'Fringe': What did you think of J.J. Abrams' latest?
Sep 10, 2008, 09:05 AM | by Gary Susman
Categories: Sci-Fi, Snap Judgment, Television
Stuff I thought was cool in last night's pilot for J.J. Abrams' Fringe on Fox:
• Lance Reddick's spooky cranium. First thing in the ep I saw that made me cheer out loud.
• That translucent-skin ailment. Gross, but really cool.
• The cow walking through the halls of Harvard.
• The whole immersion tank scenario. I was thinking, "How very Altered States." And then, a few minutes later, who shows up but Altered States star Blair Brown. With a ROBOTIC ARM. Well played, sirs, well played.
Stuff I was less impressed with:
• Star Anna Torv, who strikes me so far as the poor person's Kelly Lynch.
• The opening midair disaster. C'mon, J.J., you've been there, done that.
• Those 3D title cards. They were novel the first time I saw them -- at the opening of Panic Room. Less so after 90 minutes of repeated use here.
• The "Pattern" conspiracy/mythology. So far, awfully thin gruel to fuel the entire plot of this series, though it's easy to see how it'll offer a plausible excuse for Torv & Co. to explore other weird X-Files-ish phenomena. I can also see how it'll be loose enough to allow for stand-alone episodes that could draw casual viewers who aren't wrapped up in the mythology.
Overall, I thought the pilot started out slow and routine, but it definitely picked up when Reddick showed up and Torv's Agt. Olivia Dunham recruited the Bishops (John Noble and Joshua Jackson, pictured). There's a lot of potential in the chemistry among the three leads -- naive but open-minded Olivia, giddy mad scientist Walter, and skeptical, street-smart Peter. The characters are going to need a lot more fleshing out; fortunately, Abrams is the king of backstory. Watch for a full, official review of Fringe from our TV critics in a forthcoming issue of EW. Meanwhile, I'll be tuning in next week. How about you?
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