Fringe

The long-awaited return of The Observer did not disappoint, as the bullet-headed watcher showed up with several other observers in tow. Including one who has tired of simply watching and wants to change the natural order of things.

Will this disruption help Peter, Walter and Agent Dunham learn more about The Observer, or does his appearance signal trouble to come for the Fringe team? Read our recap of "August" and then check out the review below...

What Worked: Neo Observer
When Peter and Olivia slow down the security footage of the kidnapping, we see Artist catching the park ranger's bullets in his bare hands as if he were in The Matrix. All apologies, of course, to the ranger, who we thought was just a terrible shot. While this revelation made the observers and their powers seem even cooler, it really worked well with the end of the episode, where Artist lets himself be shot by Donald. He sacrifices himself to save Christine when he just as easily could have caught the hit man's bullets.

What Also Worked: Walter Bishop, Milkshake Scientist
The secret recipe for the Strawberry Supreme may be the only puzzle Walter cannot solve. If only the proprietors of his favorite, and now closed, ice cream parlor had written the recipe down in observer code, perhaps Walter would have a shot. Instead, he has both his home kitchen and the Harvard lab working overtime trying to concoct the perfect milkshake to mirror the Strawberry Supreme ones he enjoyed at his favorite shop. As Astrid discovers, perhaps French Vanilla ice cream and cough syrup do not a delicious milkshake make.

What Didn't Work: Olivia Dunham, Corporate Shill
Look, we understand the need for commercials. Those shows need to be funded somehow, right? And we're all for in-programming product placement, so long as we're not hit over the head with it.

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Fringe fans might wanna set their DVR for "Save Until I Delete" status for the December 10 episode.

That will most likely mark Leonard Nimoy's final appearance on the Fox hit, as he told TV Guide Magazine this week:

“I agreed to do three episodes; and we’ve filmed all three. Two have aired, so I will be on the air in one more. And that’s the extent of my commitment.”

Nimoy last appeared as Dr. William Bell on the show's October 8 installment, popping up in a flashback scene that further explored Olivia's alternate reality.

He'll show up again on the episode "Grey Matters," as the series flashes back again, but to a different setting.

As John Noble told us earlier this month, the role of The Observers will be featured more prominent as season two of Fringe rolls along.

The actor that plays Walter Bishop wasn't lying.

On Thursday's episode, "August," we'll meet an Observer. As shown in the clip below, so will a woman in Boston...

Remember to return to TV Fanatic soon after each episode ends. We'll recap and review it in detail.

The ratings might be suffering, but the quality of Fringe has never been better.

As fans remain glued to their screens each week, Joshua Jackson sat down with TV.com and previewed what's to come on this Fox drama. He doesn't give away any key spoilers, but he does say...

... future episode will focus on various characters: "The next sequence of episodes reveals big things about the characters they focus on. There Broyles' episode, there's a Walter episode, and there's an observer episode. And they serve to give you insight into the backstory of each of of these characters."

... realities will collide, subtly: "I think it'll be much more cloak-and-dagger, and not some fleet lands on our shores. I definitely think the show is headed in that direction, and that confrontation is the whole purpose behind the show. But I don't think [Fringe] is ever going to be Battlestar Galactica, no full-fledged infantry and shock troops war. Most of it will happen in the back alleys."

Check out our review of the latest Fringe episode now and send in your thoughts on it.

A teenager with the power to control minds can be a very terrible thing, as Peter Bishop finds out firsthand this week.

As Walter and the rest of the team race to save him, will Peter's mind be strong enough to fight off the urges to kill? And is this young man a vicious mutant or the by-product of an evil science experiment? Read our recap of "Of Human Action" for the answers and simply read below for our take on the episode...

What Worked: Walter's Foil: A Tale of Two Fathers
It is apparent from the get-go that Dr. Carson is not going to win father of the year. He claims to not know much about his own son and seems to value his work at Massive Dynamic more than his role as Tyler's dad. Tyler reveals that he is angry at his father. We know that Walter, on the other hand, loves Peter with all his heart. And his brain, too, as the genius, distraught at the idea of losing his son, says he can't function without Peter. Having the cold Dr. Carson serving as Walter's foil helped to drive home the true power of the relationship between the Bishops.

Tin Foil: A Tale of Two Hats
While working on a way to stop Tyler's mind control within the walls of Massive Dynamic, Walter and Astrid don tin foil hats. Agent Dunham, seeing the gear, hopes that they've developed more than simple headgear to stop Tyler. However, Walter points out that the tinfoil is not meant to stop Tyler but Massive Dynamic, which he thinks is trying to steal his thoughts. Hey, we wouldn't put anything past the creepy company.

What Really, Really Worked: A Tale of Two Sons
When faced with the thought of losing Peter to Tyler's mind control, Walter mutters "I can't lose him again." It seems that only Nina Sharp picks up on this, but then again, outside of William Bell and Walter Bishop, there is no one who understands the two alternate universes more than Ms. Sharp. We are left to wonder what the scheming Ms. Sharp will do with this nugget of information.

Communications Upgrade
We've always had a hunch that Nina Sharp is not as benevolent as she seems. She may give the appearance that she is trying to help Agent Dunham, but she also has her own agenda. As the episode ends, we see her communicating with William Bell - via an old-timey computer, a significant upgrade over The Agent Formerly Known As Charlie Francis's typewriter - and letting him know that their mind control experiments were a complete success. We are left to wonder just what Nina Sharp is: friend or foe.

Among our favorite Fringe quotes from the episode:

Walter: All commands will come through the headphones. Once you're given the order to put on the headphones, do not remove them under any circumstances. If you do, you may die a gruesome and horrible death. Thank you for your attention and have a nice day. | permalink

Walter: This is exciting. You think the FBI will ever give me a gun? | permalink

Astrid: Chicken. You serious?
Walter: Just a hypothesis. What do you think, more like pork?
Astrid: Truthfully, I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about what human brains would taste like.
Walter: Then why did you ask? | permalink

A battle has been brewing on Fringe all season long.

It's more than just good vs. evil. It's "over here" vs. "over there," as alternative realities will eventually collide. What will happen then? Let's find out from Lance Reddick, who plays Broyles and who spoke to TV Guide this week.

A few excerpts from the interview:

When will the realities meet? The truth is, I don't really know what it's going to look like. I can say that we're going to see more of the Observer and find out more about him or them. The episode with Charlie was a great precursor to what's going to come.

When will William Bell next appear? I would imagine that as we get closer and closer to the conflict and once we really get into it, he will be an integral part of that story line.

How does one decipher between good and evil? That's a good question, even with Walter. When you look at some of the things we know he's done in the past. I feel like one of the things this show deals with is looking at good and evil existentially, like whose point of view. We're going to be looking at that when the conflict comes. There's an episode we're about to start shooting that deals with that.

In other words: Reddick is privy to as many Fringe spoilers as the average fan. Thanks for nothing, Lance!

On last week's episode of Fringe, viewers got to know Broyles a bit more.

In the near future, meanwhile, it sounds like they'll be introduced to more from Walter's past; specifically, his ex-wife.

Fox sent out the following casting notice, which asks for an actress to come aboard in a possibly recurring role described as:

[WALTER'S WIFE] Caucasian. To Play Walter's wife is in her mid 40's to play a little younger. She's both strong and broken, intelligent, attractive, likable, lovely and extremely versatile.

Anyone come to mind to take on this character?

The move to the most competitive night on television hasn't been a success for Fringe.

Ratings for the drama have plummeted as it's gone up against CSI and Grey's Anatomy. But as fans almost all agree, the show has never been better creatively.

Therefore, it's comforting to hear that the series doesn't appear to be in danger of cancellation, not yet at least.

“The mood on set and in the writer’s room is as good as the ratings are bad, which is to say, wonderful,” J.J. Abrams told Entertainment Weekly. “Luckily, Fox has been insanely supportive, for which we are deeply grateful.”

Abrams added that he's encouraged by the show’s “strong” DVR figures.

“Given that we’re on one of the hardest [nights] on television, we’re just focusing on making the best show we possibly can," he said. "What else can we do?”

As for what's ahead, visit our Fringe spoilers section to find out.

For a look way ahead, visit our Fringe spoilers section today.

But for a look at this week's new episode, you've come to the exact right place.

On Thursday's "Of Human Action," the Fringe team investigates a strange kidnapping, one that has connections to Massive Dynamic. Click on a series of photos from the hour below:

Soon after each episode airs, TV Fanatic recaps and reviews the action. Visit the site every week and sound off on one of the best shows on TV!

After a long playoffs-related break, Fringe returned with its spookiest episode yet.

A shadow from Broyles' past came back to lurk the halls of a Boston hospital, taking its victims in their beds and even following them home. These victims were then turned to dust.

Is the killer a man at all, or something more alien than anything the Fringe team has dealt with? As the team races to stop this latest oddity, Broyles may have stepped on a few too many toes in Washington, putting himself at risk. Read the recap of "Earthling" and then the review below...
 
What We Liked: How It Looked
The shadow man was one of the coolest villains we've seen thus far on Fringe. Whether sneaking through an apartment, a darkened hospital hall or gliding through security footage, this thing was just plain creepy to look at. The little girl's line at the end - coining the "shadow man" phrase - was a perfect end to a spooky character.

What We Didn't: How It Read
It was a key plot point to have the Koslovs be Russian, but c'mon - couldn't big bro Tomas speak English to his comatose brother? It's not like he could tell the difference, and it would have made for significantly less reading on our part.

What We Really Liked: Walter Making Us Laugh
In addition to being one of the best shows on TV, Fringe is also one of the funniest thanks to Walter's off-the-wall outburst, ideas and antics. The choice ones from this episode included his high-tech method of transporting the turned-to-dust remains of Randy back to the lab (in several Dustbusters) and his offering licorice to Agents Broyles and Dunham when they showed up at the Harvard lab. Both worthy of chuckles, another snack we assume Walter keeps on hand.

What We Really Didn't: Randy Making Us Look Bad
An elaborate hoax to trick your wife into thinking you're away on business on your anniversary, then sneaking home to set up the apartment for a romantic dinner? Way to make all the rest of us dudes look bad, Randy.

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