Fringe - FOX TV sci-fi/drama (part2)

We're not sure yet.

 

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To your original point about resolving Peter's existence--I think it would have been better to push that out of the way sooner than later but they've kind of committed to that as part of the season long arc for the 4th.

 

Fringe Review: “Enemy of My Enemy”

On Paste -

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articl...&utm_campaign=Paste_Lifeline 1-23-12_1_23_112

"It has taken three and a half seasons, but Fringe is showing itself to be the show Abrams wanted to make all along."

 

i still think it's one of the best shows on TV.

i'd love to see it get another year, but alas, i doubt it

 

Me, too.

I think the show has gotten better in fits and starts evolving well although I still think that they kept Peter out of the picture for too long.

 

I think the show is sporadically good and bad, but it's not an ongoing improvement. It's definitely hurt by keeping Joshua Jackson out of the show.

BTW, has anybody considered that there are at least four universes in the show:

1) the "real" universe -- Dr. Bishop is a recovering eccentric scientist, is taken care of by his adult son Peter, works with Olivia Dunham solving weird crimes and conspiracies.

2) the "alternate" universe: Bishop's son was kidnapped, causing a rift in time that's destroying the world, and Dr. Bishop becomes the head of the Defense Department trying to stop everything from crumbling in a world that's much more advanced than ours (airships, Twin Towers still stand, very advanced computers)

3) a universe where Peter Bishop died of cancer as a child, and Bishop works alone with Olivia Dunham in a higher-tech version of Fringe Division; Peter reappears, only nobody knows who he is.

4) the alternate/alternate universe, where Peter Bishop was kidnapped but fell into a frozen lake and died anyway, and Dr. Bishop still became the head of the Department of Defense but stays in constant communication with universe #3.

And The Observers (Baldo & friends) watch all of this and somehow keep track of it all. Tell me this isn't complicated to an average viewer. I thought X Files was convoluted.

 

Thanks for the cheat sheet. Seriously. Me and my brainy teenage son have pretty much given up on it....but maybe we'll stay on till the Titanic(S) go down....

 

I had considered 3 since we've never seen your #1.

This is why only above average veiwers are following the show.

 

Universe #1 was what we saw in seasons 1 and 2 -- the world where Fringe is a minor, tiny division of the FBI.

Above average, geeky, sci-fi nutty viewers! (C'mon, I'm still watching it, but I'm a stubborn guy.)

Maybe they'll create a fifth Universe: Peter hits the button, and winds up in a universe where Fringe is just a low-rated TV show, and people think he's only an actor!

 

I appreciate this Vid, I was totally lost as well. So lately we've been seeing universe #2 and #3, right?

 

It’s still really 2 universes with just variants and not really that complicated - in other words:

1. Our reality
2. "alternate" universe

The variants:
1a. Mostly same as 1, but Peter has been extracted
2a. Mostly same as 2, but Peter has been extracted

The Observers had Peter removed, but obviously it didn’t “hold” and the one charged with making it remain as such is a bit of a renegade (or a romantic?) and has let Peter run amok, trying to get back to “his universe,” which is actually no. 1 or 2.

 

No, we've been seeing #3 and #4 in the past year. #2 doesn't exist -- in that world, they know who Peter Bishop was, and all of Walternate's mission was spent on getting revenge for his son's kidnapping, and also stopping his own Universe from crumbling. For all we know, there are dozens and dozens of variations of our various universes, more than enough to make my brain hurt. In one of them, Paris Hilton is the most talented person on Earth, and I have Steven Spielberg's job! (Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?)

Tell that to the Nielsen Ratings Service!

 

I think with the last few episodes the show has really hit its stride. I wish that the networks would just show the series (and all tv series) every week until it is over. Fringe has 22 episodes a season, just show them for 22 weeks in a row. It is stop and go, 1 episode or two and then the show is off for a month. I watched Boardwalk Empire on HBO last fall and that is what they did. 12 episodes in 12 weeks. I got to watch it from beginning to end. By the way I hope the show does not get cancelled after this season. At least do a 13 episode 5th season. There was a USA Today article at the beginning of the season. It said Fringe's ratings were low on initial broadcast but they went up much higher when people could watch it on their own time. I am hoping that is still true and that the executives are paying attention to it.

 

Yes, I considered the possibility that there were four (actually I considered that there is the potential for a new universe with every season for better or worse) and that OUR universe is reflective of what theirs would be like if they could undo everything that caused the damage of the two universes (Peter undoing it all...which is a flaw in the plot. If the machine has that much power WHY didn't Peter just undo everything including his doubles own death and his kidnapping rather than just bringing the two universes together?)which may be the only way that Peter at the conclusion of the show can reconcile the paradox of his existence, the damage done, etc.

I don't think however that if they are going down that road they've introduced it conceptually because at that point it would blow most of the audience's mind.

As far as Peter being out...well he's back and the show has improved since he's been back as part of the series.

At this point I don't believe that Goldsman has much to do with the series beyond being a consultant and it appears that Pinker and his co-producer (can't remember the guy's name) are running the show developing the series as laid out by Abrams.

I think the second universe has the potential to exist but Peter has to be removed from the current universe for that to occur. HE's the variable in all of this (or as Doctor Who might like to say a fixed point in time)and if removed from a universe he's supposed to be in it unravels existing only as a potential universe but unrealized at this point.

As far as the Nielsen ratings maybe they can combine the ratings from ALL the universes to improve the standing of the show (or maybe some episodes--bad ones--will cease to exist)!

I actually like the direction the season is taking now (but then I like convoluted plots as is evident from the fact that I'm a fan of Chris Nolan's "The Prestige") as long as the show doesn't continue to violate my trust by introducing random elements.

 

IMO the show has gotten too complicated with the addition of worlds 3 & 4 for its own good. I thought having a alternate world to the first world was fun to watch. It would have been interesting to have even more interaction between characters of the first two worlds. With the current season, I miss an episode and it's tough to get the stories straight. I'm still an avid viewer of the show but I sort of feel like I'm just being strung along with a gimmicky plot at this point.

 

Don't like more then one world. I wonder if JJ will just keep getting more screwy stuff until they concel because right about now he doesn't care enough about Fringe because of all his newer projects?

 

The current showrunners are Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. I suspect Robert Orci and Akiva Goldsman have bigger irons in the fire at the moment.

Fringe is typically one of the highest-rated shows in terms of "Live+3" (watching on DVR up to 3 days later) and "Live+7" ratings. I think more than half the audience delays the show and watches it later, but it's still not a lot of people total.

Oh, we can stop right now.

 

This was an X-Files episode, but Walter was absolutely priceless:

After concocting/serving an alcoholic beverage in the AM:
Walter: “The etymology of the cock-tail as a morning beverage comes from the magnificent ROOSTER who announces the dawn of each day.”

Scene in the dual universe town:
Walter: I've seen this once before.
Olivia: Yeah?
Walter: Brigadoon. The Musical




Some other great lines/moments:

Kicking off the hub cap and throwing it as a frisbee.


Rhubarb pie diversion


While seated at the cafe: “I haven't driven since getting out of the mental institution”

 

I enjoyed the episode. I thought it was better than the last two.

 

I know they are hard up to make the show less expensive, but I can do without the car commercials for Nissan in every episode this season.

Gonna watch tonight's show later on DVR.

 

I'd rather some product placement than the show get cancelled. DVR numbers don't matter to advertisers, because those people fast-forward through the commercials. The only way a show like Fringe can spend money on special effects shots is to make money through product placement.

I agree it's been pretty blatant lately, as was last season's Samsung mobile phone video chats.

 

Oh, I did a spit-take when Olivia unhooked the charge cord for the Nissan Leaf electric car and stuck it back in the rack. "Look at me, I'm using a cool electric car!" Plus they even did a big close-up of the logo on the steering wheel. Way too obvious.

On the other hand, the Cisco product placement was even worse in 24.

 

At the beginning of the season I wasn't too thrilled, but since it came back from it's extended hiatus over the holidays I think it's firing on all cylinders now.

I love the show, sure, it can be frustrating at times but it's still more interesting than most other shows currently on the air.

I love the characters (regardless of universe) and I want the show to continue past this season.

 

Fantastic episode and it does suggest that Peter is in reality in the correct universe, ie. our universe. That has been my belief that we have still only seen 2 universes, our universe and the alternate universe of Bolivia and Walternate etc. Memories seem to be coming back. I really hope this show gets a 5th season. It is my favorite show on television right now.