Welcome back to Multiversity’s summer binge of Fringe! The show’s third episode is another good entry, if a bit shakier than what preceded it.
1. Bang, Meet Whimper
Fringe had an abnormally strong first two episodes; it’s not often that a show is so full itself so quickly and that helped the first two outings feel incredibly exciting. Without that veneer, though, it’s harder to get past the more negative elements of this episode. “The Ghost Network”’s greatest stumble is a relatively big one- it’s boring. Despite the compelling amber encased bus and tortured psychic, the episode kind of drags. There are plenty of things within the episode that work, but on the whole, it lacks the same explosive energy of the first couple of episodes. The third act, in particular, feels incredibly predictable, which makes for a pretty meh watching experience.
2. A Strong Guest Character
The main focus of this week’s episode is a telepath that Walter accidentally created years ago named Roy. He’s the first character outside of the main cast that’s been actively sympathetic up to this point and it’s definitely a nice change of pace. In a show fulled with conspiracy where even the nice-seeming characters (looking at you Peter Hermann) are likely capable of evil, Roy is just around to help. He’s a human radio tower and he really helps make the episode feel grounded. Zak Orth deserves a ton of credit for all of this- he’s very good at playing such a tortured character in a way that doesn’t feel overdone at all. On top of that, he helps make an otherwise underwhelming storyline watchable. It’s a real relief to have an actor like Orth present to elevate a wobbly episode of television.
3. Let’s Go John Noble
The title of this thought says it all. John Noble is easily the best actor on this show. And I’m not saying that in the “old man is funny AND sad and therefore he’s my favorite” way. Noble’s portrayal of Walter does have those qualities and he’s good at it but there are deeper, more subtle aspects of the performance as well. Noble is really good at oscillating between lucidity and his more kooky state with incredible grace. When he’s walking other characters through experiments or history, he has a commanding, firm presence that feels so natural it’s almost hard to notice. It’s impressive work Noble is doing here and he really delivers an all-timer television sci-fi performance.
4. Fringe has an Astrid Problem
As much as Fringe does well by its cast- it just doesn’t deliver when it comes to Astrid (played by Jasika Nicole). At this point, just about every character in the show outside of the main trio has gotten at least one thing to do. Broyles obviously has plenty going on behind-the-scenes and brings that into every scene he’s in. Charlie Francis holds a position as Olivia’s moral guide but in such a way that he feels like a full character in his own right. Even Nina Sharp gets to be multifaceted, laying on the charm, playing coy, and communicating her power and influence when it suits her. When it comes to Astrid though, she mostly serves as a sounding board for other characters. She asks questions and makes faces while interesting things happen around her but lacks agency in her own right. When there’s only one black woman on the show and she feels more like a prop than a character, that’s a pretty bad look. None of this is a knock on Jasika Nicole, to be clear. She’s a good actress who does a good job portraying Astrid. There’s just not all that much to portray.
5. Crumbs of Conspiracies
The most compelling aspect of “The Ghost Network” is its teases of the Massive Dynamics conspiracy and Peter’s past. There’s some interesting insight into Broyles and Nina Sharp’s seeming partnership. There’s not too much more than that which is disappointing given how cool the whole storyline is. Of course in a 20 episode season of television they can’t give up too much in episode 3, but it’s hard not to want more. With Peter, we get even less but it’s plenty exciting. There’s someone following him around and he’s ready to hunt them down if they don’t stop. This is an interesting story that’s full of potential and I’m lucky enough to know that it absolutely lives up to all the possibilities. I’m just eager to get to that part.
