Time for a third-episode verdict on Fringe, JJ Abrams new show for Fox about investigations into the weird areas of fringe science. After a first episode that was really rather good indeed, we've had a severe drop-off in quality. The problem is that although we have the fantastic John Noble as the equally fantastic Dr Walter Bishop, a mad scientist to whom all other mad scientists should bow down to and worship as their god, everything else is a little dull.
While Joshua Jackson as Bishop's son is almost interesting, Anna Torv's FBI heroine is about as involving as a 700-page instruction manual on repairing a steam iron. Even the magnificent Lance Reddick can't rescue her boss from mere stern untrustworthiness.
The plots and direction have also lacked all the promise of the pilot, with the Cronenbergian coldness and body horror now MIA, replaced with simple weirdness and an X-Files-esque conspiracy theory of outstanding tedium. Those stupid location-naming graphics are irksome, too.
On the whole, probably not worth sticking with, even though there are hints that there's more plot to come. I might well keep watching, just to see if I've been proved wrong – I'll let you know if I have.
So The Medium is Not Enough has great pleasure in declaring Fringe a three or 'Minor Caruso' on The Carusometer quality scale.
Updates and related entries
September 25, 2008: The various billboards and ad campaigns in the US for the latest TV shows
September 27, 2008 | Reply
After a few days away, I finally saw the third episode this morning. The main problem with "The Ghost Network" is that Jean the cow doesn't even appear in it!
They need to use her more! She should be going with Peter to bust down some walls to find old contraptions. She should be working undercover at Union Station. She should at least be playing Bach for Walter on the piano!
Too bad Roy couldn't pick up her thoughts.....
Speaking of the Carusometer, I wonder what kind of team-up we'd get with Jean and Horation Caine?