Welcome to
(Updated October 11-12, 2012)
THE RECORDIST
So, let's start things off with something that slightly upset me.
I was having dinner with the family on Taco Tuesday, and someone mentioned that they had caught up to and watched 5.01 of Fringe. I asked them what they thought (remembering the torture scenes, the final scene with the mix CD in the car...and Olivia's reunion with Henrietta, and was excited to hear someone's thoughts) and they flat out just said "It was cheesy...It's always been cheesy, but this was cheesy..."
I legitimately gaped at them for a moment and then immediately changed the subject. There have always been funny, odd and yes even cheesy things here and there, but I always thought the acting, the writing, and even the production values were outstanding...
So, Fringe Fans, today's impromptu "topic" is what do other people that you know think about Fringe? Do they find it silly? Are they just confused by it or turned off by the serialized nature of the show? Do people enjoy it quite a lot? How do you feel about sharing your love of Fringe "IRL" (in real life)?
Alright, onto the small recap of 5.02 - "In Absentia"... This was essentially the episode where we finally shine the light on Etta and see what she is like in the wake of the Observer takeover. And much to the dismay of both Peter and Olivia, what was saw was a hardened and steely Etta who literally tortured the life away from a poor man who was rather gifted at crafting sob stories. (Apparently, according to Etta, that's something they are instructed to do...bleak times people!)
This loyalist was a very important part of the episode, and through him we saw what effect Olivia Dunham has on people...In the end all it took was a look into her pensive gaze for this beaten, worn, tortured, and grief-stricken loyalist to flip sides... Her gaze also affected Etta as well... It seems people that have a shred of humanity in them that are able to see the pain in anyone, even an "enemy" are just not very common these days... It's also a good time to point out that I've always found Anna Torv's Olivia to be completely entrancing when they have those mournful looks she's tossed about the entire series... Such a profound thing to anchor a plot device on! "The beguiling Olivia Dunham beguiles" as usual...
And then we have the reveal...It looks as though we're not going to be seeing much of Simon Foster this season, folks. That scene was just revolting in such a sudden way, Etta's response was understandable to say the least... We continue to get peeks behind the curtain at Observers HQ and it's becoming quite apparent that these grisly acts are just the tip of the iceberg...
They continue to set up this season fairly well, in my opinion. The character moments are my favorite parts, but I think it's firing on all cylinders at this point! What do you think?
Who's ready to get this Fringe Friday underway? Time to break out the licorice and slush-os!
*5 new tracks added to the playlist: "Hooray for Love" - Sarah Jaffe, "Sail" - AWOLNATION, ""New World" - Devotchka, "Home is a Fire" - Deathcab for Cutie, "We Are the People" - Empire of The World
I was having dinner with the family on Taco Tuesday, and someone mentioned that they had caught up to and watched 5.01 of Fringe. I asked them what they thought (remembering the torture scenes, the final scene with the mix CD in the car...and Olivia's reunion with Henrietta, and was excited to hear someone's thoughts) and they flat out just said "It was cheesy...It's always been cheesy, but this was cheesy..."
I legitimately gaped at them for a moment and then immediately changed the subject. There have always been funny, odd and yes even cheesy things here and there, but I always thought the acting, the writing, and even the production values were outstanding...
So, Fringe Fans, today's impromptu "topic" is what do other people that you know think about Fringe? Do they find it silly? Are they just confused by it or turned off by the serialized nature of the show? Do people enjoy it quite a lot? How do you feel about sharing your love of Fringe "IRL" (in real life)?
_______________________________
Alright, onto the small recap of 5.02 - "In Absentia"... This was essentially the episode where we finally shine the light on Etta and see what she is like in the wake of the Observer takeover. And much to the dismay of both Peter and Olivia, what was saw was a hardened and steely Etta who literally tortured the life away from a poor man who was rather gifted at crafting sob stories. (Apparently, according to Etta, that's something they are instructed to do...bleak times people!)
This loyalist was a very important part of the episode, and through him we saw what effect Olivia Dunham has on people...In the end all it took was a look into her pensive gaze for this beaten, worn, tortured, and grief-stricken loyalist to flip sides... Her gaze also affected Etta as well... It seems people that have a shred of humanity in them that are able to see the pain in anyone, even an "enemy" are just not very common these days... It's also a good time to point out that I've always found Anna Torv's Olivia to be completely entrancing when they have those mournful looks she's tossed about the entire series... Such a profound thing to anchor a plot device on! "The beguiling Olivia Dunham beguiles" as usual...
And then we have the reveal...It looks as though we're not going to be seeing much of Simon Foster this season, folks. That scene was just revolting in such a sudden way, Etta's response was understandable to say the least... We continue to get peeks behind the curtain at Observers HQ and it's becoming quite apparent that these grisly acts are just the tip of the iceberg...
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They continue to set up this season fairly well, in my opinion. The character moments are my favorite parts, but I think it's firing on all cylinders at this point! What do you think?
Who's ready to get this Fringe Friday underway? Time to break out the licorice and slush-os!
PLUS: check out the UPDATED "FRINGE FRIDAY" Playlist!
*5 new tracks added to the playlist: "Hooray for Love" - Sarah Jaffe, "Sail" - AWOLNATION, ""New World" - Devotchka, "Home is a Fire" - Deathcab for Cutie, "We Are the People" - Empire of The World
FRINGE FRIDAY'S SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!
I've crafted a spotify playlist for all you FRINGE fans out there who will be pining away for the new episode all day! From selected tracks related to promoting FRINGE to the score of FRINGE itself, some hand-picked tracks that keep with the mood, these tracks have been loaded into this playlist for your entertainment! So, while you're at work, keep your excitement level at a peak with these tracks!
(Updated October 11-12, 2012)
(FEATURING: Devotchka, Violet Sedan Chair, Rolling Stones, Sarah Jaffe, Pearl Jam, and many more!)
Cheesy? In what universe is this emotionally gripping series cheesy? I've never thought it was even slightly so, and I've watched A LOT of tv shows in my life that actually are cheesy. Do they know the definition of the word is cheap, unpleasant and inauthentic? None of those apply to Fringe.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!! I totally agree, so I was all "WTF?" and had to stop talking about it!
ReplyDeleteFringe is by far the least cheesiest show about, it's anything but cheesy. I'm so sad it's ending soon :(
ReplyDeleteCheesy? I don't know how to even respond to that.
ReplyDeleteMy parents watch the show. My mom loves it and my dad like it too but normally doesn't understand most of what's going on. I don't know anyone else who watched Fringe because I apparently only know lame people.
I think a lot of people who are not into fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction and anything else on the "fringe" of mainstream may use the word "cheesy" because they don't know what else to call it :)
ReplyDeleteMy father used to call all such shows (I have watched anything and everything "weird" since I was a kid) "space junk" - even when they had no "space" component :) My mother, if I asked her, would roll her eyes and shake her head and say something like "No, that's too weird for me" and go back to her Nicholas Sparks inspired human dramas,
I think you are either in the club and can suspend your disbelief enough to appreciate the acting, production and storytelling chops that Fringe displays or you are not and it all seems hopelessly delusional and silly and, yes, probably cheesy.
I remember once I was sitting with my Dad and Lion in Winter was on. Patrick Stewart played Henry II. He made a comment about how much he liked the actor's portrayal. Later that night Patrick Stewart was playing Captain Picard in TNG which I was watching and my father said, "Look at that. Men in leotards. Why do you watch this crap? I bet they can't even get real actors."
I think there are people who will always consider all such "fringe" shows as being "silly" and "cheesy".
I mean, we've all met people who think Lord of the Rings is a "silly fairy story", right?
Cheesy? I know people who don't understand or like the show, but i never heard one person use the word cheesy to describe it....
ReplyDeleteSo,Wilson who do you associate with on taco Tuesday? I think you might need to find some new TT friends,real quick!! ;)
Happy FRINGE Friday everyone,let the party begin! Cheese anyone?
I've talked to a number of people about Fringe. There's two people in particular that come to mind. I've known both for years. One has become a great fan of the show and we talk about it a fair bit. The other friend never mentions the show,and I'm certain is hoping that I don't. It seems to be about the way it works for a show like this.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that science fiction and fantasy (especially those that have ties to Bad Robot) either don't understand that really these shows are drama's with elements of those other gene's and/or are NOT sentimental themselves...So anything that reminds them of sentiment or nostalgia revolts them and they reject it, as they want to live in world where people are all about being "new" and "updated", as opposed to actually caring deeply for others or actually realizing that there was a world here before them.
ReplyDeleteOn Happier Note: Happy FRINGE FRIDAY!!!!!!!!! Gang! :D
All I am going to say about tonight's episode is I predict more discrepancies and proof of time line convergences, plus Indiana Jones -and the Hex of Hydra (red universe s1-3 time line movie poster) + The Temple of Doom, and the Hydra LOST Dharma station (animal convergence/experimentation/ "23" -state of death/transformation) + Alone in the World, Welcome to Westfield, and Johari Window. Pow, Bang, Zap!!!!!!! Olivia always had an aptitude for art (Subject 13 + 2 Beyond the Fringe comics) + Forest (Jacksonville/Northwest passage---bleed through/mind scape - truths revealed)
But what will this all mean to the character's in the present? And Will Walter start finding his video tapes?! I don't know in the immediate sense, but I hope it leads to somewhere good.
It's funny how we all can interpret things differently. My definition of cheesy would be warm-hearted ideas or dialogue that lack substance in some way, which IMO Bad Robot usually does well in terms of having lots of subtext, like in Absebtia. I think what's actually happening to the characters is extremely complicated in terms of their full story arcs that rely on a multiple incarnations of themselves to come to a kind of resolution.
ReplyDeleteYes,i agree! Their characters are complicated,and getting more so! I keep thinking that if Peter is still in the machine like you suggested then either in the last episode or the next to last Peter is going to come out and it will be a completely different timeline.and or be completely different versions of themselves.. once again!
ReplyDeleteI don't know where Joel is taking us,maybe this is it,maybe they just battle it out to the end,i don't know what to make of it frankly. And the more i think about what he said about the ninth episode being more like the 19th,i can't imagine him doing that with only 10 episodes left?....but you know,you have been right more times than not,so i think i'm just along for the ride,i'll sit back and enjoy whatever comes our way....
I have no idea what they're going to do in the 9th episode! -I think it would be too early to spit Peter back out some when else (or back to his time line), unless the final story is meant to take place there, and the amber time line provides insights on what to prepare for (Eyes with out a Face song in Brave New World pt1 "I'm on a bus, on a pyschedilic trip, reading murder books trying to stay hip. I'm thinking of you, but you're out there. so say your prayers."
ReplyDeleteOn might read murder books to learn about how to prevent murder, by seeing how murder can be made...
Actually I may hope for that (then we might see our red characters again for a while!)
It *is* interesting how things are interpreted, isn't it? Cheesy to me means campy. Over the top. Trying so hard to convey a thing that it becomes caricature-ish. Pretty much anything from the Dallas/Dynasty years as seen through today's filter :)
ReplyDeleteYep,me too!
ReplyDeleteYeah,this is why i don't think its going to happen.....but if they are going according to plan,the 3 part act then maybe they will have it,oh,who knows! ha!I;m starting to drive myself crazy with all these possible scenarios! :)
ReplyDeleteYour parents sound like mine! :)
ReplyDeleteWell another reason I think it could happen still is that there's this whole thing with procreation with Olivia going on...And I really feel like that whole "Henry is Bad" thing, doesn't make a lot of sense (who are the Observers to decide something like that?) But in the Amber time line, besides Olivia having Etta, Rachel has two kids Ella and Eddy (a boy and girl) and works it out with her love interest, may point to an ending where There are two Bishop children...but more over Wyman also said that he is leaving the characters in place were we can still think about them...which means some kind of positive ending...This future doesn't seem to bode well with that idea, so I think there has to be some other kind of reality involved for our characters to be at happier places, in order for us to want to still think about them...
ReplyDeleteWilson, add Karma Police to your playlist. It's pretty much the anthem of the Observers.
ReplyDeleteThat is also my definition...
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea. :D
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH US.
(Really you could've said "hey wilson, radiohead discography...do it." and I would've added the whole lot of 'em) lol
yes as he said,we might not be happy,but we will be satisfied.... i hope we are left with some happiness..
ReplyDeleteYa! Campy is another good way to describe it :D (although I think Campy can work sometimes like with Tim Burton for instance)
ReplyDeleteNice choice!!!!!!
ReplyDeletePretty much none of my local friends watch it either, so I know how you feel. I think they're lame for missing out something so meaningful and something uniquely profound. (:
ReplyDeleteWow, I will add these next time I get on spotify. :)
ReplyDeleteLaura,your right about Second Sight it would be perfect for Once,and i like Mystical Machine Gun for Fringe i think its appropriate,especially this season! And of course Eyes w/o a Face,but i've liked it since it first came out.. Three out of four ain't bad,lol...
ReplyDeleteOnly the one's you like Wilson! (But please feel free to keep adding Radio Head!)
ReplyDeleteYa Nektar is progressive rock and kind of has a Bee-Gee's feel in terms of vocals, but the lyrics to that song are just so good IMO that I couldn't resist exposing you guys to it! :p
ReplyDeleteGood stuff,keep it coming!
ReplyDelete