SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Possibly the best representative of the sci-fi genre Fringe is a show that combines nearly all aspects of sci-fi, religion ect to the point it is easily understandable. The show touches subjects such as mutation, advanced molecular engineering, cloning, and cyber robotics. However instead of just coming up with a random explantaion for these phenomena, the directors and writers of it (the same ones from Transformers) use actual scientific explanations with facts and examples to explain. The way it describes these matters make it seem completely feasible and possible if one were to work at it hard enough. The series is currently in the second season and for anyone that loves reasonable/good humored sci-fi shows I highly suggest you watch this. Though I realize I make it sound like a documentary it is anything but. It is a very entertaining and addicting program not unlike Doctor Who and Criminal Minds put together. I hope that someone will watch it and tell me what they think. It is on thursdays around 8 or 9 pm I believe. Then again im in Florida and not that familiar with time zone so im not sure when it would be on in any of your areas. As I said please comment if you've seen it or are interested in it.

((my profile is from the show. What do you see?))

I've been watching Fringe since it started, and I do enjoy it. I was a bit lukewarm about Olivia, but she's grown on me. A lot of the best bits are between Walter and Peter, though. Also, I think they need to use Agent Broils more often. He's just too cool.

It's a little weird how they handle the parallel universe, though - the way that they focus on it heavily for a few episodes, and then it becomes 'case of the week', and then they get back to it. It's like "well, we'll just put that whole 'end of the world thing' on the backburner for awhile". I don't think I'd want them to focus solely on it, but it would be kind of cool if they could tie in some of the CotW with it a bit more.

Anyway, as with most shows of the type, it gets a bit formulaic from time to time, but it's the characters which make it most interesting, for me.

I LOVE Fringe! The characters are appealing the stories are entertaining, if you like far-fetched, and the main plot is really great: People from a parallel dimension Earth are trying to invade our Earth for reasons as yet unknown...

The stories all follow the same pattern: Somebody dies an extremely gruesome death, the team investigates, it turns out Walter had something to do with it, somebody we like almost dies and Walter finds a cure/solution/weapon that saves the day. Usually we get some tidbit of information that supports the main thread along the way too. I'm OK with this because Walter makes the show for me. You can tell they're all having fun with this show but John Noble really relishes his turn as Walter and it shows.

My main complaint about Fringe is that the writers seem content to write "filler" episodes that have nothing to do with the main story line. It used to be every other show was a filler... I guess to stretch out the season, which is fine, they're entertaining diversions. Lately it seems they have abandoned the main plot completely even though the fate of our world is hanging in the balance from like 5 episodes back. They're not even dolling out clues anymore. I wish they'd get back on the main thread again.

Still worth a watch if you've not seen it. There are many episodes on Hulu if you want to catch up.

I've been looking at picking up the first season on DVD, but, sadly, so far it almost seems like they're going for a Star Trek-esque sales platform (as in, crazy expensive, all the time!)

I really enjoy the show, though.

The actor for Bell SOLD me on the series ;)

I fell in love with Fringe long before the Bell reveal. I habitually watch and am anxious for more about this parallel universe. I've had my theories for a long time and it's scary how some came true.

What I do like are the lil clues in each episode that marks what the next one is about.

Check out fringepedia for those!