Fringe: "Pilot" 9/9 - Grading & Discussion (SPOILERS)

[Kaijufan]

sojourner wrote:

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Except for the lack of perceived time in which this could have happened.

Maybe there were computers with the necessary software on campus and the borrowed them? After all they had an FBI agent working on a time sensitive case, I'm sure she was pulling every string she could to get their operation up and running.

[Aragorn]

The nutty professor asked for a bunch of equipment he didn't have. I'm sure they gave him everything he wanted and needed.

[Skywalker]

When the Steward of Gondor asks for something, dammit, you give it to him!

[TheArsenal]

Tough to judge a show on a pilot. But I have to say, despite a strong lead in Torv and some interesting ideas put into play, ultimately it didn't work. The show feels uninspired and unoriginal. Not an easy feat for something that promises reanimation, teleportation, and all manner of science strangeness. And instead of doing something different to inspire a sense of mystery or foreboding, they went with the tired tried and true. Massive Conspiracy ... no, wait ... Massive Dynamic ... initially feels like just another giant black hat full of shady characters with opaque motives who are destined to dole out cryptic pronouncements about the oncoming whatever - the central bit of weirdness this show will build to, and likely muddle up, along the way.

I'll give it points for style, likeable characters, and a nod for ambition and potential, but its no better than a generously given Average.

davejames wrote:

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Yeah I found the dialogue to be awfully predictable and obvious at times. Which is something I can never say about Lost (even in a weak episode). The dialogue here was more at the level of VOY or the Stargates almost.

On several occasions the dialogue was so predictable that I said it aloud with the characters.

As they watch Olivia enter the drug induced dreamscape:
"What do we do now?"
"Now, we wait."

The script was littered with such predictability.

[davejames]

USS Kongo wrote:

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I enjoyed it, and am willing to give it a shot. My favorite characters were Walter and Olivia. I could do without Jackson, though. He was very annoying.

Sean

I must be the only one here who kinda liked Jackson in this. He provided the only bit of humor in the entire show.

His answering the phone with "Crazy house" was the best line of the entire script.

[jonnyskywatcher]

Seems pretty average, and not all that interesting. None of the characters jumped out at me, and a lot of the plot seemed illogical or just impossible. Did they really need to find the son just to get to see the father? They're the FBI working on a high-profile case! I'm sure they'd be able to pull some strings. And what was the cow for? And Massive Dynamic seems far too futuristic to fit in with the rest of the show.

I'll give this show another chance, but if it doesn't rapidly improve, then I'm tuning out.

[Worf2DS9]

From this week's Entertainment Weekly (Fall Preview issue):

Abrams [...] believes the pilot, though entertaining, doesn't quite nail his character-driven series vision: "In many ways, the first episodes that follow are better. They're much more focused."

[Temis the Vorta]

Worf2DS9 wrote:

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From this week's Entertainment Weekly (Fall Preview issue):

Too late, JJ. You lost me. Life's a bitch and so am I.

[sidious618]

I enjoyed it quite a bit and think it has a lot of potential. The script could've benefited from another pass or two but overall I liked it.

[General Kang]

I liked it - had a nice feel to it - there's potential there. I even liked the visuals, particularly the way they put the place names on the screen, and then they STAY THERE upon changing camera angles... for some reason I dug that.

[TheArsenal]

Worf2DS9 wrote:

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From this week's Entertainment Weekly (Fall Preview issue):

I wasn't at all impressed by the pilot, it wasn't good television. But I'll give the show another chance based on decent characters and the elements the show put into play. The last time I hated a pilot it was Heroes, a show which I came to enjoy quite a bit. That's why I said up thread its difficult to judge a show from a pilot. Sometimes shows start slowly, sometimes they're just bad.

We'll see.

[Temis the Vorta]

Wow, I loved Heroes from the start. I thought the pilot rocked. Not as good as subsequent episodes but more than enough to grab my interest. If Fringe's pilot were half as good, I'd be sticking with it too.

The biggest differences are: I could tell immediately that Heroes did its casting well for the most part (and many of the flubs were disposed of along the way). With Fringe, John Noble was a good pick, but he can't carry the show on his own. Also, Heroes' premise is interesting, not tired or overexposed (on TV anyway), and something I've been wanting to see in a TV show for a while. Fringe's premise is very overexposed and uninteresting.

The actual plotline of a pilot isn't all that important in judging a show, but the actors and the premise won't change. If those are good, I stick with a show. Otherwise, I bail. It's a policy that's served me well to limit the amount of time I waste on bad shows.

[sidious618]

I enjoyed the pilot to Heroes, as well. It's just that things went downhill shortly there after.

[Professor Zoom]

Finally finished the pilot.
A big meh for me. It's just...I don't know...we live in a Post X-Files world now...and I couldn't stop thinking about X-Files...ok. That's a lie.

I stopped thinking about the X-Files and I started thinking about the Middleman...and how it's taking the cliches of these particular genre (the supernatural procedural) and turning them on their head. So, it's hard for me to watch Fringe as it takes it so RIDICULOUSLY seriously and not sorta laugh.

I MAY watch another one...but probably not.

I'll still with the Middleman...smarter, funnier, bigger heart, and hopefully not canceled.

[Temis the Vorta]

sidious618 wrote:

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I enjoyed the pilot to Heroes, as well. It's just that things went downhill shortly there after.

They did? I've seen every episode and even tho I admit, the first part of S2 was somewhat weak, it's been well worth watching and a hell of a lot of fun, but maybe that's because they got themselves a kick-ass recurring villain. According to the LA Times, that's one of five things Fringe needs to do in order to prosper.

I agree about the villain, even tho that's easier said than done. For every Sylar you'll get one (or more) Matt's-dad disappointments. Having a plan is a good idea, tho I have little faith in anyone's ability to come up with an Evil Corporate Global Takeover Bwahaha Plan that is anything other than a rehash of elements we've seen before. (Tho Abrams seems to have hit on a nice variation with Dharma - if that's his work and not Lindhof and Cuse.) Not having the leads slobber all over each other is an excellent idea; it would just remind us of Mulder and Scully and how inferior these imitations really are. I'm not sure the side characters have much potential, and the gross-out factor is a crutch.