Fringe: "Snakehead" 12/3/09 - Grading & Discussion

[Procutus]

Quantum wrote:

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He is a very convincing genius, essentric, and half crazy scientist.

Noble is terrific in this role. He really should get an Emmy for his performance.

[Procutus]

Excellent 24 promo!

[Quantum]

Did that basketball playing kid commit suicide when he told Peter about the drug?

[sidious618]

I can't believe he put a tracking device in his neck. The snakes were sure gross but I felt that the episode had a lot more potential than it used. Sadly, I have to give it an "Average." I enjoyed it of course but it wasn't as good as weeks' past.

[Aragorn]

I thought for sure we'd get another "Massive Dynamic" ending where this is more of William Bell's doing to prepare for the invasion.

[firehawk12]

So, I generally dislike Chinatown episodes.

They always involve "the triad" and people smuggling. It's like Chinese people don't know how to do anything else when they're not doing Kung Fu. It didn't help that there was some widely varying degrees of Cantonese proficiency throughout the episode. I think Peter's Cantonese was better than some of the "Chinese" character's Cantonese.

Still, at least it worked well for what it was. The triad was pretty much non-existent, so they didn't have any chance to act "Chinese" - the dude who played the evil scientist was also on Cold Case speaking stilted Confucianisms a few weeks ago - and I actually enjoyed the moment between Walter and the Chinese lady. It was just unexpected. Although, kind of weird that he was in a silk robe though.

[Icemizer]

Nobles performance alone brought this episode up from the celler it would have been in. A nearly complete waste of an hour. The main story was very dull. How could the Triad follow Astrid and be in the lab before her? Shouldnt this lab have better security at the door? Just how many languages does Peter speak fluently?

[FreezeC77]

I thought the episode should have ended showing the contrasting ramifications of shutting down the scientist. Yea all those people were saved and the Chinese family got back together, but we should have then seen that teenager dead from not getting his treatment, or being zipped into a plastic bubble in his house while the camera pans out showing him looking at the basketball hoop

[Locutus of Bored]

This episode was completely forgettable except for the interactions of Walter with Astrid and Peter. Noble really knocked it out of the park with his performance, and elevates even the crappiest freak of the week episode into something watchable. He nearly had me on the verge of tears twice, especially with his reaction to seeing Astrid's face after she was attacked.

I had really high hopes for this season delving more deeply into the mysteries of the alternate universe and Massive Dynamics on a regular basis, but it looks like they're still doing so only in the piecemeal way it was brought up in the first season.

It's going to get tiresome if the majority of eps are still X-Files knock-offs next season as well. I think they need to decide on a path and move in that direction with more assertiveness than trying to mix-up the standalone and arc based episodes so much. Except for the hint that the funders of the parasitic squidworm were big and secretive, this episode didn't even have anything to do with "The Pattern."

Regardless of my misgivings about the types of plots used the episodes, other than that the actors, dialogue, action, and music are all top-notch and some of the best on TV. I think they just need to move away from the X-Files model and chart their own course.

[Hyperspace05]

I liked this episode - some great character moments.

[Forbin]

The ep was worthwhile just for the Astrid/Walter interaction. Nice to see Astrid having more to do. Nice to see Walter actually thinks of her as more than a background lab assitant. Nice to see Walter realize his actions have consequences, etc. Great performances from the both of them.

[MeanJoePhaser]

Who knows what other mysteries and adventures will occur in the Boston area?

Yeah.

They could've recovered enough worm drug to keep that kid going until his next operation. Assuming all he needed was an operation to be bubble-free.

Basically, that part felt shoe-horned in.

[Velocity]

FreezeC77 wrote:

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I thought the episode should have ended showing the contrasting ramifications of shutting down the scientist. Yea all those people were saved and the Chinese family got back together, but we should have then seen that teenager dead from not getting his treatment, or being zipped into a plastic bubble in his house while the camera pans out showing him looking at the basketball hoop

There wasn't enough pathos with all those poor people duped and sacrificed so that rich people could use the worms' abilities?

[startrekwatcher]

This was actually one of the better standalones the show has ever done. I could have cared less about the Asian herbalist, the gang member goons, the kid that was sick, the false jeopardy with Astrid & Peter or the rather ho-hum creature fringe plot but there were enough nice moments with Walter/Astrid, Walter/Asian lady and Walter trying to reassert his independence that made me leave the episode with a smile and that is worth something.

I'll give it an above average but I still think if the show wants to continue it needs so badly to aim higher and be more consistent. FRINGE isn't must-see tv and doesn't have me fully invested--I wonder if it ever will be.

[firehawk12]

Velocity wrote:

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There wasn't enough pathos with all those poor people duped and sacrificed so that rich people could use the worms' abilities?

It was basically an allegory for real world organ trafficking from the third world to the first world anyway.