Fringe

[shardian]

Judging by the fact a thread was never started, I suppose the rest of you that watched were underwhelmed too. We finally watched the premier last night. Didn't see the second ep yet though, so please no spoilers...if anyone even watched it.

Anyways, the first half of the ep was incredibly painful to watch. The dialogue was HORRIBLE. And holy crap you dumbass writers - THAT WAS NOT A DIABETIC SYRINGE!!! It was an epipen. The only redeeming part of the show is the crazy scientist guy. Everything else about the show sucked horribly. I am willing to give it a second go, because maybe that was just an awkward stage the show had to go thru to set things up. Hopefully...

[HaRuMaN]

I watched it.  I thought the second episode was better than the first, but I liked the first episode, too.

[Generic Eric]

I thought it was ok.  I set my DVR to record it.  Gotta check the second episode out though. 

[CCM]

I liked both episodes, but not at much as I hoped to!  The show is good, not great. 

I agree that the crazy scientist is the best part.  I also like Lance Reddick.

And holy crap you dumbass writers - THAT WAS NOT A DIABETIC SYRINGE!!! It was an epipen.

Not being a diabetic or having severe allergies, I don't know the difference between a diabetic syringe or an epipen...  And I'm sure there are alot of other people that wouldn't know the difference either.  If that was your biggest complaint about the show, I'd say you are a bit too picky... And for what it's worth I'd bet the writers had nothing to do with the prop that was used.

[shardian]

There were plenty more complaints, but that one really bugged me. Another obvious one that was thrown in to 'simplify' the writing and plot advancement: Since when does a few broken fingers result in a gown and in-patient hospital treatment of a terrorist - who is not guarded to boot?

There were just way too many convenient plot devices for my tastes in what is supposed to be a 'smart' show.

[CCM]

I seem to remember a guard at the door, but he let John in to see the terrorist because he was an FBI agent... 

[punxrus]

All I can say is... 

Thoroughly UN-impressed.

It's like watching the horrid love child of CSI and Heroes...not a good combo!

[HaRuMaN]

I seem to remember a guard at the door, but he let John in to see the terrorist because he was an FBI agent... 

Yep...

[AtomSmasher]

I'm glad I'm not the only one unimpressed with the show.  It's okay, but at times the dialog is just horrible and I was also thinking there were far too many convenient plot devices.

[RayB]

I liked the first episode, but the second left me feeling it's not a show I "have" to see.

And who cares about the diabetic syringe inaccuracy? Don't you think someone who's never been around a diabetic WON'T know what it's called? People on TV are allowed to have gaps in their knowledge just like us.

[missioncontrol]

haven't watched the second episode yet, first half of the first one was total boredom...

[shardian]

The needle matters very much. The best shows ALWAYS address the 'little things". Lost took off with a bang because of the subtle nuances that showed the writers knew what they were doing.

A good example that I always think of in this case is season 1 of Buffy. My then girlfriend kept telling me about the show and how much she liked it. I sat down and watched a few eps with her. In one, Buffy makes out with Angel, and she has a cross necklace on. I comment to Michelle that they obviously screwed up to not notice that. After they stop and buffy walks away, they finally pan down to show the cross burn mark on his collar bone area. From that point on, I was hooked on that show. If the writers/directors/producers care about details that much, then I will care about watching their show that much.

The season premier of Fringe did not have that, like most other great shows. The whole thing felt thrown together and did not have the magic.

Joss Whedon has always had that magic. Up until this point, J.J. Abrams had that magic. It is obvious he is not involved very much with this new show, just like it became obvious when he was no longer involved in Lost. I'll give it a few more eps, but I really don't think this show will become a hit.

[punxrus]

I'm not sure if J.J. Abrams ever really had the magic...but then again, I was never a fan of Lost.

[CCM]

The needle matters very much. The best shows ALWAYS address the 'little things". Lost took off with a bang because of the subtle nuances that showed the writers knew what they were doing.

Hey diabetes expert... there seem to be things called insulin pens... who would've guessed?

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Health-and-Beauty/Diseases-and-Afflictions/Diabetes/Diabetes-1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_pen

http://www.lantus.com/solostar/solostar_insulin_pen.aspx

[Dartful Dodger]

I was trying to watch it, but it didn't grab my attention enough to get me to actually stop what I was doing to watch it.  I would watch for 5 minutes walk away for 10 and then watch another 5 minutes.  Watching it like that might improve the quality of the show because I thought it was good.  

I figured the first episode was just trying to get all the back stories out of the way.  Even though I didn't watch it through I was able to understand what was going on and I liked the idea and general story.  

Although I didn't understand why the cow was inside watching Sponge Bob.

[shardian]

Well I stand corrected. I've never seen an 'insulin pen' before.

[punxrus]

Man...it's Diabeetus! Not diabetes...Geeez

[shardian]

Well 4 shows are in the can. I can officially say I like this show. The 1st 2 eps had me worried, but the latest episode cemented this show into my rotation. Apparently J.J. Abrams is a Roswell fan. Anyone who watched Roswell knew immediately who and/or what 'The Observer' was.

And the John Noble is the f'ing man in his role as Dr. Bishop. If this show continues to improve, I see an Emmy nomination in his future.

[RayB]

I'm sick of it already.

[SavannahLion]

Well 4 shows are in the can. I can officially say I like this show.

Four shows?! I missed two episodes? What the deuce!

Well... I saw the first two episodes and I have to echo the original sentiments. I really want to like this show. I need something to satiate my X-Files fix (I missed too much of Lost in the first season that I couldn't keep track of what was going on. AND I missed too much of the all seasons rerun. I guess I'll rent the DVD's now).

I spotted some really glaring plot lines and bad writing in the first episode as well. I didn't catch the epipen business (I'm not diabetic), but it was painfully obvious who was going to bail (the boyfriend) and the reintroduction/reanimation/whatever is pretty lame to be introducing it this early in the series. A little bit more mystery surrounding "The Pattern" might do wonders.

I think the show has potential, but it needs a little work. The writers need to get their game together. Their science needs a little work (the cannoli bus was kind of lame). On the flip side. I suspect those blue X-ray-like pictures might have a role for those who are into digging around for mysteries.

To me, the show is trying too hard to be another X-Files but ends up being a dark Eureka. I like Eureka because it's kind of quirky. So maybe Fringe might grow on me. 

[hypernova]

I'd call it a decent show.  I'm trying to figure out who exactly is good and who isn't in this thing.  It's hard to say even that her boss is on the up and up, based on the last ep.

Walter is the best part of that show, definitely.

[shardian]

Hehe, we were all set to watch this last night when up pops the debate. To quote Jeff Foxworthy:
"Oh no! The President's on! He's on all 4 channels! Ahhhhhhh!"

[HaRuMaN]

Gordon Freemen with the crowbar FTMFW!

[SavannahLion]

Gordon Freemen with the crowbar FTMFW!

NO!!!!!!!!

[shardian]

Anyone watching this show still? Judging by the fact that noone has kept this thread up, I assume not. We still watch it because the wife likes it. I like it for a while, but after last weeks ep, I don't want to watch anymore.

I think the only reason the wife likes it is because she has never seen the X-files. I've told her that if she agrees to stop watching this pile of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I will get the X-files to fill the void.

[HaRuMaN]

I'm still watching it, still liking it...  they played a rerun this week...   

[shardian]

So you liked the payoff of last weeks ep??? I told my wife "If they do what I think they are gonna do with that thing, I will never watch this show again".

I will admit I enjoyed the hell out of the ep with the 'observer' and the underground rock thing. By far that was the best ep of the series. I also enjoy keeping my eye out for 'the observer' in all the other eps.  I've seen him in quite a few - I wonder if he is in all of them. It's like playing Where's Waldo.

For the most part though, the show is not very good.

[Jimbo]

I quite like it, but only because the bird in it is hot! 

The crazy scientist has some good lines too...  "I've got an erection" LOL

[hypernova]

I still catch it myself.  Interesting science fiction stories, which is enough to keep me interested.

[shmokes]

Is this the show that had that chubby-cheek guy from Dawson's Creek in it?  OMG . . . it's practically the stupidest thing I've ever seen on TV.  Next to Dawson's Creek, that is.

[shardian]

Yeah, he's in it. Sometimes he is good, sometimes he is really bad.

You would be happy to know he got tortured in one episode though.

[shardian]

Season finale was last night. It has turned into an enjoyable show. I have high hopes for the second season. They seemed to iron out a few general annoyances as the season progressed. I'm also glad they dove head first with no reservations into the true core of the show. Many people bailed on Lost because it took 4 years to actually say what the show was about at its core. This season Finale lays it all right out there with no reservations...well, mostly anyways.

[LLUncoolJ]

Word. I dig the show...though early and midseason shows were a little non-continous...seemingly unrelated.  And I hated the 3 or 4 week hiatis (ala Lost) they took. Walter is awesome. It would be nice to see Olivia in something other than the Hillary Clinton pantsuit. As soon as all the summer reality crap circles the drain and the fall shows come back, I will be watching this one again.

[hypernova]

I quit watching it due to school and the fact that the overall plotline wasn't going anywhere....actually, an overall plotline really didn't even seem to exist.  Just like a CSI.

So it's become more serialized now?

The true test is if Chad likes it since it's got his favoritest actor ever!

[shardian]

I quit watching it due to school and the fact that the overall plotline wasn't going anywhere....actually, an overall plotline really didn't even seem to exist.  Just like a CSI.

So it's become more serialized now?

The true test is if Chad likes it since it's got his favoritest actor ever!

I think that you are safe to watch it if I now like it. Yes, it is getting much more serialized. Even some eps that don't seem serialized, turn out in the end to actually be part of the overall story. They also seem to be taking a page from Burn Notice's style. As in - the episode will be standalone, but the last 5 minutes or so will add something to forward the overall story.

[saint]

I always thought you could take every other X-Files episode and remove it, and then suddenly you'd have an actual start-to-finish story line minus the "Twilight Zone" episodes they mixed in.

I've watched the first 10 or so episodes of Fringe so far and while I thought it had some initial promise the continued repetition of the plot mechanisms and lack of any actual story arc is boring me. Should I stick it out then? Spoiler alert:

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I'm just at the point where her dead fiancee has shown up a couple of times, and was hopeful that was the start of an actual storyline.

[shardian]

The fiance story wraps up. Then the show goes immediately into the meat of the story. I actually slept thru the fiance conclusion ep. That was the peak of my lack of interest in the show.

[LLUncoolJ]

*** Spoiler Alert ***
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My wife actually called it that young Peter died. Did anyone else notice that when Olivia 'jumped' to the other dimenision that the radio said that president Obama will be moving into the NEW white house? And of course the WTC is still there.

I'm wondering if Walter in that world is normal or if the loss of his Peter drove him insane as well (assuming that is the same world from which Walter snatched the young, healthy Peter). I'm hoping that next year, Olivia will spend some time in that world and she will run into Walter.

[abzman2000]

My wife actually called it that young Peter died.

so did I, but it was only a joke at the time (I called it when Walter let something slip about Peter's medical records) and was only further pushed to this conclusion when Peter couldn't remember things from his early childhood.  I wasn't nessicarily right about everything though, I had figured Walter cloned peter and aged him until the age he should have been (along with IQ enhancements). 

[LLUncoolJ]

Ha! Anything is possible in that show! You're right, they did let on in earlier episodes that Peter and Walter weren't on the same page as far as Walter's memories, but I chalked it up to Walter being Walter.