Fringe Dwellers Podcast: Episode 17 - Bound & The No-Brainer

Adele and guest co-host, Jason, cover the two episodes that have screened since the long hiatus - Bound and The No-Brainer.

Show notes are available at the Fringe Dwellers homepage.

Listen now:


You can also subscribe to the Fringe Dwellers 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

For more Fringe podcasts, check out the Fringe Podcast Network.

Anna Torv and Mark Valley Got Married!

The LA Times is reporting that Fringe stars Anna Torv and Mark Valley got married over the holidays, and recently made their announcement to the cast and crew. Anna's character Olivia Dunham was secretly dating her FBI coworker John Scott (played by Mark) who had even bought her an engagement ring before he was killed.

Mark had this to say about Anna at the recent conference call:

Q: You work most with Anna. What do you think of her as an actor and as a person?

A: I think she's just a fantastic actor, and I really like working with her, because she has such a solid idea of what's going on in a scene and what her objective is and what she's going to do. Yes, I've enjoyed working with her, and as a person, she's just delightful.

Congratulations and best wishes Anna and Mark!

UPDATE: Note the wedding ring in this recent TV Guide interview!

UPDATE 2: I have confirmed though my inside source that this story is true.

Contest: Win tickets to the NY Comic-Con!

We have two pairs of tickets to give away for the New York Comic Con, which runs February 6-8, 2009.

The cast and crew of Fringe will be making an appearance on Sunday at 1:45 pm. Scheduled to appear at the Fringe event are John Noble (“Dr. Walter Bishop”), Jasika Nicole (“Astrid Farnsworth”), Anna Torv (“Olivia Dunham”), Lance Reddick (“Phillip Broyles”), Kirk Acevedo (“Charlie Francis”), and Blair Brown (“Nina Sharp”), plus a NYCC exclusive video will be shown.

Other NYCC panels will include cast and crew members from Dollhouse, Heroes, Torchwood, Chuck, and more!

To enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets, just send an email to NYCC@FringeTelevision.com, with your name and phone number. Contest Ends Feb 5th.

Official Contest Rules

• Contest open to anyone willing to travel (at their own expense) to NYC for the event
  
• Winners will receive 2 (two) show tickets for the Sunday show, which will be picked up at the show
  
• Emails must be sent to NYCC@fringetelevision.com
  
• Please include your real name and phone number in the email (I will only call you if you win
  
• One entry per person, please.
  
• Entries not following these rules may not be counted.
  
• Contest ends at 11:59 pm EDT on February 5th.
  
• Winners will be announced around February 6th.
  

Mark Valley Conference Call

Mark Valley, who plays the mostly dead FBI agent John Scott on Fringe was kind enough to participate in a conference call with Fringe Television and other websites.

Here is an exclusive recording I made of the call.

Listen now:


Fringe Television freshman Adam Morgan was able to ask Mark several questions, including some of yours:

A. Morgan: Do you think “John Scott” is really a traitor, or that he’s more of a misunderstood hero on the show?

M. Valley: Good question. I’ve said this before, and I think he’s just a real believer. I think he’s really serious about what he does, and whoever it is that he is working for, he’s extremely loyal to them. Aside from that, I don’t really want to judge it, to be honest with you.

A. Morgan: Okay, and then will we ever see “John” in the flesh again instead of just in “Olivia’s” mind, or I don’t know?

M. Valley: I can’t really say. I think you’ll probably see both, but I can’t really confirm, nor what condition he’s going to be in in either of those situations.

A. Morgan: I was just wondering what your experience has been like with, we’ve already talked about the actors, but what about the writers and producers on the show?

M. Valley: They’re a great bunch, really. My experience with them has been, I really haven’t had a lot of contact with them, to be honest with you, but in terms of where the show is going, I can really appreciate that they’re working as hard as they can to make a good television show. I’m really impressed with the facility they have of being able to adapt to conditions, such as what’s working on the show’s storyline and what’s not working, what they need to bring in, and what they need to show more of. It’s amazing that they can keep an overall show going and still be able to adapt on the fly like that.

To me, that means they all know each other, they all work well together, they all trust each other, they all respect each other. That’s what it shows me, and it’s a pleasure to work with that.

A. Morgan: Okay, and we know that “John Scott’s” current arc on the show is about to be resolved, but is there room for him to come back next season or later on the show?

M. Valley: I think there’s room for even you to be shot with a tranquilizer gun and dragged onto the set of Fringe for a couple of seasons. [Laughs] I think it could happen to anybody, so I’m not going to rule it out.

Click here to read the entire transcript

Mark Vally Conference Call, January 30th 2009

Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Fringe interview call with Mark Valley.

J. Governale: Thank you, Cathy, and thank you, everyone, for participating in today's call with Mark Valley. On Tuesday, Fringe has a pivotal episode, titled "The Transformation," which will air after American Idol, at 9:00 p.m. on FOX; so without further information, I'm going to turn it over to Mark for some questions and answers. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you, and our first question will come from Daniel Fienberg with Hitfix.com. Go ahead please.

D. Fienberg: Hello, Mark. Thank you for doing this call.

M. Valley: My pleasure.

D. Fienberg: I want to start with some nuts and bolts questions. What has your contractual status been this season? Is it when they need you, they call you, and if you can show up, you do? How has it worked for you?

M. Valley: Contractually, I can't really say too much. Basically, it's one of those situations like they have with most TV shows is they can keep you as long as they want, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can leave whenever you want. That's all I can really say about that.

D. Fienberg: Your situation has been more tenuous than that, because of your character's particular situation, as it were.

M. Valley: It's what they call seven out of 13 or something. That's what they call it. There is regular and then there are seven out of 13. There are different categories. You guys probably know more about this than I do, to be honest with you. Then it goes on down the line. I was never signed up to be in every episode regularly.

D. Fienberg: Is this sort of uncertainty fun for you?

M. Valley: It's fun when you're getting the job, but it's not quite as enjoyable when you're wondering what the next one is going to be.

D. Fienberg: Fair enough. Thank you very much.

Moderator: Next we have Adam Morgan with FringeTelevision.com.

A. Morgan: Hello, Mark. How are you doing?

M. Valley: Hello.

A. Morgan: My question is, do you think "John Scott" is really a traitor, or that he's more of a misunderstood hero on the show?

M. Valley: Good question. I've said this before, and I think he's just a real believer. I think he's really serious about what he does, and whoever it is that he is working for, he's extremely loyal to them. Aside from that, I don't really want to judge it, to be honest with you.

A. Morgan: Okay, and then will we ever see "John" in the flesh again instead of just in "Olivia's" mind, or I don't know?

M. Valley: I can't really say. I think you'll probably see both, but I can't really confirm, nor what condition he's going to be in in either of those situations.

A. Morgan: Okay, that's all I have. Thank you, Mark.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: We will go next to David Martindale with First Newspaper.

D. Martindale: Hello, Mark. Thank you for doing the call. You're not required to remember, but we've talked once before, you and I, before the launch of Keen Eddie, so hello again.

M. Valley: How are you?

D. Martindale: I was wondering if when you signed on, or before you signed on, if you needed anyone to assure you, yes, "John" dies in the first episode, but he has some really cool stuff coming, don't worry. He's not really most sincerely dead. Did you need that kind of assurance so that it wouldn't be just one great episode?

M. Valley: To start out with, sometimes I need assurance as to what to wear when I leave the house. [Laughs] That having been said, I think you can make an assumption on that. But I just always felt, for a guy whose character dies in the pilot, I've gotten an awful lot of work on this show.

D. Martindale: There you go, okay.

M. Valley: That's where I was at.

D. Martindale: You work most with Anna. What do you think of her as an actor and as a person?

M. Valley: I think she's just a fantastic actor, and I really like working with her, because she has such a solid idea of what's going on in a scene and what her objective is and what she's going to do. Yes, I've enjoyed working with her, and as a person, she's just delightful.

D. Martindale: I'll come back if there's time. Thank you much.

Moderator: Next we have Stacy Harrison with Tribune Media Services.

S. Harrison: Hello, Mark. I was just wondering, since a lot of "John" is still quite a mystery, does that affect the way you play him, since maybe you don't know if he is a good guy or a bad guy? Is that hard to convey that then with your performance?

M. Valley: I think that whether he's good or bad, there's a degree of guilt that he carries around with him. Actually, now that I think of it, I actually forget to play that, but it makes a lot of sense though, doesn't it? [Laughs]

S. Harrison: Yes.

M. Valley: I think that when you watch it, you'll have to make up your own mind about that. I just look at him as a regular person. He's done some things and he did them because he believed in them and there is sort of a tragic situation that comes out of it.

S. Harrison: Okay, thank you.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: Next we have Fred Topel with Sci-Fi Wire.

F. Topel: Hello, Mark.

M. Valley: Hello.

F. Topel: [Executive producer] J.J. [Abrams] and other writers promised some closure with your storyline. Do you feel like these upcoming episodes give some closure?

M. Valley: They do answer some questions that have been lingering in my mind, like who he's been working for exactly, and he sort of confirms the verity or the truth of his feelings toward "Olivia."

F. Topel: Some of the recent episodes have been a little more standalone. Is this much more a mythology episode?

M. Valley: I would have to see the final cut the way it comes out. Sometimes it depends on what parts of the story they choose to accentuate and edit, but I would say this is, as they all are, standalone episodes. If you have been watching it, it will sort of enhance the experience of watching it.

F. Topel: It sounds like, for the people who have been following it since the beginning, it definitely addresses earlier things.

M. Valley: Yes, it does.

F. Topel: Okay, cool. Thank you.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: Thank you. We'll go next to Sandy Sahakian with Daemon's TV. Go ahead please.

S. Sahakian: Hello, Mark. Thank you for speaking with us today.

M. Valley: Hello.

S. Sahakian: My question is, do you have a theory as to what is really going on with "John," or do you maybe already know what the whole deal is?

M. Valley: Do I have an idea, did you say?

S. Sahakian: Yes, do you have a theory as to what is really going on with "John"?

M. Valley: Oh, a theory. Yes. My theory is that he is working for the government and he's working for the Postal Service, and he's not very happy about it, and he is a disgruntled postal worker. [Laughs] I'm just joking. I don't have any theories, to be honest with you, because every time I've gone down that road and come up with something, it seems to take a turn in a different direction, so I try to keep an open mind about all of that.

S. Sahakian: How far ahead do they let you know what's coming up for you?

M. Valley: I only know when I get the script, basically. They don't have an episode for any other scripts. But I generally just know, as with all of the actors, probably four or five days before the episode starts, sometimes less time.

S. Sahakian: Thank you.

Moderator: We have a question from Sara Jersild with Tribune Interactive.

S. Jersild: Hello, Mark. Speaking again about whether you play the character differently if you know whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, do you play him differently whether you know whether he's alive or dead?

M. Valley: That's really a good question. I think when you're talking about "John Scott" being inside "Olivia's" brain, then you're dealing with a consciousness, or the way someone remembers someone, as well as his own particular memories and his own conscious. I like to think that his consciousness is actually in her head, so it's actually as if he were definitely alive. No, I think when somebody is dead, your job is a lot easier. I just kind of lie there. You don't really have to do anything, so that's probably the big difference. Work's a lot easier when he's dead. [Laughs]

S. Jersild: Okay, thank you.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: We'll go next to Troy Rogers with The Deadbolt.com.

T. Rogers: Hello, Mark.

M. Valley: Hello.

T. Rogers: Thank you for taking the time.

M. Valley: No problem.

T. Rogers: I was just curious, the action on the next episodes centers around an airplane again. I was curious, how is that different from the pilot?

M. Valley: It's a completely different airline. [Laughs]

T. Rogers: Okay.

M. Valley: The first one was a Boeing 727. This was an Airbus 380. Oh, 627, sorry. [Laughs] No, I have no idea, to be honest with you. They were both big airplanes and they had a lot of people on them, but in terms of how it was different, yes. A lot of airplane crashes on [executive producer] J.J. Abrams' shows.

T. Rogers: It seems that way.

M. Valley: Can you imagine being on an airplane with J.J. Abrams, just kind of sitting there, what's going through his head? He's probably thinking about people screaming and luggage flying everywhere. [Laughs]

T. Rogers: I also wanted to know, do you believe something like this could be happening right now?

M. Valley: Something like what, the stuff on Fringe?

T. Rogers: Yes.

M. Valley: When you look at some things like the spread of an Ebola virus, or some of these other super viruses and strains that just act so quickly, that can get your imagination running. I think that there are aspects of science fiction and technology that can hint toward what this show portrays, but to answer your question, no. I don't think so, but then again, I don't believe in ghosts, and some people say there are ghosts. I just would have to see it myself.

T. Rogers: I'll try to come back. Thank you.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: Your next is Jim Halterman with FutonCritic.com.

J. Halterman: Hello, Mark. Thank you for your time. I was just wondering for people that have not gotten on-board yet with Fringe and are definitely interested, but they know the J.J. [Abrams] philosophy with Lost and everything, it might be hard to step in. What would you tell people who wanted to join with this next episode?

M. Valley: Do you mean viewers?

J. Halterman: Yes, I guess viewers that aren't familiar with the show and wanted to jump in. Is this a good spot to jump in, or do they need to know a lot of what's gone on already?

M. Valley: I think anytime is a good place to jump in, and then they can just buy the DVD edition for the first season to catch up on it in their own free time. [Laughs] It's probably the best way to do it. It's exciting to watch the shows when the episode comes out, because that's when everybody is finding out about it, and it's somewhat of an event, as opposed to just a discrete television show. So I would say start watching as soon as possible and catch up when it comes out on DVD, or you can probably download the episodes too. Get on board.

J. Halterman: That's great. Thank you.

M. Valley: Thank you.

Moderator: We have a question from Ramsey Isler with IGN.

R. Isler: Hello, Mark. How's it going?

M. Valley: Good. How are you doing?

R. Isler: I am doing great. I noticed you majored in math and engineering at West Point, so I'm going to go ahead and call you a geek like the rest of us.

M. Valley: Oh, my God, I've just been outed.

R. Isler: I'm wondering if your math and engineering background helps you get your head around some of the extreme scientific concepts in the show.

M. Valley: It's definitely pretty interesting. I used to watch Numbers just to see what the heck they were talking about, but usually, it's pretty advanced stuff. A lot of the stuff that comes up on the show, like repeating series and things like that, I'm a little embarrassed because I've forgotten what it all is. I need to be reminded, so it's really pretty humbling in some ways. But I guess having been a math major, I am sort of fascinated with numbers and series and formulas and models and simulations and things like that, but there hasn't been a lot of really heavy math on the show. Most of it's been biology and chemistry I think at this point, but yes, I love that stuff. You've outed me. That's my secret.

R. Isler: Thank you.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: Thank you. We have April MacIntyre with Monsters and Critics.

A. MacIntyre: Hello, Mark. Thank you for your time.

M. Valley: Hello. My pleasure.

A. MacIntyre: I'm just curious to know, you've been acting an awfully long time, and I wanted to know what science fiction affected you or impacted you growing up, and what you love, if you do, if you have a particular small screen show or film that particularly impacted you as an actor.

M. Valley: I would have to say it was Star Trek, because whenever they beamed him down, he never knew what there was going to be. There were always repeats on after school, so my sisters always wanted to watch Brady Bunch, and I always wanted to watch Star Trek, so we would have to negotiate.

A. MacIntyre: Who was your favorite character on Star Trek, and why?

M. Valley: It was Captain Kirk, William Shatner. Captain Kirk means William Shatner.

A. MacIntyre: And then you got to work with him.

M. Valley: Yes, I got to spend some time aboard the Starship Enterprise, and he's not the captain, but I really enjoyed working with him.

A. MacIntyre: I was also curious to know of all the characters you work with, John Noble's "Walter Bishop" and Anna Torv's "Olivia," who do you enjoy working with and seeing as an actor? Who do you admire their work? Who makes you laugh, or just you get a real kick out of watching?

M. Valley: I would say I just enjoy working with everybody on the cast. Most of my scenes have been with Anna. She's delightful. She's my favorite on the show, to be honest with you, but as far as the others go, Kirk [Acevedo who plays "Charlie Francis"] is really good actor and I always wanted to work with him.

A. MacIntyre: That's "Charlie Francis"?

M. Valley: Yes. He's a really wonderful actor, Kirk is. I never met Josh [Jackson who plays "Peter Bishop"] before and I never met John Noble before, and I haven't had any scenes with them either. Blair Brown [who plays "Nina Sharp"], she's a wonderful experienced actor, and Jasika [Nicole who plays "Astrid Farnsworth"], they're all just really nice people. There's no drama on the show at all, but I would say Anna and Kirk are probably my favorites.

A. MacIntyre: Thank you so much.

M. Valley: Sure.

Moderator: We'll go to Lisa Steinberg with Starry Constellation Magazine.

L. Steinberg: Hello, Mark. It's great to speak with you.

M. Valley: Hello.

L. Steinberg: I was wondering, what about your role do you find challenging?

M. Valley: What about what?

L. Steinberg: What about the role do you find challenging?

M. Valley: What I think is challenging is playing a character that is in her memory, or in her consciousness. It is challenging trying to think of where he comes from, where he's going, what he's aware of, and what is he not aware of, and what does he remember, and what does he not. That is a little bit challenging. It is sort of taking the character out of the ether and placing him somewhere and trying to figure out how he would react. That I find challenging.

L. Steinberg: What has been your most memorable moment you've had from filming Fringe?

M. Valley: The most memorable moment was probably in the pilot when I was covered in an inch of goo and prosthetic muscle and veins running all over me. It was probably one moment where I was just lying there. I can't think of just one specific moment. I think it was once I was walking down the hallway and somebody saw me and freaked out, and I realized just how grotesque I looked.

Moderator: Thank you. We'll move on to Adam Morgan with FringeTelevision.com.

A. Morgan: Hello, Mark. Thanks again. I was just wondering what your experience has been like with, we've already talked about the actors, but what about the writers and producers on the show?

M. Valley: They're a great bunch, really. My experience with them has been, I really haven't had a lot of contact with them, to be honest with you, but in terms of where the show is going, I can really appreciate that they're working as hard as they can to make a good television show. I'm really impressed with the facility they have of being able to adapt to conditions, such as what's working on the show's storyline and what's not working, what they need to bring in, and what they need to show more of. It's amazing that they can keep an overall show going and still be able to adapt on the fly like that. To me, that means they all know each other, they all work well together, they all trust each other, they all respect each other. That's what it shows me, and it's a pleasure to work with that.

A. Morgan: Okay, and we know that "John Scott's" current arc on the show is about to be resolved, but is there room for him to come back next season or later on the show?

M. Valley: I think there's room for even you to be shot with a tranquilizer gun and dragged onto the set of Fringe for a couple of seasons. [Laughs] I think it could happen to anybody, so I'm not going to rule it out.

A. Morgan: Okay, thanks again, Mark.

M. Valley: My pleasure.

Moderator: We have Melissa Lowery with NiceGirlsTV.com.

M. Lowery: Hello, Mark. How are you doing?

M. Valley: Good. How are you?

M. Lowery: I'm doing great, thank you. Harking back to outing your background.

M. Valley: "Harking back," I haven't heard that.

M. Lowery: You like that?

M. Valley: It's great. I like that. Well, let's hark back, let's continue to hark back.

M. Lowery: Let's hark. I know you have a strong military background as well, and I wondered: do you draw on that as you playing "Agent Scott"? Does that help you with that portrayal?

M. Valley: Yes, it did, because I remember cutting my hair really short and I assumed that he had some military background. What I find with guys that have military backgrounds is sometimes, they go to great lengths to hide it. There are ones that try to hide it. They were previous military and they kind of down it, and I think "John Scott" was one of the ones that didn't. But they use different weapons and everything than I've been accustomed to.

M. Lowery: Right. So, aside from reliving the traumatic experience of cutting your hair, it's really what you hoped.

M. Valley: Yes. I would say that was about as traumatic as the experience of cutting my hair that I ever have to draw from my military experience.

M. Lowery: I think you got off easy.

M. Valley: I really did.

M. Lowery: Having gone through I assume boot camp and other military aspects, how do you think the creators and the writers are doing with the government or the bureaucratic side of the show versus the sci-fi side?

M. Valley: I'm not really familiar with the way Homeland Security works with the FBI right now. There were some friends that have worked in it. Everybody knows that it's a television show, but I think that Michael Gaston [who plays "Sanford Harris"], who has come on, is really fantastic, and I think that character is really believable. I think Lance [Reddick who plays "Phillip Broyles"] always lends a very authentic sense of authority to any character that he plays, and "Charlie Francis" [actor Kirk Acevedo] is really believable as an FBI agent, and I think Anna [Torv who plays "Olivia Dunham"], the FBI would probably take her on right now if she applied. As far as the overall bureaucracy goes, I'm not really familiar with it, and I don't really know how accurate it would be. But in terms of the accuracy in characters that are betrayed, I think I believe it.

M. Lowery: Great. Thank you.

Moderator: We have a question from Troy Rogers with The Deadbolt.com.

T. Rogers: Hello, Mark. It's me again.

M. Valley: Hello, Deadbolt.

T. Rogers: I also wanted to know, what's the coolest thing you've learned about Fringe science since starting the show?

M. Valley: The coolest thing I've learned is a couple of things. Probably that LSD can actually be used for practical purposes [laughs], and maybe the idea that a virus could actually be grown into some sort of parallel organism, like that cold virus is still kind of creeping me out, especially because I have a cold right now. Every time I cough I think, it's not like one of those things.

T. Rogers: I believe that's called the rhinovirus.

M. Valley: Yes. There are probably going to be classes taught with big Fringe Science biology textbooks.

T. Rogers: You never know.

M. Valley: You never know, like at the local Learning Annex, you know. Learn Fringe Science.

T. Rogers: Just one more quick thing. For people who have been debating whether you're a good guy or a bad guy, I think your character is a bad guy. I just wanted to know: what's the best part about playing a bad guy?

M. Valley: The best part about playing a bad guy is that you get to do bad things. What I think is interesting is how you can justify doing just about anything if you really think about it, and convince yourself. That's fun, and there's also a certain liberty you have in your behavior and so forth, not only in the acts or things that you do that are wrong, but just in the way you behave moment-to-moment. It can affect that as well, and I think that's sort of fascinating for me.

T. Rogers: Thank you. Good luck on the show.

M. Valley: Thank you very much.

Moderator: We are out of time, Mr. Valley. Do you have any closing remarks?

M. Valley: I would just like to say thank you very much, and everyone have a nice day.

Fringe Scenemaker 112: The No-Brainer

Scenemaker is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Fringe. This episode shows the making of the brain-melting scene of Gregory Wiles from the Fringe episode The No-Brainer.

You can watch previous episode's scenemaker videos here.

What Would You Ask: John Scott?

In a few hours, I'll be interviewing Mark Valley, who plays John Scott on Fringe.

The interview will be the same format as the John Noble Conference Call interview, which mean I'll likely have the opportunity to ask only one or two questions.

The question I have for John Scott:

"During the Synaptic Transfer, some of John Scott's memories have moved out of John's mind into Olivia's mind. Are there any memories that Olivia may be missing any that are trapped in John's brain?"

What would you ask John Scott?

Fringe Episode Review: The No-Brainer

Adam Morgan is a writer for both the page and screen in Chicago, and blogs daily on writing, film, pop culture, and strange news at Mount Helicon.

I wish I could write glowing reviews for every episode of Fringe, reviews like the one I wrote last week. Bound showed us just how great this story can be when everything clicks into place. The No-Brainer wasn't bad, but it was certainly a step backwards. Obviously, the task of writing even one full season of television is a daunting one, and the kind of brilliance we saw in Bound can't be constantly sustained over twenty-something hours. And production-wise, The No-Brainer was still top-notch. But the script left me underwhelmed.

Click here to read more...

Should've Used Norton Antivirus

The cold open was the creepiest yet. I liked the spooky cyber-hand, despite the fact that in reality it would only look three-dimensional from the victim's eyeline. This week's mystery probably asked for the most suspension of disbelief thus far on Fringe: a web video that liquefies brains. And the video's 657 megabytes, nonetheless (what kind of compression rate is that, I wonder?). I was content to accept this potentially cheesy plotline, so long as it justified itself.

But for the first time on the show, the mystery had no overt ties to the Pattern. The villain was just a criminal with his own agenda. Which bothered me, because it's considerably less compelling from a narrative standpoint. Why should the audience care about a bitter, deadbeat Dad? From a logical standpoint, if he's angry at a few people, there are ways to seek revenge more efficient than designing an impossible virus to liquefy their loved ones' brains. I just didn't buy it. I kept hoping the picture would get bigger, and it never did.

Family Matters

Ari Graynor was great once again as Dunham's sister, and little Ella impressed me too. The three actresses feel like a family, but their role on the show also disconcerted me here. Making Ella a target felt like a heavy-handed attempt at incorporating her and Rachel into the main storyline. Obviously the writers introduced them for a reason, but why would this week's villain target Ella? He didn't have a vendetta against Olivia, unless he was angry about her investigation. But even in that case, targeting someone close to her would only further compel Olivia to find the culprit.

Speaking of, I was shocked at Olivia's lack of conviction after Ella's incident. From what we know about her, she should've been furious and hellbent on finding whoever threatened to harm one of her own. Instead, she was calm and inquisitive in the following scene. Wouldn't the natural response be anger? Paranoia? Especially given the way Olivia's emotions have driven her in the past.

The Other Kind of Chemistry

Is it just me, or was everyone googly-eyed in this episode? Peter and Rachel. Walter and Jessica Warren. Maybe even Peter and Astrid. After Walter made his comment on male-female relations, Astrid's eyes went straight to Peter. But maybe she was just intrigued by the letter. I'm hoping her character gets fleshed out by the end of the season; right now she's just a plot device who conveniently has a degree in whatever the script calls for.

Non-chemistry also abounded in The No-Brainer. Peter and Olivia had their first fight, and it just didn't come across as authentic to me. I saw no reason for Olivia to push Peter on the subject of his father, and I saw no reason for Peter to get defensive. As a result, their quibble (and their reconciliation) felt forced and flat, like most of the inter-character drama in The No-Brainer. I could almost hear the writers: "We need to drive a wedge between Peter and Olivia. We need to involve Olivia's family directly." The results were a little tedious and predictable, like that whole spiel at the end with Walter and Warren.

And please, please get rid of Sanford Harris soon. An antagonist should be a natural obstacle, but his one-note villainy seems to exist solely to frustrate Olivia ("We need an obstacle for Olivia..."). It was nice to hear Broyles tell him off, though. I got the impression Philip's more powerful than he lets on.

So in the end, not much to theorize about this week. The story was self-contained, as far as I can tell, with no new insights into character or mythology. I understand that Fringe isn't a completely serialized drama like Lost; it's a procedural hybrid. That's fine when it works, but frustrating when an episode feels like it's stalling. Or maybe that's not the problem. I'd still enjoy a completely stand-alone episode if the mystery was believable and the drama compelling, but The No-Brainer didn't quite work for this fan. Luckily, next week's outing, The Transformation, looks gripping!

So what do you think? Does Fringe work as a procedural, or as a serialized drama? Do you want to see any more non-Pattern mysteries? Do you buy the introduction of Olivia's family? Sanford Harris? Let your voice be heard in the comments.

Stray Observations

• Best Line of the Night: "I hope she doesn't notice the $2,000 for the baboon seminal fluid I ordered."

• Worst Lines of the Night: "Why would he protect a murderer?" "Because it's his father."

• Am I the only one who enjoyed Peter's visit to Akim? I wouldn't mind seeing him again, in a tech-advisor role. Maybe I'm just that desperate for information on Peter's past.

• What was with all of the pop music? It didn't sit well with me. You've got one of the world's most talented composers on staff. Use him. The Killers and Beyonce dilute the show's tension and sincerity.

• Chuck fans: Did the virus video remind you of Chuck's first encounter with the Intersect database?

• I counted at least two of those unexplained lens flares.

• John Polson did a great job in the director's chair. I loved all the long tracking shots, and Olivia just looks great when they shoot her at a low frame-rate.

• Speaking of Polson, he was the chopper pilot in Mission Impossible: II.

Storm Delay

As you may or may not know, I live in Lexington, KY, which was hit hard by an ice storm. Almost 500,000 people here are without power, including myself, so needless to say, I have been without internet or TV since Tuesday. This of course means I haven't even seen this week episode of Fringe yet (or Lost!) ;(

Edward and Adam and been nice enough to help out during this time, but as soon as I get power back, I will try to get everything caught up, hopefully before next week's show! Thanks for understanding! Dennis

Fringe: The No-Brainer - HD Screencaps

High-Definition screen captures of Fringe Episode 112 "The No-Brainer", 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.

TVGuide Interview: Jared Harris’ Theoroes About Fringe’s “Mr. Jones”

TVGuide has an interview with Jared Harris who plays David Robert Jones.

Like most J.J. Abrams shows, Fringe is characterized by mysterious characters and dense, intricate plots. Fringe's mystery man of the moment is the elusive Mr. Jones (Jared Harris). When Harris sat down with TVGuide.com, we couldn't help but ask him how he thinks Jones is involved in "the pattern," how long he thinks he'll be around and what his creepy fixation with Agent Dunham (Anna Torv) is all about?

Walter's Lab Notes: Fringe 112 - The No-Brainer

Walter's Lab Notes from the The No-Brainer along with two photos of the victims and a sample of brain goo. One interesting thing about this week's notes is a significant portion of the last paragraph is obscured by one of the pictures.

Click here to read the text of Walter's Notes

- Project 1091 - Exploration 1 -

A terrible thought: sitting down to a daily routine that by day's end causes one's brain to melt! For most that terror is merely metaphorical -- but for these poor souls, quite real. Myelin sheathes dripping right of the axons! Neural lipids reduced to bacon grease! It reinforces my dedication to the lost art of flipping through a nicely bound tome. No threat of losing my mind there, unless I have to plow through more nonsense by that peanut-brain Chomsky.

One wonders what they saw in their final moments; sadly, that is knowledge acquired only in death. They came face to face with a real Ghost in the Machine -- a phrase hijacked by Ryle and Koestler for long enough. For what other phantoms might haunt the halls of the cyber realm? What will happen when the silicon pathways we take for ordinary gates of calculation spring to life and feel the same abandonment and pain that course through all sentient beings? That will be a day of reckoning I do not wish to see.

The computers are not alone. I, too, have a ghost in my machine. I envy his ability to walk through walls and take a respite in the locked chambers of my memory. The last time I followed him and slipped through the sealed bolts, he left me trapped. I spent what felt like days wandering through the stacks, hearing only echoes of the world outside. I think it was when the orderly hosed me down with cold water that the bolts loosened and I repaired to my safe and familiar neural paths. We all get lost in thought, but rarely so literally. Maybe these victims were lucky, for their pain lasted only an instant. If the computer program had locked them into a continuous loop without cooking their melons, they might have remained trapped forever -- zombies enslaved by a ghost.

That is, of course, the motivating f...
Insurmountable odds faced by those...
-- but such will not be my fate if...
Never! Behind every swinging door...
Into the breaches, dear friends, once...
Our pattern-seeking minds, searching...
But not to be found in a college te...

Fringe Comic #2 - Excellent Soap / Strangers On A Train

I received an email from DC Comics letting me know that Fringe Comic #2 was released. They also sent me an official preview of Fringe Comic #2, which you can view below.

To get your own copy of Fringe #2, head out to your local comic shop.

Fringe # 2 (of 6)

Written by Mike Johnson, Alex Katsnelson, Matthew Pitts and Danielle DiSpaltro; Art by Tom Mandrake

The secret history of Walter Bishop and William Bell continues in this exclusive tie-in to the hit Fox show Fringe! Witness their first attempts at pushing the boundaries of science and reality!