there's a pattern emerging

[freckles_and_doubt]

Oh, dear, I've discovered Fringe. I'm beginning to think that a misspent youth dallying with Sayers, Allingham and Marsh has actually imprinted me heavily on the investigative genre: give me detectives, private eyes, FBI agents, I'm happy. (Memo to self, break out Castle). From quite another angle, also give me grandiose paranormal paranoid conspiracy theories and I'm ecstatic. This means that I intersect with J J Abrams far more than is probably healthy, insofar as I have a completely unrepentant addiction to Alias, although mercifully I never bought into Lost. So far Fringe isn't throwing aliens around, but otherwise it's an unashamed X-Files rip-off; my happy triumvirate of pseudo-scientific paranormal investigation is now (a) X-Files, (b) Fringe, and (c) Shadow Unit. (Supernatural, Buffy/Angel and The Middleman, of course, fill the equal and opposite mystical paranormal investigation slots).

Fringe isn't brilliant, and it certainly isn't original, but it's kinda cute. Points in its favour: Joshua Jackson (endearing), Denethor (John Noble does a good mad), nice line in mystic mumbo-jumbo ("the Pattern"). Points not in its favour: predictable, done, occasionally icky (I'm not big on exploding heads) and six episodes in the bad guys seem prone to repetition. I'm also not madly taking to the slightly brittle female lead, although I'm willing to concede she has pretty hair. Bonus points: cow in the basement lab, tendency to one-liners, occasional outbreaks of piano-playing. Also, the bogus science is entertainingly bogus, but actually pays slightly more lip-service to rational logic than poor old Spooky ever did.

I'm finding myself wondering, though. These paranoid-conspiracy-pandering TV shows seem to generate enough of an audience to engender new variations every few years. Do you think this is because people actually want to believe this stuff? Because, eeeuw. As a Sturdy Rationalist I classify both detective fiction and paranormal-conspiracy firmly under "fantasy", the former because of its narrative structure, the latter because of its content. I like fantasy. I like it because it's fantastic. The world doesn't work like that, but it's fun to imagine what it would be like if it did. I'm hoping the audience for these shows enjoys them as hokum in the same way that I do, rather than leaping up to shout "I knew it!" every ten minutes. However, I look at the human tendency to latch onto the pure hokum disseminated by the religious right, tabloid reporting, advertising, corporate spin doctors and random passers-by, and I'm not sanguine.

Further fascinating thought for the day: do you think that if we strapped J J Abrams and Russell Davies down in a basement lab somewhere and scientifically crossed each of them individually with stolen DNA from Stephen Moffat, we'd get interesting stories that actually held together instead of falling apart at the moment of narrative crux? I can't help thinking it might be worth a try.

Comments

[dicedcaret.livejournal.com]

Fringe fan here, and yes, the very watchable Anna Torv's hair is one reason :>

There are some great episodes, and the season 1 finale is a cracker. There's the occasional lame episode to get through, but on the whole it's marvellous entertainment. Agent Dunham may appear brittle but cut her a little slack - the whole thing with her fiance is a serious headfuck. I'll stop now before I give anything away. Shout if you're interested in Season 2 .avi files acquired by my dodgy workmates.

My feeling is that Fringe fits clearly in the fantasy category. IMHO it seems too fantastical to appeal to the conspiracy nuts. But then again, as you said, some people are happy to believe anything! I really hope that Fringe doesn't get dragged out like they did with Lost.

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Actually, Agent Brittle is growing on me a bit, I like her better now than I did three episodes ago. I have also found the Secret of Watching Fringe: don't do it while you're eating.

I'm not even halfway through Season 1, but will definitely remember your kind and dodgy offer when the end is nigh.

[dicedcaret.livejournal.com]

I have also found the Secret of Watching Fringe: don't do it while you're eating.

Heehee... One of the running gags is Walter's cravings for sweet things while he's busy dissecting something particularly revolting. John Noble has raised acting-with-food to some new level. For me, that Denethor scene of him stuffing his face while tragedy unfolds is still the most chilling of the entire 10+ hours.

Fringe ftw!!

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

We love Fringe, it's completely addictive (bad science and all). It's a bit like Mills and Boon for science/conspiracy/paranormal geeks. I want to marry Walter Bishop (or possibly be him, not sure). Wait until the end of the season, you will squee!!

Olivia and her fiancee are married in real life. Also, he's a knitter :).

Re: Fringe ftw!!

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Where the hell did you get the knitting thing from? Google refuses to associate his name with knitting. You made it up. Ravelry made it up. Go on, admit it! darned obsessive knitters, mutter...

Re: Fringe ftw!!

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

Would I lie to you?

Srsly, several knitters in Canadia and the US have spotted him buying yarn. And it was definitely for him as he had very technical knitterly conversations with the shop people.

[khoi-boi.livejournal.com]

Is that...Pacey from Dawson's Creek?

Wait, did I just out myself as watching Dawson's Creek?

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

I am led to believe by Teh Internets that that is, indeed, Pacey from Dawson's Creek (mainly, because Go Fug Yourself insists on referring to the actor as Pacey at all times). I have never, in fact, watched Dawson's Creek.

Then again, I still can't help thinking of Joshua Jackson as Joshua Jackson RIP, owing to the extended Pajiba in-joke, so it's entirely possible I spend entirely too much time on the internet.

Pacey!

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

I still call him Pacey, even when referring to Fringe.