Fringe 3x07 'The Abducted'

Best... episode... ever!

What's it about?

In the alternate universe, a serial kidnapper known as the "Candyman", due to his secretion of glucose in his sweat, strikes again. His modus operandi is to kidnap children, hold them for a few days, and then release them. However, when the children are released, they have severe health problems symptomatic of old age. Olivia, while searching for a way home.

Review

This episode was both a bit frightening and rather jaw dropping all at once. I didn't want memories of seeing the film 'Candyman' which I've worked very hard to bury since childhood being dug up but it was too late. Thankfully there was no candy with razorblades hidden inside it in this episode.

What there was however was approx 42mins of complete awesomeness! Where last week the villain-of-the-week piece may have been a little more villain-of-the-weak this time around it was a much stronger standalone story which mixed in well with the universe hopping elements and culminated in one mother of a cliffhanger.

We knew it was coming and the trailers confirmed it for us, Olivia was going to fully realise who she was (as she did in the most recent over there episode) and would immediately try and get back there. Along the way people were bound to find out and much to the audiences approval we got to see taxi driver Henry one more time.

I do feel that all the previews for this episode hyped the universe travelling nature of Ms Dunham a little much. Although this episode does revolve somewhat around her trying to return home this doesn't really kick in until the closing moments of the episode.

The last few episodes have been structured slightly different and the final scenes where we jump universes have lingered a little longer each time. This week that was much to the benefit of those of us who were on the edge of our sofas screaming for an ending which was not (quite) to be.

The villain in this episode was quite chilling, I've never really thought of 'Fringe' in direct terms such as villain before (why do I keep typing vanilla and then realising I have to change it?) but rather in terms of the science and the people who are trying to exploit it. For the most part I will attribute this to the way in which each episode and season have been structured, over time we've learnt more about those behind the science and they're become more prominent in the stories and have become the 'villains'.

This week we get to involve Alterna-Broyles a lot more than we have in previous episodes in either universe so far this season and having had some of his backstory explored in our universe it is interesting to spend time focussing on how things could have been different, involving him in the villain-of-the-week storyline as more than just the leader of Fringe Division helped flesh out this episode more which is what makes it stand out from last week for me. For this season the show works better when the characters have an invested interest in solving the crime rather than it being solely an obstacle stopping either Olivia from getting to where they need to be.

The writers seem to be learning that without having more time to develop characters on either side they have to rely on much snappier storytelling to keep the audience interested, it's not that we don't care about any of the characters. It's down to the sheer fact that there isn't the time to fully develop a second universe so it's a case of hitting the ground running and hoping that we can keep up with the action.

As for the action in this episode if you managed to pick up on the Olivia's slip-up which gave her away as knowing who she really was then you deserve a prize, no way in a million years would I have noticed that. 

After seven weeks of keeping her trapped in the alternate universe and also (mis)judging the tone of this episode I felt that the episode would end with her perhaps witnessing a tender moment between her replacement and Peter so I wasn't overly prepared for the fact that she would be ripped from the tank and would continue to be held hostage in the alterna-verse.

It's yet another testament to the writers that they're not afraid to give us some serious hope and then rip it away and replace it with further gut wrenching sadness. All I want is for Olivia to get home and for everything to be okay and for twenty million people to watch the next episode. But we don't get what we want and I should have learnt that from this show by now.

I feel like I should discuss the move to Friday's but that should perhaps be saved for an essay about why I love 'Fringe' and how I think that it *could* work on Friday's if it is give the chance to find itself. Why it can't be on Tuesday's I do not know! I've always said Tuesdays.

This episode has brought us back to a place where we don't need to jump from universe to universe on a weekly basis and for that I thank the writers because it means I might not need to write the words over there and over here quite so much but I also believe that this might help those audience members who have drifted somewhat out of the show to drift back in.

If was can pull the focus back on to Olivia and how she deals with the strangities that go on around her than we could bring back some of the heart of the show which made it stand head and shoulders above other sci fi shows that have been around in recent years.

This show has always had a degree on emotional maturity which other shows of its genre do not and I feel that may have become a little lots in recent weeks but I hope that it can find it again before it is too late.

Next week...

Actually it's in two weeks time but: Peter grapples with the aftermath of recent events as Olivia desperately searches for an ally. Meanwhile, the Fringe Team discovers a critical device that communicates between universes. 

Overall

Story   4.5

Character   4.5

Science   4.0

Overall   4.5

Fringe 3x06 '6955 kHz'

Don't turn on the radio!!!

What's it about?

In the prime universe, the Fringe Division investigates a bizarre phenomenon when fifteen people suffer retrograde amnesia from listening to their shortwave radios on the same frequency. Much to Walter’s dismay, Peter presses on with piecing together the mass destruction device. Just as alternate Olivia and Peter’s chemistry deepens, the anticipation of Olivia’s return escalates. 

Review

First things first: guest starring Kevin Weisman! I miss the character of Marshall Flinkman and a little bit of me was hoping that maybe we'd get some kind of very awesome cross over into the universe of Alias. Obviously I was aware that this would never happen but to have the genius that is Kevin on screen was brilliant even if he was villainous and making people lose their memory.

'Fringe' is beginning to feel as though it is ramping up towards something, this is the feeling I've had during the previous two seasons roughly four or five episodes from the finale so maybe that's a good sign at this point. Although knowing that we're going off the air from December through to the end of February I feel that we're ramping up to such a 'WTF?!!!' mid-season ender that we could be left holding our breath through to springtime.

But as for this episode we've gone to a more season one-esque villain of the week, who does end up being tied in to the bigger picture in a BIG (underline, bold, italic, exclamation mark) kind of way. But for the bulk of this episode we're on a standalone investigation into what fans of listening to their old school radios at home are losing their memories.

It was nice to have a slightly more generically formulaic episode in amongst the mass of mythology which has become the Fringe-verse, particularly in this week-by-week hop across the universe barrier. I hope this episode wasn't written in the hope that it would miraculously up viewership by being so obviously a villain-of-the-week piece.

As for the ratings, yes they're continuing to dwindle on the lower end of the scale and with the announcement that post break 'Fringe' will be returning in the Friday night death slot most fans are probably in the same 'let's save our show!' place as I am right now but all we can do is watch, promote and discuss as much as possible in the hope that more people will jump on the bandwagon but it's not going to be easy considering the sheer bulk of storyline which needs to be caught up on at this point.

We're clearly edging closer to the return of Olivia  from the other side, either that or Alt-livia is about to drop the biggest clanger which will reveal her and set us on a path to rescuing the damsel in distress from the evil Walternate. 

I'm fine with this happening, in fact it would be nice to bring the team back together and have us move towards how we're going to protect ourselves from the pretty hostile alternate us. If this show is going to come to war I hope it happens before it gets cancelled otherwise there's going to be a pretty big what if left in the air about what would happen should our two sides meet.

I think with this episode it's best to focus on the mind numbingly twisting discovery of burial sites for pieces of the apocalypse device all over our world. So is this a twin device to the alternate universe one? Is this part of the alternate one and it has been deconstructed and hidden here for our protection from the alternates? And who are the first people?

For a while I felt this episode was going to go completely biblical and explain to us that the device was actually built by an entire race of humans who existed in prehistoric times but had become further technologically advanced than modern day humans.

If we were to spin the show in that direction I think I would automatically order it to pack its bags and move to the sci-fi network. But jeez it was an awesome revelation.

Removing my fan boy hat it is an interesting gamble for the writers to take by introducing the average viewer to further complicated developments in the story. For those who aren't already incredibly well versed in the world of sci-fi dealing with alternate universes is probably enough to give you a mild headache on your Thursday (or Friday) night but to also deal with prehistoric humanoid technology may be a bit much for some.

I've sadly already seen the next episode as I'm running so far behind on reviews so I've found it hard to review this episode knowing the awesomeness which follows... so please go and read my 3x07 review haha!

Next week...

In the alternate universe, a serial kidnapper known as the "Candyman", due to his secretion of glucose in his sweat, strikes again. His modus operandi is to kidnap children, hold them for a few days, and then release them. However, when the children are released, they have severe health problems symptomatic of old age. Olivia, while searching for a way home.

Overall

Story   3.5

Character   3.0

Science   3.5

Overall   3.5

The Event 1x08 'For The Good Of Our Country'

The Inostrankans kinda don't appear on 'The Event'...

What's it about?

Martinez interrogates Michael as he reveals the people who wanted him to do the assassination attempt were going to call it off, but a call from someone told them to go through with it. He also reveals the call was made mere minutes after a meeting Martinez had about the press conference. After looking through phone records, they discover Jarvis, the vice-president, was in on the attempt. Meanwhile, Sean is shot by one of the men who survived the explosion, forcing Leila to kidnap a doctor to perform surgery on him. Vicky is ordered by Dempsey to kill Jarvis, however she lets him live and tells him to confess. The men sent out by Martinez capture Jarvis, but before he could reveal who gave him orders, a car explosion goes off, supposedly killing him. Dempsey is then shown looking in the mirror soon after taking a medicine for his coffee,his face shifting to a younger version of himself.

Review

I'm still playing catchup on the reviews, it's bad and I have WAY too much work to do but we'll get there in the end. It's only Monday today so the next episode isn't on until tonight so this should be online before anybody gets to see what happens next.

'For The Good Of Our Country' is a very interesting episode of 'The Event' for perhaps very different reasons than I would normally compliment the show. This week the Inostrankan people don't really appear (or do they? But that's a completely different story.) There's no Sophia or Thomas. To be honest there's not a whole heap of Sean either as Leila on the bulk of the action in their storyline.

In no way did this harm my enjoyment of the episode, in fact it made it all the more interesting as we got to see how this show might work if the primary protagonists had been drastically different to those we are used to. There are a lot of interesting moments where we flash back to events (pardon the unintentional pun) that took place in the pilot episode and to see them now knowing what we have learnt in the last eight weeks makes for an interesting new perspective on the action.

This episode also gives some more secondary characters a chance to shine beyond that which they normally would, as I've mentioned Leila plays a larger part in this episode but also Vice President Jarvis who kind of gets the treatment that Simon and Sterling have in recent weeks and the exposition of his scenes forms the bulk of the action which unfolds this week.

Through his story we get to tie up what sadly could not be classed as lose ends but definitely classed as some story threads which come together to give more of an overall look at who is working behind the scenes to manipulate all the major players in this universe. On a side note which I won't discuss at length... what the hell happened at the end?

We're clearly edging towards a big bad to aim for in the post Christmas episodes and I'm as yet unsure how I feel about this. On the one hand this gives us a focal point for the series and I'm sure along the way there will be much to learn about his background (which is surely obvious?) and how he came to be in the position in which he now sits. 

On the other hand this could also be a bit of a pitfall for the show, part of the mystery which I have enjoyed through this first half of the season has been the lack of a figurehead for the bad guys. We've had Sohpia as the leader of the Inostrankans but she has been nothing but morally ambiguous at the best of times. The lack of a villain hasn't taken away from the piece at all, in fact I would argue that the lack of such a character has worked well.

If the writers can balance him out in to a Joss Whedon kind of villain and not characterise him into a Bond villain who constantly sits in his chair then I will stand behind them on the decision to move in the direction in which they seem to be moving.

Dipping back in to the secondary characters I was a bit critical last week of the decision by Sean and Leila to dive in to hunting for Samantha without pausing for a moments notice, I guess this week I forgot all about that as they shifted somewhat in to the background.

In the meantime however Leila definitely stood out from the crowd and proved that she is in no way the defenceless girl you might expect for somebody who has the spent of the season thus far in captivity. Her character might not be breaking too many boundaries in terms of characterisation and I have very definite suspicions that she may be an Inostrankan herself (without being aware of it) but she definitely held her own this week and I'm glad that she has been given the chance to show there's more to her character than expected.

For one of our more predominant characters, namely President Martinez, there's a definite sense that as the weeks go by there's a mounting pressure on him to react and each week I feel adequately happy that he hasn't done anything either overly generic or obvious. Blair Underwood is perhaps the unsung hero of 'The Event' and I hope that he eventually earns the recognition he deserves for helping to construct a very interesting version of the President in an industry that can pride itself on purposely caricaturing the role.

We've only got two more episodes left before the long winter break so I think we should prepare ourselves for a few shock revelations and made even... dare I say it... an EVENT!

Next week...

Dempsey sends his people after Sean and Leila as they try to find Samantha. Meanwhile, Sophia tries to deal with those of her people who disagree with her agenda.

Overall

Story    3.5

Character    4.0

Weirdness    3.5

Overall    3.5

The Event 1x07 'I Know Who You Are'

What's it about?

While Sophia and Thomas prepare for the next step on their mission, Sterling begins to see conspirators everywhere, including among his own people. Meanwhile, Sean and Madeline seek answers behind Leila's abduction and Michael's coercion.

Review

Another week... another solid episode of 'The Event'  and hopefully a double review whammy tonight as I am about to sit down to watch episode eight. But first things first we need to discuss episode seven.

The format of this episode closely follows that of episode six and traces the back story of one of our main characters, last week it was Simon (we'll get to him later) and this week it's Director Sterling. I'm not the biggest fan of this character, I'm not sure if it is because we're not supposed to like him or because I just don't enjoy him when he's on screen.

Either way this episode takes us on an interesting journey to see why he is so hell bent on not be betrayed by anybody around him. It was an interesting story and did serve a purpose as by the end of the episode I was feeling much more sympathetic towards him, the man clearly has issues and when he realises the rather large mistake/s he made in this episode he's only going to feel worse.

I would, in fact, go as far as to say that one of my favourite scenes in this episode is the exchange between Sterling and President Martinez as they share a beer at the end of the episode. Having spent six weeks as the stalwart agent it is nice to see Sterling get the fleshing out treatment that was awarded to Vicky in previous episodes, the man has a heart and sadly it's been broken.

What's most interesting here is perhaps the flashback format which the show has taken on, previously we've seen different timelines for different characters and perspectives etc... but in these most recent episodes the flashbacks have taken on more of a sole character story which is only causing further comparisons with predecessor 'Lost'.

Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, this slight adjustment in the format may even be due to comments they've received from the audience/network since the show premiered. It's not unusual for a show to make adjustments on the run as the audience respond to different aspects of the show. It's working well to help flesh out some of the previously thinner characters on the show so I'm down with it continuing this way in the future.

Now for Simon: last week we were left hanging as to whether he'd survived the collapsing building. The good news is yes he did! The bad news is that he could be found out as being one of the aliens. I do enjoy a good 'will he be discovered? Won't he?' although this episode is a microcosm of what is going on over on Fox with 'Fringe' these days. 

For a while I honestly thought that Simon would be found out and that there would be serious repercussions which would further separate Sophia and the Inostrankans from the human race but I was mistaken, in fact the old bait-and-switch manoeuvre was taking place right under my nose and I didn't notice, although when Sterling realises he shared a lift with Thomas he is going to be rather miffed.

Rallying round to save Simon brought out the family (literally in some cases) nature between the Inostrankan people which was nice to see. Now that Sophia has been released (or sprung) we're getting to see more of the organisation of the group outside of the mountain encampment.

Thomas on his own plays a sort of terrorist leader type role, his phone calls to the White House and his threats to the Avias flight survivors have shown his dangerous nature but with Sophia on hand to take charge, which is does instantly, we're getting to see a different side to both of their characters.

There's one very big development/reveal between the two of them which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it but I definitely did not see it coming and I'm interested to see how it affects the way the Inostrankan people organise their efforts.

Laura Innes is getting to show her inner leader now that she is out in the open and this is making her character far more interesting. The scenes showing her in the camp showed her devotion to her people and her scenes with the President have shown her stronger side and brought some very interesting social commentary to the show. Now we get to see exactly what she is willing to do to get her people home.

Speaking of home we get some interesting developments on that front in this episode, developments which further allude to either a knowledge of or ability to travel through time. It seems the Inostrankans have been manipulating human scientific development with the hope of developing the required materials to get them home, the disappearing plane in the pilot was just a small example of the required effect for travelling to where ever it is they come from.

We're no closer to finding out exactly who they are but now we know its going to be very difficult for them to get back there.

All this talk and I've not even mentioned poor Sean and Leila. They spend the bulk of the episode struggling to come to the realisation that the people behind all their misfortunes may in fact be extraterrestrials. Sean has been a reluctant hero but now that he has Leila back his continuing heroics feel a little laboured. Obviously they want to get to the bottom of where Samantha (what the hell was with the ending?) is being held and why Michael ended up being coerced in to flying the plane but considering the past six weeks of nastiness they've been through I'm reluctant to say he would be so anxious to continue down the path they are currently on.

That being said there are some interesting developments in their story, particularly leading to the room full of very scary little girls to whom we are introduced in the closing moments of the show. I can only assume that room relates to a plot point which I believe is in episode eight. We shall find out very shortly.

Sadly the ratings are still on a downward trend but if the recent appearance by the cast explaining that the show will be relaunched following its winter break is anything to go by then NBC are all to happy to flog this show to death in order to get those viewing figures up and I'm happy with that.

Surely the fact that 'The Event' was sold to nearly every international market before its US premiere is enough to keep the faith going for a little while longer. This show has so much to give and its really starting to find its voice now. 

Keep up the good work Nick Wauters!

Next week...

Martinez interrogates Michael as he reveals the people who wanted him to do the assassination attempt were going to call it off, but a call from someone told them to go through with it. He also reveals the call was made mere minutes after a meeting Martinez had about the press conference. After looking through phone records, they discover Jarvis, the vice-president, was in on the attempt. Meanwhile, Sean is shot by one of the men who survived the explosion, forcing Leila to kidnap a doctor to perform surgery on him. Vicky is ordered by Dempsey to kill Jarvis, however she lets him live and tells him to confess. The men sent out by Martinez capture Jarvis, but before he could reveal who gave him orders, a car explosion goes off, supposedly killing him. Dempsey is then shown looking in the mirror soon after taking a medicine for his coffee, then showing his face shifting to a younger version of himself. 

Overall
Story    3.5
Character    4.0
Weirdness    3.5
Overall    3.5

Supernatural 6x06 'You Can't Handle The Truth'

What's it about?

When several people kill themselves under strange circumstances, Sam and Dean discover that they were driven insane by the Goddess of Truth, who forced them to tell the truth against their will. However, when the brothers track down the goddess Veritas, she uses her powers on Dean.

Review

I'm a week behind so bare with me as I catch up - this is what I get for having had a holiday. I'm aware that I've been rather vocal this season about my disappointment in 'Supernatural' but sadly that will only continue with this episode.

This episode feels very much like somebody sat at the writers table and said 'okay so we need a quick method of getting to the bottom of what's wrong with Sam... I know... everybody is forced to tell the truth!' and okay it's not quite as simple as that that's still the basic premise at the heart of this episode.

It has its strong points, the gruesome fight that ends the episode will lead us nicely in to the next episode and further derivative plot development towards the reveal of what is truly wrong with Sam (don't read the next week blurb if you don't want to know if like me you haven't seen the next episode yet). There is also some good comedy moments which generally involve Dean chatting to Bobby over the phone.

Week-by-week it gets harder to sugar coat the fact that 'Supernatural' has just lost its spark. Clearly the loss of original creator Eric Kripkie has had a much bigger impact on the show than expected and unfortunately it's taking far longer than it should for the show to re-find its direction.

It shouldn't have taken us six weeks to get to this point in the story and that has perhaps been the biggest downfall for the show so far. The Dean of early seasons in the show would not have waited this long to eventually find out what was wrong with his brother, the fact that he found out by accident is also not something that I believe the character would have originally stood for.

The basic premise of this show was always the relationship between these two. In the beginning they weren't close and through the work they carried out and the strong pull of their family they came together and that bond between them was the heart of the show and it worked well to counterbalance the horror elements.

Now we've lost that bond almost completely and it doesn't feel as if it is the fault of the story or of the actors. At the end of the previous season Dean was grieving for the loss of his brother who gave his life to save the world yet now he's beating him to a bloody pulp to purely try and make the guy feel.

Yes you could argue that we are seeing a seriously low point in their lives where they've been driven so far apart that all that is left is violence but in the context of the episodes so far this season all I see is a serious lack of emotion... ironic considering the direction of the next episode.

What I've not mentioned in my reviews thus far is perhaps the biggest strong point the show is currently featuring which is the strong continuity in cinematography and sound design. This show has a well defined look and sound which is instantly recognisable as 'Supernatural' and which helps to stand this show above others in its genre which pale in both look and sound.

It's often the case that genre shows win awards for their sound design or their makeup and 'Supernatural' should be no different because whilst the writing is lacking in zest the rest of the show is flourishing in the opportunities it is given each week.

We can only sit back and see where the recent developments in story take us for the rest of the season, I keep saying it but I'm not giving up... yet.

Next week...

Dean enlists Castiel's help to find out what's wrong with Sam, who is tied up for safety. Sam reveals that he doesn't sleep ever since he came back, and feels no emotions but does feel pain. Castiel discovers Sam has no soul.

Overall

Story    2.0

Character    2.5

Scares    2.5    

Overall    2.5

Private Practice 4x07 'Did You Hear...'

Very tough stuff to watch this week on 'PP'...

What's it about?

Pete discovers Charlotte at the hospital after she's brutally attacked but she only tells Addison that she was also sexually assaulted.

Review

Let me start by saying that this is in no way an easy review to write. This episode is nothing short of outstanding. The work done by all involved in this episode is award worthy through and through; this can't have been an easy storyline to take on or to execute but it's done seriously and brilliantly.

First things first: somebody needs to hand KaDee Strickland every award she can possibly be nominated for and they need to do it fast. She stands above all the rest in this episode, as she should, for her portrayal of a rape victim. Even through all the post attack scenes her character remains true to the Charlotte of previous seasons but there's a heartbreak and a vulnerability which adds many more dimensions to her.

The final moments of the episode as she leaves the hospital and flashes back to the attack itself were beyond tragic and I genuinely felt that I couldn't watch any more. I fully understood what had happened to her but to jump back to it after all the developments of the episode itself was traumatic enough as a viewer never mind for the actress to have filmed.

The rest of the cast shine here as well from Addison's horror at needing to cover up what really happened to Cooper's role as the devastated lover and all those in between. This is what the cast have been building to all season, I've said it week after week but this cast has pulled together amazingly over the last few weeks and here they all get their roles within the group dynamic turned upside down in an attempt to cope with Charlotte's attack.

I can't seriously talk about the calibre of acting in this episode without heaping praise on Nicholas Brendan for his continuing guest appearance in this episode. Having played the faceless attacker in the previous episode this week he gets to show his face and show us just how well he can cast off any comparisons to his role of Xander on 'Buffy' if however you do wish to draw a comparison there's a little of Xander when hypnotised by Dracula on show here.

He plays the mentally unstable role of Lee McHenry with some serious gusto and his scenes with Sheldon in this episode are quite gripping.I found myself wishing for Sheldon to discover who it was that Lee had attacked so he could exact some kind of revenge on him even though it was obviously not going to happen. 

It remains to be seen where the storyline will go from here, Charlotte's obvious reluctance to tell the wider world of the magnitude of her attack means it could be some time before he's brought to justice, or that the truth will be dragged out due to circumstance. Either way Lee is going to be around and about for a while I assume and this can only mean more of this character who we might, as an audience, hate but will provide some gripping viewing.

The threads of things which I've said over the last few weeks are starting to pull together and make far more sense in terms of the bigger picture: the darker colour pallet, the moodier lighting... it all pulls together in this episode beautifully to match the emotional tone of the episode.

If the first few episodes of this season were an indication of what is to come then this episode marks a serious turning point in the direction of this show and prove that it is a serious contender to outshine sister show 'Grey's Anatomy' as this rivals the season ending shoot out at Seattle Grace and outshines it at the same time.

As I said at the beginning of this review I've found it very hard to write and it's been hard to describe why I loved an episode which had such a traumatising and serious subject matter at its heart so before I go on and ramble too much I'll just say that if you haven't seen it and even if you aren't a fan of the show I would watch this episode.

Tough stuff but the stuff of brilliance.

Next week...

Addison works to keep what really happened to Charlotte a secret because Charlotte decides to remain silent as she deals with the emotional toil the assault is having on her. Cooper and the other doctors are faced with their own inner demons as a result of Charlotte's attack.

Overall

Story    4.5

Character    4.5

Medical content    4.5

Overall    4.5