FRINGE BLOGGERS - Blog Fansite for FOX Show FRINGE from JJ. ABRAMS

The Good

1) Excitement, tension and much more danger.

2) The character development of Olivia. We’ve always been fans of Agent Dunham, but adding these personal layers make her worth caring about.

3) INtREPUS. Adding another organisation to rival Massive Dynamic was a master-stroke. It’s good to have another name to add to the list of dubious corporations. More importantly, it was good to have some back-ground to why they were performing human experimentation - because they could. That is a bold and scarey statement, and it’s the type of territory Fringe should be edging towards. Also, David Esterbrook, great character and very well acted.

4)The return of Massive Dynamic in the shape of their charismatic COO, Nina Sharp. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, so if you’ve been following this blog then you’ll know that we’re extremely fond her. Also, loving the hints to a past relationship with Walter (Bom Chicka Wah Wah!) and her quality time spent with young Peter. Her glee at hearing INtREPUS’ stocks plummeting was also deliciously evil!

5) The Music. WIN!

6) The FBI SWAT Raid. WIN!! (and much more realistic than Olivia always going off into the heart of darkness by herself)

7) The Observer. WIN!!!

8 )The episode just felt tighter in general, the writing was purposeful, with nice light and shade at key moments. The interactions between the characters was also a joy to behold at times - especially those key Peter/Oliva and Olivia/Broyles scenes.

9) The fact that this “Pattern-event” didn’t relate back to one of Walter’s old experiments. I don’t mind the odd event here and there being the result of one of Walter’s mad experiments, but for credibility’s sake, not everything should be the result of Walter. This episode was a great example of how to develop the story and not have Walter know everything. There were even a few occasions when he even stated that he had ‘no idea’. That was good to hear, and I’m sure it made scientists all around the world feel slightly less inferior.

10) The opening scene. How do they do that? I would watch just for those 5 minutes! Amazing, bloody, sensational, ominous, creepy, and I kind of felt bad for those soup-bearing diners. The thing is, it’s not just for show, it actually sets the scene and initiates the story in a thought-provoking way. Hats off to whoever is working on these opening scenes.

11) A believable premise presented in the most entertaining of ways.

The Bad

1) “Asterisk”. Loved the joke but seriously, she better have a reason for being a part of the team soon or she’ll go down in Fringe history like Paulo and Nikki went down in “LOST” history. Remember a few episodes ago when Peter finally had a reason for being a part of the team, other than “babysitting” Walter? Well, Astrid needs something like this. She’s had a reason to leave the team (Walter knocking her unconscious), now she needs a reason to be there. I’m confident that this will be addressed soon, such is my faith in the writers, but it’s still a worry.

2)Olivia’s p*ssed off attitude really helped the development of her character, but I can’t help feel that it could have been executed slightly better. Her ’turn’ was just too fast. As Peter said, she’s entitled to an off-day, and conveniently it was her birthday - the day that her step-father sends her creepy unsigned cards to remind her that ‘he’s out there’ *shudder*. But that’s the problem, it felt a bit too convenient, almost as if they tried too hard to make Olivia’s personal issues connect into the ‘A-story’ of the kidnapped girls. It didn’t quite mesh. That said, the brilliance of the pacing and the overall quality of the episode made-up for it. I also appreciate the need to make Olivia’s character more feisty - on many levels it also worked, as it brought out some amazing performances in the other characters and made for some truly excellent scenes -  Olivia vs Broyles, anyone?

3)Peter’s pretty again. Wah!? Did I miss something? Peter got busted up by Rouge, and I mean busted UP. He still had the bruises to prove it in the last episode, so where did they go? Unless we’re on the healing “LOST” island, I’d like some more continuity, please. Gah! I guess that’s episodic for ya. *hint, hint*

4)Not enough Broyles. Please please please give Lance Reddick more to do, if only so we can hear him answer the phone and say “Broyles!” in such a ridiculously cool way. Seriously, I’d pay to watch that man answer the phone. No, really!

5) No mention of John Scott. Really? I know we’re doing the episodic thing here, but not even a passing reference? sure, we’re supposed to assume that part of Olivia’s ‘angst’ in this episode is also the result of her shared brain occupation with Agent Scott, but what about those casual viewers who aren’t following the show as closely as the real fans - what about them? Spare a thought for the casual viewers! HEH.

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