90210: Season 1, Episode 5 "Wide Awake and Dreaming" (F)
I'm not sure I can review this show week-to-week. There's so little to this show and as a result so little to say. Annie's ascension to lead of the play was evident from the start, and that whole fake-shower deal is not going to lead to anything good. She should have seen right through that, in my mind. Never believe the crazy ones! Their rendition of "Spring Awakening" sadly is not nearly as good as the show, which I recently saw. The whole condom thing was pretty ridiculous too. What an unfortunate show. More thoughts next week...or maybe not.
On an unrelated note, I turned off "Fringe" after about ten minutes. It's just not interesting. I'm done.
Showing posts with label Fringe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fringe. Show all posts
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
What I'm Watching: Fringe
Fringe: Season 1, Episode 2 "The Same Old Story" (C)
I really want to like this show, especially after my phone conversation with J.J. Abrams and Joshua Jackson a few weeks ago. But there's a lot missing. It does play look a poorer version of "The X-Files," with the same episodic nature and vague mythology (something which I'm not sure will ever properly develop here), and a less exciting cast. One of the major strengths of "The X-Files" was its ability to coast on just two lead actors rather than a whole ensemble. As I've mentioned before, Anna Torv doesn't seem strong enough to carry this show and on a side note, she really is not able to keep her accent in check. John Noble is too much of a crazy old man whose delusional nature doesn't work as well as it should. If Lance Reddick was the only star of this show, it might work well, but rapidly-aging babies aren't going to cut it with this crew.
I really want to like this show, especially after my phone conversation with J.J. Abrams and Joshua Jackson a few weeks ago. But there's a lot missing. It does play look a poorer version of "The X-Files," with the same episodic nature and vague mythology (something which I'm not sure will ever properly develop here), and a less exciting cast. One of the major strengths of "The X-Files" was its ability to coast on just two lead actors rather than a whole ensemble. As I've mentioned before, Anna Torv doesn't seem strong enough to carry this show and on a side note, she really is not able to keep her accent in check. John Noble is too much of a crazy old man whose delusional nature doesn't work as well as it should. If Lance Reddick was the only star of this show, it might work well, but rapidly-aging babies aren't going to cut it with this crew.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pilot Review: Fringe
Fringe (FOX)
Premiered September 9 at 8pm
J.J. Abrams' newest series is a highly intriguing show with lots of potential that I'm not sure it will live up to. The framing for the pilot episode was interesting, but the whole idea of fringe science is a bit much, and eccentric John Noble certainly makes everything seem quite kooky. It's all good fodder for exciting exploration, but it needs a little more as far as I'm concerned. The "fringe science" they used isn't quite as engaging as it should be. My main problem with the show is lead actress Anna Torv, who I just don't like. She doesn't have what it takes to carry this show, and Joshua Jackson isn't quite up to the task of supporting her effectively. I fear that too much of an open-ended sci-fi exploration here could keep the show from capturing the feel it should have. This is at its heart a procedural with a running theme, akin perhaps to "NCIS," or more appropriately, according to Abrams himself, "ER."
For more info on the show itself, read my article detailing my conference call with creator J.J. Abrams and star Joshua Jackson.
How will it work as a series? Well, Abrams says that you don't need to be part of the club to watch it, so a procedural with this added recurring hook could function remarkably well. Sci-fi fans are sure to eat it up.
How long will it last? Recent sci-fi fare like "Surface," "Invasion," "Threshold," and "Jericho" bit the bullet quite quickly, but this series has showrunner Abrams behind it and one hell of a marketing campaign. I think it should stick around for a while if the plot stays consistent enough.
Pilot grade: C
Premiered September 9 at 8pm
J.J. Abrams' newest series is a highly intriguing show with lots of potential that I'm not sure it will live up to. The framing for the pilot episode was interesting, but the whole idea of fringe science is a bit much, and eccentric John Noble certainly makes everything seem quite kooky. It's all good fodder for exciting exploration, but it needs a little more as far as I'm concerned. The "fringe science" they used isn't quite as engaging as it should be. My main problem with the show is lead actress Anna Torv, who I just don't like. She doesn't have what it takes to carry this show, and Joshua Jackson isn't quite up to the task of supporting her effectively. I fear that too much of an open-ended sci-fi exploration here could keep the show from capturing the feel it should have. This is at its heart a procedural with a running theme, akin perhaps to "NCIS," or more appropriately, according to Abrams himself, "ER."
For more info on the show itself, read my article detailing my conference call with creator J.J. Abrams and star Joshua Jackson.
How will it work as a series? Well, Abrams says that you don't need to be part of the club to watch it, so a procedural with this added recurring hook could function remarkably well. Sci-fi fans are sure to eat it up.
How long will it last? Recent sci-fi fare like "Surface," "Invasion," "Threshold," and "Jericho" bit the bullet quite quickly, but this series has showrunner Abrams behind it and one hell of a marketing campaign. I think it should stick around for a while if the plot stays consistent enough.
Pilot grade: C
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