Fringe (TV Series) Midnight (2009) User Reviews

Fantastic Beginning

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 10 January 2017]

After the second murder of a man with severed spinal column, the Fringe Division is assigned to investigate the case. Dr. Bishop discovers that the spinal fluid has been completely drained out; there are marks of human teeth on the spot and the killer's saliva is infected by an extinct syphilis virus. After an investigation with the CDC, they learn that the sample of the extinct virus was delivered to the Lubov Pharmaceutical for research purpose. Soon they learn that the laboratory has connections with the bio-terrorist group ZFT. There is an FBI raid in the Lubov Pharmaceutical and they arrest the crippled scientist Nicholas Boone. He offers to respond to the FBI interrogatory provided the FBI rescues his beloved wife Valerie Boone that was kidnapped by the ZFT. He also gives an address where she would supposed be and Olivia and a team invade a restaurant but do not find Valerie. Nicholas admits that his wife that was infected by the ZFT is the killer and he needs samples of the virus to find an antidote. Further, he became crippled using his own spinal fluid to feed Valerie. Now he teams up with Dr. Bishop expecting to find a cure for the virus. Will they be capable to save Valerie?

"Midnight" is an episode of "Fringe" with one of the best beginnings following Bob Dunn, who seems to be the killer, misleading and surprising the viewer and the Bauhaus' song "Bela Lugosi is Dead" performed also during the beginning of the cult "The Hunger". The story is engaging with an important revelation in the end but the subplot with Olivia's sister Rachel facing a divorce where her husband demands full custody of Ella is annoying. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Midnight"

Another Cliffhanger With Future Implications

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 28 October 2023]

Of course, as usual, the science is too simple. The antidote easily explained (though hard to produce) will be concocted in Bishop's lab with the help of a guy who helped develop the horrible stuff, using spinal fluid. Of course, this is the tip of the iceberg for what is going on with the upper echelons of a horror group. The episode has nice pacing and some good moments. It's still hard to fathom that a single injection can almost immediately render a virulent substance inert and bring a person back from a killing machine to his or her former self. A subplot in the real world is Dunham's sister who is being sued for divorce with custody at the center.

Bela Lugosi's Dead

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 1 May 2012]

This is the Fringe "Twilight" Episode: Here there be (Man Made) Monsters.

As Strains of Death-Rock band Bauhaus play, a man is trying to pick up women in a Goth Nightclub. Apparently he "Gets Lucky" - Unfortunately, with "Valerie Boone" (Trieste Kelly Dunn) - Who also is "On The Prowl" - For Spinal Fluid! After she drains the hapless victim, she steals his car and cash, and goes back, probably to find more fresh brain-juice.

This activity leaves suspicious bodies laying all about and the method of killing is straight down Walter's Alley. As Walter plays Medical Examiner with the bodies (that have had their spines ripped out) he finds a rare, apparently extinct version of a STD. Through this microscopic clue Fringe Division is able to single out Nicholas Boone (Jeffery Mays from "Sling Blade" and "The Notorious Bettie Page") as the culprit who ordered the samples.

If you like your Monkey Spines protruding out, then this is your episode. The only way Valerie Boone can stay alive is by draining people's spinal fluid down to 3-Quarts Low. And once again it was ZFT who infected Valerie Boone with a deadly amplified concoction of the disease - In order to keep "member" Nicholas Boone in line. Boone promises to tell Fringe "All About ZFT" if they help him save his wife -But can this guy be trusted? At every turn, he takes the opportunity to not be forthcoming with The Truth.

In order to treat Valerie Boon they have to Catch her first, and this proves difficult - Walter Fringes out a way to do it that does not involve Fringe Division getting a freak spinal tap.

Boone apparently makes a sacrifice in favour of his wife, but his confession targets Massive Dynamic as being in Cahoots with ZFT and mentions William Bell in particular. It is now up to Fringe Division whether to believe him or not. It is now four seasons later, will we find out if Boone was telling the truth all along?

The vampire episode

[loridonaldsonrocks · 5/10 · 17 March 2024]

The episode starts out dark and edgy, which is a nice change of pace for this sci-fi show leaning into the more horror themes and tropes of "hunting" in a pulsating nightclub. The focus for the rest of the episode though is a bit more scientific, but obviously not any real world science as I had many questions that were answered with a simple Google search that could easily discredit the entire episode. Besides that, we also are introduced to an incredibly important character who blows the ZFT case wide open at the very end of the episode (although what he says really isn't all that shocking if we're being honest). There's some themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption discussed as well that are almost tasteful if they weren't so frustratingly obvious and inconvenient. For me this was a bit of an annoying episode to watch because they seemed so close to something big and it felt like it slipped away and they got the bare minimum instead. In short, it didn't feel like a success story, leaving me disappointed, but I'm sure it's intentional so they can drag out the story by dangling small details in front us to keep us watching. Sidenote there's some animal testing in this episode that resulted in a dead lab rat and what looked like a cut open dog? Not a big fan of animal mutilation stuff so be warned.