There is a time in every TV shows life which represents the very peak of what the show can do. It's a moment, perhaps a string of moments, that really define the show. But not just define it. It sticks with you, makes you want to come back again. And again.
Chuck had it late in the second season. It was always pretty good. Fun. But it wasn't until the latter half of the second season where everything came together and what followed was a blistering string of awesomeness which ended in a kung fu bang. Battlestar Galactica did it in the first part of the second season, where instead of just trying to tie up loose ends from the S1 finally, they really ran with it and let the situation spiral out of control. Hell, even Big Bang Theory had it with it's stellar second season premier, and an inspired string of episodes that had little in common--but were consistently funnier than they'd ever been before or since.
Fringe, I think, has reached that peak. Fringe has always been good. But it's never had such a string of high quality episodes as it's having right now. Crossing seasons, Fringe is on a 8 episode winning streak which started with 'Northwest Passage' and now continues with episode 5. Season 2 was a good season--overall. But, it had a serious problem in that many of the episodes were truly random filler. Not that it is necessarily bad, I guess, some of those episodes were very good in their own right. But Season 1 managed to take to random, and connect it all together in a neat package. People, bad people, were experimenting, leading to hideous death to innocents...and all of those grisly deaths fit the same general them. And then we learned why, and it all started to come together.
Season 2, however, had to get past the why, and go to the what for. And it did just that, but at the same time it meandered. Episodes like Night of Desirable Objects, Dream Logic, Earthling, Snake Head, Johari Window, What Lies Below, The Bishop Revival, all had nothing to do with anything that had come before, and also seem to lead to no connection to anything else. That's 7 episodes out of 22 that had real connection to anything else. Which is actually a good ratio, really, but the first season had, what, 2 episodes that really had no connection to anything (the one with the computer virus killing people, and the one with the chimera, I believe). Everything else had a meaningful connection to ZFT, or to John Scott, or to some other important part of the mythology.
OK, maybe I'm nit picking a little bit here. It's not like stand alone episodes are bad. And some of those were actually quite good episodes in their own right. But, Season 2 really hit its stride when Olivia learned the truth about Peter, and the slow building of dread about what was going to happen when the truth comes out. And from the moment Peter disappeared, through tonight, every single episode of Fringe has been awesome. Not just good...but awesome.
Tonight's episode was 'over there' as they call it. Olivia is having hallucinations about Peter. She's strongly doubting herself. And she's agreed to allow herself to be experimented on. And even from the start, things happen. She crosses over, if only for a few minutes. And suddenly she's even less sure of herself. I've not 100% bought into the whole brainwashing thing, though I'd admit the reasoning Walternate uses does make a weird form of sense. At first I was hoping that she was just going to be playing along. And then last 'over there' episode I figured she had figured out the truth. And she has really, but she's in denial.
But ironically, the 'b' story is the fringe investigation. About a brother breaking his identical twin out of Amber. They are alive, apparently, and in stasis (which makes me wonder...in S1 the ones trapped in Amber were certainly dead...did they forget that or is this something different). Fringe team is investigating because, well if the truth came out there would be anarchy. So they need to find the brothers and shut them out before anyone figures out the truth.
Considering how invested I am with Olivia's story, the investigation was possibly the greatest part of the episode. The interaction with the brothers, the reasons for it, and it's pay off was quite powerful, especially since there wasn't really a lot of time spent with the brothers. Not only was that good writing, but it was good acting as well. And it worked in ways that really fit in with Olivia's situation, elevating both stories in the process. That's tried a lot, I've tried it in stories, but it rarely works so well as it did here.And Olivia let them get away with it because she knows exactly what the brother was going through.
And at the end, Olivia knows the truth. She went to the other side. And wished Ella happy birthday. A major cock tease, to be sure, but now there's no doubt. She may not remember everything, and I suspect that she won't be getting back home soon, but I want next week to come right now... And as a producer of a TV show that's exactly how they want you to feel.
So, how long with this streak continue? I hope for a while at least, but all things come to an end eventually. At this point, I just hope Fringe gets a fourth season. It's just too damned cool to end with just 3 seasons. But I have to wonder just what is going to happen when Olivia does get back? Quite frankly, Alt-Fringe is just too cool to not come back to on a regular basis. And having Charlie back is awesome. And the new character Lincoln is too awesome as well.
I'm also wondering. So far, the show has presented Walter as the bad guy. He first crossed over and started this. And certainly that's true. But, why is the other Universe so fragile compared to the main Universe. I think the presumption has been that it was because it was the one first crossed through. But honestly, I don't think that's the case. My theory is, Walternate realized his son was kidnapped and drove himself to find a way to return his son no matter what the cost. Their Universe is so unstable because Walternate could not let go, would not give up, and did not care about the consequences in his drive to get back his son. That's why the alternate universe is so fragile and failing.
But even with that theory, what is going to happen when Olivia gets back? Will she continue to be able to cross over at will? Fringe has a history of suggesting powers for her that they soon forget about...though it was cool they remembered Olivia's 'super hearing' from S2. What will happen with the other Olivia? She does not have that ability, though obviously the other side has some ability to travel back and forth. Will the show just go back the way it was before? Or will it head off in a new direction once more information about that strange device shows up? Maybe it will lead to more and more cross overs as the show goes on?
Whatever happens, Fringe has really established itself as a major sci-fi show, and it's the best of all of the TV shows I'm watching right now.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Chuck 10/1/2010
There has been something 'off' with this season of Chuck. It's been hard for me to pin down, but I think last night's episode was a really goo example of it. There was a lot to love about this week's episode. We got to see more of Chuck's mom. There was a considerable amount of action and suspense. We got to see Elle interact with her mother for the first time. And Timothy Dalton as an -awesome- guest star.
There was a lot to like about the episode. And despite my saying that the season feels off, it was a great episode over all. But, it also definitely points out more clearly just what the problems are.
Chuck is a show about delicate balancing acts. Between drama and comedy, romance and action. As a show, Chuck is generally regarded as a straight out comedy. And for most of the time it is. But as a show Chuck has always been willing to go dark, to stop playing for laughs and be serious. Those serious moments have always given the show more weight during it's lighter moments. And I think that is really what has changed here.
Last night is a good example of a show that the show would traditionally play straight in previous seasons. But this season, almost everything is played either as a goofy comedy or a straight action piece. And as good as last night's show was, playing it as a goofy comedy really hurt the emotional ending.
I hate to say this, but the show is simply focusing on two things that are weighing the show down. The first is the Chuck/Sarah relationship struggles...these two work best as a team working together and protecting each other. They do not work nearly as well as squabbling teenagers, which is what they are mostly portrayed as. The second is Morgan Grimes...Morgan's antics are really starting to get on my nerves. He's too goofy to be taken seriously in any way, and I think the writers realize this so they try to overcompensate in ways that are ridiculous. But what is really criminal about this is how much screen time he's getting, and how this is taking away from Sarah and more importantly Casey. It's a shame to, because the character of Morgan is pretty cool...but he's best used in small doses.
On the plus side, the show is definitely experimenting. Chuck's mother is turning into a very compelling character. And while I cannot imagine her truly being 'bad', there is still a chance that she is. And it's becoming more and more interesting to see where this is going (and what her true motives are). And Timothy Dalton was awesome last night. He certainly played against expectations for most of the episode, only to turn things around in the last few moments in a very interesting way. Chuck has always done well with its guest stars, and last night was no exception.
So, we have a 1 week break, so it will be at least two weeks before we find out (perhaps even more). I find it hard to believe that she erased the intersect from Chuck's brain, especially since that was a main plot point from Season 2. And I'm guessing that she's still trying to protect Chuck from Volkov, but, at this point there's not really enough specific information to explain what is going on here exactly. They've done a pretty good job of making Chuck's mother interesting, and it really seems like we are getting to the meat of things now.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of breaks, I know I haven't been keeping up with these reviews. In part because I actually missed the last few episodes, and didn't even see them until last Friday (where I watched them with friends).
There was a lot to like about the episode. And despite my saying that the season feels off, it was a great episode over all. But, it also definitely points out more clearly just what the problems are.
Chuck is a show about delicate balancing acts. Between drama and comedy, romance and action. As a show, Chuck is generally regarded as a straight out comedy. And for most of the time it is. But as a show Chuck has always been willing to go dark, to stop playing for laughs and be serious. Those serious moments have always given the show more weight during it's lighter moments. And I think that is really what has changed here.
Last night is a good example of a show that the show would traditionally play straight in previous seasons. But this season, almost everything is played either as a goofy comedy or a straight action piece. And as good as last night's show was, playing it as a goofy comedy really hurt the emotional ending.
I hate to say this, but the show is simply focusing on two things that are weighing the show down. The first is the Chuck/Sarah relationship struggles...these two work best as a team working together and protecting each other. They do not work nearly as well as squabbling teenagers, which is what they are mostly portrayed as. The second is Morgan Grimes...Morgan's antics are really starting to get on my nerves. He's too goofy to be taken seriously in any way, and I think the writers realize this so they try to overcompensate in ways that are ridiculous. But what is really criminal about this is how much screen time he's getting, and how this is taking away from Sarah and more importantly Casey. It's a shame to, because the character of Morgan is pretty cool...but he's best used in small doses.
On the plus side, the show is definitely experimenting. Chuck's mother is turning into a very compelling character. And while I cannot imagine her truly being 'bad', there is still a chance that she is. And it's becoming more and more interesting to see where this is going (and what her true motives are). And Timothy Dalton was awesome last night. He certainly played against expectations for most of the episode, only to turn things around in the last few moments in a very interesting way. Chuck has always done well with its guest stars, and last night was no exception.
So, we have a 1 week break, so it will be at least two weeks before we find out (perhaps even more). I find it hard to believe that she erased the intersect from Chuck's brain, especially since that was a main plot point from Season 2. And I'm guessing that she's still trying to protect Chuck from Volkov, but, at this point there's not really enough specific information to explain what is going on here exactly. They've done a pretty good job of making Chuck's mother interesting, and it really seems like we are getting to the meat of things now.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of breaks, I know I haven't been keeping up with these reviews. In part because I actually missed the last few episodes, and didn't even see them until last Friday (where I watched them with friends).
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
WOW: The Pre-Patch Jitters
The Cataclysm release date is now December 7th, a full month later than I was originally hoping for. But, considering what I've heard of the beta, another month to fine tune and test the content is probably for the best. I'd rather have a stable Cataclysm release (like Wrath's) rather than the annoying, unstable BC release.
Unfortunately, this means yet another full month of Wrath. I'm still raiding. But it's pointless and I'm only doing it to try to maintain a raid slot. I'm not alone in that. Everyone is feeling it at this point--ICC just isn't that fun and it's been out too long. And there is still a full 2 months to go. Blah. On the plus side, I've completely caught up on gear and DPS. I'm now almost always within the top five overall, and on most bosses. I've been frequently given more responsiblity in raids, and I'm pretty much a full-time member who almost always has a raid spot.
But, now Patch 4.0 is upon us. I think there was a chance that we could have seen it this week. But next week is much more likely. And at that point, who knows what is going to happen. Most everyone in the guild is expecting raiding to take a dive when 4.0 comes out, and I wonder about that. I wouldn't mind if the guild made all 25-man raids optional until Cataclysm comes out. And at this point there are only a few pieces of gear that I'm interested in: Heroic Tier 10 tokens (I STILL have not gotten one...and I HATE that Blizzard made them so rare), a necklace, and a cloak.
As a Mage, I (and probably the vast majority of the mage world) am planning on switching to Fire. The mechanics look very nice, from what I can tell anyway, and genuinely different than before. Arcane has served me well since Uldaur...but honestly Arcane is mind-numbingly boring and I'm sick of all of the spell knockback hurting AM DPS so badly (especially where there is so much raid-wide damage in ICC). The problem is, I haven't really spent any time with it yet. Burn out has really kept me from reading too much about the new changes. I've watched some videos, and it looks cool. But those videos are more 5-man related, and I'm still curious to how well it performs in raids. I'm also wondering if Frostfire will become competitive again. I really liked Frostfire back in the day, but haven't heard much about it in 4.0 and beyond.
Of course, I'm not entirely sure how well my current gear is going to translate into Fire DPS. I'm very heavy in Haste (1350), and while my crit rating is about 40% (higher in raids), I'm still wondering just how well my gear is going to transition there. Especially since I'll have to make up several more points of hit (and gear wise that's not going to be quite so easy now). If my heavy-haste build works, though, I'll be happy. And who knows, I might even try frost! The only mage-spec I'm NOT interested in at this point is Arcane. I don't really like the mechanics they've created for it, so I'm not going to use it unless I'm forced into it just to stay competitive.
One other downside...I was figuring that Blizzard would make it easier to level from 68-80, much like they did with 58-60 when Wrath came out. But from what I read that is NOT on the table at this point. It's still on the table for some point in the future, apparently, but I'm betting at this point they are going to wait long after the Cataclsym release.
Unfortunately, this means yet another full month of Wrath. I'm still raiding. But it's pointless and I'm only doing it to try to maintain a raid slot. I'm not alone in that. Everyone is feeling it at this point--ICC just isn't that fun and it's been out too long. And there is still a full 2 months to go. Blah. On the plus side, I've completely caught up on gear and DPS. I'm now almost always within the top five overall, and on most bosses. I've been frequently given more responsiblity in raids, and I'm pretty much a full-time member who almost always has a raid spot.
But, now Patch 4.0 is upon us. I think there was a chance that we could have seen it this week. But next week is much more likely. And at that point, who knows what is going to happen. Most everyone in the guild is expecting raiding to take a dive when 4.0 comes out, and I wonder about that. I wouldn't mind if the guild made all 25-man raids optional until Cataclysm comes out. And at this point there are only a few pieces of gear that I'm interested in: Heroic Tier 10 tokens (I STILL have not gotten one...and I HATE that Blizzard made them so rare), a necklace, and a cloak.
As a Mage, I (and probably the vast majority of the mage world) am planning on switching to Fire. The mechanics look very nice, from what I can tell anyway, and genuinely different than before. Arcane has served me well since Uldaur...but honestly Arcane is mind-numbingly boring and I'm sick of all of the spell knockback hurting AM DPS so badly (especially where there is so much raid-wide damage in ICC). The problem is, I haven't really spent any time with it yet. Burn out has really kept me from reading too much about the new changes. I've watched some videos, and it looks cool. But those videos are more 5-man related, and I'm still curious to how well it performs in raids. I'm also wondering if Frostfire will become competitive again. I really liked Frostfire back in the day, but haven't heard much about it in 4.0 and beyond.
Of course, I'm not entirely sure how well my current gear is going to translate into Fire DPS. I'm very heavy in Haste (1350), and while my crit rating is about 40% (higher in raids), I'm still wondering just how well my gear is going to transition there. Especially since I'll have to make up several more points of hit (and gear wise that's not going to be quite so easy now). If my heavy-haste build works, though, I'll be happy. And who knows, I might even try frost! The only mage-spec I'm NOT interested in at this point is Arcane. I don't really like the mechanics they've created for it, so I'm not going to use it unless I'm forced into it just to stay competitive.
One other downside...I was figuring that Blizzard would make it easier to level from 68-80, much like they did with 58-60 when Wrath came out. But from what I read that is NOT on the table at this point. It's still on the table for some point in the future, apparently, but I'm betting at this point they are going to wait long after the Cataclsym release.
Chuck 10/04: Chuck vs. the Cubic Z
I wasn’t sure what to expect about Monday’s Chuck. I didn’t get to watch it Monday, since I was at a friend’s house. But I had managed to read a few reviews of the episode online that were less than glowing. So I went into the episode with pretty low expectations. And that is probably why I was so pleasantly surprised with the episode overall. Sure it had its problems, but it was a good fast-paced hour with some cool call-backs to past episodes and, with the return of Big Mike, the full return of the entire cast to the show.
Without going into spoiler territory, two prisoners from Chuck and Sarah’s past get re-routed to the new Buy More when their vehicle breaks down. After they get there, however, it is obvious that Volkov arranged for the transfer there specifically. And when one of the prisoners escapes, all hell breaks loose…all while a ‘riot’ starts in the Buy More when a new game comes out but the store gets only 9 copies.
There seems to be a new theme is emerging in the season. Now that Chuck and Sarah are ‘together’, each episode seems to try to highlight some ‘problem’ of the couple that they must overcome. The first episode had Chuck pining over the fact that Sarah was away so much due to CIA missions. Last episode was Sarah’s fear of placing roots (manifested in her fear of unpacking), while this episode has Sarah freaking out about Chuck’s mention of marriage and a baby as something that might possibly be in their future someday. And for those most parts this sort of ‘romantic’ tension isn’t really adding anything to the show. Last season had some very cool episodes where the two characters were together, and in sync. And that worked VERY well. So I’m not entirely sure I understand why they are messing with the formula here.
Then there is the Buy More plot. It used to be that the Buy More plots had more connection to Chuck’s spy missions. And this week’s episode was something of a return to that. All of the Buy more crowed got more screen time than normal; with the ending neatly allowing Big Mike to take out the main bad guy without anyone realizing who/what he was. Big Mike’s return was welcome. He’s a great character, and while certainly fun has a more serious ‘real’ side to him more than anyone else in the Buy More (save Chuck himself). It’s cool that his off-screen relationship with Morgan’s mother is continuing. And it was fun to see Morgan and Big Mike interact, with Mike taking charge at the end showing that he could manage the store even in a crisis when necessary.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of Awesome or Ellie this week (which is a total shame). But at least they look to be returning in full force next week, though, so I’m happy about that. Also, there was a little movement on the Frost/Mother story front, though ‘little’ is the operative word there. With only 13 episodes this season (I’m not betting on a back 9 at all), and three already aired, I’m hoping that they’ll be introducing her as a full character fairly soon. But, so far, the ‘search’ for Chuck’s mom has been something of a dud.
Without going into spoiler territory, two prisoners from Chuck and Sarah’s past get re-routed to the new Buy More when their vehicle breaks down. After they get there, however, it is obvious that Volkov arranged for the transfer there specifically. And when one of the prisoners escapes, all hell breaks loose…all while a ‘riot’ starts in the Buy More when a new game comes out but the store gets only 9 copies.
There seems to be a new theme is emerging in the season. Now that Chuck and Sarah are ‘together’, each episode seems to try to highlight some ‘problem’ of the couple that they must overcome. The first episode had Chuck pining over the fact that Sarah was away so much due to CIA missions. Last episode was Sarah’s fear of placing roots (manifested in her fear of unpacking), while this episode has Sarah freaking out about Chuck’s mention of marriage and a baby as something that might possibly be in their future someday. And for those most parts this sort of ‘romantic’ tension isn’t really adding anything to the show. Last season had some very cool episodes where the two characters were together, and in sync. And that worked VERY well. So I’m not entirely sure I understand why they are messing with the formula here.
Then there is the Buy More plot. It used to be that the Buy More plots had more connection to Chuck’s spy missions. And this week’s episode was something of a return to that. All of the Buy more crowed got more screen time than normal; with the ending neatly allowing Big Mike to take out the main bad guy without anyone realizing who/what he was. Big Mike’s return was welcome. He’s a great character, and while certainly fun has a more serious ‘real’ side to him more than anyone else in the Buy More (save Chuck himself). It’s cool that his off-screen relationship with Morgan’s mother is continuing. And it was fun to see Morgan and Big Mike interact, with Mike taking charge at the end showing that he could manage the store even in a crisis when necessary.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of Awesome or Ellie this week (which is a total shame). But at least they look to be returning in full force next week, though, so I’m happy about that. Also, there was a little movement on the Frost/Mother story front, though ‘little’ is the operative word there. With only 13 episodes this season (I’m not betting on a back 9 at all), and three already aired, I’m hoping that they’ll be introducing her as a full character fairly soon. But, so far, the ‘search’ for Chuck’s mom has been something of a dud.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Fringe 08/30: The Box
Last week Fringe had a great season opener. And last night’s episode was the first chance to really see the prime-side’s new format. I had a bunch of questions going into the episode. Last week’s episode set things in motion, but it wasn’t really clear on how things would be going. Now, however, we have a clearer understanding of where things are and where they will be going in the short term.
In many ways, this episode was a standard ‘weird science of the week’ episode. But it was one that was almost drowning in a sea of mythology. Alt-Olivia’s ruse is in full effect, and as expected there are some definite rough edges though no one really questions it openly. Newton is back, and now taking orders from Olivia (and clearly unhappy with it).
The entire episode deals with a box which has the power to kill people. It gets dug up by men (hired by Newton, or orders from Olivia). They decide to open the box, but this kills everyone save one man who seems completely unaffected. As the Fringe Team comes in to investigate, Alt-Olivia has to step in to foil Water/Peter’s progress, while she remains out to find the box for herself.
The B-Story involves the reading of William Bell’s will. And while this is perhaps not as interesting story wise, it does give us some insights into Walter’s relationship with Bell and his mixed emotions regarding his old friend. Honestly it’s a shame that Bell is ‘dead’ because he is something of a very interesting, almost mythological character and he interacted very well with Bishop. It’s an interesting and complex relationship that rarely got any real screen time and that’s a shame.
The mystery surrounding The Box isn’t really all that big of one. It kills people. One person seems to be immune. And Newton/Alt-Olivia want it. And they stay 1 step ahead of the Fringe Team the whole way (in part due to Alt-Olivia). Alt-Olivia makes a few missteps along the way, but no one really questions it very strongly. In the end, the thief actually just hands the device over to Alt-Olivia (thinking that she was just a cop and he was turning it over). And Newton unleashes it in a subway tunnel, and Peter makes the heroic attempt to save everyone from it. In the end the Fringe ends up with The Box, which is part of the mysterious ‘Device’ that Walternate wants to use to destroy the prime universe. But, this was all part of the plan. Alt-Olivia WANTS Peter to have the device, and to start investigating it. Duh-Duh-DUH!!!
Overall the episode was another strong installment of the series. It wasn’t as mind blowing as the premier; and its mystery seemed a bit weak and contrived, but despite this it was a very good character-oriented episode that definitely sets the tone for what’s going on and leaves me very interested in what is going to happen next.
Some notes about the episode
In many ways, this episode was a standard ‘weird science of the week’ episode. But it was one that was almost drowning in a sea of mythology. Alt-Olivia’s ruse is in full effect, and as expected there are some definite rough edges though no one really questions it openly. Newton is back, and now taking orders from Olivia (and clearly unhappy with it).
The entire episode deals with a box which has the power to kill people. It gets dug up by men (hired by Newton, or orders from Olivia). They decide to open the box, but this kills everyone save one man who seems completely unaffected. As the Fringe Team comes in to investigate, Alt-Olivia has to step in to foil Water/Peter’s progress, while she remains out to find the box for herself.
The B-Story involves the reading of William Bell’s will. And while this is perhaps not as interesting story wise, it does give us some insights into Walter’s relationship with Bell and his mixed emotions regarding his old friend. Honestly it’s a shame that Bell is ‘dead’ because he is something of a very interesting, almost mythological character and he interacted very well with Bishop. It’s an interesting and complex relationship that rarely got any real screen time and that’s a shame.
The mystery surrounding The Box isn’t really all that big of one. It kills people. One person seems to be immune. And Newton/Alt-Olivia want it. And they stay 1 step ahead of the Fringe Team the whole way (in part due to Alt-Olivia). Alt-Olivia makes a few missteps along the way, but no one really questions it very strongly. In the end, the thief actually just hands the device over to Alt-Olivia (thinking that she was just a cop and he was turning it over). And Newton unleashes it in a subway tunnel, and Peter makes the heroic attempt to save everyone from it. In the end the Fringe ends up with The Box, which is part of the mysterious ‘Device’ that Walternate wants to use to destroy the prime universe. But, this was all part of the plan. Alt-Olivia WANTS Peter to have the device, and to start investigating it. Duh-Duh-DUH!!!
Overall the episode was another strong installment of the series. It wasn’t as mind blowing as the premier; and its mystery seemed a bit weak and contrived, but despite this it was a very good character-oriented episode that definitely sets the tone for what’s going on and leaves me very interested in what is going to happen next.
Some notes about the episode
- I was wondering just how long Alt-Olivia’s ruse would work. Honestly, while they did try to address the issues with her faking being the ‘real’ Olivia, I just don’t see how this would work for very long. But it’s clear that no one is going to figure it out immediately.
- Another thing I'm interested in. Just what is the chance that Alt-Olivia will become more sympathetic to the prime-universe and its characters?. Newton really slammed her on it when she showed even mild interest in the differences; but she really didn’t hesitate when forced to do some very unpleasant things (such as murdering the deaf thug who survived the box, when he was just returning it to her b/c he thought it was the right thing to do).
- The other interesting twist in this episode has to do with Walter inheriting Massive Dynamic in full from Bell. That was not expected, and I’m very interested in seeing what they will do with that. And how Nina will respond. Will this make Nina a clear villain? Or is this just a better opportunity to include Nina more into the show’s structure? I have no idea where this is going, but is has some interesting possibilities.
- Also talking about Massive Dynamic…what was that strange particle-accelerator like technology that Walter passed in the room. At the time I just looked over it…but as I started writing about this I began to wonder. They specifically made sure we saw it, and saw Walter’s surprised reaction (like he recognized it)…but neither Walter or anyone else brought it up. But, now that he is so involved with Massive Dynamic…will this be something that comes up as a plot point later?
- And for the box. So Olivia had Newton unbury the thing. They knew where it was obviously. And at the end of the episode it basically indicates that the whole thing was a ploy to get the box into Peter’s hands and get him investigating it. But, if that’s the case, why was she interfering with the investigation the whole time, if the idea was to get it into Fringe Division’s hands anyway? Seems like an unnecessary twist there at the end that really didn’t add anything other than inconsistency.
- But more interesting is why the Box was there in the first place. OK, so this is part of the ‘device’ that Walternate is wanting to use. In the Second Season it’s stated that the design is William Bell’s (they recognize it as such and mention it more than once). Yet this time they say it’s some ‘ancient advanced technology’. Maybe it’s Observer technology? And if so why is it lying about scattered across two universes. And why get the Fringe team to be actively looking into it? Perhaps the device is in two pieces, where one piece has to be in one reality and the other piece on the other side? I’m not sure. But it’s clear that there is a lot more information here to find than we have at this point.
- Oh, and based on the previews from the next Episode…it definitely looks like Olivia the memory wipe actually worked. I was hoping that it didn’t really work, and that Olivia had just basically decided that the best way for her to survive on the other side was to give them what they wanted—if they wanted to replace her memories, let them think they succeeded and play along until something better came along. That seemed kind of like a thematic parallel to Alt-Olivia’s situation (where now both Olivia’s are enemy agents for their alternate Fringe Divisions). Hopefully, though, she’ll start getting her true memories back very quickly because I think it’ll be much better that way in both the short and long term. And it will actually make it much easier for Olivia to fake being her alt—since certainly she will retain a lot of her alt’s memories regardless of what else happens.
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