Fox Fringe: Walter's Lab Notes #6

Accompanying the usual crime scene photos and notes, a bowl of Mr. Papayahead's remains and what looks like a blood spatter picture of a woman sealed in a plastic baggy?

Fringe Episode 106 - The Cure

After weeks of being reported missing, a woman with a rare disease resurfaces in suburban Massachusetts and inexplicably causes excruciating pain and subsequent death to those she encounters...
Which major science fiction themes would you like Fringe to explore?

Fringe Episode 106 - 'The Cure' Airs Tonight

...at 9/8 Central on FOX. If, ...

Doing something online, I was watching a show and something was mentioned I'd be able to go online and see it. This just provides another level of discovery and interaction. Often there are clues that connect to things in the story if you care to pursue those or examine them or discover them. It's something as a viewer I like to do, so it really comes from my, and the team's, desire to create entertainment that goes elsewhere than just the TV or movie screen. That elsewhere might be online or places yet to be discovered. It's not about trying to blur the line, it's about creating an experience that is more than just the narrative that you are watching in front of you. -- J.J. Abrams

...appeals to you, be sure to join us starting at 9:00 Eastern for our easter egg hunt and episode discussion where this week's poll asks, "Which major science fiction themes would you like Fringe to explore?"

We also have some previews and spoilers for tonight's episode, and as always, Fringepedia will be a hivemind of activity.

TV Guide: Jasika Nicole Interview

TV Guide has an exclusive interview with Jasika Nicole, who plays Astrid Farnsworth on Fringe. Jasika reveals some interesting information about her character, and some theories about William Bell. There are some mild-spoilers in the article, so you can read the spoiler-free version below, or head over to Spoilers.FringeTelevision.com to read the spoliers.

Click here to read the Spoiler-Free article

Fringe: Jasika Nicole Hints at Astrid's Secrets
by Mickey O'Connor
Oct 21, 2008 07:16 AM ET

When Jasika Nicole auditioned for J.J. Abrams' Fringe (Tuesdays, 9 pm/ET, Fox), she was told it was for a sci-fi series that incorporated humor. As FBI Special Agent Astrid Farnsworth, though, Nicole isn't exactly given a lot of the punchlines, saddled as she is with doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the lab of mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble). With a background in musical theater and a talent for drawing (check out her work, including an autobiographical comic, on her website), Jasika (it's pronounced jah-SEEK-uh) talks to us about being intimidated by Noble, why Astrid returned to work in the lab and her theory about the identity of the elusive William Bell.

TVGuide.com: What's a sensible gal like Astrid doing with this bunch of crazies?
Jasika Nicole: I think Astrid is really riveted by Olivia Dunham [who is played by Anna Torv]. I think for any woman starting out in her career, Agent Dunham is an exceptional role model. On Fringe, she is juxtaposed with the doctor, who is also brilliant, but was in an institution. I imagine that Astrid is trying to learn the balance of going after what you want in your career without having it be your whole life. Literally 15 minutes ago I was talking with Anna Torv about needing a scene to show that Astrid has a life outside of this lab.

TVGuide.com: So what's coming up for Astrid? Will she have a larger role in future episodes?
Nicole: She's always doing a lot of lab work, always doing a lot of filing and interjecting at appropriate moments. Episode 107 [which airs on Nov. 11] is really intense. [SPOILER REMOVED]

TVGuide.com: Do you have a backstory for Astrid?
Nicole: So far I've learned that she's really, really smart, has a brain for science even though that isn't what she studied. [SPOILER REMOVED]

TVGuide.com: Tell me about working with John.
Nicole: John is the funniest guy. I thought he would be very serious, and I was intimidated when I first met him, and I'm pretty sure he made fun of me because, you know, he likes to keep the mood light. Seeing him work is fascinating; it's like taking a master class. I just like to sit back and watch how he processes information and take notes. He's able to do a scene a million different ways within the span of five minutes because he's so able to connect with the artistic vision everyone has for this show.

TVGuide.com: But why can't Dr. Bishop ever remember Astrid's name?
Nicole: I wonder if it just started out as one joke, and it just ended up being so charming and funny that they kept it going. It's hard for me not to laugh; John's reading on it is so funny. We have this running joke where we're always trying to think of new names for Astrid. We were rehearsing a scene the other day and he called me "Afro," and I died. I fell on the floor laughing. He's also called me "Aspirin" and "Ostrich."

TVGuide.com: And when he finally does pay attention to her, he attacks and sedates her. Why do you think Astrid came back to the lab?
Nicole: At first, it was discouraging that they didn't put anything in that told you why Astrid returned. But I think that it sets up something to happen later. [SPOILER REMOVED]

TVGuide.com: Personally, I think that Astrid is much more than she appears, that maybe she has some kind of special skill or power that's related to Dr. Bishop's work.
Nicole: I think that is very, very possible. The best theory I heard so far is that I am William Bell.

TVGuide.com: Wanna hear the best William Bell theory that I heard? That he's Blair Brown's prosthetic arm!
Nicole: [Laughs] That's beautiful. At night, it leaves her body and goes out and does bad things.

Fringe Dwellers - Episode 7 - "Power Hungry"

In episode seven of the Fringe Dwellers Podcast, Jen and Adele try a slightly new format to tackle the electrifying fifth FRINGE episode - Power Hungry. They respond to your emails, report on the newest Kurt-ci news and bring your some spoilers.

Also, listen out for David Wu's parody of Gold Digger that summarizes the events of episode 4 before the spoilers.

Listen now:


You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

If you have a comment or question for Adele & Jen, you can email them at fringedwellers@gmail.com. You can also leave a voicemail for them at (206) 333-0072, or reach them on Twitter as fringedwellers, or Facebook as Gene the Cow Worshippers

J.J. Abrams: Fringe proudly and squarely exists in the science fiction world.

J.J. Abrams talked to Starwars.com about Fringe (and Star Wars).

I read that Fringe had an interesting bovine problem because you couldn't use the same cow from the pilot so you had to bring in another cow and paint it to look like the original.

I wish that had been the biggest problem on the show. [laughs] We had an issue with the cow not being able to cross the border from Canada where we shot the pilot. Apparently, cows are contraband.

Did you have any other obstacles with Fringe that you hadn't come across being a TV show veteran? How has your experience working on this show differed than that of something like Alias or Lost?

I have relatively speaking very little experience, so every time I'm involved in a movie or a TV show it always feels like a brand new set of challenges. On this show, among others, it's a question of pacing the show and how much we reveal. We are obviously taking scientific notions and pushing them into insanity so this is not a documentary or a course on science. It's supposed to be taken as Frankenstein was -- an entertaining narrative that takes the ideas that surround us and push them much farther than they are currently able to go. When Star Trek first came out with communicators and the idea of a laser shooting something, these were scientific notions that didn't exist. And now 40 years later there actually are lasers that can shoot as weapons, and there are communicators that we have in our pockets. The idea that some of the stuff we're talking about potentially could come to pass is a fascinating one, but we're not pretending that this is all real and happening now. The fun of Fringe is that it's a "what if" scenario. Every episode gets to play with the impossible idea that something might happen and how do we deal with those ramifications and consequences? What does it mean to live in a world where science has run amok?

Even TV shows that are supposed to be based in fact like C.S.I. and House aren't exactly using proper science; you can't get DNA results in two hours.

Most legal or medical shows stretch the truth. There are trials and treatments that come to resolution at hyper speed and the reality is much different, but that reality isn't always entertaining. Fringe proudly and squarely exists in the science fiction world.

You often create Web sites for fictional companies like Massive Dynamic for Fringe and The Hanso Foundation for Lost to draw the viewer online and give them another experience outside the TV show. Why is a transmedia experience important to envision in all your properties?

Doing something online, whether it's stuff we did on Lost or Alias and even on Felicity -- one of the characters, Noel Crane, had a Web site -- the idea is more that, if I was watching a show and something was mentioned I'd be able to go online and see it. This just provides another level of discovery and interaction. Often there are clues that connect to things in the story if you care to pursue those or examine them or discover them. It's something as a viewer I like to do, so it really comes from my, and the team's, desire to create entertainment that goes elsewhere than just the TV or movie screen. That elsewhere might be online or places yet to be discovered. It's not about trying to blur the line, it's about creating an experience that is more than just the narrative that you are watching in front of you.

Read the full interview at Starwars.com: J.J. Abrams Talks Fringe, Cattle and Star Wars

Power Hungry Postmortem

Popular Mechanics is back at it, Fringebusting the science in Fringe. But more interesting than the debunking:

• The product placement. Not in Fringe, but in the Popular Mechanics articles about Fringe. Perhaps we should do a weekly critique of how well PC disguises their paid links as journalism.


• Still no acknowledgment of The Arrival's PC shout out that we can see. Perhaps Fringe should try again, only this time send the shout out the recurring fringebuster, Kate Schweitzer.


• "And regarding Joseph's ability to levitate in the elevator? Park compared this to the urban legend that if you jump in a careening elevator, right at its moment of impact, you'd survive. It's just not true."

On the ratings front, TV by the Numbers declares Fringe a hit with the two key demographics, the 18-49 year olds (4.2/10) and 18-34 year olds (3.8/10) with 9.53 million total viewers.

Fringe: Power Hungry - HD Screencaps

High-Definition screencaps of Fringe Episode 105 "Power Hungry", are now available in our Galley section.

Some of the most interesting screenshots are already up in our Screencaps / Easter Egg section, but if there's something you can't find there or in our Gallery, you can request a screenshot here.

Fringe Photos: Episode 105 - Power Hungry

Here are the promotional photos for Fringe Episode 105 "Power Hungry"

Fringe Scenemaker 105: Power Hungry

Fringe Scenemaker is a behind the scenes look at the filming of Fringe Episode 105 - Power Hungry.

Fox Fringe: Walter's Lab Notes #5

Walter's King of Cups card is a tarot card. Interpreting the King of Cups really depends on which source you favor, but one we found might allude to Olivia's relationship with John Scott.

The King of Cups does not repress his emotions and unconscious impulses but has learned to accept and deal with them in a mature and balanced manner. -- biddytarot.com

Most notable however, the face of the king is covered (or scratched out?) by a bird dropping?

Among a few crime scene photos of the elevator crash are two feathers, presumably those of the pigeons responsible for the mess. Also seemingly out of place, what appears to be a childhood art project "By: Peter!!"

There is also a diagram of the device used to reorient the pigeon's internal compasses so they could home in on Joseph Meegar's location.

Fringe Episode 105 - Power Hungry

When it's discovered that a rather simple man has the ability to harness electricity, dangerous and deadly occurrences follow, and our unlikely trio investigates this super-charged oddity...

Thumbs up or down for the return of Undead Agent John Scott (Mark Valley)?