149 replies to this topic

[Ghiscari]

Apologies to the mods if this gets buried and they have to merge threads, but I won't be able to discuss it closer to the Friday premiere.

I was wondering what people's expectations are going into season 5 given my own mixed feelings about the show. I want to love it so much more than I do most of the time. Thoughts?

Edited by Ghiscari, 24 September 2012 - 04:41 AM.

[Warg Arry]

I think episode 19 (was it?) is a pretty good indicator. Although I didn't mind that episode. I'm sort of hoping that it won't go that way.

that small window of the next season seemed outside of what we have learnt and come to expect from observers. I like September and I recall something mentioned about the observers we've met prior to ep 19. That they are the scientists of their people or something like that.

Perhaps this season with shine a new light and bring some clarity.



At any rate I'm invested enough in this show that I'm looking forward to the tie up season.

[Underfoot]

Pretty sure we're going to be living in the world of "Letters of Transit," with probably a few flashbacks here and there. I am very interested to learn what's up with the observers, September in particular. My thought was always that the early observers we'd seen were scouts, going back in time to see when they could arrive, perhaps at a point in time where their future was already guaranteed so they didn't have to worry about wiping themselves out with the time travel backward and screwing up the rest of their history/our future. If that makes sense.

I'm sure we'll pretty quickly get the answers, whatever the case may be.

[Ghiscari]

Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole Observer thing. I marathoned the series instead of having a week to think about each episode and read fan theories, so I may go back and watch an episode or two. I did like how they tied in stuff from season 1 at the end of season 4, though it was obvious that they came up with the "plan" later on.

The 2036 episode was great, in any case. Season 5 shows a lot of promise.

[red snow]

I thought the observers were best when they were just observing. I didn't really like what they were in teh WTF episode we saw last season. Although it'll be nice to see that story concluded but I hope they do so in a way that concludes the show nicely. I'd hope they wouldn't pull a lost/BSG style ending on us - I'm more concerned about the "lost" style ending in case half the story is dedicated to this potential future only for them to pull the rug out from under us.

[Underfoot]

red snow, on 24 September 2012 - 02:22 PM, said:

I thought the observers were best when they were just observing. I didn't really like what they were in teh WTF episode we saw last season. Although it'll be nice to see that story concluded but I hope they do so in a way that concludes the show nicely. I'd hope they wouldn't pull a lost/BSG style ending on us - I'm more concerned about the "lost" style ending in case half the story is dedicated to this potential future only for them to pull the rug out from under us.

I have enough faith in Joel Wyman and the other writers that I don't think this will happen. I only ever watched the first season of Lost when it was first airing because I was a diehard Alias fan, but I don't think there's any way the Fringe finale can be worse than the crapfest that was the two-part BSG finale. Truly ruined the rest of the show, IMO. I know Wyman is really concerned with how it ends and wants to satisfy the fans, and he pays us enough attention that I don't think we'll be disappointed. Time will only tell.

Here's a new promo, by the way.

ETA: clarification

Edited by Underfoot, 24 September 2012 - 07:29 PM.

[Caligula_K2]

I thought season 4 was pretty terrible, overall, so I can't say my hopes are too high. That said, I'm excited for this new dystopian future setting, even if it doesn't make much sense and is kind of cheesy- it's a reset from a lot of the pointlessness of the last season and a half, and I hope this season will be entertaining and fun.

[Raskolnikov]

Wow, that torture scene was heartbreaking. I can't bear to see Walter hurting. But another peek, however short, at Bad Walter is tantalizing. I liked the contrast between Bad Walter getting mad at Peter over his pants at the start, and then the Walter we all know and love sashaying pantsless in the sunshine in the end.

Much as I liked the episode though, I thought the plot devices were pretty much run of the mill. Walter's brain getting fried is as much as so that the team has to run around some more in 2036, as well as giving us back the addled Walter because hey, Bad Walter is fucking scary.

Wondering if they've totally ditched cases of the week though.

[Reposado]

Raskolnikov, on 29 September 2012 - 11:51 AM, said:

Wondering if they've totally ditched cases of the week though.

i believe that will turn out to be the situation. in the given scenario, they don't really have time or means to do cases of the sort. it should all be continuous plot to the end, since they knew wxactly how many episodes they had

[Underfoot]

I assume this thread is a spoiler thread? In any case, my post will contain mostly spoilers.

I loved this episode. Probably my favorite season premiere with the possible exception of "Olivia" (3x01). The opening scene was just absolutely fantastic. Its disjointed-ness and the immediate split from a happy family outing to an invasion was really well done. Lot's of good action, some funny moments with Walter ("of course I know I'm not wearing pants, I'm not stupid!", "can I keep this Asimov book, you know I tried my hand at sci-fi writing once"), not to mention the fact that Markham was using ambered Olivia as a coffee table. Finally, the last scene was phenomenal. We get to see how dystopian this future really is, with the broken down cars and empty streets as Walter stumbles around pantsless until he finds hope in the form of music and a dandelion (a nice parallel to the first scene).

There was a lot of good acting and some really emotional moments. I teared up a bit when Etta reunited with Olivia. John Noble, of course, nailed every single one of his scenes, and Georgina Haig is proving to be a pretty good addition to the cast. Her American accent has really improved since 4x19.

I'm so glad we didn't spend the whole episode waiting for the team to find Olivia and that it didn't take a couple of episodes to rescue Walter. If this season was going to have a full 22 episodes, I can imagine it would have. I think the pace it's currently moving at underscores how much the show as a whole was bogged down by "monster of the week" episodes. I think it would have done a lot better with 13 episodes/season- less filler and fewer dropped plotlines.

RE: cases of the week- I don't see how there's any way they can go back to having "case of the week" style episodes. There's not enough time and the world the Fringe team is inhabiting is completely different. It's definitely possible, though, that in every episode the team fights back with a "resistance of the week" type thing. The vibe I kind of got from 4x19/the summer hiatus was that the Fringe team was going to resist the observers by concocting their own Fringe events and wreaking havoc on the Observers, like with the antimatter last season.

[Chelly]

I thought it was pretty good. I thought season 2 and 3 had much better premieres, but it was worlds better than season 4's premiere.

Things I liked: Lol at Markham using ambered Olivia as a coffee table and spilling food on it! It would be sad if it wasn't so hilarious and bizarre. I agree about the opening sequence being well done. I like the Observers being the ones to beat. I think they make interesting antagonists. The acting, as always, was spot on. There was a proper mix of emotional and comical moments. I felt the episode was really balanced and the pacing was tight. I'm also glad they didn't drag finding Olivia and later rescuing Walter into another episode. This is the last season so I really want to see the show go out with a bang. The ending with Walter finding the cd was tied in very nicely with the earlier conversation he had with the Observer about music and the power it can have.

Thing I didn't like: Sorry, not much except one major thing, I don't care for the character of Etta. She kind of annoys me and I feel that she is a bit Mary Sue-ish. I understand that she is Peter and Olivia's daughter, Walter's granddaughter, and therefore should be awesome, but so far I find her kind of meh. Yeah, she is part of a resistance, struggling to save the world, has a unique ability that is very useful against the observers, but she bores me. It is only the first episode, so I may change my mind later.

How did they get Peter? I don't think that was shown in the 2036 episode last season, iirc. He kind of just showed up. Or is this something they plan on explaining later?

Edited by Chelly, 01 October 2012 - 10:23 AM.

[Reposado]

Chelly, on 01 October 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

How did they get Peter? I don't think that was shown in the 2036 episode last season, iirc. He kind of just showed up. Or is this something they plan on explaining later?

it was at the very end. henry ian cusick's character, pushes peter out of the amber leaving himself trapped.
that's when walter takes belly's hand too

[lady narcissa]

I think I need to go back and watch the last few episodes of last season before watching the beginning of Season 5 again.  I just felt like I was missing a few things.

I liked the contrast with the dandelions - the seed head ones being picked and blown in Central Park by Etta as a child in the beginning of the episode and then the flower head one in the concrete at the end with Walter.

And what a blast from the past with that song at the end.  I haven't heard "Only You" in years.  I need to dig out my Upstairs at Eric's album and revisit it.

[Chelly]

Lanza Rota, on 01 October 2012 - 11:03 AM, said:

it was at the very end. henry ian cusick's character, pushes peter out of the amber leaving himself trapped.
that's when walter takes belly's hand too

Oh, duh. How did I forget that? Thanks.

Another little tidbit I liked in the episode was the seahorse hanging in the rearview mirror of the car Walter got in at the end of the episode.

[Underfoot]

Chelly, on 01 October 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

Thing I didn't like: Sorry, not much except one major thing, I don't care for the character of Etta. She kind of annoys me and I feel that she is a bit Mary Sue-ish. I understand that she is Peter and Olivia's daughter, Walter's granddaughter, and therefore should be awesome, but so far I find her kind of meh. Yeah, she is part of a resistance, struggling to save the world, has a unique ability that is very useful against the observers, but she bores me. It is only the first episode, so I may change my mind later.

Yeah, the character of Etta definitely has room to grow. Hopefully she does, because I'm kind of agreeing with you right now. Almost wish they'd spend less time with her so we could have a bit more Astrid/Broyles/Nina screentime.

lady narcissa, on 01 October 2012 - 11:08 AM, said:

I think I need to go back and watch the last few episodes of last season before watching the beginning of Season 5 again.  I just felt like I was missing a few things.

I know what you mean. Despite 4x19 last year, the transition from "peaceful" 2012 to invaded 2036 still feels abrupt. It seems like an entirely different show. Hopefully we get more flashbacks that will fill in the gaps and make the transition feel more smooth.

[Independent George]

My problem with the whole Observers story is that it just feels cold. The plotline with William Bell and Walternate was grounded in the shared history with Walter, Nina, Peter, and Olivia. It wasn't just about saving the world, it was about the world that they had created.

With the observers... it feels too much like generic sci-fi, when it really shouldn't. The problem with giving the Observers such alien psychology is that the audience loses that visceral emotional attachment to them. There is a story there, especially with September's rebellion, but right now the writing just doesn't click with me anymore. It's like the show has rebooted, and is struggling to find its editorial voice - not something you want to do in its last season.

Rather than being the apotheosis of everything that happened before, it is disembodied from the universe they created.

[red snow]

I'm not convinced by this season opener. It's too much of a change from the actual show and i feel like i've missed two seasons. I hope the whole half season is nto going to be solely in this time and that we get some good old fashioned Fringe in other episodes, like they did when they kept switching between universes in season 3.

I agree with the above comments about the story being a bit too cold. It feels as if all the writers/showrunners have been replaced.

[Raskolnikov]

Two episodes and so much nerd shoutouts already. We had the Borg Observer in the premiere, and now Radzinsky. There's even a hatch! The dragon is lost on me though. Is that a reference to the D&D kerfuffle in the Princeton steam tunnels?

Two hilarious Walter-isms: the clapper and the pig eyes. I was incredulous when Walter angrily demands another, and seriously considered that Bad Walter is making an appearance. Then the camera pans right and we see than Radzinsky is okay. What a relief.

Poor Desmond. That blinking trick ugh, that eye shit with Charlotte last season nearly made me puke.

One mystery that didn't get solved though: where's Gene? Did Walter amber the cow as well?

[The Ghost of Winter]

Raskolnikov, on 06 October 2012 - 09:27 PM, said:

Two episodes and so much nerd shoutouts already. We had the Borg Observer in the premiere, and now Radzinsky. There's even a hatch! The dragon is lost on me though. Is that a reference to the D&D kerfuffle in the Princeton steam tunnels?

Two hilarious Walter-isms: the clapper and the pig eyes. I was incredulous when Walter angrily demands another, and seriously considered that Bad Walter is making an appearance. Then the camera pans right and we see than Radzinsky is okay. What a relief.

Poor Desmond. That blinking trick ugh, that eye shit with Charlotte last season nearly made me puke.

One mystery that didn't get solved though: where's Gene? Did Walter amber the cow as well?

I think you mean Harvard. Regardless, excellent things you pointed out that I did not notice.
The Desmond thing weirded me out, but hey its Fringe.
I was yelling at the tv about Gene, "What happened to the cow?!"
I'm hoping she was sent off to a nice farm somewhere before the Observer mess "/

[Raskolnikov]

The Ghost of Winter, on 06 October 2012 - 09:48 PM, said:

I think you mean Harvard. Regardless, excellent things you pointed out that I did not notice.
The Desmond thing weirded me out, but hey its Fringe.
I was yelling at the tv about Gene, "What happened to the cow?!"
I'm hoping she was sent off to a nice farm somewhere before the Observer mess "/

I mean Princeton. During the moral panic of the 1980s, some journalist alleged that a mentally unstable Princeton student died in the Princeton steam tunnels during a D&D session and attributed it to the game. All false of course. I was thinking the dragon they saw in the Harvard steam tunnels is a reference to that, unless I missed something.