Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 11:29 pm Posts: 3103 Location: Golden, MA Gender: Male
Kahli Sana wrote:
I'm still with the show, but I have to admit I'm barely hanging on. I'm not sure that the girl they cast in the lead is a very good actress - seems sort of wooden - and I'm consistently having problems believing that a man locked up in an institution for 17 years who's taking anti-psychotics (self-prescribed, no less), can #1, remember the science he used to be involved in, and #2, function at a level that works for these high-pressure situations. Also, I find it hard to believe that he and his partner basically discovered all sorts of things back in the day and one ends up in an institution and the other ends up with a huge corporation. I also am not convinced this guy is a great actor, either. Surprisingly, Joshua Jackson is the best actor in the cast of majors, IMHO.
Also, on a very minor note, I thought it was interesting that in the lab, they managed to recreate this solidifying compound (Joshua Jackson had it in a jar as proof they'd done it), but then they go on to say that there's three compounds needed that only can be obtained through Massive Dynamics. Minor error, but an error nonetheless.
The more I think on this show, the less inclined I am to continue viewing it. It's pretty bad when my wife, a social worker, comments on how far-fetched the "science" is...
I don't think it was an error. I think you are going to see that massive Dynamic's compounds and most of their inovations were invented by Dr. Bishop or at leaset based on his work.
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 7:53 pm Posts: 3320 Location: Wyoming Gender: Male
fitzy wrote:
Kahli Sana wrote:
I'm still with the show, but I have to admit I'm barely hanging on. I'm not sure that the girl they cast in the lead is a very good actress - seems sort of wooden - and I'm consistently having problems believing that a man locked up in an institution for 17 years who's taking anti-psychotics (self-prescribed, no less), can #1, remember the science he used to be involved in, and #2, function at a level that works for these high-pressure situations. Also, I find it hard to believe that he and his partner basically discovered all sorts of things back in the day and one ends up in an institution and the other ends up with a huge corporation. I also am not convinced this guy is a great actor, either. Surprisingly, Joshua Jackson is the best actor in the cast of majors, IMHO.
Also, on a very minor note, I thought it was interesting that in the lab, they managed to recreate this solidifying compound (Joshua Jackson had it in a jar as proof they'd done it), but then they go on to say that there's three compounds needed that only can be obtained through Massive Dynamics. Minor error, but an error nonetheless.
The more I think on this show, the less inclined I am to continue viewing it. It's pretty bad when my wife, a social worker, comments on how far-fetched the "science" is...
I don't think it was an error. I think you are going to see that massive Dynamic's compounds and most of their inovations were invented by Dr. Bishop or at leaset based on his work.
I guess I can see that... I wonder why the MD head boss guy didn't get thrown in jail at the same time Bishop was sent to an institution if they were as close of partners as they seem to have been...maybe that's a future story arc...
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:35 pm Posts: 4407 Location: Philadelphia/Los Angeles Gender: Male
Kahli Sana wrote:
I'm still with the show, but I have to admit I'm barely hanging on. I'm not sure that the girl they cast in the lead is a very good actress - seems sort of wooden
I only just now gotten around to watching the 3rd episode, and about 20 minutes in I was thinking the exact same thing.
invention wrote:
every episode is pretty much the same plot/resolution.
This is another good point. And what's worse is they cue the music and the camera angles like it's some big surprise, but guess what -- oooooh, in the very last scene we keep finding out Massive Dynamics is hiding something sinister.
And in this ep, the scene where that dead woman's partner comes to identify the body, did anyone else guess immediately that he was doing something to her when he went into the room, not merely brushing along her hand (as if whistfully remembering a colleague that he was perhaps more than just colleagues with ) I knew right away he was doing something bad. And maybe it's because I wasn't paying close enough attention because deep down I wasn't that interested, but I'm not sure what they were saying with the final reveal. That Agent Scott was part of the same "network" of communicating that this kid was that was getting the visions?
The problem is the characters. They're all horribly underwritten. I know it's only 3 episodes old, but they've given us next to nothing.
There's nothing interesting about them, nothing unique about them that we as viewers can relate to on a human level. All their drama is contained within their own line of work/experience that is very far removed from everyday people. Inventing paranormal doorways that have been obtained by a monster corporation? Being an FBI agent who was in love with a bad guy working for said monster corporation? Having a genius-level IQ (and not showing an inkling of it in the show)? Yeah, that's some good character-building to draw us in.
They're putting plot first, and it's hurting the show. A guy like Abrams should know this. It doesn't help that every show so far has been structured exactly the same:
Opening scenes: crazy shit. 1st act: investigating crazy shit and realizing that Bishop/Massive Dynamic has ties to it. 2nd act: experimenting. 3rd act: Figuring it out; chase scene Epilogue: Last minute glimpse into characters as people/Massive Dynamic reveal
I do like the work that John Noble's doing as Bishop, but he's a really good actor breathing alot of life into what he's given. Everyone else: not so much.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Why didn't someone tell me that while I was watching this shit I was missing Heroes??
Fuck this show! It sucks.
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Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:35 pm Posts: 4407 Location: Philadelphia/Los Angeles Gender: Male
Something I forgot that bothered me about this 3rd episode. What the fuck was the point of the 2 students who were lost knocking on the door right in the middle of them drilling into that guy's head?? What, strictly as a way to add suspense and dark comedy? LAAAAAAAME. I was sure that was going to come back later into the story somehow. That's just bad, cliched writing.
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:37 am Posts: 3610 Location: London, UK Gender: Female
frankly, it's ridiculous..the only reason I might hang on for a few more eps is Joshua Jackson (and to a point John Noble)...but it's getting worse not better!
_________________ 2009 was a great year for PJ gigs looking forward to 2010 and: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen, Berlin, Arras, Werchter, Lisbon, some more US (wherever is the Anniversary show/a birthday show)
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 439 Location: nun-ya
I'm still hanging on..but I dont know for how long ..
I thought it was cool in ep 3 when they ordered video from Harvard of the Kresge building from the Countway Library..there is really a camera there...but the screen shots of Harvard are so NOT Harvard..
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:03 am Posts: 18376 Location: outta space Gender: Male
This show is shit. I mean the same guys who wrote Transformers wrote it, which says a lot. I've watched a few weeks just because the friends I watch house with like to watch this afterwards just to make jokes about. Awful show though.
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thodoks wrote:
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:58 am Posts: 2105 Location: Austin
I am only up to episode 3, but this show is just not going to make it. When Joshua Jackson is the best actor you have in your show, then you are in trouble. The lead actress is extremely cute, but that is it. She has zero charisma and her concerned face is the same as her sad face which is the same as her "I just killed my fiancé face," which is the same as her walking into a room face. Not to mention that every conflict that arises in the show has been solved in the exact same way over the past three episodes. "They have memories or visions, lets hook them up to a machine and find out what they are and solve this shit." They need to throw a curveball soon or this is going to get repetitive real fast.
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:12 am Posts: 1006 Location: my desk in fort worth
Eh. I gave up. Like many reviewers said, it's just an updated X-Files with a little bit of Bones and House thrown in. And some scenes seem to go totally for shock factor.
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 7:53 pm Posts: 3320 Location: Wyoming Gender: Male
patrick wrote:
Eh. I gave up. Like many reviewers said, it's just an updated X-Files with a little bit of Bones and House thrown in. And some scenes seem to go totally for shock factor.
But the difference is that the X-Files was new and different - Fringe is tired and cliche. X-Files had characters you cared about and tried to keep things somewhat believable (except when they weren't but that was by design - and even then, they played by a set of rules that, by and large, they kept to). This show just assumes you are a moron and that they can do whatever they want and we'll buy it.
Oh, and BTW - good to see you again, Patrick (last we spoke it was in person in Calgary)...
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:12 am Posts: 1006 Location: my desk in fort worth
Kahli Sana wrote:
patrick wrote:
Eh. I gave up. Like many reviewers said, it's just an updated X-Files with a little bit of Bones and House thrown in. And some scenes seem to go totally for shock factor.
But the difference is that the X-Files was new and different - Fringe is tired and cliche. X-Files had characters you cared about and tried to keep things somewhat believable (except when they weren't but that was by design - and even then, they played by a set of rules that, by and large, they kept to). This show just assumes you are a moron and that they can do whatever they want and we'll buy it.
Oh, and BTW - good to see you again, Patrick (last we spoke it was in person in Calgary)...
That's my point. X-Files was new and different. Fringe is basically the same thing, but only tries to appear fresh with elements of House--the medical mystery of the week--and Bones--the kitschy CSI-like procedural.
Good to see ya again, too dude. Calgary seems so long ago.
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