O is for Olivia Dunham

Olivia: "Why would they do that? I mean, what would they want with me? What were they doing? Who could they be?"
Walter: "You're like a question machine."

When I first started watching Fringe, I thought Olivia was the most boring character ever. When I finished, I realized she is a kick-ass, awesome hero who can hold her own against supernatural monsters and keep cool during earth shattering events.

Plus, there are two of her--one for each universe. And the Faux-livia is almost as cool as the regular Olivia. Surrounding herself with awesome people like Peter, Walter, Astrid, Charlie, and Lincoln Lee doesn't hurt either.

Shout out to blogger buddy O: To Mel Chesley from Writings, Musings, and Other Such Nonsense (yes, I'm taking liberties with the "O") for being a fantastic gal with geeky tendencies!

Fringe Finale

Well, it's over. The show that has made me laugh, and cringe, and gasp, and sigh. The show that did not get stale or too weird, like I was afraid it would. The show with fantastic acting and crazy plots that I could almost believe from the scientific "explanations" given.

If you have not watched Fringe or heard of it, check out the review I wrote a while back. I actually had completely forgotten that I thought Olivia was boring when I first started watching it. How wrong I was! The acting is really what makes this show shine. Joshua Jackson plays the smart, witty, romantic, dark-at-times Peter so well that I defy any girl who doesn't fall in love with him after watching this show. Anna Torv is amazing as hardcore Olivia. John Noble, of course, takes the cake as the eccentric and often hilarious Walter. There are so many good quotes from that man!

I always worry that shows I like won't end well, because if I don't like the ending of a show, I probably won't ever watch it again. J.J. Abrams also has a track record of writing later seasons that get too weird and aren't up to par with the first seasons (Lost or Alias, anyone?). Don't get me wrong, Fringe is weird. Crazy, even. But it's good crazy. It doesn't get boring. It doesn't lose me. There are alternate universes, time-travel, neat tech, strange creatures, and pretty much everything a geek could want in a show.

And the ending? Fantastic. So well done. Bittersweet, but I won't spoil it for you.

I will be re-watching this one. If you haven't seen it, now is your chance to watch it from beginning to end without having to wait for the next episode.

Fringe, you sure know how to make a girl feel happy and like crying at the same time. So sad it's over. So glad it got the amazing end it deserved. Fare thee well.

Walter: "You are my favourite thing, Peter. My very favourite thing."

Fall 2012 TV Shows

These are the shows airing this fall that I am looking forward to watching or have already started watching. I'm not sure if I will have time to catch all of them. What shows will you be keeping up with this fall?

Doctor Who -- Season 7 started Saturday, September 1
I will be sad to see Rory and Amy go.

Revolution -- Season 1 started Monday, September 17
Interesting premise for a new show by J.J. Abrams. I will give it a try!

The Big Bang Theory -- Season 6 started Thursday, September 27
While the first seasons are still the best, I will be keeping up with the geeks in this show.

Fringe -- Season 5 starts Friday, September 28 (today!)
I am a little wary about how the final season of Fringe will turn out. The episodes have been getting a little weird, but I still really enjoyed Season 4. I don't like that there is no sign of Olivia in these trailers. Who wants to watch Fringe without Olivia? I'm sure she will turn up, but I hope they don't leave her out of many episodes.

Once Upon a Time -- Season 2 starts Sunday, September 30
Season 1 ended with magic entering the world. I am curious to see what will happen next!

Merlin -- Season 5 starts Saturday, October 6
Things have definitely changed throughout this series. Arthur is king, Guinevere queen. The knights of the round table are forming. Please let Arthur find out that Merlin is a wizard in this season, that's all I have to say.

Top 10 TV Countdown - #6: FRINGE

"The only thing better than a cow is a human! Unless you need milk. Then you really need a cow." 

-- Walter Bishop

My first impression of this show: creepy with a boring main character. My second impression of this show: imaginative and captivating with a tough heroine who will stop at nothing to save the world.

Olivia Dunham is an FBI agent who is brought into a special division to investigate supernatural events. At first I thought she was boring, but as I continued watching and learned more about her past, I realized she was tough, driven, and pretty much awesome.

She brings Walter Bishop onto her team, a scientist that used to work in an area called "Fringe" science, though Walter has been institutionalized for the past 17 years and is quite the eccentric. Walter is the gem of this show, and John Noble does such a fantastic job playing him it is no wonder he won an award for it. His quips, jibes, and quirks bring the element of humour a serious show like this needs to succeed. He'll call for licorice or a strawberry milkshake at random moments, and has no qualms about dissecting a dead body.

Peter Bishop, Walter's son, is also brought onto the team. He is introduced as sarcastic and moody, and I wish the writers had drawn that out a bit longer so I could easier believe his transformation into a character who cares about what will happen to the world if the team doesn't stop horrible events from happening. However, he is almost as smart as his father and not as insane, so he makes a valuable team member.

Do not watch this show if you are looking for something relaxing to kick off the day with and lull you to sleep. It can be downright creepy at times, and J.J. Abrams has outdone himself with the suspense, action, and plot twists it has taken. There are people with special powers, viruses, strange deaths, advanced technologies, an alternate universe, and much, much more involved. You will also find yourself falling in love with the supporting cast as well as the three main characters, which is a good indication of a great show.

My greatest worry is that this show will get outrageous like Alias did, or that it will become packed with so many plot twists and ideas that it will become too complicated, like Lost did. But so far, so good.