Finally.

After what was months of meandering and mostly forgettable storytelling, Fringe returns to the overall story arc established back in the first season with “Jacksonville” — an episode which goes a long way to move the plot forward in new (and ominous) directions. There’s even some solid character interaction at work here. For the most part, this is a strong episode. But there are some issues with pacing, as well as a lackluster conflict to the episode. Along with the very long hiatus between this episode and prior “mythology” installments, the events do not connect quite as strongly as they ought to. The result is a classic Fringe episode, but one that is not without its flaws.

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“The Bishop Revival” is more of the same from Fringe. It’s an episode that, almost entirely, takes very little chances, staying close to the familiar formula that the series has concocted thus far: Quirky science murder-mystery, Walter-isms, some character work, and a tidy ending which has little to no bearing on the overall arc of the series. I think I understand the purpose for all of these standalone episodes: it makes it easier for people to hop onboard without having to wade through too much backstory to get caught up. But the series has been treading water for too long and an episode such as this is the perfect example of why Fringe needs to kick its legs and either head for shore, or off into the deep end. Either choice would be more interesting than this week’s episode.

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“When you open new doors, there is a price to pay.”

“What Lies Below” is your quintessentially average episode of Fringe. Bizarre-and-deadly threat? Check. Fun and funny character moments? Yup. Suspenseful finish? Of course. Walter-isms? Oh yeah. But does it have anything else? Anything to separate it from the rest of the Fringe episodes out there? Not quite. Sure, there are a couple of decent scenes tucked into the episode. But there just isn’t enough to give this episode any real credit.

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“Johari Window” is a fascinating episode if only for the manner with which its thoroughly predictable plot plays out. What’s key here is execution. The story itself hardly merits credit … at least in terms of mystery. But it succeeds on the criteria that matter most: character and theme: the humanity of the story. I must confess, the episode manages to be quite successful, almost in spite of itself.

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“Unearthed” is an episode filmed during the first season of Fringe, but aired in the midst of its second season as a special “teaser” for the series. In many ways, it presents the perfect opportunity for such an outing — focusing on how the characters relate to a purely standalone story. The story itself is hardly interesting or compelling. But, of course, this episode is more about how the characters act, and react, to the mystery than the mystery itself. With that in mind, the episode is successful, even if it isn’t quite a classic. Still, for what it sets out to be, “Unearthed,” manages to be a competently constructed, if somewhat forgettable episode — thanks to its focus on character.

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What I like best about this “Grey Matters” is its focus on Walter. It’s an episode about deconstruction — and reconstruction. More than anything, though, it’s about relationships. Despite the crazy science necessary to explain how the story is possible, and despite the relatively slow build-up, what matters most is character. The strength of Fringe has always rested on its three primary characters. And this is an episode that takes full advantage of those characters while fully advancing the perilous “mythology” of the primary story line.

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“Snakehead” is an episode almost entirely devoid of interest, let alone worth. But for a handful of scenes, it’d be utterly forgettable. Fortunately, there are just enough interesting character moments to make it slightly better than terrible. It’s hardly an average episode, though, with far too much time spent on a storyline that is entirely without any real intrigue or drama. Put simply, 90% of the episode is an exercise in pedestrian storytelling. The result is an installment that, despite a few scenes of interest is, otherwise, entirely insignificant.

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All in the name of love.

It’s good to see a story built (and built so well) around pure, irrational emotion. That is precisely what we see from ”August,” an episode of Fringe whose very premise is how love can lead us to paths which, to everyone else, may seem extreme, irrational, or even a bit like a betrayal. Just as important as the premise, is the means by which the story unfolds. And while, initially, it seems to be a rather typical mystery tale, the episode ultimately proves to be something quite special.

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“You may die a gruesome and horrible death.
Thank you for your attention and have a nice day.”

For all its bluster, “Of Human Action” is one of the most misguided episodes of Fringe to date. The episode never really finds a specific focus – instead, it repeatedly shifts from such common memes as kidnapping to teen angst to conspiracy theories – without ever finding a truly overarching concept to tie it altogether. Worse still, what little character development there is to this episode is relegated to the final few scenes … essentially rendering the vast majority of the episode irrelevant. Put simply, this is the worst episode of Fringe to date.

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Even when you factor in its heavy X-Files influence, “Earthling” is a very solid standalone episode of Fringe. While the story itself may not be especially original, the strength of the episode is in the execution of the story – proving that, even if the story itself isn’t great, if you tell the story well, it’ll still be entertaining. And that is the case here. True, there’s very little value to the story as a whole, but this installment is filled with enough conspiracy, mystery and suspense to make it a worthwhile hour-long distraction.

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“Dream Logic” is a good episode for what it sets out to be – a more-or-less standalone installment which carries forward the main series arcs as subplots, rather than as a major focus. What helps is a combination of a singularly interesting mystery and a solid focus on character and consequences. Make no mistake, while this is a “Freak of the week” story, it does a very good job of integrating many of the more important and profound ideas that the series has been developing. The result is an episode that, while not as good as the best that Fringe has to offer, is nonetheless entertaining and insightful.

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“Momentum Deferred” is a thrilling, momentous episode of Fringe. After a couple of episodes which danced around the larger issues at stake for the series, this installment dives headfirst into the murky waters of its over-arching plot and character issues. The result is easily one of the most entertaining – if not most accessible – episode of the series to date. From start to finish, it’s filled with character and plot revelations which have will have profound, and lasting, effects on the series as a whole. The result is an episode which puts the series back on track to become something truly remarkable and memorable.

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Since when did Fringe become Knight Rider 2008?

I jest … but only slightly. Peter is the new Michael Knight – an Iraq-war vet, with mysterious connections. Our heroes are dedicated to solving the “Problem of the Week” orchestrated by an army officer, bent on causing death, destruction, mayhem and all manner of nastiness — but for good reasons, so he says. There’s no car, but there are, of course, the high-tech toys which our heroes use to foil the bad guy. To be fair,  Fringe is a much better conceived and constructed series, allowing for an episode which is at once more mature and more compelling. But the similarities are real – and, to be honest, a bit disconcerting. Fringe simply does not want to go down the same road that led Knight Rider to mediocrity and obscurity. And as entertaining as this episode is, the warning signs are clear – this series needs to alter course.

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Pedestrian.

Ultimately, “Night of Desirable Objects” is an anti-climactic, relatively unimaginative follow-up to the decidedly successful Season Two premier of Fringe. Instead of building on the momentum of Olivia’s experiences, of the deadly web of conspiracies and marshalling forces of darkness, Fringe essentially reverts to its early Season One form of giving audiences a “monster of the week” plot, with only incidental attention paid to the bigger picture of the series. I suppose the decision itself wouldn’t have been so problematic had the “monster” been something of particular interest. But after nine seasons of The X-Files and one full season of Fringe, watching this particular plot feels a bit like being buried alive.

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Smashing.

The second season of Fringe kicks off in typical Fringe-fashion with a bizarre plot-twist and a thoroughly baffling mystery (at least to the characters) that must be solved. But its strengths rest with the character-driven focus of the narrative. What’s immediately noticeable, though, is that the series is much more comfortable and at ease at letting its freak flag fly. There’s no longer any attempt at a technobabble explanation for the “fringe” science at work. Instead, the episode focuses more on how the characters act, and react, to the bizarre occurrences – a trait that, if continued, bodes well for the second season.

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