Okay, so I made a bad pun - but, come on! How could I *not*, after seeing the co-pilot's face melting and his bottom jaw falling off? The opening scene to this series was definitely a memorable one. It built up tension very successfully. The lightning storm may have been a little dramatic, but it certainly made for great atmosphere (and excellent moody lighting). It played on fears of knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do to escape something truly horrific (in this case, being exposed a contagion that makes your skin melt off). It was ghastly, creepy and damn effective, I thought. It certainly captured your attention. The shot of the plane, from a distance, floating quietly through the storm clouds contrasted nicely with the horror and screaming going on inside the plain. Then, as if things weren't unsettling enough, we hear nicely eerie music begin to play which leads us into the the excellent opening credits. The Fringe theme sums up this show perfectly.
Our heroine for this series is Agent Olivia Dunham (played by Aussie actress, Anna Torv). I've seen some comments about her being "too serious" and such, but that's utter rubbish. What were you expecting? She's not exactly going to be all smiles and laughter, given her job/the type of situation she's in, is she? Torv is believable in this role, showing Olivia's strength and confidence, which makes her not just some simple pushover. This is a character who could've easily been very one-dimensional, but Anna Torv brings depth and credibility to the show. The way she stands up to her boss, for example, had me cheering (given what an ass he was). She's not a "wannabe tough chick" at all, but someone who you can buy as an FBI agent. For an an example of her excellent acting, you need look no further than the scene of her crying, but trying to hold it together, after she finds out some shocking/devastating information about the person she cares most about. That was one of the best/most convincing displays of someone, on the verge of losing it, that I have ever seen. Watch that scene and it'll become clear that Anna Torv is a very fine actress (obviously some people won't admit it/refuse to acknowledge this, as they can't see past her looks and simply dismiss her as "just a pretty face"). She plays both strong an vulnerable to a tee.
Since I mentioned her boss in passing, Broyles (Lance Reddick), I should probably explain what I didn't like about him. First and foremost...his attitude. The way he talks to Olivia is condescending, unprofessional and quite simply RUDE. After the way he talks down to her (in particular, the way he calls her "liaison"), I couldn't blame her for the attitude she gave him (I'm surprised she didn't sock him in his Skeletor-like face). She takes what he dishes out and gives as good as she gets. His attitude towards her was completely uncalled for (especially considering what Broyles' friend did). He shouldn't have been resenting Olivia for putting away someone who assaulted three women. Admittedly, though, Broyles *does* lighten up on the 'assitude' (in regards to Olivia) towards the end of the episode - which I was thankful for.
John Noble (another Aussie actor - best recognised from the Lord of the Rings) plays Doctor Walter Bishop, the "mad scientist" of the show (whose previous work is the reason for all the strange goings on that are occurring). After spending 17 years in a mental institution, he can be forgiven for acting a bit odd. Noble manages to ground the character and keep him from descending into a parody. He spouts technobabble a lot, but somehow makes it sound halfway believable. He also supplies a lot of the show's humour (which mostly comes from the odd/random things he'll pipe up with all of a sudden).
Joshua Jackson, meanwhile, does an admirable job playing Walter's son, Peter (although he's unable to make calling Olivia "sweetheart" sound anything other than forced). Mostly, he's there to be sarcastic and say "this is crazy/insane!" a lot, but he does admittedly play off both Olivia and Walter quite well. These three are the characters at the heart of the show and, thankfully, they're all likable. Kirk Acevedo, as Agent Charlie Francis is also likable, and he's at his best when interacting with Olivia. He manages to bring out a side of her that none of the other characters seem to. Mark Valley serves his purpose as John Scott (Olivia's squeeze).
While the "fringe science" element to the show can be quite out-there, so long as you're ready to accept that the show has some fantastical/highly improbable aspects, you should be in for quite a ride. Just in this episode alone we have see-through skin, robotic arms and sharing dream states with a person in a coma (as well as apparently communicating with a dead person). It's what makes the show enjoyable.
This first episode (which benefited from a longer runtime than typical episodes on TV, as it allowed the first episode to take its time introducing the characters and premise, while not feeling rushed like a lot of 'Pilot' episodes do) was a great start to the series. It was well-directed (nicely shot scenery, with all that snow), the effects were impressive and I actually like the 3D-type lettering that tells us where we are. I think it's great how they're worked into the scenery (and you keep expecting someone to run into these giant floating letters and go, "What the hell?!"). I should also mention Gene the cow. Gene is great also. It seems J.J. Abrams, along with co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, has managed to do it again, and created another excellent show that actually *delivers*.
Our heroine for this series is Agent Olivia Dunham (played by Aussie actress, Anna Torv). I've seen some comments about her being "too serious" and such, but that's utter rubbish. What were you expecting? She's not exactly going to be all smiles and laughter, given her job/the type of situation she's in, is she? Torv is believable in this role, showing Olivia's strength and confidence, which makes her not just some simple pushover. This is a character who could've easily been very one-dimensional, but Anna Torv brings depth and credibility to the show. The way she stands up to her boss, for example, had me cheering (given what an ass he was). She's not a "wannabe tough chick" at all, but someone who you can buy as an FBI agent. For an an example of her excellent acting, you need look no further than the scene of her crying, but trying to hold it together, after she finds out some shocking/devastating information about the person she cares most about. That was one of the best/most convincing displays of someone, on the verge of losing it, that I have ever seen. Watch that scene and it'll become clear that Anna Torv is a very fine actress (obviously some people won't admit it/refuse to acknowledge this, as they can't see past her looks and simply dismiss her as "just a pretty face"). She plays both strong an vulnerable to a tee.
Since I mentioned her boss in passing, Broyles (Lance Reddick), I should probably explain what I didn't like about him. First and foremost...his attitude. The way he talks to Olivia is condescending, unprofessional and quite simply RUDE. After the way he talks down to her (in particular, the way he calls her "liaison"), I couldn't blame her for the attitude she gave him (I'm surprised she didn't sock him in his Skeletor-like face). She takes what he dishes out and gives as good as she gets. His attitude towards her was completely uncalled for (especially considering what Broyles' friend did). He shouldn't have been resenting Olivia for putting away someone who assaulted three women. Admittedly, though, Broyles *does* lighten up on the 'assitude' (in regards to Olivia) towards the end of the episode - which I was thankful for.
John Noble (another Aussie actor - best recognised from the Lord of the Rings) plays Doctor Walter Bishop, the "mad scientist" of the show (whose previous work is the reason for all the strange goings on that are occurring). After spending 17 years in a mental institution, he can be forgiven for acting a bit odd. Noble manages to ground the character and keep him from descending into a parody. He spouts technobabble a lot, but somehow makes it sound halfway believable. He also supplies a lot of the show's humour (which mostly comes from the odd/random things he'll pipe up with all of a sudden).
Joshua Jackson, meanwhile, does an admirable job playing Walter's son, Peter (although he's unable to make calling Olivia "sweetheart" sound anything other than forced). Mostly, he's there to be sarcastic and say "this is crazy/insane!" a lot, but he does admittedly play off both Olivia and Walter quite well. These three are the characters at the heart of the show and, thankfully, they're all likable. Kirk Acevedo, as Agent Charlie Francis is also likable, and he's at his best when interacting with Olivia. He manages to bring out a side of her that none of the other characters seem to. Mark Valley serves his purpose as John Scott (Olivia's squeeze).
While the "fringe science" element to the show can be quite out-there, so long as you're ready to accept that the show has some fantastical/highly improbable aspects, you should be in for quite a ride. Just in this episode alone we have see-through skin, robotic arms and sharing dream states with a person in a coma (as well as apparently communicating with a dead person). It's what makes the show enjoyable.
This first episode (which benefited from a longer runtime than typical episodes on TV, as it allowed the first episode to take its time introducing the characters and premise, while not feeling rushed like a lot of 'Pilot' episodes do) was a great start to the series. It was well-directed (nicely shot scenery, with all that snow), the effects were impressive and I actually like the 3D-type lettering that tells us where we are. I think it's great how they're worked into the scenery (and you keep expecting someone to run into these giant floating letters and go, "What the hell?!"). I should also mention Gene the cow. Gene is great also. It seems J.J. Abrams, along with co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, has managed to do it again, and created another excellent show that actually *delivers*.
