Comments on: Pilot Review: JJ Abrams’ Fringe on FOX

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:44:13 +0000

The rape side-plot was alluded to very vaguely — something like “those three women might disagree” with his dismissive attitude — but it wasn’t made terribly explicit. It’d be easy to miss with just one viewing. In fact, I had mostly forgotten it until this discussion.

I’m sure they’ll hit us in the face with it later. :-\

By: Josh

Josh — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:05:37 +0000

Hmmm…no mention of rape? Then I DEFINITELY need to see this newest version of the pilot, because that was something that really turned me off about his character from the cut I watched.

Now I just need to find an hour and a half to actually sit down and watch it…

By: LindaH

LindaH — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:59:54 +0000

Well, unless I fell asleep, TPTB agreed with you. I don’t think the source of Lance Reddick’s dislike was ever revealed. It just looked as if he was a bit of a sexist who didn’t like Olivia until she proved herself. I don’t remember anything about her taking down rapist friends. All in all this has potential, so I will stick with it for a while.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:20:22 +0000

And the transparent skin….the transparent skin…!

eeeeewwww….

By: Alpha-Girl

Alpha-Girl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:14:49 +0000

I always imagined the Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie looking something like Mark Valley - that whole square jaw, clean cut, charming type. Dispite his lack of bug-eyed British weirdness, he's kinda dreamy. Annoyed by: the Lost music, big floating letters, the feeling that I'm watching a mash up of The X-Files and Lost. Otherwise, it had me at the pilot's jaw melting off, which was probably the grossest thing I've seen on primetime network television. That got me thinking. . . that is acceptable viewing for primetime network TV, but a naked boob isn't? How screwed up are our priorities in this country?

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:40:38 +0000

I thought the pilot was pretty good. And not just because Agent Scott died. (Sorry, but he's a cliche of a character, the romance felt trite, and something about Mark Valley just bugs me.) The plot was interesting, and several characters -- the Bishops in particular -- were intriguing, flawed human beings. Full disclosure: I have loved, loved, loved Joshua Jackson ever since the first Mighty Ducks movie. (Yes, I was in the target age range then.) Not in a creepy, stalkerish way, you understand. I just think he's a talented, charming, attractive guy. I even sat through several seasons of Dawson's Creek just for his performance. The only things that really bothered me were Anna Torv's accent, which I'm sure will get better as she gets more practice, and the use of Lost's music. Yes, the string-and-brass buzz is creepy, but this show needs to develop its own soundscape. It's like that episode of Smallville where they kept using the musical sting from Torchwood. Hearing a signature sound from another show takes me out of the reality of the fictional world in a rather jarring way. Being a Boston area resident, I was bothered to a lesser degree by the places claiming to be where they clearly weren't. I can chalk that up to the difficulties of filmmaking. After all, I've seen enough of Vancouver and rural British Columbia pretending to be New York or D.C. or an alien planet. The parts that were filmed out here looked really good. I'll give it Fringe a few more episodes to get me hooked, because I'm pretty sure it'll grow on me. Here's hoping.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:31:05 +0000

Glad to hear that everyone liked it so much. Despite my issues with the pilot, the central premise of the show is so interesting that I have high hopes for it and want it to get the time it needs to iron out any problems.

Also, I still have to watch the pilot again to see what they changed from the version I saw in June.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:03:24 +0000

Also, there are so many seeming ties to Lost it’s ridiculous. I’m thinking of writing a Lost/Fringe column analyzing the connections:

Like the fact that the “world is a lab”
And that there’s apparently a dude reciting “numbers”
And all this stuff is going down in the Pacific…

I’m expecting Hurley to show up in episode 5. Oh, JJ Abrams! Starting things with a plane crash as usual…

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:55:27 +0000

Also, there are so many seeming ties to Lost it’s ridiculous. I’m thinking of writing a Lost/Fringe column analyzing the connections:

Like the fact that the “world is a lab”
And that there’s apparently a dude reciting “numbers”
And all this stuff is going down in the Pacific…

I’m expecting Hurley to show up in episode 5.

By: Rhea Dee

Rhea Dee — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:54:47 +0000

Fringe really drew me in, which I totally didn’t think was going to happen. I also thought I was going to be seriously annoyed with Joshua Jackson’s Dawson’s Creeky-ness, but thank God, I acutally liked him. I mean really liked him, not just a “okay, so you’re there and I have to deal with it” thing.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:42:10 +0000

Fringe has won me. It was just weird enough, just funny enough, and just badass enough to make me keep watching. And not just because I think Joshua Jackson is extremely, ridiculously, insanely hot. That’s just a fringe benefit. Get it? A fringe benefit….

Anyway.

I love Olivia. She’s one of the few characters that is both badass and very, very feminine. I love the sexual tension she has with Peter. And I LOVE Walter Bishop.

The one thing I can do without. The ENORMOUS LETTERS on the screen telling us where we are. The BAGHDAD, IRAQ sign that the plane flew over?! Good lord. Annoying. I hope they drop that device soon.