On the ‘Fringe’: Press Screening Thoughts
On Thursday, Fox screened the pilot episode of its forthcoming FBI paranormal chiller Fringe for assorted industry folk, and E! was there.
What follows is some scoop from the subsequent report. Keep in mind that the lucky people invited to the screening (none of whom were yours truly) were forbidden to discuss the exact plot and other overly spoilery details. If you want to watch Fringe completely cold, though, I suggest not reading further.
Okay, for those still here:
Fringe is basically about numerous crimes with a paranormal bent that seem to be the work of a proverbial “evil genius.” As a result, lead character Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) needs to collaborate with another imprisoned evil genius, John Noble’s Dr. Walter Bishop, à la Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.
It’s not all “been there, seen that,” however, because a catch is involved. Bishop is crazy as crazy gets, forcing Olivia to rely on the only person with insight into his weird ramblings, the prisoner’s son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson). A group of required professionals are then formed into an ace team to combat the evil genius on the loose.
The story begins for Dunham when a transatlantic flight arrives at Boston’s Logan International Airport with everyone aboard mysteriously transformed into heaps of melted goo. Dunham is put on the case because her boss is — how do I put this eloquently? — an ass and they don’t get along. I’m sure many viewers will be able to relate. The annoying situation eventually becomes even more annoying because it ultimately sets Dunham on the path of the elusive evil genius who’s not already in jail.
E! believes anyone who liked the Alias and/or Lost pilots (count me in!) will experience similar good feelings while watching Fringe’s due to the latter’s comparable quality. The new show even contains hints of The X-Files, which should be obvious as soon as anyone hears “FBI” and “paranormal” in the same synopsis. E! also singles out Torv for giving her character depth and Jackson for making his damn funny.
That’s the important, juicy stuff I took away from the E! report. If you want more of the goods — and there’s plenty — check out the original article.
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