Fringe: "Amber 31422" - Nov. 4 - Grading & Discussion

[Greylock Crescent]

Good ending to the brothers. I really liked the "villain" of this episode. Very plausible and a decent story. And I really liked the exploration of the ethics (and consequences) of the amber. And Olivia is finally surfacing! I just wish that the pacing was a bit tighter.

 

[NCC1701MF]

OK the glyphs translated to E V E N T.

Think the aliens in that NBC series are from the Fringe alt universe.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Considering the accepted fact that the pop culture alt-verse pales in comparison to our own, I'm not surprised.

 

[DarthPipes]

Above Avearge. Very good episode.

 

[NCC1701MF]

So in the alt universe Cary Grant was in the Maltese Falcon instead of Bogart.

 

[startrekwatcher]

Well it looks like Fringe's unevenness in terms of quality is to persist into this season. The odd/alternate universe stories are dull--although the season premiere was the strongest of the three.

The alternate universe Fringe team just isn't that interesting and alternate Astrid is just bad--the actress does good with her regular persona but she doesn't have the range to pull off this--we are talking cringe-worthy here. The efforts to give some personality to the rest of the team has failed miserably. I can't take any of them seriously--it is like a team full of Harry Kims--weak actors portaying bland goofballs--some of the dialog was just embarrassing. And Broyles is as wooden as Robert Beltran's Chakotay. And I can see that one of the writers goal is to have Olivia invest in these people--but I could care one iota what happens to them--so on that front they have failed miserably--just cardboard cut-outs.

I guess they've decided this season to relegate forgettable standalone MacGuffin plots to the alternate episodes--I don't even know why they bother--it is clear even the writers' hearts aren't into them. This one wasn't the least bit interesting--if you are going to do a standalone story at least make them worthwhile and entertaining not some baggage that drags the whole hour down. Standalones actually used to be fairly entertaining but with Fringe they are just used as necessary filler to drag out the arc storyline.

The only interesting parts--which add up to oh say maybe 4 minutes of the hour--centered on Olivia's brief visit to her universe and the realization that something is up but I hated the tired cliched use of a person in her life--Peter--representing her original buried personality. And of course we get the standard scientific mumbo jumbo with Olivia finding herself once again in a tank of water--the only difference is that it is a tad more modern than the rust bucket Walter would occasionally dump her in.

A very mediocre offering. Average.

 

[sojourner]

I find it odd they couldn't find Olivia a wetsuit/swimsuit to wear in the tank. I mean really, a nightgown???

 

[Hyperspace05]

Excellent! Best of the season so far, IMO.

- Nice tie-in to the phasing technology used in "safe"
- cool info about the Amber

Next episode looks veeeery interesting. It looks like the show is picking up the thread about "first people"/ancient technology that had been hinted throughout the show.

Overall I think this season had started out strongest out of the three. Season 1 & 2 both had a bunch of weak episodes in the first half of the seasons. It is the latter parts of the seasons that have been their saving grace. But I am really enjoying season 3 so far. And IMO the alt-verse episodes have been the best ones overall.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I find it odd they couldn't find Olivia a wetsuit/swimsuit to wear in the tank. I mean really, a nightgown???

I was hoping for bra and panties...

Fringe is firing on all cylinders this season. The mythalones approach they're doing this season is really nice. The case of the week is tying into the arc every week is a good idea and makes it feel like there's not so much filler. Almost everything is related to the overall story yet it also has a beginning, middle and end to each episode.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Excellent episode. Both the twin brothers story and Olivia resurfacing b-story were interesting. I've really enjoyed the alternate universe episodes and just for the different take on Fringe division while seeing the same characters in different ways. I've also really enjoyed the unique universe the writers have created both culturally and sociologically. I'm regularly thinking about how their world has been effected by the breaches.

I think the back and forth alt-universe pattern is great and original. [

On a simple narrative level, I would argue it's not completely original. I was immediately reminded of what Farscape did in season 3, but Fringe has taken it to a new level.

 

[hadd001]

This was an excellent episode! I am beginning to see that all of the "events" that the other side has attributed to "our" side are not caused by us at all, but by using the phase tech indiscrimanately over there. We are actually an excuse to put certain "protection protocals" into place to over see the populace. Added to that is the insanity of the alternate Walter ... which is more subtle than our own Walters ... and you have a decidedly volitile mix.

 

[Forbin]

This may be JJ's best show. Not as frustrating as Lost, not as occasionally ridiculous as Alias, and not as infuriating as Trek 11.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I don't know, I was fairly frustrated with the writing early on, especially in the regards to the dialogue. I think it's too early to say Fringe is better than LOST but it certainly has the potential to exceed it. Otherwise, I agree with your assessment.

Also, you left out "not nearly as nauseating as Cloverfield."

 

[propita]

The tie-in with the phasing tech we saw before in our universe and the holes it’s causing in B-universe was interesting.

Is this amber any relation to the stuff on the bus in an early episode? I don’t remember enough.

As for “the actors can’t act the B-universe characters” comment ... BS! Gee, those characters are so different, they’re wooden, blah blah blah. No shit! They’re supposed to be different. Actors who act well can act “wooden” when the role calls for it or the director tells them to. The point of the difference is to show that there IS a difference. Our Broyles and their Broyles SHOULD be different. Our Astrid and their Astrid ARE different. The actors better treat them differently, and the actors are doing so.

 

[Worf2DS9]

^ If I recall, the amber in the bus started off in a gaseous form as well, so I don't think it's a stretch that the culprit was from the alt-universe, though I don't recall exactly the specifics.

 

[Forbin]

Yes, the amber was the same on the bus.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Good catch regarding the amber in the Blue-verse. I'd forgotten about that. It was the third episode of the series, titled "Ghost Network." Kinda demonstrates that this series has had some fundamental ideas in place right from the start.

 

[Starbreaker]

Well, the ratings dropped below 5 million. FOX is really, really bad at promotion and scheduling. Looks like we might see the end of Fringe, Chuck, and SGU this year. I'd hate to see all my sci-fi die at once.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Yeah lots of call back to early Fringe tech here.... The 'amber' and phasing technology seen in S1 clearly originate in the alternate universe. I'm sure we will see more.

 

[Tom]

Well, the ratings dropped below 5 million. FOX is really, really bad at promotion and scheduling. Looks like we might see the end of Fringe, Chuck, and SGU this year. I'd hate to see all my sci-fi die at once.

Well NBC just canceled Abram's Undercovers series so he is not untouchable