The rest of Fringe

FOX's newest show Fringe is okay. It was a good enough pilot, setting up some character dynamics.
However, I still don't know how a normal episode will play out.

There were elements in Fringe that were supposed to be scary, but were not. Do robotic arms freak you out? Then Fringe might scare you. Does brain wave manipulation enhanced by LSD to communicate telepathically freak you out? (It's a common nightmare, I know!) Then this episode may not have been for you.

I thought the show would be helmed by Joshua Jackson. It wasn't. He is just a supporting character. J.J. Abram's latest find, Anna Torv, is the main character. And that's fine. It's just not what I thought. (And that's my bad, I suppose.) Her character does not have the warmness of Keri Russel's Felicity, the range of Jennifer Garner's Sydney Bristow, or the helplessness of Evangeline Lilly's Kate Austen. The character was a little too "tough female detective," which not so much a slam against Anna Torv (who did well enough with her material), as it is against the direction of the character. I'll do better when I have my own shows, right?

The writers need to give the Joshua Jackson character A) something about him for us to like, B) less snarky remarks. We get that he's supposed to be the "audience's voice," but, he was too snarky. He made about ten too many snide remarks. Once they (the writers, producers, directors, and actor) find the character's voice, I'm sure it'll get better.

The veteran actor John Noble is going to be the breakout star of this show. The brilliant but confused fringe science expert that he plays brings the screen to a energetic life. Not to mention that he is one of the funnier, more unique comic relief characters that J.J. Abram's & co. have come up with.

With a few more episodes to find their footing, I think Fringe could be good. I don't think it's a show that, time-wise, I can make a weekly priority. But if it's on and I'm home, yeah, I might watch it. It looks like it'll be a good enough mystery program.