Fringe: Making the Unbelievable, Believable

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:51 pm

So one of the best pilots for a sci-fi action/drama that I have seen was the Fringe Pilot.

[AND NO, THIS ISN'T A NEW LAW & ORDER, DESPITE THE PROMO-POSTER!]

From that first episode, I was more or less hooked. It took me 6 more episodes to make a final decision (and boy let me tell ya, that Episode 7 is a DOOZEY!) but, I was intrigued more and more each episode.

The series has definitely grown. What was originally (arguably) an X-Files rip-off, has become a show about parallel universes, paranormal experiences, and scientific phenomena.

The show is creepy, needless to say. There's some definite spooky parts, sick twisted stuff, and sometimes it gets really graphic too. This show goes beyond anything X-Files ever did...

The latter half of Season 3 lost me, I'll be honest. By the end of each episode I found my mind had wandered. I basically missed over half of the finale and thanks to Steyn, I felt included enough to enjoy the Season 4 Premiere.

To be honest, the show is now taking off in a very different direction and being it's only episode two of Season 4, I'm still not sure if I like it. But I'm as invested as I was in the beginning of the series. The addition of Agent Lee in our universe is intriguing, and to see Olivia now interacting with the Otherside's Lee it's gonna get scary...

If they can win me in 5-6 more episodes? I'm in for the long haul.

What do you guys think of Fringe? Haven't seen it yet? I'm sure it's available somewhere for P2P sharing, but I caught it with my Netflix account originally.

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:35 am

if you want the episodes I have them all (even season 4 episodes 1 & 2).

I have to thank you for showing me fringe to get hooked on. I was very skeptical when I watched the first season and it seemed like an x-files clone and a monster of the week, but the plot after a few big reveals, and twists, became huge; which is something I really like about fringe, it starts of simple and builds up changing the show's dynamic dramatically. A show about a crazy guy his son and the FBI became a show about an all out dimensional war for survival.

The show does have it's major weak points and bad episodes, and it can't keep it's dynamic going forever, it needs to set aside it's war of the dimensions satisfyingly and move on to another major fringe event. I think it can run with another good season or two before stagnating, after that it should end. as much as I love it it can't go on forever.

Also one of the best aspects of the new episodes so far are how much more depressing it would be if walter never knew peter, I want to see what walter-net's reaction is... and can you tell me how nega-broils is alive? because I don't know what is going on there.

[Edited on 7/10/11 by No.Na.]

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:42 am

Nega-Broils totally died, I agree.

His throat is scarred, but that's from that attack early on in season 3, right? I honestly couldn't tell you what's what.

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:21 am

Ult_Sm86 wrote:Nega-Broils totally died, I agree.

His throat is scarred, but that's from that attack early on in season 3, right? I honestly couldn't tell you what's what.

yeah they need to explain that right quick since just because peter isn't in "existence" doesn't mean they can bring back the dead here, because that is a a big gaping plot hole that's going to bother me.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:26 am

Well...

Did Peter have to do with his death? I forget.

Post by **steyn** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:47 am

well so far, I pieced together this: Nega Fringe division came into our universe, kidnapped Olivia and replaced her with Fauxlivia. Thus the rescue wasn't to get Peter back, it was to get Olivia back. They were successful and someone else probably died when negaverse brought Fauxlivia back, no need for Nega-Broils to be sacrificed.

Though I might be wrong.

Bman, in the original timeline Nega-Broils helped Olivia escape back to our universe, was caught doing that and then was sacrificed to replace the matter that was needed to bring Fauxlivia back to her reality.

Edit: fixed the name

[Edited on 8/10/2011 by steyn]

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 5:52 am

Olivia, not Ophelia, but I get what you mean.

Also -- Where's Nega-Olivia's-Partner? I didn't see him. Scarface?

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:15 am

steyn wrote:well so far, I pieced together this: Nega Fringe division came into our universe, kidnapped Olivia and replaced her with Fauxlivia. Thus the rescue wasn't to get Peter back, it was to get Olivia back. They were successful and someone else probably died when negaverse brought Fauxlivia back, no need for Nega-Broils to be sacrificed.

Though I might be wrong.

Bman, in the original timeline Nega-Broils helped Olivia escape back to our universe, was caught doing that and then was sacrificed to replace the matter that was needed to bring Fauxlivia back to her reality.

Edit: fixed the name

[Edited on 8/10/2011 by steyn]

that is a possibility, but peter not having anything to do with nega-broils dying makes it hard to justify saying the timeline was that affected, unless the show reasons that olivia wanted to get back to her own world for peter's sake, not her own. Which I can buy, but it's a lot to put into subtext.

[Edited on 8/10/11 by No.Na.]

Post by **steyn** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:19 am

In the original Peter was taken back to nega-verse, maybe in this version it was Olivia that was taken, which means the rescue attempt was to get Olivia back, not Peter, which means Olivia didn't need nega-Broil's help to get back to our universe, therefor nega-Broils wasn't cuaght helping her becuase he didn't, and was never sacrificed to get Fauxlivia back.

I might be over-thinking it all. We'll have to wait and see how they explain it all.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:24 am

Or, what if Fauxlivia switched with Olivia to grab intel on Walter for Walternate, but Nega-Broils didn't like that so he sent a message to Regula-Broils to put an end to it so they went over there with (... with who? Peter wasn't there. Your'e saying Walter and Astrid went over by themselves? Come on.)

No matter how you spin this, the shark has been jumped and they need to resolve it quickly.

And the entire time, I keep asking one question:

Where's Spock??

[Edited on 8/10/11 by Ult_Sm86]

Post by **steyn** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:27 am

I don't think walter went to nega-verse, he's too afraid to leave his lab now. But I do believe they used the people who were the kids from Walter's experiments back in the day, just like they did in the original timeline.

[Edited on 8/10/2011 by steyn]

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:28 am

yeah I agree, Both of those could be viable ways to explain this that would make sense and be satisfying, but just leaving it out there is a big no no in sci-fi writing.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:29 am

Wait, the team?

But... we just figured out that because of the new timeline, Lee couldn't have been over there. And he's a critical part of how that team went down/fought back. He's the one who died....

so....

Lee has been confirmed as an Orphan... wonder what else has been hidden...

WHERE'S SPOCK!?!

[Edited on 8/10/11 by Ult_Sm86]

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:33 am

I don't know I know our Bill Bell dead, but I don't remember them ever mentioning bell 2.0

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:34 am

But he's gonna be back, you know he's gonna be back!

Post by **steyn** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:38 am

Remember, this is from the same creator who made Lost, so you'll have to wait for the explanations which will come out little by little in each episode. It's just bad story writing if you explain everything in one episode.

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:38 am

I hop not, i think it would cheapen his death, they brought him back once(ish) already and I think that death lets walter grow, just like not having peter makes him more sad and depressed

steyn wrote:Remember, this is from the same creator who made Lost, so you'll have to wait for the explanations which will come out little by little in each episode. It's just bad story writing if you explain everything in one episode.

I agree it would be bad storyteling I am just so impatient!! and I have actually never seen any lost.

[Edited on 8/10/11 by No.Na.]

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:44 am

I have actually never seen any lost.

The Island is the afterlife.

There, now you don't need to waste all that time getting through 7 seasons of bull shit.

--- Anyways.

I agree that explanations are needed but not right away, however there's a difference between tactful, patient, story-writing, and Jumping the Shark...

[Edited on 8/10/11 by Ult_Sm86]

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:47 am

Ult_Sm86 wrote:
I have actually never seen any lost.
The Island is the afterlife.

There, now you don't need to waste all that time getting through 7 seasons of bull shit.

[Edited on 8/10/11 by Ult_Sm86]

Oh I was never going to watch lost, it looked boring from the get go lol

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:59 pm

I love the amount of expendable agents that the Fringe division has!

I'm watching this episode with the mold spores now, and holy cow it's hilarious how many agents die randomly in this series! It's like the henchmen lost to James Bond. So many untold stories of bravery...

and stupidity. I mean who doesn't run when THAT THING IS COMING AT YOU!

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:11 am

That was kinda annoying especially when the name agents didn't bother wear biohazard suite. I liked the little boy and walter aspect was cool this episode though. Are gonna speculate on how they are gonna bring peter back yet?

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:20 am

I think it's going to be one of those sort of JUMP THE SHARKS type deals, where they remember him hard enough to bring him back.

No.Na. · Post by **No.Na.** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:54 am

Ult_Sm86 wrote:I think it's going to be one of those sort of JUMP THE SHARKS type deals, where they remember him hard enough to bring him back.

I'll stop watching, flat out be done with this if they do that. I can't stand that kind of lazy writing.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:58 am

Seems to be what they're leading up to...

We'll find out tomorrow.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 6:38 pm

Just catching up on the show now.

Couple questions

1) Did Neena adopt Olivia ater the universal reset between both alternate universes? (alternate to eachother respectively, that is). I thought her mom died after she moved out... or wait... no she had her Dad... or was it a step dad? Step dad! Who hit her. What's going on?

2) Why did Neena say "Bill told me..." Is she talking William? William Bell? Spock? How's he still around? Can she still speak to him or something? I'm confused.

3) Is it me or did this actually happen the way I joked about? Is Peter actually back because they "couldn't forget him"? That's a fucking joke, if that's the case.

I might fin myself tossing this show out after this season.