Fringe Observers vs. The Adjustment Bureau

If you've seen the trailer for the new movie The Adjustment Bureau, you can't help but notice their striking resemblance to the Observers in Fringe.

As Wired Magazine points out:

Members of both groups wear hats and suits. Both carry briefcases or books. Both have existed for centuries on the periphery of human consciousness. Both take orders from unknown superiors and periodically create unintended consequences when they feel compelled to intervene in the lives of the subjects under their watch.

But unlike the spooky Fringe operatives, the Adjustment Bureau’s dispassionate caseworkers (played by John Slattery, Anthony Mackie and Terence Stamp) come across more like post office employees than celestial overseers.

“They set us on the course that we are supposed to be set onto so we will follow the grand scheme,” said director Nolfi in a statement about his PG-13 movie, which was inspired by sci-fi writer Dick’s 1954 short story “Adjustment Team.” “They might as well work in the IRS; they’re just doing their jobs.”

On the other hand, Fringe's Observers are not supposed to get involved at all, but as we have seen, that is not always the case.

There is one person in the movie you may recognize from Fringe, Michael Kelly who plays Matt Damon's assistant Charlie Traynor. He played "The Rogue" aka John Mosley in the Fringe episode "The Arrival".
(Thanks to Bluesboy for pointing this out!)

The Adjustment Bureau is inspired by the short story "Adjustment Team", written by Philip K. Dick, who also inspired other classic sci-fi movies such as Blade Runner, Minority Report, and Total Recall.

Fringe’s Observers are supposedly modeled on Marvel Comics’ Uatu the Watcher, a bald alien assigned to observe other species.

More Easter Eggs for Fringe Episode "Subject 13"

Here are a couple of more Easter Eggs from the Fringe episode "Subject 13".

The first is the video above, comparing the puzzle Walter frustrates young Olivia with, to the puzzle seen in the Alias episode "The Indicator". As you can see the puzzles are very similar, due in no small part to the fact that Fringe executive producer Jeff Pinkner also wrote that episode of Alias.

The second is a comparison of the Olivia "explosion" in "Subject 13" to another fire "incident" that we saw in the Fringe episode "Jacksonville":

It's interesting to note that the fire does not come any where near young Nick. Either she unconsciously protected her Jacksonville experiment buddy, or he was immune to her powers because he was also a Cortexiphan kid.

The footage we see in "Jacksonville" is from a much younger Olivia than the one we see in "Subject 13"

UPDATE: A couple of more interesting facts to ponder:

"Subject 13" was the first episode not to star Anna Torv. In fact, the only regular cast member in the episode was John Noble - no Anna Torv or Joshua Jackson (although we did see young Olivia and Peter). Plus no Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, or even Gene.

According to the Fringepedia "death count" page, "Subject 13" was the first episode where no one died.

CityTV Commercial for Fringe: "Os"

Here is the latest CityTV commercial for the Fringe episode "Os".

What to you think Peter is going to tell Olivia?

Fringe Sneak Peek 316: "Os"

Here is a sneak peek of NEXT WEEK'S all-new Fringe episode "Os", airing March 11 at 9:00pm on FOX.

Fringe "Fridays Reanimated" Video: Now in HD

Here is a MUCH better quality version of the "Fridays Reanimated" video, courtesy of FOX. Click the full-screen button, and set it 720p to watch it in HD.

I will update the "Fridays Reanimated" Easter Eggs post over at FringeSpoilers.com asap, and I will re-upload the screencaps of the entire video "Fridays Reanimated" at FringeFiles.com. 

Reminder: Vote For Fringe in Hulu "Best In Show" Poll

The voting for Hulu's second annual Best in Show competition is still going on, but time is running out!

There are only two more days left to vote, and Supernatural. has a slight lead over Fringe in this first round of voting.

Come on Fringe fans! We have almost double the viewers of Supernatural (4 million viewers vs. 2.2 million)... are their fans just more dedicated?

However, since HitFix Senior Editor Alan Sepinwall gets a 5% vote, and he picked Fringe, a close race still may go to Fringe. But let's not let it come to that...

There are also 15 other shows that need your vote, like How I Met Your Mother, Dexter, and Mad Men. The voting for round one ends on March 6th!

Why Is JJ Abrams Obsessed With Alice in Wonderland?

(Note:This article is a tad old, but continues to ask a relevant question. As recently 2 episodes ago we met a confused character named Alice Merchant who was viewing through a looking glass.-fringeobsessed)

Jan 3, 2010 3:00 PM
Why Is JJ Abrams Obsessed With Alice in Wonderland?
Kiala Kazebee — JJ Abrams and Alice in Wonderland: What's the connection? Lost is rife with Carroll-isms, and now Fringe is falling down the same rabbit hole. We investigate the Abrams/Alice relationship just in time for Fringe to pick up January 11th.

Abrams has been mining the Alice mythos for years -Alias, Lost, and yes, even Felicity are all filled to the brim with Into the Looking Glass subtext and, as is the case with Fringe, actual context. For the sake of brevity, topicality and to spare you the pain of many, many white rabbit-related metaphors we'll keep the focus on Fringe with a bit of Abrams' back catalog to support the theory.

Alice in Abramsland

"Oh how brave they'll all think me back home!"

We know Abrams has a penchant for pretty female characters cast adrift in dangerous waters. Sydney Bristow, Kate Austen (who was originally slated to lead the Losties, not Jack) and Abrams' current muse Agent Olivia Dunham all embody the Alice character: fearless young women with unhappy home lives and an insatiable amount of curiosity.

Think about it - Olivia has no qualms about stepping into Walter's LSD box time and time again, essentially mimicking the "Drink Me" scene in Alice's Adventures and eventually finds herself at the end of Season one on the other side of the looking glass talking to William Bell in a parallel reality. William Bell may even be her white rabbit, as evidenced by the Fringe Season Two poster revealing a bunny in the shrubbery wearing a tiny bell around his neck. And, of course, they are all surrounding a gigantic hole in the ground (referencing episode 2 Night of Desirable Objects). This has actually been discussed here because the internet is a vast and wondrous thing.

The Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and the Pocket Watch

Alice: What a funny watch! It tells the day and the month, but not the time!
Mad Hatter: Why should it? Does your watch tell you what year it is?
Alice: No, because it stays a year for so long.
Mad Hatter: Well, then, I rest my case! (via)

Time travel - and the concept of time in general - is a constant (heh) in Abrams' world and Fringe is no different. The Observer, who resembles the white rabbit in more ways than one, carries the ubiquitous pocket watch everywhere he (or they, I guess) goes, constantly checking it for a yet to be determined purpose. What we do know is The Observers have been around since time began at every "important" historical event. Also they really love spicy food which has absolutely nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland but is a bit of whimsy much in keeping with Carroll's brand of literary nonsense. Or it helps metabolize the time travel. Who knows?

Walter Bishop is quite obviously the Mad Hatter, solving and creating new riddles and completely off his rocker supposedly due to his love of hallucinogenics (although by now we know his crazy stems from his missing brain grapes).

Peter Bishop, the Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat

I think the theory goes that Peter Bishop is actually Another Dimension Peter, able to pop in and out rakishly without any damage done to his mind. Is he the Cheshire Cat? My gut says maybe. This isn't an exact science people; it's Fringe science. (Nina Sharp, however, she of the red bob and God complex, is most definitely the Queen of Hearts.)

So, where are we at with this whole Alice thing? We've got an entire Lostpedia wiki written about the Alice connection, even IMDB notes the Wonderland theme throughout Alias and now we've got a curious lady with long blonde hair taking hallucinogens, following a white rabbit (or several) down a hole or through a glass or across time or what have you and thwarting the Queen of Hearts while courting the Mad Hatter's son who may or may not be the Cheshire Cat. I think I've made my point. Or spouted a bunch of literary nonsense. What do you think?
Source:io9.com

Finally! 'Fringe' Merchandise Available from WB

It's way overdue but very welcomed! Finally there's some Fringe merchandise that you can buy at the Warner Brothers(WB) online store!

Use the following links and get yourself a mousepad, T-shirt, mug (yea!), and the Fringe graphic novels.

And you may want to thank the WB people for the arrival of this stuff. Maybe they'll make more, like the Fringe calendar I've been dreaming of?

Link to Fringe merchandise at Warner Brothers' Store: http://www.wbshop.com/Fringe/fr,default,sc.html?src=wfrfans (and look at the webaddress, doesn't it look like 'wbishop'?)

Fringe comic series, 2009, paperback, 144 pages: http://amzn.to/ecz6oV

Tales From The Fringe comic series, 2011, 144 pages: http://amzn.to/feAbfX

Violet Sedan Chair on Amazon and iTunes

If you weren't able to find a vinyl copy of the Violet Sedan Chair album Seven Suns in your local record store (or buy one used on eBay,) it is now available for download on Amazon or iTunes.

Amazon has the entire album available for $8.99, or you can buy individual tracks for 99¢ each.

iTunes has the album for $9.90, or you can buy individual tracks for 99¢ each.

And if you would like to print out your own cover, here are some high-res scans of the front, back, and record label.

* Thanks to Joe for emailing us!

Fringe Fridays Reanimated Screenshots

 

The recently released Fox promo "Fridays Reanimated" contains some Easter eggs hidden in the flashing imagery. Some of the screenshots are a little bit spoilery, so I put them up over at FringeSpoilers.com.

I have also uploaded screencaps of the entire video "Fridays Reanimated" at FringeFiles.com. 

BTW, when the high-res version of the video is released on Friday, I will update the images here and on FF.

New Fringe Friday Trailer

Fox has just released a new trailer.

This new promo have some easter eggs, can you find it?

Fringe Wallpaper: EGNIRF Typebars

Fox has created a new FRINGE wallpaper featuring the title of the show represented by the typebars of a typewriter (a Selectric 251 perhaps?). Download it in multiple sizes at Fox.com/Fringe.