tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post1492920168632618375..comments2024-03-28T14:49:36.133-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: TV REVIEW: Fringe (pilot)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-48212364513219740222012-02-20T09:21:41.624-05:002012-02-20T09:21:41.624-05:00So essentially, there can never be another show th...So essentially, there can never be another show that features the paranormal, conspiracies, and a male/female duo? I mean, if that is the case, just say so. This certainly was the case with 'Nightstalker'. Is it hubris to try? Is it the height of arrogance for Abrams to attempt a series with this subject matter? I mean when this show was just a rumor, it was derided as a X-Files knockoff. I am just spit-balling here, but it would be my guess that Abrams has heard of the Chris Carter classic, and that he plans on offering a different trajectory for 'Fringe'. Just my guess.<br /><br />I get it, I do, The X-Files is my 2nd favorite tv series of all time, right behind TZ. I loved the X-Files, the execution was flawless! But I also appreciate the genre too. And in a time when every other show is trying to be CSI-lite, or a derivative of Friends or a wannabe Seinfeld..... well I welcome, with open arms an attempt at a genre driven series.<br /><br />True, the similarities to the X-Files is inescapable. Some are a necessity, only a US govt agency such as the FBI can make the series "BIG". I suppose they could have been CIA, or NSA or DSS or DEA or anyone of the 20 or so alphabet agencies operating, but everyone knows the F-B-I. 'Nightstalker' tried to navigate this by using a big LA newspaper, well-funded & articulate journalists, but it just did not have the same gravitas. It just seems that the comments are little harsh, after all, it is doubtful that anyone reading this review on JKW's blog was not a fan of the genre and therefore would be a little more receptive.Trenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00419980258148279356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-2914719060413097582008-09-20T17:50:00.000-04:002008-09-20T17:50:00.000-04:00Amen. Once again, your review didn't disappoint. ...Amen. Once again, your review didn't disappoint. Thank you. <BR/><BR/>LindaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-66196762169630376412008-09-12T07:07:00.000-04:002008-09-12T07:07:00.000-04:00Once again, you've done a bang-up job here, John. ...Once again, you've done a bang-up job here, John. Not only in crafting a well thought-out, intelligent and critical review, but in sharing a good chunk of my brain while doing it.<BR/><BR/>I've got a lot of personal issues with J.J. Abrams, but one that isn't personal is that he doesn't seem to have much originality left in him. He has a lot of ambition, but doesn't seem to know what to do with it, and ends up "borrowing" (which is the too-kind term for how blatant this latest offering is) creatively from other, earlier, better projects; sometimes even his own, but usually those of others. He also has a nasty habit of abandoning old projects for shinier, new ones.<BR/><BR/>One thing that always struck me about <I>The X-Files</I>; what made it truly WORK, was that it was entirely organic. The show never forced the attention of the viewer, and the writers were allowed to create naturally. We weren't meant to assume Mulder and Scully would be paired up, it progressed naturally thanks to the unparalleled chemistry of the two leads and writing that focused elsewhere and let the magic happen in the gaps. The mytharc was almost entirely composed on the fly, which allowed ambition and creativity to flourish, rather than weigh things down. <BR/><BR/>These days, television has the weight of expectation on it before it even really gets out of the gate, and the way shows are being produced isn't helping. Abrams is the type of creator who flourishes on those expectations, rather than being limited by them. On the upside (for him), this makes him a pretty solid success, but on the downside, it makes his shows feel awfully stilted and creatively parched to me.<BR/><BR/>All rambling aside, thanks again for another wonderful read. I've been so glad to discover your blog this year.Eleanorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09595003821150027629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-62331984285132181202008-09-11T10:35:00.000-04:002008-09-11T10:35:00.000-04:00Thank you both for your comments on this review. ...Thank you both for your comments on this review. I have to admit, I was hoping for a more promisng pilot than what Fringe delivered.<BR/><BR/>Given all the similarities to The X-Files, from characters, to subject matter, to myth-arc/pattern, I would love to see a coherent counter-argument as to why Fringe isn't a rip-off.<BR/><BR/>I don't think there is one. Which is a bummer. I'd rather have a new show that I love and follow, than one that is stinkeroo.<BR/><BR/>I guess the ratings for the pilot weren't too strong, either...people smelled what this was a mile away.John Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-39333296144852826112008-09-11T00:34:00.000-04:002008-09-11T00:34:00.000-04:00Once again you have summed up my feelings better t...Once again you have summed up my feelings better than I ever could. When I finished watching Fringe, I couldn't help but miss Mulder and Scully. While I'll give Fringe another episode or two, I just don't find myself caring about any of the characters. I was immediately invested in the characters in The X-Files, and that investment meant that I was also invested in the greater mythology. Unless I become more invested in the characters of Fringe, I'm not going to be willing to put in the time to ever care about, let alone try to figure out, "The Pattern".Kate, Dating in LAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14135581355408710756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-24650313198820333532008-09-10T18:09:00.000-04:002008-09-10T18:09:00.000-04:00Thank you so much for this excellent review! It is...Thank you so much for this excellent review! It is well-thought out and a wonderful exposition of the elements that "make the show." I admire your ability to distill things to their basic elements and separate the dynamic from the imitation, demonstrating which concepts make a show appealing and original. <BR/><BR/> While I may try this new show out once in a while to get my paranormal fix, I will never be quite so dedicated as I am to the original sense of wonder, fear, and ultimately the story of hope that was and is the X-Files. The acting and chemistry will likewise never quite be the same as the original. I am not typically a sci-fi fan; I watch mainly law enforcement shows. Only The X-Files has managed to draw me in, frighten me, make me curious about concepts that I have always discounted, and make me feel the pain and joy of two characters who exist only in our minds. Thank you again for saluting those who had the insight and courage to do it first and do it best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com