"Call me sweetheart one more time, I'd really like that."
So I am going through the entirety of Fringe in preparation for season four. (OMG YOU GUYS I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE IS A S4.) Aaaaand since I mainlined it so fast the first time and didn't really post anything about it at the time... I am doing episode reactions now.
They're just my thoughts as I watch, and they will contain spoilers. Possibly for all aired episodes. If you have never watched Fringe and want to get caught up for the next season,
newredshoes' How to get hooked on Fringe in about 10 hours is excellent. It only goes to the end of S2, so you are on your own for S3, but it's an excellent starting place if JJ Abrams' plotting terrifies you (and there is nothing wrong with being scared of that).
Fringe 1x01 "Pilot"
LESSON NUMBER ONE: DO NOT TRAVEL BY PLANE IN FRINGEVERSE. EVER.
When I was first convincing Jae to watch the show, I mostly sold her on the awesomeness of Olivia. Which is really all the selling point necessary, but I feel I left her unprepared for Fringe... being Fringe. "Oh yeah, probably should've mentioned the face-melting, huh?"
I have no interest in John whatever, but Olivia is just so cute when she's happy. I mean, sure, she's not allowed to be happy for very long, to the point where I get twitchy when she starts smiling adorably because something horrible is bound to happen soon... but that little smile right after he tells her he loves her is the most adorable thing.
CHARLIE, WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE SHOUTING IN THIS SCENE? ...maybe he has bronchitis.
Oh, Broyles. Your characterization in this first episode. Just... *Shakes head* I'm so glad he got better, or I'd be flailing in rage and shouting at him to die in a fire every time he was on screen.
I like that Charlie snaps his fingers to get attention. And that face he makes after Broyles calls Olivia "honey".
I always wonder if that flickering light after the explosion was Olivia. I mean. It could very well be because there was just a fucking explosion, but there's also no reason it couldn't be Olivia, when she's under that kind of stress, and... anyway, it's a nice touch.
Olivia's little pause to calm down before she approaches Broyles, just... ♥ ♥ ♥
...I love how she manages to make "rumors of Dr. Bishop using humans as guinea pigs" sound like NO BIG DEAL.
"SOME OF THE MOST TERRIFYING TERROR." ...did no one stop to think "hey, this line is kind of ridiculous" at any point while making this episode? I mean, I'm kind of glad they didn't, because that line is HILARIOUS, but REALLY NOW.
FLYING OFF TO IRAQ. ALSO NO BIG DEAL.
Peter's first introduction is also hilarious. It is just... so totally misleading. I mean, it's exactly who he's pretending to be, but... so not who he is. He really reminds me of Michael Westen in these scenes, though. And not just because of the sunglasses.
Olivia's total willingness to threaten and bullshit her way through this is just... beautiful. She just does not let anything get in her way - not Broyles' random dickery, not stupid bureacracy, not some stubborn asshole in Iraq, not conventional science, nothing. ♥ ♥ ♥
...Peter. Peter. Did you seriously believe that toothpaste company story, or did you just want to believe? I AM PRETTY SURE TOOTHPASTE COMPANIES DO NOT WORK OUT OF HARVARD.
"They have this horrible pudding here. Butterscotch pudding on Mondays. It's dreadful." "...it's Thursday."
"And call me sweetheart one more time, I'd really like that."
"One phone call, that's all it takes. You want me to make it? 'Cause I've got my phone in my pocket. Now? It's out of my pocket." OH GOD I LOVE HER. (And the sweetheart count is up to three.)
It's shocking how much better Walter's gotten over the past three seasons. Looking back at this episode now, it's just... so strange.
ASTRID. HI ASTRID! ...I might have actually just waved at the screen. Man, I hope she gets more screentime and maybe a small storyline of her own next season. I know it's a lot to ask for, but I want it, and damn it, she deserves it.
"Can you please get some gingerale for the doctor, Agent Farnsworth?" AND WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, ASTRID. Sorry. :\
"There was no file." "I needed you back here." "So that was... what, you were bluffing?" "I was desperate."
And he is just too impressed to be really annoyed. He's not even trying to be annoyed. WHY HELLO THERE, GIANT CRUSH ON OLIVIA.
Pfffft. Peter snapping at Walter while... playing some video game in the background. (As usual, neither of them are listening to Peter. Peter seems already resigned to this fact.) "You know what's great about that is that it's completely insane!"
"John would do it for me." And that is really all she needs. (I love that little hands pressed together in front of her face gesture of hers.)
And Peter is still ranting and... not leaving. He could leave. There's no reason for him not to leave. Except now he cares, however hard he's trying not to.
"I want to drive a tank through William Bell's office." ...that feeling is only going to grow over time, Olivia.
"You've cleared this with Broyles?" "...somewhat."
SUCH A SHAMELESS LIAR. ♥ ♥ ♥
"...is that a cow."
Oh, Charlie, I miss you so much. Alt!Charlie is nice, but I miss this one. He was such a good brotherthing to Olivia. :C
Man, the scenes in the tank got so much more coherent over time. This one is both incoherent and incredibly creepy. The kayak floating through the air, the small children laughing in the background, that brief flash to the cemetary, to the stormy desert, to the tile floor from the FBI in the desert...
OLIVIA, DID YOU JUST DRIVE FOUR HOURS TO NEW YORK? AREN'T YOU UNDER SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS NOW? ...okay, to be fair, she could've taken a plane. I know she does sometimes. But that's still over an hour both ways, and then there's the time in the airport, the time getting to and from the airport...
MY POINT IS, BOSTON IS NOT JUST A SUBURB OF NEW YORK. IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SOME DISTANCE AWAY. I have no objection to Nina being on screen as much as possible, because she's awesome, but I just don't think the constant trips to New York make sense in certain episodes (i.e. thos ein which time is a factor) when, y'know, phones exist.
"I'm cleared to know whatever you're cleared to know, Ms. Sharp."
I love that she's never been able to bullshit Nina, when most people either buy it (Peter) or know it's bullshit but let it pass (Charlie). And that extends all the way to S3, when Nina picks up in less than five minutes what most of the team still hasn't noticed.
And Olivia just jumps right off a fucking roof. Twice. She is a little crazy in the best way.
Peter, going in to help with the interrogation. Yeeep. He doesn't care at all. And Olivia... despite her protesting, does not actually stop Peter from breaking the guy's hand. She could, if she really wanted. And she doesn't.
And Peter, jumping into the actual problem-solving. He likes to pretend he's not his father's son, but God, he is. So much.
OH, ARE WE DONE BEING A JERK NOW, BROYLES? OKAY THEN. ...well, okay, no, he's still being a jerk. Just slightly less of one.
Once again, Olivia is happy. Horrible things must be coming soon. :C
And the second he says "I was threatened by a guy from your office", her whole expression and body language changes. She knows already. She's trying very hard not to know, but she does. All the tape really is is confirmation.
LOL, WHAT IS THIS MUSIC. Actually, the music does ridiculous things every now and then for most of the first season, at least. I don't know if it stops around S2, or if I just stopped noticing it...
"Ask yourself why. Why Broyles sent you to the storage facility. Why you?"
Does that mean Broyles knew who - what - Olivia is? About the Cortexiphan trials, and her and Walter and all? I mean, he could have, through Nina, but... if he did know, wouldn't it have come up at some point? (Then again, they drop so many plot threads this season, this could just be one more...)
I love that shot of her crying in the back of the ambulance. Love. Even as it, y'know, breaks my heart. It just looks and feels so real, trying not to break down and totally failing.
Oh, Charlie. Olivia is not even there, never mind actually listening, and he's just... trying to keep her from totally breaking with reality and dflkdjfldkjfd :C
I love how when Olivia wants something and is sure someone's going to tell her no, she just kind of... explodes words and keeps going and going and going so the person she's talking to can't tell her no. Usually she keeps going well past the point where she's already won the argument, and it's adorable.
Olivia has the best smiles. BEST.
They're just my thoughts as I watch, and they will contain spoilers. Possibly for all aired episodes. If you have never watched Fringe and want to get caught up for the next season,
newredshoes' How to get hooked on Fringe in about 10 hours is excellent. It only goes to the end of S2, so you are on your own for S3, but it's an excellent starting place if JJ Abrams' plotting terrifies you (and there is nothing wrong with being scared of that).
Fringe 1x01 "Pilot"
LESSON NUMBER ONE: DO NOT TRAVEL BY PLANE IN FRINGEVERSE. EVER.
When I was first convincing Jae to watch the show, I mostly sold her on the awesomeness of Olivia. Which is really all the selling point necessary, but I feel I left her unprepared for Fringe... being Fringe. "Oh yeah, probably should've mentioned the face-melting, huh?"
I have no interest in John whatever, but Olivia is just so cute when she's happy. I mean, sure, she's not allowed to be happy for very long, to the point where I get twitchy when she starts smiling adorably because something horrible is bound to happen soon... but that little smile right after he tells her he loves her is the most adorable thing.
CHARLIE, WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE SHOUTING IN THIS SCENE? ...maybe he has bronchitis.
Oh, Broyles. Your characterization in this first episode. Just... *Shakes head* I'm so glad he got better, or I'd be flailing in rage and shouting at him to die in a fire every time he was on screen.
I like that Charlie snaps his fingers to get attention. And that face he makes after Broyles calls Olivia "honey".
I always wonder if that flickering light after the explosion was Olivia. I mean. It could very well be because there was just a fucking explosion, but there's also no reason it couldn't be Olivia, when she's under that kind of stress, and... anyway, it's a nice touch.
Olivia's little pause to calm down before she approaches Broyles, just... ♥ ♥ ♥
...I love how she manages to make "rumors of Dr. Bishop using humans as guinea pigs" sound like NO BIG DEAL.
"SOME OF THE MOST TERRIFYING TERROR." ...did no one stop to think "hey, this line is kind of ridiculous" at any point while making this episode? I mean, I'm kind of glad they didn't, because that line is HILARIOUS, but REALLY NOW.
FLYING OFF TO IRAQ. ALSO NO BIG DEAL.
Peter's first introduction is also hilarious. It is just... so totally misleading. I mean, it's exactly who he's pretending to be, but... so not who he is. He really reminds me of Michael Westen in these scenes, though. And not just because of the sunglasses.
Olivia's total willingness to threaten and bullshit her way through this is just... beautiful. She just does not let anything get in her way - not Broyles' random dickery, not stupid bureacracy, not some stubborn asshole in Iraq, not conventional science, nothing. ♥ ♥ ♥
...Peter. Peter. Did you seriously believe that toothpaste company story, or did you just want to believe? I AM PRETTY SURE TOOTHPASTE COMPANIES DO NOT WORK OUT OF HARVARD.
"They have this horrible pudding here. Butterscotch pudding on Mondays. It's dreadful." "...it's Thursday."
"And call me sweetheart one more time, I'd really like that."
"One phone call, that's all it takes. You want me to make it? 'Cause I've got my phone in my pocket. Now? It's out of my pocket." OH GOD I LOVE HER. (And the sweetheart count is up to three.)
It's shocking how much better Walter's gotten over the past three seasons. Looking back at this episode now, it's just... so strange.
ASTRID. HI ASTRID! ...I might have actually just waved at the screen. Man, I hope she gets more screentime and maybe a small storyline of her own next season. I know it's a lot to ask for, but I want it, and damn it, she deserves it.
"Can you please get some gingerale for the doctor, Agent Farnsworth?" AND WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, ASTRID. Sorry. :\
"There was no file." "I needed you back here." "So that was... what, you were bluffing?" "I was desperate."
And he is just too impressed to be really annoyed. He's not even trying to be annoyed. WHY HELLO THERE, GIANT CRUSH ON OLIVIA.
Pfffft. Peter snapping at Walter while... playing some video game in the background. (As usual, neither of them are listening to Peter. Peter seems already resigned to this fact.) "You know what's great about that is that it's completely insane!"
"John would do it for me." And that is really all she needs. (I love that little hands pressed together in front of her face gesture of hers.)
And Peter is still ranting and... not leaving. He could leave. There's no reason for him not to leave. Except now he cares, however hard he's trying not to.
"I want to drive a tank through William Bell's office." ...that feeling is only going to grow over time, Olivia.
"You've cleared this with Broyles?" "...somewhat."
SUCH A SHAMELESS LIAR. ♥ ♥ ♥
"...is that a cow."
Oh, Charlie, I miss you so much. Alt!Charlie is nice, but I miss this one. He was such a good brotherthing to Olivia. :C
Man, the scenes in the tank got so much more coherent over time. This one is both incoherent and incredibly creepy. The kayak floating through the air, the small children laughing in the background, that brief flash to the cemetary, to the stormy desert, to the tile floor from the FBI in the desert...
OLIVIA, DID YOU JUST DRIVE FOUR HOURS TO NEW YORK? AREN'T YOU UNDER SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS NOW? ...okay, to be fair, she could've taken a plane. I know she does sometimes. But that's still over an hour both ways, and then there's the time in the airport, the time getting to and from the airport...
MY POINT IS, BOSTON IS NOT JUST A SUBURB OF NEW YORK. IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SOME DISTANCE AWAY. I have no objection to Nina being on screen as much as possible, because she's awesome, but I just don't think the constant trips to New York make sense in certain episodes (i.e. thos ein which time is a factor) when, y'know, phones exist.
"I'm cleared to know whatever you're cleared to know, Ms. Sharp."
I love that she's never been able to bullshit Nina, when most people either buy it (Peter) or know it's bullshit but let it pass (Charlie). And that extends all the way to S3, when Nina picks up in less than five minutes what most of the team still hasn't noticed.
And Olivia just jumps right off a fucking roof. Twice. She is a little crazy in the best way.
Peter, going in to help with the interrogation. Yeeep. He doesn't care at all. And Olivia... despite her protesting, does not actually stop Peter from breaking the guy's hand. She could, if she really wanted. And she doesn't.
And Peter, jumping into the actual problem-solving. He likes to pretend he's not his father's son, but God, he is. So much.
OH, ARE WE DONE BEING A JERK NOW, BROYLES? OKAY THEN. ...well, okay, no, he's still being a jerk. Just slightly less of one.
Once again, Olivia is happy. Horrible things must be coming soon. :C
And the second he says "I was threatened by a guy from your office", her whole expression and body language changes. She knows already. She's trying very hard not to know, but she does. All the tape really is is confirmation.
LOL, WHAT IS THIS MUSIC. Actually, the music does ridiculous things every now and then for most of the first season, at least. I don't know if it stops around S2, or if I just stopped noticing it...
"Ask yourself why. Why Broyles sent you to the storage facility. Why you?"
Does that mean Broyles knew who - what - Olivia is? About the Cortexiphan trials, and her and Walter and all? I mean, he could have, through Nina, but... if he did know, wouldn't it have come up at some point? (Then again, they drop so many plot threads this season, this could just be one more...)
I love that shot of her crying in the back of the ambulance. Love. Even as it, y'know, breaks my heart. It just looks and feels so real, trying not to break down and totally failing.
Oh, Charlie. Olivia is not even there, never mind actually listening, and he's just... trying to keep her from totally breaking with reality and dflkdjfldkjfd :C
I love how when Olivia wants something and is sure someone's going to tell her no, she just kind of... explodes words and keeps going and going and going so the person she's talking to can't tell her no. Usually she keeps going well past the point where she's already won the argument, and it's adorable.
Olivia has the best smiles. BEST.