I suppose I should have known that John Noble would have returned to TV so quickly for a role like this. The character of Walternate on Fringe was quite underwritten and I often got the feeling Noble found this fact disappointing. Now he's essentially playing Walternate again - i.e., someone who was wronged and hurt…

"Jenny's critically injured in the wrecked truck. She could easily visit
Purgatory in a "near death experience" and do the necessary forgiving,
thus freeing Abby to get things done."

I'm going to be a poop and say I think they've written themselves into a corner with this finale.

This show has Fringe's DNA all over it (John Noble's role notwithstanding) in how it blends the utterly barmy with a charming lead character (Ichabod = Walter Bishop) and a badass ladycop (Abbie = Olivia) and *heavy* mythology. Probably the most apt analogy:

I have no strong opinions about Elementary, but Sherlock (BBC) is dreadfully overrated, and Season 3 just seems to be wall-to-wall fanservice rather than about mystery-solving. Unfortunately I think the Beeb Sherlock has started to jump the shark, which sadly is the route that most wildly popular shows seem to take…

It is very interesting to remember what life was like before the spoiler culture. For instance, all we knew about The Empire Strikes Back, as moviegoers, was that there was some tremendous secret revealed at the end. But you could have not seen the movie for a month and still not have heard what it was, unless your…

I've already been spoiled on Breaking Bad (way late, I know) and Season 3 of Sherlock. It doesn't bother me. I like seeing how shows get from point A to point B; point B doesn't have to be a surprise.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I read several "OMFG!" comments from people at TCA who saw "The Affair" sizzle reel… and let's just say Pacey is truly a man now.

Don't know if I was excited about the montage at the end because I am excited about seeing whole episodes, or… if it just underscores that I seem to enjoy Archer as a set of unconnected clips. Oh well, I'll give it a shot.

Yeah, but on Fringe, even the fantastical elements were stubbornly couched in scientific terms. It wasn't "the power of Love" that brought Peter back… it was "quantum emotional entanglement."

Sorry, that's Wyman again. During the last two seasons of Fringe (he was showrunner for final season, but I heard he was basically showrunner for Season 4 also), Olivia Dunham was dumbed down considerably.

Oh, I can see the specialness in the set designs and special effects. It's very high quality. But, yes: in so many areas, it's like this show just isn't trying very hard. The terrible female characters (and I like Lili Taylor), the vagueness of the details about the future, the unimaginative scoring (I don't mind…

I guess what I can't understand is how AH seems to hire the worst actors in the greater Vancouver area for their guest roles. Or else the direction is getting bad performances. The drama just doesn't have any spark; it's like it's trying to be cheesy.

Fringe lived very comfortably in a science fiction universe to which it alluded constantly and openly… from "the old X designation" to Altered States and Frankenstein and attributed quotations from Isaac Asimov. You got the sense that Fringe and its characters were part of the great chain of (science fiction) being,…

Sorry, Fringe was a way more substantial show than Lost or the pretentious BSG.

Wyman has a lot of strengths, but I think, as an actual screenwriter and not a showrunner. He did amazing things with characters that other people created. He was responsible for some of the Fringe's greatest moments. Every script he ever wrote for the show had amazing scenes or lines that everyone remembers. He…

Unfortunately, I think this is a Joel Wyman thing - the shoddy worldbuilding, that is. I'm not expecting any improvements.

Which is why I think Root eventually has to die (pay) for her very real
sins… however, I think the neonatal ward is safe because the Machine
would never do such a thing, and the Machine has basically taken her
over (in spirit, if not in fact).

TheCloser…

Sometimes they don't, though. I was extremely frustrated with Season 3 (this season) because there were too many COTW's (cases of the week) that had ZERO mythology in them. I mean, the episode where Root escaped from the nut house. The episode ends with "Mr Reese, we have a problem" and then… next week… nothing? …