Fringe [TV show]

I don't want to spoil too much, but Fringe, created by JJ Abrams, is about a series of supernatural occurrences called the Pattern which stems from a branch of science called fringe science, which deals with these supernatural occurrences. And for those that have been keeping up with the show, the recent episode was godly. It just keeps getting better and better. Too bad the next episode is in April D: So if you are looking for something new and refreshing (tired of cardiac arrests at the 30 minute mark on House? Tired of hostage taking and bombs in 24? Tired of getting lost while trying to watch Lost?), this is the TV show for you.

And best of all, the whole season can be streamed straight from fox, with about 3 minutes of ad time mixed in, for those too lazy to pirate.

Click Here to Watch

So, what are your thoughts about the show?

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HeavenS Colombia. February 13 2009 07:12. Posts 1946

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sweet im gonna check it out. i've been looking for a good show to watch
while i wait for dexter, weeds, and true blood to resume. I've heard good reviews about this but haven't watched an episode yet ;o

Im cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Excalibur_Z United States. February 13 2009 07:12. Posts 10281

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I missed the first episode, but I did see the second, as well as the tail end of the fourth or fifth episode. I couldn't get into it. It's pretty much the return of X-Files but with a JJ Abrams twist. I wasn't really a fan of X-Files either, to put it in perspective. I guess I'm just not down with the crazy goings-on in the show like + Show Spoiler + and + Show Spoiler + I don't like many of the actors on the show, though the old guy is kind of entertaining.

2goons1probe United States. February 13 2009 07:16. Posts 26

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fringe is awesome. though i have to say, the theme song is the best part of the show

JAAAAAH

Tadzio February 13 2009 07:18. Posts 3286

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I hate Fringe. The show sucks.

Physician

United States. February 13 2009 07:18. Posts 4117

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On February 13 2009 07:12 Excalibur_Z wrote:
I missed the first episode, but I did see the second, as well as the tail end of the fourth or fifth episode. I couldn't get into it. It's pretty much the return of X-Files but with a JJ Abrams twist. I wasn't really a fan of X-Files either, to put it in perspective. I guess I'm just not down with the crazy goings-on in the show like + Show Spoiler + and + Show Spoiler + I don't like many of the actors on the show, though the old guy is kind of entertaining.

rofl, thanks excal, I shall pass too (and yeah the x-files wasn't my cup of tea either)

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Proposal United States. February 13 2009 07:22. Posts 1307

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The last few episodes have been superb. It got off to a slow start IMO but I think it's going to be amazing by the finale

arcticStorm United States. February 13 2009 07:22. Posts 294

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Yea, some episodes weren't that great, but now they've got a great plot/storyline going that didn't seem apparent in the first few episodes.

Hey, if you want realism, read a book or something.

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Racenilatr United States. February 13 2009 07:25. Posts 2756

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I have never heard of this before....it seems interseting though

Dark.Carnival United States. February 13 2009 07:43. Posts 3346

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I really dislike this show, the whole premise of the show sounds good, but the way the show is being run it's just really stupid. not to mention every single character in the show is annoying as hell.

@QxGDarkCell ._.

gg_hertzz February 13 2009 07:43. Posts 2103

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it's a terrible show. tries way too hard to be cool and 'different'.

Schnake Germany. February 13 2009 07:49. Posts 2609

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I like Fringe but if you are not into the x-files style, I highly recommend to watch "Life on Mars". It is hilarious and better than the British original!

AlanShore // Alan Shore Huha

MarklarMarklar Fiji. February 13 2009 07:52. Posts 1823

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hate this show, copies so much from x files episodes, heroes ones, and other series.

it tries way 2 hard

THE BLEEDING EYES? thought i saw that in an heroes episode. JJ ABRAMS should be shot.

Last edit: 2009-02-13 07:54:59

hello there

Kerensky February 13 2009 08:03. Posts 148

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whats good about it , other than "its awesome"?
is it scarey like a horror movie? intelligent like death note? compelling like heroes? etc

Flaccid February 13 2009 08:20. Posts 5792

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On February 13 2009 07:01 arcticStorm wrote:
And for those that have been keeping up with the show, the recent episode was godly. It just keeps getting better and better. Too bad the next episode is in April D: So if you are looking for something new and refreshing (tired of cardiac arrests at the 30 minute mark on House? Tired of hostage taking and bombs in 24? Tired of getting lost while trying to watch Lost?), this is the TV show for you

I have to admit, I gave Fringe a pretty fair shot but simply gave up after maybe a half dozen episodes. I really, reaaaally, reeeaaaally tried to get into it, but just couldn't manage to. There are exactly zero shows on TV that I follow right now, so I was looking forward to getting into a new show.

As a guy whose addiction to all things X-Files is documented, I suppose I'd fall into the target demographic for a show like this. So I find myself sitting here wondering why I failed to get into this new show that was supposedly written for people like me.

I can come up with two reasons:

The Characters

I just don't like any of them. They are completely uninteresting. You have the side-kick from Dawson's Creek playing the stock character of 'super genius misguided by teen angst' or whateverthehell and it wears thin very quickly. He's not a believable character and it's sad because in a show like this, he doesn't have to be very believable to be sufficient.

Then you have The Woman. Or, The Token Woman. She's "strong enough for a man, but built like a woman." Please. It's so cliche to put some ball-buster in a role like this. We know her character because we've seen her on TWENTY OTHER DIFFERENT TV SHOWS.

The X-Files was largely ridiculous but I liked it because I liked Mulder and Scully. Mulder was just a goofy nerd with an obsession and enough charisma that girls wanted to comfort him while guys wanted to drink with him. Unlike any of the main characters on Fringe, Mulder was ultimately likeable. He wasn't some <insert stock characterization of some misunderstood super-duper g3n1us>, he was a normal guy whose life was shaped by an exceptional event.

And Scully managed to ooze dramatic irony without being annoying about it. It's because she was rational and level-headed while *not* being condescending or insulting about the whole thing. Unlike the Dawson-alum in Fringe. She instinctively fell back on her scientific education and background but maintained an open mind. And she had boobies.

The Writing

For a show about bullshit, Fringe takes itself waaaaay tooooo seriously. The X-Files was never above laughing at itself with a particularly silly episode. Fringe is like "seeee? Corporations are evil, don't you seeeeeeeeeeeee?" and the X-Files was like "there is some shadey shit going on, BUT HERE IS A GIANT BUMBLEBEE RUNNING AROUND!!!" And it didn't hurt that the main characters employed some humor. Good side-characters was a nice touch too.

But the main thing that kills me is the need to explain everything in a step-by-step narrative that assumes the audience is a bunch of morons who can't handle leaving the unexplained, well, unexplained. A show like this is only interesting when it raises questions that the audience wants to see answered. And it only remains interesting until those questions are answered. X-Files accomplished this task over the course of 10 years. Fringe does it in 50 minute intervals each week.

Booooooring.

Last edit: 2009-02-13 08:23:30

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Bosu United States. February 13 2009 08:23. Posts 3159

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fringe sucks

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meegrean Thailand. February 13 2009 08:23. Posts 6006

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I like Fringe. Each episode tends to give more questions than answers lol.

+ Show Spoiler +

Brood War Forever!

MarklarMarklar Fiji. February 13 2009 08:31. Posts 1823

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On February 13 2009 08:23 meegrean wrote:
I like Fringe. Each episode tends to give more questions than answers lol.

+ Show Spoiler +

thats the jj abrams style, however, its all random bullshit. Just like lost. He tries to make it look like its thought out and its just not. It gets silly, he tries to hard.

hello there

Centric United States. February 13 2009 08:34. Posts 1989

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I think the jury is still out on Fringe. I like the show, but it's hard to tie everything together into a cohesive plot that makes me excited for the next episode.

Super serious.

Amber[LighT] United States. February 13 2009 08:35. Posts 5078

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Lost > Fringe x 10

But I do watch both, and Fringe kinda creeps me out, like the $2 bills that have that stuff that changes ur bodies lipids around or something...it was gross and wouldn't want to die like that.

It's not supposed to be easy, that's why it feels so effing good.