Fringe: Who Watches the Watchmen?

Fringe's first really solid episode last year was its fourth. It was called "The Arrival," and marked the first real appearance of the entity known as "The Observer," who shows up to watch all the weird stuff that goes down in the Fringe universe.

 And eventually, we came to learn to things: 1. There are several Observers. 2. The episodes involving them -- beyond just spotting a bald guy in a crowd shot -- tend to be pretty good.

 Yet an episode that was pretty much all about the Observers, wasn't quite the event I was expecting.

 Rather "August," (the name of the Observer at the center of tonight's story) was a pretty standard chase story with a quietly affecting ending. There were no huge additions to the show's mythology, other than the revelation that the Observers have been doing their thing throughout history, popping up at different histortic events like a bunch of time traveling Zeligs.

 The chase part was kind of dull (that bulky assassin just wasn't as menacing as the show wanted us to find him), but I found myself pretty moved by August's eleventh hour realization that he was protecting Jennifer not because she had an important role to play in some momentous future event, but because he loved her. A nice quiet moment, at the end of an episode that I'd been hoping would have a bit more zing.

 Other thoughts:

• One of the Observers looked a lot like that actor Daniel Benzali, who has the right look, but clearly the wrong voice to play one of these guys.
• I can't get the imagined taste of Walter's cough syrup milkshake out of my head.
• Once again, the decision to give Olivia a family proves fruitful. Her and her niece's trip was a small part of the show, but it served to humanize her, which is always helpful.

 Tom Coombe

Comments

[Mr. Whirly]

I was expecting a lot more out of this episode than “The observer with the heart of gold.” Yet I continue to watch Fringe because it is smarter than most anything on TV and serves as a placebo until Lost’s Groundhog Day premiere. Coincidence? That episode should start with an alarm clock going off to the music of Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe.”
I find that Walter is the only character that I really care about. Yet I keep watching. That’s the scifi nerd in me.
As a Bostonian, I love the skyline shots of my fair city and pointing out the errors in geography. Last night, however, reaffirmed their betrayal to Boston. As they road up the hill of the roller coaster, a giant Canadian flag was flying in the background. I’m glad Fringe doesn’t want to employ gaffers and key grips in Boston (as opposed to Vancouver.)

[Tom Coombe]

Oh, Walter is easily the show's most likable character, and he plays well off Peter.

Feb 2 is me and my girlfriend's anniversary, so I tend not to think of that day as Groundhog Day. Thanks for the connection!

[Chris Casey]

I am still around Tom, and I really like Fringe.
Love the idea of Lost premiering on Groundhog Day, all we need is Bill Murray doing a cameo on a sattelite feed as a weatherman! I had high hopes for Flash forward and the new V, but both have tanked.
So we are all back to anxiously awaiting Lost.

Food for thought: Discussion in last few weeks centered around Milton's "paradise Lost" and comparison to Juliet sacrificing herself in the fiery pit of hell.

Also if you remember the movie "groundhog Day" Bill Murray killed himself many times. Would it not be killer to have Juliet wake up on the beach in the opening scene back where her and Sawyer were after the island originally moved?

Too bad she is on V, but I here she has scenes in this season.