Thursday, November 4, 2010

Binge on Fringe- Season 1


To blog properly about the series Fringe (seahorse), I need to fill a page with random gibberish (cityscape butterfly).  Then I'd insist you pay attention to it for long periods of time to figure out THE PATTERN (creepy fetus apple).

About 90% of the reason I once watched X-Files, and for as long as I did, was Scully.  She was mesmerizing to a young man chock full of patience and hormones.  Several seasons and a movie later it was becoming abundantly clear I would never GET either a full understanding of the evil conspiracy, or Scully in my bedroom.  Whichever came first.

So when Fringe arrived in 2008 I gave it 3 episodes to impress me and when it didn't I gave up. (six finger hand).

It is therefore both an exercise of my severely underdeveloped sense of patience and a measure of my desperation for new sources of science fiction that I undertook it once more.  It is also a measure of my respect for my excellent friend Ron, who loaned it to me (tree frog).

It's got buckets of atmosphere, great writing, and the fear that it will lead exactly NOWHERE is built right in!

Dogged FBI Agent Olivia Dunham is the closest to a character I like, since quirky/cuddly as he is fringe scientist Walter Bishop almost certainly performed experiments on kids (I find I can't warm up to that) and his son Peter is full of snark but WHY he sticks around is hard to relate to.  Unless you accept that Peter's mesmerized by either Olivia or the science-y mysteries.  

These are NOT a fun bunch of people!  Of course, if there's a genetically engineered macrovirus trying to force its way out of your gullet, these ARE the folks you really should hope are nearby.

(Actually, I like the Observer best, but he's not really a character. He's like Marvel's Uatu The Watcher with a hat and an extra helping of ambiguity.  Pictured here without his hat.)

So... an ambiguous ongoing mystery. (odd puff of smoke) The writing, producing, and music guys who make Fringe ALSO made 2009's EXTREMELY DAMN AWESOME Star Trek movie. Which this is not.  It may have odd creatures, advanced science, teleporters, parallel worlds and Leonard Nimoy: but only for a FEW SECONDS now and then.  If, like me, that's barely enough for you, you're going to have to enjoy either the drama or the mystery.

But I have to admit: it's too late for me now. I AM hooked.  LOST, if you will.  Ingesting 'Fringe' in large gulps over the last couple of weeks made it easier to believe the puzzle will eventually be revealed (flower with fly wing petals).  

And I don't want to miss out if it ever manages to have something I'd find funny or sexy.  Or an alien.  Maybe an alien with a hat!  Now that's sexy.

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