Watching Sitcoms

My second look at Fringe didn’t make me any happier than the first. I really want to love it, but somehow it falls a little short for me. It may be the leads. I’m still not into the snarky Pacey (and don’t bother to tell me, cause I just don’t care, what his name is on the show), or the zany professor, or the confused and tortured female lead.

It’s not that I hate them, I’m just not in love with any one. I think after two episodes, two and half hours of television, I should at least like one of them. Even just a little bit. But I’m kinda eh about them.

I read that the eps would all be stand alone (and not one continuously running loop of confusion like Lost) but, of course, there would be longer story arcs over the course of the season. I’m assuming the long-term stuff is about Massive Dynamic and why they want to kill everyone. Or whatever.

I’m still not sure I completely understood what this ep was about exactly. Well, alright, I mean I know what happened - years ago the wacky professor (um, Walter?) and his partners (he seems to have had lots of those) created people in test tubes who grew to adulthood rapidly, a governement project for the army. (Where have I heard this story before? Seriously, I know this.) One of these, let’s call them tubers, is still alive because his Dr. Frankenstein loves him like a son, so now he has to capture and kill people, well, actually, torture them to death removing their pituitary gland while they are still alive, so that he can live.

And apparently, if he has sex the result is an immediate pregnancy that then goes to full term and delivers a baby that’s an old full grown man. *sigh*

I just don’t get the point of it all. Is that supposed to be edgy? Scary? Make me afraid that there are people out there right now wanting to steal my pituitary gland or impregnate me with their demon master’s seed? (Wait, that was an episode of Angel.) But do you get my point?

If this show is supposed to be real people fighting the real, but weird and supernatural, it should be a tad more believable. I mean I could believe a virus on a plane that kills everyone. Its just a step from other kinds of terrorism, and definitely makes me wanna stay on the ground. But this other thing was weird without really linking back to reality in a way that was relatable. At least for me.

Fringe, I’m begging you, get better. Make me like the characters and believe the storylines. Cause listen, dude, you’re on FOX and they don’t give too many chances.