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Have you missed these liveblogs? I sure have.
21:04: Despite knowing from last week’s preview that some poor schmuck gets stuck in the wall, I am still quietly horrified watching this.
21:06: Okay, I’m sorry, but all my comic book knowledge of phasing says that guy would have been dead the second the wall solidified around him. I DOTH PROTEST.
21:09: I feel extra bad for the actor who has to play the dead man stuck in the wall. That is a much harder position to hold than ‘lying still on a table.’
21:10: BALTIMORE.
21:11: Oh shit, everything is starting to come together! The man who pulled the apple out of the box, injections, Mr. Jones, this vaguely familiar British guy who I believe I’ve seen somewhere else…
21:15: I wonder how long it’s going to take Olivia to realize she was never in the marines, but Agent Scott was.
21:16: Oh snap. I guess the answer to that is “one minute.”
21:19: And NOW the poor actor has to hang there with his hand stuck in some sort of prosthetic stump arm.
21:21: Can WE see what’s in these boxes? Please? No? Well okay then. Also, I thought they could only read dead peoples’ minds for a finite amount of time after death – which, at least several weeks into the show’s timeline, is most certainly over.
21:22: Don’t high frequency vibrations in solid matter also cause friction to the point of lighting things (read: the people passing through it) on fire? The last time I took physics was in high school, but it was my best science.
21:24: Poor Astrid, she seems tired.
21:27: “There was nothing in any of his records.” “Yeah, that’s why I’m callin you.” Hey, at least you’re useful!
21:28: Poor lil’ guy has the shakes.
21:29: Thank you, Walter, for pointing out the simmering sexual tension between Olivia and Peter.
21:39: Don’t these Feds know how to shoot somebody in the le- oh, well done Olivia.
21:51: Joshua Jackson totally has a hand double.
21:52: Was it seriously easier for Walter to invent a time machine than it was to cure a rare disease? It would seem his skills in faux science greatly exceed those in biology.
21:53: Seriously, why does this woman go anywhere by herself? She’s dealing with highly radioactive people who walk through walls.
21:55: I’m sorry, Olivia, but sometimes the story’s need for tension and drama make you do stupid, stupid things.
21:56: Wait, he didn’t invent a time machine – he invented a TELEPORTER. Which is still somewhat excessive as compared to curing disease, but.
21:57: Can I just say I love the sort of shaky, beta tech nature of all the fringe science in this show? It is still absurd, but in a more endearing way than sleek, refined technology would be. Like a wobbly puppy!
The liveblog returns! Liveblogging episode 5 of the season, “Power Hungry.”
21:07: This show has officially made me never want to ride in a plane, bus, or elevator ever again. On the plus side, when I have to anyway, magnetic men do not seem to be among my fellow passengers.
21:15: I want a floating necklace for my birthday.
21:18: Mean boss near electrical implement? Deeead.
21:19: Well, at least down one arm.
21:22: You guys ran into someone altered through science to tap into the Ghost Frequency, how is this so weird?
21:25: This episode makes elevators fairly creepy, but not quite so creepy as the original version of <i>The Eye</i>.
21:26: Figments of one’s imagination don’t generally take the elevator. But then one could imagine an elevator opening and one’s figment stepping out. Who knows.
21:36: Who knew outdated technology and nature could save the day! Casette tapes and pigeons, the stuff of heroes.
21:38: Oh how I worry about that pigeon.
21:39: Um gross. He is either a ghost, a zombie, a hallucination, or someone else completely, and whichever it is Olivia should not be making out with him.
21:42: Given a man is being held against his will for use in deadly experiments, I’m having some trouble getting into the jaunty mood of this GPS magnetized pigeon chase.
21:46: Okay, I am now forced to acknowledge a point my friend Stephanie made: Olivia et al are supposed to announce/identify themselves when entering a building or pointing a gun at people. I suspect this show needs an FBI consultant.
21:52: Oh shit! The crazyman is in on it! Though Walter continues to walk the fine line of knowledgable vs deus ex machina.
21:53: I’m not sure how you plan to explain shooting off a door lock to break into a building, Olivia. ‘I saw my dead boyfriend go this way’ probably won’t cut it, even in your department.
21:57: I’m also not sure how Agent Scott was going to propose, given their relationship was a secret and revealing it would’ve gotten one of them transfered, but whatever, it adds extra tragedy/romance.
I’m not sure if chatting with Stephanie (who loathes Fringe) colored my opinion of this episode, but I found it a little lackluster. No Massive Dyanmic, no discussion of this incident’s link to the Pattern, and Agent Scott traipsing about being sort of mysterious and sort of annoying. Here’s to hoping the setup from this week leads to greater things next week.
Liveblogging episode four of the season, “The Arrival.” I’ve got a bit of a tummy ache tonight so my commentary may be less than stellar. Not that I held it to such high standards before, but you know.
21:03: Was that a gastronomically caused disaster? He had an interesting meal there.
21:08: Oh no my cousin called at an inopportune moment, I missed the beginning of the witty banter.
21:10: Was it just me or did that building appear to be CGI?
21:12: “Do you feel like sharing?” “Noo.” Someone did not pick up some essential kindergarten schools.
21:15: My guess? MOLE PEOPLE.
21:16: I thought that weapon looked a little funny. Apparently it shoots force beams of light. I wait in great anticipation for when lightsabers start showing up.
21:20: Apparently, reverse psychology DOES work.
21:22: I amend my guess: ALIEN mole people. That would account for both the non-aging and the baldness. Or, alternatively, the kid from Powder.
21:24: Aluminum foil hats! Also, I’m not sure they make root beer floats to go.
21:25: Nooooo Walter what are you doing! Leave Astrid alone!
Commercial: That Apple ad just called the iPod touch “The funnest iPod ever.” The grammarian in me is dying on the inside. “Funnest” is not a word! It is “most fun”.
21:27: No device that puts electrical wires up one’s nose is meant for good.
21:33: Speaking of reduced wit, Peter seems a little off his game this episode. Maybe being harassed for root beer floats by his father has drained his energy.
Commercial: I’m both impressed and horrified that there is a fifth Saw. It makes me think I should try to get through the third one again, but I just didn’t have the stomach for it.
21:37: To amend my earlier statement: nothing good can come from a pair of wires stuck up ones nose attached to one’s brain. Though I do doubt that would cause pain, since the brain doesn’t have, you know, pain receptors, and I’m pretty sure the only thing accessible up the nose is the frontal lobe. And really, Peter is already morally suspect without having that part of him zapped.
21:41: Seriously Olivia, have you never heard of backup?
21:42: “He’s got a gun!” Understatement of the year.
21:43: Your bullet thing ran away.
21:53: That is a rather steely-eyed driver’s license photo sir.
21:58: I wonder how much careful planning went into the contents of Olivia’s refridgerator. Hey, Agent Scott! How ya doin’?
I found this episode a little lackluster in comparison to the three previous, but probably because it was much more involved with the overarching mythology of its characters. Also, maybe because there was no Massive Dynamic involvement? I do miss our one-armed redhead. Next time!
Liveblogging episode three of the first season.
21:02: Open on poor tortured psychic!
21:03: This show enjoys its massive chemical exposures on enclosed transportation plot points.
21:06: I still cannot get behind this floating block text to indicate scene location. It just looks funny.
21:08: “I wasn’t going to tell you this… but he said he loved me too.” Bless you for lightening her angsty mcangst, whatever your name is, Gravely Voice Man.
21:10: Mystery! Intrigue!
21:15: Walter’s moments of lucidity are dangerous at best.
21:17: Nicaraguan drug cartels hear about The Pattern, too. This is dangerous ground people.
21:19: Massive Dynamic, why do you keep coming up? Oh, perhaps it’s because you’re evil.
21:23: Where is our Mulder to jump to the conclusion of “psychic”?
21:25: Evil Red-haired Lady raises a good point: These strange occurrences are suddenly very localized around our intrepid protagonist, since she became our intrepid protagonist.
21:27: And their psychic woke up around when they learned about The Pattern. HMM. At least they are addressing the sci-fi trope of strange things happening in a convenient distance from the heroes.
21:28: They are also addressing why Dunham doesn’t get to know everything when really they might just not want the audience to know everything. Thank goodness for basic logic amid scientific illogic.
21:34: And finally, an explanation as to why Walter doesn’t remember his own Ghost Network experiments on Harvard undergrads: He’s crazy! I think we’re done here.
21:37: Who hides medical equipment in a wall? Really?
21:38: I think we can all agree Astrid has a better bedside manner than “Strap him down!” crazyman Walter.
21:41: The set designers for this show must have so much fun. Not as much fun as the set designers for LOST, but we can all dream.
21:43: “Dammit don’t you FEEL anything?” “Well I’m a little scared.”
21:44: Also I would argue that Latin is not a handy language to use on modern topics, given they stopped speaking it centuries and centuries ago. Also not as sneaky as they’d like, apparently, since Astrid conveniently speaks Latin.
21:46: Damn, can’t we find a good, non-dirty government agent these days?
21:51: TV shows that make you loudly “GASP!” are the best.
21:54: Stop your whining, Dunham, isn’t it worth it to get this thing out of evil hands? And look, you got extra clearance, now aren’t you happy?
21:56: I’m still curious as to how these men were broadcasting on the Ghost Network. It doesn’t seem to be a thing that one can do through a cell phone. Though I may have lost that information when my cousin and her friend were chatting over the dialogue.
21:57: Why does Massive Dynamic want something they already have? Why is everyone trying to poach Dunham? Is that the dead DEA agent? Maybe I would know what was going on if some people would quit talking over the show!
Lesson learned: Watch Fringe alone, or with people who’ve watched it from the beginning and know better. I’m going to have to try to catch this online to figure out all of what happened at the end. But really, if this was the greatest trial in my day, I am doing pretty well.
This is the best new show on television. Are you watching yet? Seriously, you need to be. Now, let the liveblog commence!
21:04: I feel a little sick. …. ok, I feel a lot sick.
21:07: What is it with sci-fi TV and evil redheaded women?
21:08: Flashback montage to demonstrate Olivia’s agony over the betrayal of her BF. Awww.
21:12: “No, but that’s fantastic news!” Oh you poor, tragic man.
21:15: Psychic powers! Or she’s just a smart cookie. Okay, smart cookie.
21:16: Fringe is still doing limited commercial interruptions? I love that they say how many seconds I have to get a drink, run to the bathroom, etc. It really helps.
21:18: I do enjoy that Fringe is able to be so glib about traumatizing supernatural occurrences. Also, Joshua Jackson. “And all this connects to magical man baby and the pregnant woman how?”
21:22: Oh sweetie, don’t go into empty warehouses with men, didn’t all those elementary school PSAs teach you anything?
22:23: “I’m doing two things at once.” One of which is milking a cow.
22:24: Only a special kind of man has a severed hand preserved in a jar in his car. For 17 years.
22:26: I’ve heard of stolen livers and people in ice-filled tubs, but never pituitaries. However, secret anti-aging science? It’s all coming together!
22:27: I hate it when I wake up strapped to an operating table with my mouth held open by surgical instruments. Totally bad way to start your day.
Commercial: I would like to reiterate my total excitement for tomorrow’s episode of Bones with Ceasar Milan.
21:32: This research sounds to me like… what’s the word… highly unethical and illegal. And see what happens when you do this kind of research? You make crazy pituitary-stealing soldiers!
21:33: “Even condoms are not 100% effective, you two should be aware of that.” Thanks doc.
21:34: I so wish our strong, capable female protagonist would stop being irrationally emotional. It sort of cheapens that strong, capable part.
21:35: It’s always nice to see that writers are well-read. The Kip Brothers is now on my reading list. “Also a work of fiction, a small but critical distinction.”
21:36: I like how this revolutionary science is boiled down for the audience as “Let’s hook her eyeballs up to a TV screen!”
21:37: Massive Dynamic, your office is both beautiful and terrifying. There’s something really unsettling about those giant tulips on the wall.
21:43: Can we all just appreciate that the supernatural investigation team of the Feds are using Google Maps to find a serial killer? See everyone, Big Brother’s ability to see your cat on your front porch is ok! It fights crime!
21:47: “Do you have any cocaine?” “No, I don’t have any cocaine.” “Oh, then too bad.” After which the father-son team proceeds to build a homemade defibrillator out of some washers, a cut wire and two phone books. MacGuyver’s got nothing on them. Don’t try this at home kids!
21:49: Also, somewhat belatedly: Isn’t Brad Pitt making this movie? Oh wait, he starts old and gets young. In that case, didn’t Robin Williams already make this movie?
Commercial: “You probably use it at home, at work and in the car – the popular item linked to a serious disease!” Good to see the local evening news hasn’t stopped with its vague and alarmist promos.
21:53: THE PATTERN.
21:56: “If you’ve read my file, then you know the truth about Peter’s medical history.” Incremental perturbations!
21:58: That’s probably the most heartbreaking rendition of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” I’ve ever heard.
Next week: precognition! And hey, USA Today stole me very general thought and quote that Fringe is the “best new show” on television. FIENDS.
The more I watch this show, the more I think comparisons to X-Files, House, Alias and other medical/supernatural/secret agent shows are at best inaccurate and at worst unfair. Though Fringe has similar elements on paper, the visuals, characters, and storytelling methods are a departure from all of these shows, and I think, in fact, the rest of television. It’s not something “completely brand new,” but they are trying things I have never seen before, and should be applauded for that.
Probably the best thing they’ve done for the current appeal and continued life of the series is linking each of the cases (read: the major conflict in an individual episode, what they’re investigating, etc) to The Pattern, which is in turn links the characters together in ways that have yet to be realized (but are probably, you know, important). For this reason I’d much more readily compare Fringe to LOST or, weird as it might seem, Veronica Mars, if not necessarily thematically then stylistically. Though the supernatural elements of Fringe definitely have more of a LOST feel than an X-Files feel – these occurrences are worldly, products of nature or science and sometimes bad but very human people. They are not from outer space. Much as the title suggests, they are still part of the fabric of our universe, but on the edges we’ve only just started to glimpse. (Though as a side note, in our infinitely expanding universe I do believe, probability-wise, that aliens exist. They are probably just more amoeba-like and definitely haven’t dropped by Earth.) Much as I love X-Files, the whole Fringe conspiracy theory seems a little less heavy-handed too. I think we live in an era when it’s much easier to believe in some corporate economic power over that of any government.
Before we begin, may I just say that Cox Cable’s summary for Fringe really sucks: “An unlikely trio uncovers a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events.”
Uh, thanks Captain Opaque from the Starship Vaguery.
20:00: Cue panorama of the cabin, so we all feel kind of bad about the fate these people ultimately meet!
20:02: Everything is scarier in German! And with pea soup vomit to boot. OH GOD HIS JAW JUST FELL OFF.
20:03: So this intro was not my favorite when I first saw the pilot, and I’m sad to see they didn’t change it. The ‘Fringe’ text piecing together is cool, but the ‘DARK MATTER’ ‘TELEPORTATION’ etc etc is just sort of… not cool.
20:05: This will be one of two incidents this episode in which our protagonist traipses about in a bra. Also, I get that they’re trying to come up with new ‘Hey this is where we are!’ location indicators, but the floating 3D text is also not working for me.
20:06: Autopilot that lands planes? NICE.
20:07: FYI, it’s that guy who vomited pea soup! And hey, it’s the dude from The Wire and Lost! His alien head is making him a good living in crime and sci-fi.
20:08: Is it wrong to hear Neil Patrick Harris when he says “SUIT UP!” ? Also, liquid flesh, gross.
20:10: I can forgive his “Yeah honey, would you mind?” because it leads to greater things. Hang in with me kids!
20:11: He said “I love you” and now you’ve said “I love you too” and therefore something horrible is going to happen. Don’t you know better?
20:12: Aren’t those the monkeys from 28 Days Later? No good can come of this. Certainly not if all the animals in there are hairless.
20:13: Then shoot! Aw now see you waited too long.
20:15: Peter Outerbridge from ReGenesis!
Commercial: What, we only have 60 seconds of commercials? WHEN AM I GOING TO PEE?
20:18: Time to bring in the crazyman for levity!
20:19: Flight 627 + an actor from LOST = my looking for The Numbers.
20:20: Hey guys, Joshua Jackson is still sort of playing a flippant asshole, but this time he’s a GENIUS. And I always loved Pacey anyway, so you know what, it’s all good.
20:22: Why do people keep calling her honey? Surely there are other derivative pet names to choose from.
20:24: Fringe Science! Pay attention, boys and girls! These sorts of things will be, you know, coming up. Particularly that “reanimation” thing…
20:27: “They have this horrible… pudding… here.” I know we were talking about your dying boyfriend and all but there are MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.
20:28: She looks like she’s about to punch him in the face.
20:29: Oh okay! We’ve got a ’sweetheart’. Which she seems to take considerably more offense to than ‘honey’.
20:30: “I thought you’d be fatter.” “You thought I’d be fatter. Excellent.” These two have a great dynamic. It is, after all, hard to make childhood psychological neglect funny. Yet they do.
20:31: Second ’sweetheart’, fourth pet name of the evening.
Commercial: A new Bond preview! Nice! Also, how many previews are we going to see for Lakeview Terrace? Or perhaps the average population whose days do not consist of watching Law & Order aren’t exposed quite as much as I am.
20:34: William Bell and Massive Dynamics vs a man who pees himself – but just a squirt. I think we see the injustice.
20:36: And we are finally introduced, albeit quietly, to Dunham’s assistant, Astrid Farnsworth – the black woman with the sweet hair. I hope she plays a bigger role as the series progresses, but she still wins for her role with livestock later in the episode. See? See how I am trying to not spoil things?
Commercial: This is sort of the Superbowl of weekday evening TV ads – the only people shelling out the cash (and I imagine they had to, with limited commercial interruptions) are movie previews and Spore. And, apparently, Fox TV shows.
20:41: “Actually I picked that up reading books. You should try it sometime.” Pacey wants to educate the children! Only the children are watching his TV show so. Whoops.
20:47: “I have used this technique to extract information from a corpse once.”
20:48: I have to really admire her dedication here, as Pacey so nicely laid it out for her – and mad scientist man expresses his excitement over her agreement with “Excellent! Let’s make some LSD.”
20:57: The pacing is supposed to indicate that science, even fringe science, kind of takes a while and is often boring. Good for them! Also I forgot, second underwear incident of the hour. But nice dress in dream world!
20:58: I am more bothered by the floating kayak than any other weirdness in this show.
20:59: Dr. Bishop smirks with his eyes! Tyra would be proud.
21:03: Massive Dynamic has the sweetest office ever.
21:04: Also, I think my warning about red-haired ladies (see Terminator) holds. AND SHE HAS A ROBOT ARM. I love this near-future world where everything is the same but not quite.
21:05: “Do you believe Richard Steeg is part of the pattern?” “I’m sorry, the… pattern?” “Oh I’m sorry. I assumed you had clearance.” “I’m cleared to know what you’re cleared to know.” “Apparently not.”
21:06: “Surprisingly profound for a narrative about a sponge.” Chinese food, a cow, and a meeting of interests across age and race over Spongebob. It’s so beautiful.
Commercial: You know, I should ask Jessica if she recognizes anyplace in this show – and to keep an eye out for their film crews, since, by in large, it takes place in Boston.
21:11: Seriously, that kid is not up from the kitchen table after the FIRST stranger ran through?
21:14: Aw, Peter cares!
21:15: Elaborate medical procedure montage: GO!
21:16: Followed by mysterious occurrences montage! Aka, THE PATTERN.
21:20: I don’t really get the blue gel ice pack covering his privates. Also, she says baby, making it the fifth pet name in an hour and a half.
21:21: There’s an inside man and the tape implicating him! In case you weren’t already suspicious, yes, it is too good to be true that two people in love should skirt death and be reunited.
21:22: Olivia, aren’t these the times you should call ahead and put Scott on lockdown, so he doesn’t, you know, get up out of his room and go smother your witness like that?
21:25: Oh okay, she did call. Just not fast enough! She gets her street cred back.
21:27: Your boyfriend is, indeed, trying to run you into a concrete wall with his SUV. Harsh.
21:32: It’s always “just the beginning” in these things.
21:33: HERE IT IS. HERE IT IS.
“How long has he been dead?” “Five hours.” “Question him.”
The Massive Dynamic splash page is cute. Very Dharma Initiative esq.
So I hope everyone sees now what a spectacular show this is, and is going to be. There is, of course, no value in concept without execution – and I think JJ and his team have hit the mark on both counts. They have a setup for unpredictability, variety, and the combo of episodic storylines with an overarching plot. They’re operating within the realm of fiction, but it has its rules: six hours is the dead-body time limit, and I’m sure there will be others, to put them in the realm of fantastic without giving them the sort of free-wheeling license to make up any old thing that so often alienates viewers. We like to not know what’s going on, but to be given the clues to make an informed guess. That’s why LOST is the success that it is, and why I think Fringe will follow so neatly in its footsteps.
And now that I’ve said that: JJ & co, don’t disappoint.
