107: 'In Which We Meet Mr. Jones'
Writers: Jeff Pinkner & J.J. Abrams
Director: Brad Anderson
Synopsis: A genetically-engineered parasite mysteriously latches onto a FBI agent's heart. Agent Dunham rushes to Germany to meet a prisoner for information about the threat they face.
Review: As is to be expected when the name 'J.J. Abrams' flashes across the screen under the writer's credit, 'In Which We Meet Mr. Jones' is a kooky head-scratcher of an episode that asks many more questions than it answers and leaves a tantalisingly large number of intriguing plot threads dangling for pursuit in future episodes. Mr. Jones is a wonderfully eerie character, a sort of Hannibal Lecter for the technophile generation, and is ably depicted by the excellent Jared Harris. The episode's individual narrative is suitably well woven to keep the viewer guessing through to the final, somewhat shocking, revelatory moments, and Brad Anderson's direction has a subtly methodical sheen to it that succeeds in grounding the rather fast-moving plot in an undercurrent of tension. If it weren't for the unnecessary, and rather trad, distraction of Olivia's sojourn around Frankfurt with her former love interest, we'd have a top notch episode on our hands. 8.7
108: 'The Equation'
Writers: David H. Goodman & J.R. Orci
Director: Gwenyth Horder-Paton
Synopsis: Walter's former bunkmate at the mental institute is linked to the abduction of a young musical prodigy by a serial kidnapper. Peter is concerned when Walter insists on going back to the mental institute to solve the case.
Review: 'The Equation' gives John Noble a chance to shine and shine he does, stealing the entire 45 minutes with a performance that jolts from scatterbrained to fiery to empathetic and back again in a matter of seconds without ever seeming hokum or excessive, which is no small feat. That he manages to retain the viewer's sympathies throughout is even more remarkable and simply underlines the successful nature of the show's recent developments of Walter Bishop's character. His sequences with Dashiell, a fine character in himself, are particularly representative of this, striking a painfully believable chord in a somewhat absurd narratalogical scenario, thanks to a combination of powerful dialogue and considered performance. Orci and Goodman's script is considerably strong as it combines an intriguing premise with a satisfying degree of character development, giving it a level of cohesion that was perhaps lacking in some of the season's earlier episodes. A definite winner. 9.0
109: 'The Dreamscape'
Writers: Zack Whedon & Julia Cho
Director: Frederick E.O. Toye
Synopsis: A Massive Dynamic employee leaps to his death after hallucinating a butterfly attack. Agent Scott proves useful in investigating the case, but a frustrated Olivia wants to remove him from her consciousness once and for all. Meanwhile, Peter deals with some enemies from his past.
Review: It's Massive Dynamic on the chopping block this week as employees fall to their death after hallucinating sinister butterfly attacks and former contractors claim they're 'out to get everyone'. Or words to that effect. It was clear from the off that Fringe's very own Dharma Intiative, sorry, dodgy scientific corporation, had hands dirtier than a coal miner's and that that Nina woman was more than she appeared. It would be a shame, however, if the show's mythology were this simplistic and MD were the 'big bad wolf', so to speak, but given the complexities we've been presented with in recent weeks, it would seem that this is not to be the case. Still, it's fun to watch Olivia panic over John Scott again and, while the decision to have the guy reappear to his former lover whenever he has some deep-rooted knowledge about a case she is investigating simply screams deux et machina, at least these occurrences remain fairly few and far between. Plus, we get the deliciously eerie 'dream' sequence in which Olivia relives her first date with Mr. Scott and he sees her in the present. It's precisely this sort of knife-turning twist that the show's production staff excel at and it's played to perfection here. The remainder of the episode is a little lightweight; the foray into Peter's personal life seems a little superfluous and the case investigation lacks the usual punch, but on the whole, this is another suitably satisfying instalment. 8.2
110: 'Safe'
Writers: David H. Goodman & Jason Cahill
Director: Michael Zinberg
Synopsis: The team is called in to investigate a bank robbery when one of the thieves is found embedded in a solid wall. Walter believes they're after something of his, but things take a turn for the worse when the thieves ambush one of them.
Review: Well this was a turn up for the books, wasn't it? Olivia abducted, Mr. Jones out of prison, Walter Bishop in lack of kooky one liners shocker... Fringe really pulled out all the stops in its last episode before the Christmas break in an attempt to keep us all suitably perched on the edge of seats for the next run and boy, did it succeed. Goodman and Cahill's script is positively brimming with hair-pullingly frustrating enigmas: from the question of what purpose it serves to abduct Ms Dunham to the big fat "WTF??!!" regarding the component parts of the device that Bishop invented and its apparent ability to, um, beam people and things from one space to another, rather like, you know, the transporters in Star Trek. Yup, any semblance of believability in the show's science has finally been well and truly discarded, but that doesn't seem to matter anyway; from the beginning, Fringe only ever engaged in a casual dalliance with scientific realism and, ultimately, it's the more outright bizarre moments that have proven to be the most memorable and, indeed, enjoyable. 'Safe' works beautifully as a result of this, keeping its audience just the right side of baffled, bemused and bewildered in order to generate intrigue and a desire for more. Kinda like that other little show that J.J. Abrams created. Back in a week or so, there's a plane in it and some black smoke... you know the one. 9.2
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