"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

Fringe was stupid.
September 09, 2008 - 8:48 pm

Let me count the ways the show, which I was quite looking forward to is utterly crap:

1) The plane lands itself? I said to myself.. I really doubt this is possible, but sure.. I'll go with it. They need the plane on the ground to further the plot. In a way, it makes sense. Let some person control the plane via the ground -- an expert in landing at the local airport much like boats have harbor pilots.

2) There's an insane scientist she just happens to find -- culling through lord knows how many mountains of data and whatnot to find. It's not like 'fringe' science is tracked in the latest issues of well.. anything.

Not only that.. she tracks down the genius son in Iraq.

3) The names of places. That really started to bother me.. how they hung about long after they were needed.

4) I said... as she bluffed the genius son, there's no file. She's totally making it up.

I turned off the show when she later admitted this... and said the people looking for him were basically mobster. He really thought a federal agency was keeping track of his gambling debts and would tip off the mob that he was in Iraq -- and presumably, that the mob would the go to Iraq and kill him -- if he didn't take the lady to see his insane dad?

5) The insane dad... is just sane enough to cure (I assume this happens since I stopped watching) her partner and lover.

6) Harvard kept the rather large lab area not only unused for however many years it was (20? 30? I forget) the insane doc was in the hospital.. they left all his equipment. At least all the things he needs to cure the sick guy.

7) I can't wait till PETA hears that cows are ethical test subjects -- I believe that was the term used. Hindus won't like that either. In my mind, any subject who can knowingly agree to the test isn't an ethical test subject.. but that's beside the point. Something has to be tested.. ethical or not.

8) With the revelation that the sick guy has 24 hours to live... the insane doc goes on to say without knowing the exact compounds he can't create the cure.. and of course.. the only way to get the info to find out what the compounds are... is to do the primitive equivalent of a Vulcan mind meld. Wtf?

So... let's say this works. Let's say it's possible.. again, let's role with the premise of the show just like the self-landing plane.

She gets every bit of detail... and then either finds the guy who ran off and gets him to tell her all the stuff they need to know.. and the insane doctor creates the cure... all within 24 hours.

Er....

9) Did I mention that the insane doc has no helpers? Well, I suppose his son is helping.. but they are really in the lab at Harvard alone... doing rather stunning science -- I mean, not many people can just create a cure in less than a day.

10) Do I really need a ten?

In a way.. I'm sorry I didn't watch the end so I can't list a proper 10.. and no doubt 11, 12 and 13. 13 would be a good number to end list about a show like Fringe on, don't you think?

11) The whole animosity with the lead agent guy.. was... uhm... dumb. Pointless, unneeded conflict.

12) Why was she making lovey eyes at the genius son? Just playing him to get him to help... or falling for him? Perhaps the partner does die.. and the genius son becomes the new love interest. Pretty cold consider the short time her recently admitted "I love you" buddy has been... well dying.

13) Ha! I made it to 13.. well.. sort of. Just how quickly was she back on her feet after the explosion? Pretty damn fast with no lingering effects. They should study her.