One Sad Fan

Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and John Noble in "Fringe"

Tonight sees the end of one of television's smartest, most well-acted, well-written and inventive Sci-Fi series of all time, "Fringe."

Created by J.J. Abrams ("Lost;" Super 8), "Fringe" started out as an outre FBI procedural about a special FBI unit that investigated unusual or 'fringe' cases. Agent Olivia Dunham is brought in to help investigate a mysterious plane accident, along with her partner/lover John Scott. Seeking help from the institutionalized Dr. Walter Bishop, Olivia soon finds herself caught up in forces beyond her control, the least of which is her attraction to Bishop's ne'er-do-well son, Peter. Season one established the show's characters and their often tenuous relationships, while hinting at something called "The Pattern," which seemed to be controlled by a secretive scientific company called Global Dynamics. And while "The Pattern" was eventually (and wisely) dismissed by Season 2, the relationships between the characters was explored more fully, allowing fans and critics to finally take notice. By Season 3, when the idea of the Alternate Universe was established, yours truly was hooked beyond hooked.

Over five extraordinary seasons, "Fringe" grew into something much more special than any TV show in which I'd ever been caught up. Sadly, the truly remarkable performances of Anna Torv; Joshua Jackson; Jasika Nicole and (most notably) John Noble have been ignored by the folks who nominate and award the Emmys. The sweet, brain-impaired Walter, so brilliantly performed by Noble, warrants an award category of its own, while Torv managed to create three different versions of the same character (yes, it's complicated) and channel Leonard Nimoy's 'William Bell' without a whiff of the silliness another actor may have bought to the role. Supporting performances from Lance Reddick; Blair Brown; Michael Cerveris; Jared Harris; Michael Kopsa; Kirk Acevedo; Seth Gabel; Ryan McDonald; Nimoy and a slew of terrific guest performers only added to the show's prestigious roster. 

Smart, intriguing and often aggravating, "Fringe" proved that intelligent Science Fiction still has a place on television along with most of the junk the networks try to force on the viewing public. And while I am very sad to see the series end, I have high hopes that it will leave fans satisfied.

I have recorded tonight's 2-hour Season Finale on my DVR for viewing tomorrow. I hate to say goodbye to this family of characters I have grown to love but I cannot wait to see how it all ends. 

Best Science Fiction Series Ever? Without a doubt. Move over "X-Files." You've been eclipsed by an even smarter and more engaging series.

Of course, I am looking forward to Fox's newest thriller "The Following" with Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. I hope it is at least half as good as "Fringe."

Yikes!

More anon,
Prospero

The Return of My 3 Favorite Shows

It won't come to any of you as a surprise that my top three favorite TV shows are all genre shows. And while I'm very excited to see them returning soon, I'm actually sad that my favorite show (possibly of all time), will be returning for its final season.

J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" took a season to really find its footing but once it did, it turned into one of the smartest; most complex and most compelling shows ever (Sorry "Lost" - you were good, but not this good). 

Set 20 years in the future, the final season of "Fringe" is about the fight against the mysterious 'Observers' and their bid to take over the planet after destroying it in their own present (our far future). Encased in the amber developed by the alternate Earth's own Fringe team for 20 years, Olivia; Peter; Walter and Astrid are released to help Olivia's and Peter's daughter fight the invaders that have suppressed humanity for so long. We got a glimpse of this future in last season's penultimate episode and I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for this final season. Terrific writing and the single best cast on TV make "Fringe" must-see-TV in my house. And shame on the Television Academy for never even nominating the astounding Anna Torv, John Noble and the rest of the cast for their consistently remarkable performances. The true heart of "Fringe" has always been the very real characters we have come to know and love. I hope they get the send-off they deserve.

The final season of "Fringe" starts Friday, September 28th on FOX.

Of course, last season, FX, along with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk literally redefined TV horror with their sexy, creepy and oh-so-watchable "American Horror Story." Set in a very haunted Hollywood mansion inhabited by a very dysfunctional family and their over-the-top neighbor, "AHS" was the kind of show people either loved or hated. I loved it. The new season brings us a new story, with a new set of characters, many of whom are played by returning members of the first season's ensemble. Set in an East Coast insane asylum in the 1960's, "American Horror Story Asylum" stars Jessica Lange; Zachary Quinto; James Cromwell; Chloe Sevigny; Joseph Fiennes; Sarah Paulson; Evan Peters; Clea Duvall and Adam Levine. The promos have been super creepy, making me desperate to know what's in store:

"American Horror Story Asylum" premiers October 17th on FX.

Finally, AMC set a new bar for TV horror with their amazing Zombie Apocalypse series "The Walking Dead," based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. The show is so good, Uncle P's mother, who usually hates genre movies and TV, loves it! While some fans complained that season 2 took too long to get going, I knew the pay-off would be worth the wait. And boy, was it ever! Season three promises to be even better. Rick and his fellow survivors set themselves up in an abandoned prison, while fan-favorite characters Michonne and The Governor are introduced. The producers are promising both tons more 'walkers' and even more human conflict. This season's tagline: "Fight the dead. Fear the living."

"The Walking Dead" returns on Sunday, October 14th on AMC. Hopefully, Carl will learn to stay put when he's told to.

More, anon.
Prospero

The End of the Best

I've seen my share of TV SciFi over the years, from the very  good ("The X-Files;" "The Twilight Zone;" "Lost;" "Battlestar Gallactica") to the very bad ("Land of the Giants;" "Manimal;") to the inexplicable ("Terra Nova"). And there are plenty of favs in between the extremes: "Lost in Space;" "The Time Tunnel;" "The Invaders;" one or two of the more recent "Star Trek" shows; "Farscape;" "Warehouse 13." So trust me when I tell you that J.J. Abrams'  "Fringe" is quite possibly the best Sci-Fi series, ever. Yes, I said 'ever.' And I meant it. And here are the two reasons why:

1. Brilliant writing. Smart, complicated and enigmatic; "Fringe" has managed to maintain the balance between its stand-alone episodes and its complex history, employing an alternate universe and strange visitors to tie everything together.

2. An effing amazing cast! Why no one from the cast of "Fringe" has been so much as nominated for an Emmy is beyond me. I think it's snobbery and jealousy. Not only did most of the cast have to play at least 3 (when you factor in the new timeline established last season) different versions of themselves, the astonishing Anna Torv also had to channel Leonard Nimoy (and did so, brilliantly). John Noble's Walter Bishops are a literal tour de force of acting, while Joshua Jackson as Peter and  Jasika Nicole as Agent Astrid Farnsworth (whose name the oft-addled Walter can never remember; hilariously calling her "Assturd" in one episode) provide the emotional balance to make us care about what happens to these people. Nicole's meetings between Astrid and her Asperger's-afflicted version from the other dimension were both heart-wrenching and fascinating. This cast is at the top of their games and believe in what they're doing and it shows in every single minute of their performances. All actors should be watching and learning from this truly exceptional ensemble.

After 4 tumultuous seasons, Fox is ending "Fringe" with a thirteen-week finale, in which Abrams and his team will hopefully wrap everything up. Set twenty-years in the future, the season was set up in last season's penultimate episode. The 'Observers,' having destroyed the planet in the 25th Century have come back in time and taken over 21st Century earth. The crowd attending the "Fringe" panel at Comic-Con were shown this today (via):

There's still time to catch the first four seasons on DVD before Season 5 starts. If you are looking for smart, funny, moving and most of all, human Science Fiction, you owe it to yourself to see this show, from the beginning.  If like me, you have been watching and loving "Fringe" since its 2008 pilot, you are very sad to see it go, but can't wait to see how it ends. I feel your pain.

More, anon
Prospero

'Brave New World: Part I' or: Don't Pull a Ianto on Me, "Fringe"

= O

SPOILERS AHEAD: If you have not seen this past Friday's episode yet, do NOT read this post until you have.

Left Dot Moth. Left Dot Seahorse. Lower Right Dot Leaf.!!!

I'm sure my sister and a few others will know exactly what I just wrote. Fans of the truly best (but most ignored) show on TV, will recognize those as descriptions of three the 24 glyphs that accompany each commercial break. If you are obsessive about such things as I, you have a printed guide and madly write down each week's word and try to fit it into the show's mythology, which is surprisingly large, for a show with only 4 seasons under its belt. Happily, the show has been picked up for next fall. Sadly, it is for a 13-week final season. Beggars can't be choosers, though.

Still, over the past four seasons its fans have come to know and love (and hate and love again) different versions of the same characters reacting to different versions of reality. If nothing else, the show is an astonishing acting challenge for any performer and it's clear to see that the show's brilliant cast is up for anything.  But by playing fast and loose with the time-space continuum, the writers can do anything they want, including the resurrection of a character we never thought we'd see again at the end of last week's show, and the shooting of a character who was just coming into her own. Agent Astrid Farnsworth (played by the very talented Jassica Nicole) started out as a nerdy gopher/cum baby-sitter for the brilliant Walter Bishop, but over the run of the show, both character and actor have really come in to their own. Nicole was particularly effective this season in her interactions between our version of Astrid and the strikingly different 'Asperger's Astrid' of the alternate universe. Walter, who rarely uses her right name (my personal favorite misnomer of his was "Assturd") would be lost without her. And so would we. But in the final scene of the season's penultimate episode, beloved Astrid was shot! I may have gasped. I know I shouted "No!" out loud. Even worse - the previews for next week's season finale didn't show or mention Astrid at all! Those bastards! 

They wouldn't do it, would they? Sure, Abrams and Co. killed Jin and Sun right at the end. But they surely can't kill Astrid! Of course, I never thought Russell T. Davies would kill Ianto on "Torchwood." Just as we thought Ianto (adorable Gareth David-Lloyd) and Jack were happy together, Ianto gets killed at the end of season 4. Rightfully so, Davies reacted to fan displeasure by saying that the story and characters were his to do with whatever he thought best suited the story. If Astrid dies, I will be very unhappy. But if it serves the story, then so be it. And after seeing this week's episode, I think I'd like to offer a hypothesis as to where it all might end up.

The episode started with Peter, Olivia and talk of a nursery. We know from the future-set "Letters of Transit" that Peter has a blonde daughter in Fringe named Henrietta, so we can only assume she is also Olivia's daughter and though Olivia was not in or mentioned in the episode, that all fits nicely with what September told Olivia at the opera-house. More evidence points to Olivia being Herietta's mother in the fact that the Observers cannot read her thoughts as they can with most humans.

The glyphs spelled "POWERS" this week, and Liv used hers twice. First to save the nano-infected Victoria ("No Ordinary Family" villainess Rebecca Mader) and again to take over Peter's body in a fight to the death with the previously elusive madman, David Robert Jones (the effectively creepy Jared Harris).  And now we find that William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) who is dead in one timeline and presumed dead in the current one, is not only alive but actually behind Jones' machinations. But to what end? Personally, I'm hoping Bell's intentions are not nefarious. And given that we know from September that Olivia is going to die (we've already met the guy who will kill her, at least in one timeline), I think (re: hope) it is Bell's intention to ramp up Olivia's Cortexifan-induced powers to heal both universes.

Well, either that or... BOOM!!!!!! Now that's a way to end a show.

If you're not watching "Fringe," you are missing THE smartest, funniest and most entertaining show on television, bar none.

P.S.

Dear Television Academy;

Where is the love for these four rather amazing actors (Anna Torv; John Noble; Joshua Jackson and Jassica Nicole) who consistently deliver high-quality (if not down-right brilliant) performances week after week. Would it kill you throw a nom or two their way? Jeez!

More, anon
Prospero

Wildfire & Entrada

Too late to post a proper Zombie Zone post, I thought I'd do dual duty and follow up on a post from a few days ago.

With only one episode of left (boo!) in its first season, AMC's runaway hit "The Walking Dead" offered up a rather reflective episode in "Wildfire." Devastated by the walkers' attack at the end of the last episode, the survivors are left to deal withe aftermath. As Daryl drives a pickax through the heads of every dead body in the camp, Adrea refuses to leave her sister Amy's body and it's discovered that Jim was bitten in the attack.

Rick decides that in order to help Jim, they must head to the CDC for help, reasoning it's probably closer and safer than the military base 100 miles in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, the only person left at the CDC is Jenner, who just lost his last hopeof finding a cure and is plotting his own suicide when our band of weary survivors shows up.

Back at the camp, Andrea places the mermaid necklace she looted around Amy's neck and when her hungry sister resurrects, Andrea apologizes for not protecting her, before blowing her zombified brains out. Glenn has it out with Daryl over which bodies get buried and which get burned. And let's not forget Shane, his leadership and relationship usurped by Rick's return, Shane contemplates killing Rick, but is stopped when Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn of The Mist and The Green Mile) intrudes. Shane ultimately acquiesces and the group is soon headed out to the CDC, sans the Morales family, who head off in search of other surviving family members. Jim begs them leave him to die at the side of road, and after a short debate, they agree to abide by his wishes.

Our band arrives at the CDC, only to find it closed up. Rick, sure it must have been done so from the inside, insists there is help inside, while the others think it must be abandoned and want to leave. When Rick sees a security camera move, he makes an impassioned plea which goes ignored until just as they are about to leave.

I can't wait to see what happens in episode 6, though I must admit to being mightily ticked to have to wait until next fall for the next season.

And speaking of waiting, the writers at Fox's "Fringe" have finally sent the Olivias to their respective homes.

In this week's brilliant episode "Entrada," Peter gets a phone call that tips him off to what's been going on; Olivia convinces Alt-Broyles to help her get home (at the ultimate cost to him) and Walter wisely requests that he not be given a gun.

Personally, I was hoping for a show-down between Olivia and Faux-livia (which we may still get), but was glad to finally have the 'real' Olivia freed from the nightmare that the altverse had become for her. The episode benefited from some amazing performances from the entire cast, and the expert writing by J.J. Abrams and company. If you aren't watching "Fringe," you are missing out on the best TV Sci-Fi series, ever.

Watch these shows!

More, anon,
Prospero

I Hate Waiting! (or: The Best Shows on TV)

Regular readers know that I think "Fringe" is currently the best show on television. That's not to say there aren't some really great shows on network TV: "Modern Family;" "Community;" "30 Rock;" "Parenthood;" "No Ordinary Family" (which gets better with each passing episode) and of course, AMC's groundbreaking "The Walking Dead" (which was just named "Best New Show on TV" by Entertainment Weekly).

"The Walking Dead," is indeed the Best New Show on TV. Fearless in its production and performances, "The Walking Dead" could have been a shambling, cliched mess. But in the hands of Frank Darabont and  his super-talented cast and crew, it's a compelling story of survival and humanity. Of course, the genre being near and dear to your crazy Uncle P's heart, doesn't hurt it chances. I would probably love it in a different way, if was bad.

So why I think "Fringe" is The Best Show on TV? Let's start with the amazing cast, shall we. This season saw the ensemble, with the exception of Joshua Jackson, giving extraordinary performances as two different versions of the same character. And amazingly, both versions remain victims of the Human Condition, though with different frames of reference in the hands of the astonishing John Noble; Lance Reddick; the criminally under-used Jassica Nicole (who, along with Noble, is the most noticeably different between the two characters) and Anna Torv in a true tour-de-force performance that would be criminal if it was ignored come Emmy nomination time. Then there's writing and the cryptic mythology developed over two and a half seasons (better than the mythology-heavy "The X-Files" and not quite as indecipherable as "Lost"). "Fringe" still has plenty of questions to answer in the future, not the least of which is addressing the little-seen-this-season Observers.

And here's the trailer for this week's Fall Finale episode:

Now, not that I don't love every moment I spend working a show because I most certainly do. There's nowhere I'd rather be, ever. But I usually don't have anything going on this time of year and it means I have to wait to get my weekly fixes. And that just sounds sad and pathetic, doesn't it? Or maybe I'm just tired. Ask me next week, when I'm finally caught up. I'm just a selfish, effing baby!

More, anon.

Prospero

The Fox Duality Conundrum

I'm at a loss to explain the disparity between the quality of the Fox Network's Entertainment division and the utter failure of the Fox Network's News division.

The Entertainment Division has brilliantly derisive comedy in the form of shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy, smart Sci-Fi like Fringe and progressive musical dramas like Glee; while the Fox News Division has regressive morons like Glen Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly 'reporting' and commenting on current events.

I can only assume that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch is some sort of evil genius like Ernst Blofeld, Auric Goldfinger or Dr. Evil.

Honestly, it makes Uncle P crazier than he already is.

Lord knows I loves me some Family Guy and Fringe (even my mother adores Stewie Griffin), but just the sound of Bill O'Reilly's voice can send me into an almost epileptic fit. Fox News' anti-Obama, anti-gay and anti-progressive diatribes make me want to puke, while their mostly pro-gay, anti-establishment shows like Glee and Fringe make me want to shout "Yes!" every time I see them. Of course, this disparity between the two divisions makes my head want to explode in a dichotomous maelstrom of confusion. And how's that for a sentence that would cause a genius like Bill O'Reilly to run for his dictionary?

I can only imagine that the smarter folks working at the Fox Network hate their jobs, while "brainiacs" like Glen Beck and Greta Van Susteren must wonder how they became household names espousing ideals and principles left over from the 1950's.

I will continue to watch Fox's Entertainment programing, because it's usually quite good. But I will also feel guilty about it because their News programing is so crapulent. What kind of progressive gay man does that make me? I suppose a confused one, at best.

Help me, Anderson Cooper. You're my only hope!

More, anon.
Prospero

Not Much To Say?

I know. Can you imagine me having a post with such a title? I'm not sure what to say about that, either (obviously).

I've said pretty much all I have to say about Maine on Facebook, though I will take the opportunity to once again to tell the voters of Maine to "Suck it!" There's a newish term being bandied about these days: "Gay Apartheid." We're sure feeling it lately, aren't we? Basically, apartheid means "You're different from most of us, therefore you should not be afforded the same rights and privileges as us and we're going to pass laws to ensure that you never will." We all saw how well that worked in South Africa, didn't we?

But I'm not getting on my high horse, tonight. I've already said I don't have much to say.

Not much happening at the movies, this weekend, either. There is the abysmal-looking (and pretty abysmally-reviewed) The Fourth Kind, starring Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element; Resident Evil) as an Alaskan psychiatrist investigating what appears to be a rash of alien abductions. Yawn. Alien abduction has never been particularly scary to me, and while I was certainly an X-Files fan, I never understood why aliens would be so interested in anal probing (unless of course, their leader was Richard Simmons wanting to know what it's like to be a top - Oh, now that was just mean. Stop it!).

Then there's Richard (Donnie Darko) Kelly's latest, The Box. Based on a Richard Matheson short-story, The Box is about a young couple (James Marsden and Cameron Diaz) who are in dire financial straits. Along comes a mysterious stranger (a digitally scarred Frank Langella) with an unusual offer. In exchange for pressing the red button in the mysterious box he brings them, they will receive a million dollars. The catch? Someone they don't know will die.

Kelly's last film, the critically drubbed Southland Tales was a highly-anticipated failure that didn't even find an audience on DVD. His first film, the enigmatic Donnie Darko, won both critical acclaim and a devoted cult following (myself among them). It's the movie that shot Jake Gyllenhaal into superstardom and gave the late Patrick Swayze his best role since Ghost.

The Box has gotten less than stellar reviews and I suppose I'll wait until it's On Demand.

On TV, my beloved Fringe was back this week with a story about an alien entity trapped in the body of a comatose Cosmonaut which feeds off the radiation in its victims, leaving them little more than piles of carbon dust. Like the best X-Files stand-alone episodes, it was creepy and fun, though it lacked the intensity of episodes about the series' central conspiracy plot.

Oh, and I almost forgot. there's a new Grizzly Bear video (via):



Well, I guess I had a few things to say, after all. I hope you're having a good weekend. I'm trying to... I think I'll do a little Christmas shopping tomorrow. What are your plans?

More, anon.
Prospero

Get Ready to Set Your DVRs

The new fall season is almost upon us. My most-anticipated return to the airwaves? Why Fox's "Fringe," of course.

In the 90's there was "The X-Files" (and a fine program it was - I had standing appointment with several friends each Sunday night). It was terrific episodic TV with plenty of stand-alone episodes to almost qualify as an anthology show with recurring characters. It was also probably the first regular TV series to exploit the Internet and create such an exceptionally elaborate and arcane mythology.

Now, wunderkind J.J. Abrams ("Lost;" Star Trek), has reinvented the formula with enough lunatic logic to take it to another level. As with "X-Files," a specialized FBI division is sent to investigate weird and extraordinary events, all tied to something referred to enigmatically as The Pattern. What makes "Fringe" so good is not just the writing, but the exceptionally talented ensemble cast led by the astonishing John Noble having the time of his life playing literally mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop. Anna Torv; Joshua Jackson; Lance Reddick; Blair Brown and simply adorable Jasika Nicole round out the ensemble. No less than Leonard Nimoy has a recurring role as the mysterious Dr. William Bell.

The first season ended with the revelation that SPOILER ALERT there is not only a parallel Universe, but that Walter's son Peter (Jackson) is not the Peter from this Universe.

I cannot wait to see what Abrams and company have in store for Season 2. Here's the teaser:

On a side note - I don't understand why a network that has some of the most creative, talented and left-leaning people in the business working in their Entertainment Division, also has the most lop-sided, right-wing crackpot news in the history of television. Can anyone explain this?

OK - In other TV news...

Since I already awarded a Man of the Week (which henceforth shall be known as Person of the Week) to Brad, David Letterman comes in as a close-second. Via Towleroad comes this clip from a recent interview with Donald Trump:

Love ya, Dave!

More, anon

Prospero