Fringe

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domino harvey
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Fringe

#1 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:54 pm

I've recently caught up with Abrams' surprisingly thought-provoking and involving Fringe (easy to see why this one has such a fervent little following), so I admit I'm curious about giving Alcatraz a shot, but I've heard nothing but middling to bad things about it

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Murdoch
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Re: TV of 2012

#2 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:37 pm

I've been meaning to check out Fringe, good to hear the accolades aren't just a vocal minority trying to keep the show alive.

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domino harvey
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Re: TV of 2012

#3 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:45 pm

Fringe is well worth the time investment, but it's definitely one you have to start from the beginning (and have a little patience with as it finds its footing). But the rewards are fantastic, because while it looks for a while like it's following another X-Files-esque mythology storyline that never resolves itself, the show's actually super-planned out and the payoffs that come starting in the second-half of the second season and carrying over into the entire third season result in simply some of the best, most satisfying television.

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domino harvey
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Re: TV of 2012

#4 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:06 pm

In an absolute miracle and proof that someone at Fox loves this show as much as the small cadre of fans, Fringe has been renewed for a fifth and final season, allowing it to wrap up its increasingly complicated storyline as the creators intended. This will be news y'all will care about in a couple years once you put the time and energy into getting into this brilliant show. I couldn't be happier! \:D/

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Re: TV of 2012

#5 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:15 pm

5 seems to be the magic number of seasons for a show to end perfectly on. Six Feet Under and The Wire ended after 5, and now Breaking Bad is (sorta) ending with their 5th season looming soon.

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Re: TV of 2012

#6 Post by Professor Wagstaff » Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:04 am

Watched the first two seasons of Fringe last summer and really enjoyed it, especially in the second year when it became more about Walter and his relationship with Peter, really the heart of the show from what I've seen. Hope to catch up soon.

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#7 Post by domino harvey » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:55 am

Four part oral history of Fringe (Spoilers, obv)

Last nite was the series finale and while there were some obvious problems with the fifth season, the ending was exactly right and a perfect note to go out on. Through some sort of miracle this low-rated show was given a chance to explain and utilize the majority of its mythology and end on its own terms. I know some other board members have been swayed over towards giving this show a shot, and at least your time invested (100 episodes exactly) will pay off satisfactorily if you make it this far!

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willoneill
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Re: Fringe

#8 Post by willoneill » Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:06 pm

The ending hit the right emotional pay-offs for me, especially the various character "goodbye" moments, and I think that's what matters more than the logical payoffs, which were problematic at best in the last season. My biggest problem with season five is
SpoilerShow
that it never seemed clear why the Observers invaded Earth to destroy humanity.
As well, the one paradox that, try as I might, I can't get over:
SpoilerShow
if the boy prevents the Observers from ever existing, then September can't save young Peter from drowning, and thus the whole show never really exists.
I know, I'm knitpicking a bit, but I really think the show should have ended after Season 4.

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#9 Post by domino harvey » Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:45 pm

SpoilerShow
Well, since the fifth season is an extension of the fourth season's timeline, Peter never existed anyways, so it doesn't change the causality of the current timeline if September doesn't rescue Walter and Red Universe Peter. But I thought the idea, born out from the Observer language on Walter's return address, is that the Observers do exist, but evolved to be more like Michael thanks to Walter's intervention. This may even retroactively explain the more human emotions of August and September.
Can you imagine someone who's never seen the show trying to make sense of the above?

Though it provides a lot of explanations and payoffs for the mysterious presence of the Observers through the first four seasons (and a few other running mythology-related aspects), the fifth is ultimately self-contained bonus material for the fans, and seen as an appendix to the series it works within this function.

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Re: Fringe

#10 Post by R0lf » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:37 pm

SpoilerShow
The reason the observers invaded was because their future was too polluted and they were going to die out.

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#11 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:19 am

Fifth season and complete series coming May 7th

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mfunk9786
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Re: Fringe

#12 Post by mfunk9786 » Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:20 am

These 22 episodes-per-season hour long shows look so daunting from afar

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Murdoch
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Re: Fringe

#13 Post by Murdoch » Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:38 pm

Finally got around to this show and it really is a prime example of great sci-fi and a show getting progressively better with each successive season (there are a few hiccups in the transition from season 4 to 5, but I'm willing to forgive them).
SpoilerShow
I love when a show gets an idea in its head and sticks to it, and the writers do a magnificent job with the alternate universe storyline by using it as a mainstay of the series. I think what impressed me the most is how the actors are able to subtly differentiate between their "normal" universe selves and alternate universe selves in more ways than just appearance. It was disappointing when the universe became almost nonexistent in the last season, but I think that has more to do with the limited episodes the writers were given to wrap things up.

I was expecting the worst with the Observers after the mystical elements of Lost led to an unsatisfactory conclusion, but Abrams & Co. do a much better job handling these elements here by revealing them not to be some benevolent superbeings but instead a sinister race of fascists (even giving them German names like Mueller!)
I have the series finale to watch tonight, but I don't want it to end!

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Re: Fringe

#14 Post by bamwc2 » Wed May 22, 2013 8:49 pm

My wife and I have passed the halfway point for season five. While I miss the characters from the first three seasons, I've managed to love where the show has gone as well (although I was really, really put off when the plot for season five was revealed).

Whoever thought that Akiva Goldsman could be so closely associated with a fantastic product.*

*Anyone who tries to defend A Beautiful Mind will receive a gut punch.

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Re: Fringe

#15 Post by matrixschmatrix » Wed May 22, 2013 8:53 pm

Someone hasn't seen a little movie called Batman Forever

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Fringe

#16 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:57 pm

Slowly making my way through Fringe, currently nearing the end of season 2, and although the show is not without its charms, I'm mostly shrugging my way through. Fan-favorite eps like Peter and White Tulip are solid TV but nothing that feels particularly exciting or unique, though I did love the conversation with Weller in the latter. I'll keep plugging along since I'm curious if, and how, new information will be revealed that might strike that spot of novelty I'm craving from this concept. Maybe my expectations were too high after Lost, next to which this feels too safe so far, but it's primarily presenting as an above-average anthology series with a mysterious thread woven through, that takes far too many breaks from its core ideas to sustain momentum. At least, that's how it feels 40% in. I will say that the least realistic aspect of the show is how all the Boston area references completely misfire when we see the actual spaces, down to the architectural and socioeconomic qualities of said areas more than merely geographical faults, and it's clear how the show's creators wanted to name-drop while having no interest in following through on their faux-interest in establishing a sense of milieu comprehension. I'm not usually one to demand authenticity along these lines but there's typically at least one forced 'we know our stuff' nudge warranting an eye-roll each ep. Some slight disappointments aside, Walter Bishop is an incredible character, and I have no doubt the narrative will expand soon into territory that makes me eat at least some of these words.

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#17 Post by domino harvey » Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:15 pm

Season three is by far the best. It's when everything really starts coming together. If you're not feeling it after that, bail. Though if you don't love White Tulip, this just may not be a show for you

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Re: Fringe

#18 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:47 pm

I definitely thought it was the best ep yet, and probably only had a somewhat muted effect due to coming at the end of a long binge, and of course inflated expectations. Like Lost, watching this sparingly or on a weekly basis when on the air likely would have been a better avenue to stress the strengths rather than cause the formula to bleed out some of the remarkable attributes. I'll go back to a gradual pace and see what happens.

On a whole things are coming together at the end of season 2, with the musical noir ep being a welcome change and demonstration of what the show's creative juices are capable of

Edit: After some deja vu, I realized domino already foreshadowed this experience

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Re: Fringe

#19 Post by cdnchris » Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:14 pm

My wife is a huge fan and I bought her the set and I binged it with her. Though I thought some episodes were really good, I think I had the same reaction as you. BUT i agree with Domino, season 3 is where it all comes together, and it's obvious it's what the show was building to. I think it was worth it.

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Re: Fringe

#20 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Sep 07, 2020 12:38 am

Thanks for the encouragement, Chris- I just finished season 2 and loved everything in the last arc of eps setting up a strong third season, so it seems like I preemptively posted my thoughts just an episode too soon!

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tenia
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Re: Fringe

#21 Post by tenia » Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:12 am

I used the lockdown to catch back the show : I had watched the 1st season during its first airing, then the 2nd season years ago/after but never resumed for basically no reason. It's a shame because I do like the show a lot, and the seasons 2 and 3 are tremendous.
Season 4 felt a good notch below though, feeling like a repeat of past tricks, and while OK as a whole, it did give me a feeling of déjà vu.
I've watched 5 episodes of season 5 and I just don't feel the need to watch the rest. It's a disappointment so far : I guess it's efficient at providing a real good ending to the show, but the overall plot and structure, while more original and a good reinvention, feels extremely predictable overall and as a whole so linear it killed any excitement I had for watching the next episode.

It's a shame because the cast keeps being oh so good all this time (with a welcome surprise - for me - from Seth Gabel), but the story supporting them just isn't interesting to me anymore.

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#22 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:19 am

TWBB, if you’re watching the series via Blu-Ray, there’s an episode from season one that never aired til the following year included in the extras for the second season (but not via Play All), and I remember not learning about til I was a few seasons past it initially

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Re: Fringe

#23 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Sep 07, 2020 2:04 pm

Yeah Unearthed- thankfully it pops up as ep 11, per the airtime dates, when going through the wiki summaries ep to ep, so if people are using that as a guide (it’s helpful for me simply to remember which episode I’m on when taking breaks, the actual descriptions aren’t good recaps and leave a lot of key info out) it’s a prompt to go find it

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domino harvey
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Re: Fringe

#24 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 07, 2020 2:10 pm

tenia wrote:
Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:12 am
It's a shame because the cast keeps being oh so good all this time (with a welcome surprise - for me - from Seth Gabel), but the story supporting them just isn't interesting to me anymore.
That’s kinda surprising! While the series is not exactly a great character powerhouse anyways, I always found Gabel and his role especially bland and forgettable. But he’s married to Bryce Dallas Howard, so he’s clearly living a much better life than I am regardless of perceived charisma

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tenia
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Re: Fringe

#25 Post by tenia » Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:58 pm

I found his character (and probably him) quite likeable in the show. He clearly ends up playing some kind of proxy for the viewer especially in season 4, but I felt his narrarive arc to be quite balanced and pleasing overall, which wasn't a given considering he was introduced relatively late.
He still remains in the periphery of the main team though, so he never feels really essential, but I still found him to be a nice addition that is treated enough by the show.


Had no idea he's living with Howard.

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