Fringe: Fox Network
November 6, 2008 by Spazarella
Filed under Television Reviews
Got a penchant for sci-fi/docu-drama/horror/mystery thrillers? Nostalgic for Mulder, Scully and Cancer Man (yes, I said it)? Bored and waiting for the next season of LOST (even though the previous season felt like that dream you have where you’re running and running but never get anywhere)? The network that brought us The X-Files and the producers of LOST, bring us Fringe; a hybrid that will keep you more than occupied.
From the production and writing team that brought you Alias, LOST, Xena Warrior Princess (…yes) and that festering pile of action ick, Mission Impossible III, comes a very enjoyable distraction. Had this show pre-dated The X-files and LOST it would indeed be seen as a groundbreaking new genre. Not so fortunate however, it still holds my interest as a fan of both shows. The dialogue does have a Joss Whedon flavor that people of silly humor will appreciate.
BASIC PREMISE:
Agent Olivia Dunham of the FBI finds herself at the mercy of an institutionalized scientist and his Genius IQ son in order to help save the life of her partner, only to find herself at the mercy of “fringe” science in order to do so. An unlikely coupling of misfits is assembled (and don’t we all love a good band of misfits?) and the special FBI task force is born. The Genre’s “Big Brother” entity is once again present and much like The Others and The secret Feds, a private sector corporation Massive Dynamic and the FBI are working together to stop a global threat. Who wants to help and who wants to hurt? It’s a mystery…that is sure to never be solved…or so the genre dictates.
CAST:
Anna Torv as Oliva Dunham: Aussie actor you probably haven’t seen yet, but she’s got chops.
Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop: Remembered as Pacey on Dawson’s Creek, he’s lost some weight and lookin’ good. A character with an extremely high IQ and a snarky sense of humor.
John Noble as Dr. Walter Bishop: Denethor (for all the LOTR nerds), another damned talented Aussie and my favorite character.
Lance Reddick as Agent Phillip Broyles: The creepy guy from LOST becomes the creepy guy on Fringe. I wonder what he and J.J. drink when they go out and stalk people for kicks?
Mark Valley as John Scott: TV veteran with a recent presence on Boston Legal. Olivia’s partner. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! Ever read American Gods? He recalls memories of Shadow’s wife.
WHAT I DIG:
The charm and redeemable imperfections of Walter Bishop. Joshua Jackson’s “too smart for his own good”. Solid Female Lead. The endless possibilities and they used carrier pigeons!!! I’m hoping that Kirk Acevedo gets to contribute more soon.
WHAT I DON’T:
The feeling that I’ve been here before.
WILL IT LAST?:
I foresee at least another season, provided it keeps it’s edge.
Tell me what you think.
Lenny on Sun, 9th Nov 2008 5:00 am
Spazz,
Typecasting Lance Reddick as creepy guy, tsk tsk…
He played the decidedly non-creepy Cedrick Daniels on the criminally underseen HBO series The Wire.
I’m not gonna hi-jack your article talking about The Wire, but everyone needs Netflix the shit outta that.
Speaking of your article, Fringe - good show, but I want to know more about Joshua Jackson’s character. To me, he’s the most interesting of the lot…Also, I just hope there’s some payoff to all the goings on with regards to The Pattern.
That’s what I afraid about with Lost, is that when it ends in two seasons, they’ll explain it all away as having been purgatory or a dream or some such bullshit.
Spazarella on Sun, 9th Nov 2008 9:04 pm
Lenny,
I think typecasting is going a little far, I simply observe that post THE WIRE, his most recognized roles are of a creepy nature, and both very different types of creepy.
As for LOST, expecting it to make sense and maintain continuity is a fools errand…and at the end of the day, isn’t that really why we like it so much? That being said, it could still just be in Hurley’s mind…couldn’t it?
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