Sorry Olivia, but she does own you.

The Science: Popular Mechanics have struggled to muddy the science portrayed on the show, and no wonder, it’s been fascinating! Some of it might be unbelievable, but if I wanted to stay within the safe confines of commonly held beliefs then I’d watch a documentary. Even then Fringe would probably contain more truths!

 

Mythology: The reason why mythology works so well in shows like “Fringe” is because we are all brought up on myths. We all have a spiritual leaning towards a good story involving mystery and the human condition. Fringe has been blessed with a sprinkling of intriguing mythological aspects from the strange blue lights, to the Observer’s writings, to the cylinder, to Peter’s childhood illnesses, to the reason for Astrid existing, to name a few. If you’re a fan of mythology then Fringe is a veritable rabbit-hole with your name on it. Long may this continue in 2009!

Giacchino Magic: The talented composer really understands where, when and how to place a piece of music to convey emotion. The early indications with FRINGE are good, and all LOST fans know how integral his score is to the success of that show.

 

 

With that, it’s farewell to 2008 and possibly FringeBloggers. There’s this great show called Eleventh Hour that we’re desperate to blog about. Haha, we kid, we’ll be around in various forms. We’d just like to thank those who have taken the time to read our blog, it’s been fun following this show. We’d also like to thank a certain Fringe blog for their arrogant threat to blow us out of the water (ha!) and for making us stronger in the knowledge that we are genuine fans, not power hungry freaks. Finally, we’d also like to thank all parties involved with the show for keeping us entertained during this most difficult of years for the industry. We may not kiss your ass like a certain blog, but we respect what y’all do. KEEP DOIN’ IT

Now, we’re off to get very very drunk, fear not observers, we’ll be sticking to the root beer floats all night.

Hey Fringe Fan! Welcome to Fringe Bloggers, please enjoy your stay.

Video: Merry Fringemas!

Enjoy this special Merry Fringemas narration/recap from the wonderful John Noble:

Fantastic stuff.

Source [via Elly at Fringe-Forum]

Peter Through The Looking Glass

Joshua Jackson talking about the evolution of the father/son relationship on “Fringe”:

Fox.com

Learn The Fringe Theme Notes!

Fringe-Forum member Torley shows you how to play the Fringe theme on the piano.:

More here.

So Fox, So Fringe - Winter Image Campaign Photos

Photos from the Fox Winter Image Campaign - “So Fox, So Fresh”. Check out a few of our Fringies below (click to enlarge):

 

Video: Mark Valley Talks John Scott

Fox Fix have an interview with Mark Valley, who plays the dead, yet alive in Olivia’s mindJohn Scott. He speculates as to whether Scott really loved Olivia, who he was working for, and the possibility of a John Scott/Observer card game:

Vid Credit: Fox Source

1.10 “Safe” - Fringie of The Week

It’s the last Fringie of the Week of 2008, as Fringie goes into hiatus hibernation until Jan 20. It’s been a tenacious tussle, but who will land the final blow of 08′? It’s time to decide.

Current Standings: Walter 5 wins, Peter 4 wins, Olivia, Meegar’s Mom and The Observer 1 win each.

1.10 "Safe" - Fringie of the Week

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Poll closes on Dec 17.

Fringe Models

JR. Orci, Fringe Supervising Producer, has posted some photos of prototype Fringe sets (namely Broyles’ office and Walter’s Lab). Observe:

Broyles’ Office

Walter’s Lab

1.10 “Safe” Review

The Good

  1. The opening sequence with Loeb and his men walking through the vault walls. Yet again Fringe scores a win for an intense and well made opening.
  2. Recurring. Old faces Loeb and Jones return to give Fringe the more “serial” feel that it cries out for. Both characters gave the episode more depth and purpose. Jones could well turn out to be the “Henry Gale” of Fringe.
  3. Peter back with the ‘A Team’ where he belongs. Tell Tess that he belongs with his daddy.
  4. Olivia and Peter chemistry. There were some seriously great vibes between these two during the bar scene. Lord knows Olivia needs some healing and I think peter could be the one to provide it. But we don’t want it to happen anytime soon. Let it simmer and slow burn. 
  5. Charlie said a funny. How awesome was Charlie’s “Is he stoned?” response to Walter’s even better ramble about time-travel and “imagining yourself then, imagining yourself now”.  
  6. Teleportation. Some fans have been b*tchin’ about the teleportation plot saying that it wasn’t explained well or realistic enough. Seriously, did these people ever moan this much when Scotty beamed them up, or when Ben turned the wheel? People need to remember that Fringe is entertainment, and that we clearly haven’t seen the last of Walter’s little time-travel gizmo. Personally, I enjoyed the teleportation of Mr. Jones and loved the fact that time-travel was alluded to. This show will hopefully go on for years, imagine if Lost had revealed every little detail in it’s first season!? Mystery frickin box, people!
  7. Nina Sharp in a state of worry and concern. We love Nina, she’s like our version of Walter’s “supplements”. She perks us up just thinking about her cheery smile and red hair. Seriously, I want her hair. But it was great to see her a bit agitated in this episode - “we’re up against highly motivated individuals” - yeah, and then she’s in merry London for something important. YES! Fringe truly went international in this episode and we have more clues as to the high stakes for the various factions.
  8. Olivia in peril. Yes! Finally there are consequences for running head-first into potential danger alone. Whilst we sincerely hope that Olivia is OK, it’s about time that she was on the receiving end of a foot chase (albeit one that only covered 4 yards. Pretty weak actually, but she probably had heels on).
  9. A well written and directed episode that brought several strands together, whilst giving us even more questions. This is not a bad thing, have you seen the state of TV-land recently? Thank heavens for Fringe, thank heavens for Bad Robot! Hail, hail!

The Bad

  1. What has happened to Phillip Broyles? Perhaps they’re down-playing his role for the time being, but I was led to believe that Lance Reddick’s character would be more meaty than the one he has portrayed on Lost? This man is surely being under utilized?
  2. Arghhhhhh-strid. Dear, sweet Astrid, how we have waited patiently for you to do something other than watch Sponge bob, order take-aways, come up with random cryptology skills and stroke Gene (good God, did that really happen?). We’ve watched in horror as you’ve allowed Walter to get away with attacking you. We’ve looked on with admiration as you’ve diligently stuck to the task of doing NOTHING for 10 episodes (seriously, I want a job like that). We’ve observed with amusement, as you’ve failed to slap the man who constantly massacres your name. And yet there’s something about you, some undeniable quality that keeps you under our protective wing. Like a little Chicklet we want to feed you with larger scripts and juicier worms. Astrid. Frustratingly, we like you. And therein lies the contradiction, and your umpteenth appearance in our “Bad” list.
  3. Peter’s good but that good? We’ve been led to believe that he read people, that’s marvelous! But is he really so good as to know that wall-phase-lackeyhad radiation poisoning, just from seeing the trembling of his hand? Maybe (if he was paying attention during “The Cure”), but it seems a bit convenient that he can get people to confess when actual FBI agents stand around floundering. Remember Steig? Peter broke him in a heartbeat.
  4. Charlie. Worst. Field. Assist. Ever. OK, so he’s not Olivia’s nanny, but he is her partner. When has he ever pulled his weight in that relationship? He’s good on the therapists couch, but out on the field? Charlie sucks. He can wail into that radio all day long, but at the end of the day this is yet another occasion where he’s failed to help Olivia with the ’bad guy’ situation. He’s either too late, off screen somewhere, or rolling around town with his army FBI agents. Which brings me to..
  5. Olivia baby, we’re glad that you’ve learnt the hard way not to go it alone, but seriously, why go it alone? Where were all of those FBI agents? Why were you isolated? 
  6. Repetition and clarity. The John Scott/Olivia thing is becoming a bit confusing. Not because we’re slow, but because it seems like the characters forget the discussions that they’ve had in previous episodes. Why is Walter slightly surprised that Olivia is remembering some of John Scott’s memories? Is it because Walter himself is forgetful? Because if it is, that’s OK. But if we’re doing this for the benefit of casual viewers: Meh. (This is really our way of saying we want the show to become more serialized. Please? With butterscotch pudding on top?).
  7. The fact that we have to wait 7 weeks for the next fantastic installment. What? No Mobisodes? You’re just gonna leave us at Christmas? Only kidding, merry Christmas to all at Fringe and to all at Fringe a happy new year. :)

Overall episode rating 9.5/10 [based on previous episodes. Best episode so far, with huge potential for the remainder of the season]

Creative Contest: Win A Copy of Fringe Comic Issue #2

Our friends over at Fringe-Forum.com are hosting a great “Creative License” Fringe contest, with a copy of issue #2 of the Fringe comic up for grabs!

To enter the contest or for more information, see here.

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