Saturday, May 5, 2012

Fringe: Season 4 Episode 21 - Brave New World Part 1


Hello my friends!  Welcome to the season 4 finale part 1 recap of Fringe!  We had another crazy episode on our hands.  Of course, it's only half of the story that will be told so we're kind of left hanging for the big conclusion.  But, WOW, didn't see that twist coming!  I guess we should have after the future vision we got a couple episodes ago.  But, the advantage the writers had was a logistical thing with a certain "retired" actor returning that somehow they kept secret from the media (or at least me).  Anyway, it led to things taking an unexpected turn in the final moments of this season, let alone series.  I'm guessing this recap might be a little lighter than usual as we will have more to dissect after part 2 airs next week.   But, you know me, I do like to ramble on about things.  So, let's see where this thing takes us!

Fringe Case of the Week
The case, of course, was playing into our larger "universe destroying/merging/creating" arc of the season. We got a shot of that train station in Boston that was featured in the future vision we saw 2 episodes ago, but this time it was present day.    Of course, you wouldn't know it with some dude paying for coffee (they love coffee on this show) with his Sprint Cell Phone.  (Thank you product placement!)  Leave it to Walter to ask "what will they think of next?"  Also, did anyone hear the Muzak version of "Eyes Without a Face" playing?  Anyway, it wasn't long before the man was outside spontaneously combusting, along with several other visitors to this train station.  Once other people caught on, it led to people stopping in their tracks to avoid certain death.  






Walter, in his investigations, stumbled upon none other than Charlotte Staples Lewis herself!!  (LOST's Rebecca Mader, playing Jessica Holt.  She is a self-proclaimed obsessed Fringe fan and started a Twitter campaign last year requesting the producers for a guest spot on the show.  Success!)  Jessica was very cooperative with Walter even volunteering, facing certain death, to be moved to his lab for further investigation.   But, before that Walter's first prognosis was that this was not some sort of bacterial virus.  In fact, it was nano technology.  More specifically, nanites.  Microscopic robotics that in this case are activated by movement.  Walter used a soda bottle explosion upon shaking analogy to describe what these nanites were doing inside the victims.  




Naturally, David Robert Jones was linked through security footage, so they focused their investigation on finding him.  But in the meantime, Jessica was losing her cool and about to combust.  Walter and Peter were working on some solution to neutralize the nanites, but they weren't fast enough.  But, thankfully, Olivia realized that the series finale is approaching and her cortexiphan abilities are starting to become more useful to her!  She didn't know how she did it but she focused her energies on Jessica and slowed the molecules in Jessica's body and calmed her down.  


Things took a bit of a turn when Walter was able to study one of these nanites in more detail.  He was perplexed by the make-up of it and knew that only one person would EVER design a nanite like this.  And, then we are shifted to Jones reporting to his superior officer.  The mastermind behind this whole event.  And yes, it is none other than William Bell himself!  An evil maniacal laughing William Bell who seems to read cue cards when having to deliver Chess analogies!  But we'll take Leonard Nimoy however we can get him on this show!!   We'll have to save our speculation for the significance of William Bell's appearance for below.  Of course, we know it was hinted at 2 episodes ago, but I had no idea he was making an appearance in this season.  Secret well kept FRINGE TEAM!  

"There's only one man who would DARE give me raspberry!!!"
(name that movie)



Once Walter realized William Bell was involved, he made it his goal to prove to the team and Nina Sharp that William Bell was alive.  In this rebooted timeline he supposedly died in a car accident just like his alternate universe counterpart.  Though, Nina's recollection was that he died on Christmas Eve 2005 and Walter remembered him coming to St. Claire's on New Year's Eve 2005.   Supposedly Bell was dying of Lymphoma and wasn't in a car accident at all.  He may have been trying to "off himself" if I heard that right.  But, clearly he is not dead.   He did not dissolve while bringing Peter, Walter and Fauxlivia back to this universe.  He did not use soul magnets to occupy Olivia's mind after his death. Or did he? Looks like I went too far into speculation here!  We'll continue below. 




Bell's task for Jones talked about sacrificing a Bishop.  We assumed this meant Peter or Walter needing to be offed to accomplish a task.  Walter and Peter went to St. Claire's to try and prove Walter's hypothesis about Bell correct.  Walter borrowed a log journal from 2005 to see if he could uncover proof of Bell visiting him.  As expected, an Easy Bake Oven would be involved in uncovering cortexiphan-related traces of DNA left behind by Bell.  But it was actually Chilean Almond traces that proved Walter's theory correct.  He knew immediately he had to go to Boston Harbor.  And of course, Astrid had to drive. 



Meanwhile, Olivia and Peter had a romantic night thwarted when a Bright Light flashed outside their window.  According to Walter, Bell/Jones were using the sun to illuminate a so-called Disco Ball to target a building that would pretty much wipe out all of Boston.  Ouch!  There were 2 frequencies involved (ponder on that as you wish).  Walter was able to direct Peter and Olivia to the correct location to stop Jones.  There were 2 satellites and 2 adjacent buildings.  So, they each took one and simultaneously turned them off.  Of course, Jones was there and ready to take down Peter "Bishop".   Olivia was stopped by Security and couldn't help Peter.  Until, again, her awakened abilities thanks to Jones' injections were on display yet again.  She forced the security guards to drop their guns and then she essentially took over Peter's body and put a whooping on Jones. (Did she dislocate his shoulder and then pop it back in?  That was nuts!)  And then, out of nowhere, Jones started heating up and we realize he has some of those nanites in him.   At that point Jones realizes HE was the sacrificial bishop in this analogical chess game.   It wasn't Jones trying to awaken Olivia's abilities.  It was William Bell!  For what purpose?  Well, we'll have to speculate on that! 












Meanwhile, Walter and Astrid get to the bay and come across a man that we sort of recognize but don't remember when.  (Then I remembered we saw him on that big freighter with all of the Fringe Season 1 Beasts a few episodes back)   He puts on a good show, but Astrid spots his hidden gun.  She senses the threat and wants to get them out of there.  But Walter hears a noise and is drawn to the shipping crates.  We assume these are the creatures we saw on that freighter and link them to William Bell and whatever he has in store in our final hour.  The gunmen show back up and Astrid takes one of them out kung fu style! Yeah!!  But, it's not enough and she gets show by one of them right in the gut!!!  WHAAT!?!?!   







William Bell shows up and directs his comments to Walter.  "I'm not sure I'd ever see you again.  Hello old friend."   

Um, so yeah.  That was crazy, folks!  Naturally, I have speculations for some of those tidbits and we have other side stories that we need to discuss down below.  So, let's get to it! 

Observ'er'ations
Glyph Code - POWERS - Yes, Olivia's powers were clearly on display here.  And it was a goal of William Bell for this to happen it would seem.  Thanks to fringepedia as always for screenshot. 


Observer "Not" Spotted - Hmm, I actually didn't see one and can't find anything.  Maybe since this is a 2 part finale, they'll be in the next part.  But, if anything shows up, I'll update this. 

Walterisms
  • "What will they think of next?" - in relation to the cell phone payment. 
  • Using an easy bake oven to cook a pie and solve a mystery was classic. 
  • The way he revealed that all of Boston was in danger.  So casual in telling Peter that Broyles needs to back up his perimeter a bit.  How much?  "all of it."  
  • Calling Astrid "Alex" and saying how he's going to go find William Bell.  Naturally, he can't drive so Astrid goes after him.  She asks him about calling her Alex.  He just says, "I was on a roll."  Classic!

  • Not really comical, but Walter asked Astrid earlier why she was always "mother henning" him.  She said to humor her because she might like it.  While we are in a rebooted timeline, it would seem Walter and Astrid's relationship was returning to the way we remembered it.  In fact, everyone seemed to be acting like their old selves minus different memories of events.  


Food of the Week
  • Rhubarb is referenced when Walter talked about his Uncle Heinrich. 
  • And of course, we'll never look at Lemon Cake the same way again.  Laced with pig brains and paper to draw out cortexiphan traces!!  Yummy!

Baby Watch
  • Peter and Olivia looked to be house hunting in the beginning of the episode.  Olivia asked if one particular house had a nursery.  We knew these discussions had to be heating up soon.  Of course, I wondered if she was already pregnant and still do.  But it was a sweet moment. 

  • As the episode progressed we see Olivia paying particular attention to Jessica as she has a 4 year old daughter that she is concerned about.  She calls the father to pick her up even though it's not his day.  And she was very concerned about insurance from the FBI  and how they handle next of kin if she were to die.  Everything she volunteered for was for her daughter. 
  • This got Olivia worried about starting a family with Peter.  They're always putting themselves in danger.  But, Peter said they would figure it out together. 
Hmm, someone hasn't touched their wine.  
  • I'm going to put 5 bucks on her revealing she's pregnant (or it somehow being revealed that she is pregnant) before the next hour is up.  I mean, she needs to be pregnant like YESTERDAY for that future vision timeline to have any credibility! 

William Bell's Return

Obviously, Bell's return brings up many questions.  It's still unclear what his goal was in faking his death 7 years ago.   And it's unclear on what his motives are for creating this new world.  We only know that he is plotting something and it involves a lot of stuff that went into making up seasons 1 through 4.  Old season 1 cases produced creatures that were on display this season.  There are 2.0 shape shifters probably designed by him.  Wasn't he involved with helping Walternate create the originals?  There is the use of cortexiphan kids, including Olivia.  Both Universes are at play.  What's his game here?   And are the Observers part of it?  

But that's all well and good.  I have other questions.  We know William Bell is supposed to do something to Olivia per our vision of the future.  Is he or is he not Mr. X?  The man that supposedly kills Olivia?  And with that in mind, that was in William Bell's consciousness from the original timeline.  Which makes me question, is this William Bell aware of the original timeline?   Because, we know we have MEANA with Robotic hand involved and Jones seemed to be aware of Olivia's original memories.  So, I still question if we're not seeing someone from a different timeline involved in this timeline.  

Surely, William Bell is going to explain things to Walter in the beginning of the next hour.  But, William Bell seemed very keen on not wanting to die.  We saw that with the soul magnets.  Could he have found a way to keep himself relevant via a different timeline?  It all has to tie together somehow, right?  To make this show tie together in a perfect little bow, the first 3 seasons and season 4 have to co-exist in importance and meaning.  At least, in my mind it does until they try to explain otherwise.  The fact that everything we have seen in seasons 1-3 are at play in season 4 makes me think they do relate somehow.  Someone other than Peter and Olivia have to have knowledge of the original timeline.  My guess is William Bell.  But, I'm just speculating as always.  I may be over-thinking it, but I hope I'm not. 

Oh and one more thing.  ASTRID was shot!?!!  We saw her alive in 2036, so she better be okay!! 

And that's all I have folks!  Told you I'd find a way to ramble on!  I'd love to hear everyone else's speculation about where things are going.  And of course, let's keep branching out our commentary to all other TV shows we love!  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you for the season finale next week 

End Credits
  • This season I recapped Terra NovaThe Walking Dead and Alcatraz and am continuing to recap Fringe.
  • Other shows that are being discussed in comments recently:  How I Met Your Mother, The River, Once Upon a Time, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Awake. Previously discussed: Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, etc...  Feel free to join in!
  • As always, there are other shows that I watch as well and would be happy to discuss with all of you in the comments of any of these blog posts!

53 comments:

Ronn said...

Damn it. I'm sensing the s4 cliffhanger will be Olivia dying or not. But it's impossible she won't appear on S5 right?

And i also feel that Man with the X is either Bell, Walter or Peter himself. Must be the trailer.

Anonymous said...

I felt the same way you did about the William Bell reveal. We had been lead to believe he would not be involved because he was "retired" from acting. What a great way to mislead us. No one can be disappointed to see Nimoy/Bell back. He is either a huge fan of the show or they made him a deal he couldn't refuse.

Believe it or not, my first thought when Bell said "the most important piece needs to be sacrificed and in this game it is the bishop" was that he was sacrificing Jones. Then I realized the whole "bishop" thing and got pulled in to it must be Peter or Walter.
Man, Olivia's powers seem to be growing exponentially. I can't wait to see what she might be capable of. If ep 19 was fact, then she can not be shot before Henrietta is born so that rules out next episode. (although as we've learned logic like that only gets me into trouble with this show).
I'm not sure what Bell this is, ours the alternate, or a third from another universe. I'm wondering if it will ever be explained to us.
So, in the end Bell is the bad guy.
I thought a tip was given last week when Walter stated "Jones was much more clever and smarter than he gave him credit for". He wasn't that smart.... it was Bell all along.I wonder about Bell being Mr X though. If I recall during the LSD cartoon episode, Peter Bishop introduced himself to Mr X and Mr X said something like "You're Peter Bishop? Well I'm glad to meet you". That would have been an exchange that was purposely there to mislead us - since William Bell knew very well who Peter Bishop was. Maybe Mr X is one of Bell's minions.
I can't imagine where we will end up at the conclusion of next week's show. The 13 episode 5th season will be wide open.


Can't wait for next week.

Bill B

Curt Sminkey said...

Was I seeing things or did the nanite's have the same X on them that Mr X had on his chest? If so, definately ties Mr X to William Bell.

What a great show!

Mike V. said...

Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments. Great discussion. I've been busy since posting the blog yesterday. Have a few minutes, so I'll see what I can get to. lol

@Ronn - There definitely could be a cliffhanger on Olivia dying...but I'm thinking probably not unless it's a flash to the future. Henrietta has memories of her parents at least 4 years into her life. So, I'm guessing that's when September gets shot too (4 years later) and we saw him return to the past to let Olivia know there is no way she isn't going to die. But we'll see! Interesting with Mr. X maybe being Walter or Peter. The animated version didn't look like any of them, even Bellie...so I have no idea! Can't wait to find out though!

@Bill - Yeah, Nimoy being back was a great reveal. Turns out we may have some involvement from him in every season of Fringe when all is said and done. And that is fitting considering William Bell is such a big component of the mythology.

Yeah using the bishop piece of the chess board definitely threw me for a loop too!

We saw Olivia's ability to use telepathy in last season's future vision in 2036....so she was just freely moving around boxes and saving them from falling and stuff. But yeah..who knows what else she can do? Probably gonna be pretty crazy! And based on my comments above...i totally agree Olivia cannot die until Henrietta is born...and I think 4 years after is probably a factor too.

I just don't know if Bell is the bad guy. He never seemed like one in past seasons. Maybe in season 1 we assumed he was until we met him. But we have no idea what his motivations are and if this version of Bell has knowledge of previous versions of Bell that we met in seasons 1-3.

And was Bell involved with Jones in the season 1-3 timeline? That would be a key question too.

I totally recall the Mr. X/Peter conversation too, that's why I don't think it's Bell either. Maybe a Bell minion...true. Who knows??

Looking forward to it too!

@Curt - Totally didn't catch the X on the nanite...but that definitely would be interesting and maybe a clue to what's going on!

Guess we'll find out!!

Sorry if I made no sense or repeating myself....I was typing between baby cries. (got solo babysitting duty today lol)

GO FLYERS!!

MJ said...

Hi all! I know I disappeared last week - so busy at work. I'm sure I missed some great stuff. Maybe I'll try to get over there again.

Are you up to date on G of T Mike?

OMG on Astrid getting shot. I wonder if they have to reduce the cast as part of getting a final half season ! And I was blown away that Belle was back. And totally fooled by the 'take out a Bishop' too.

I haven't even read the recap or comments yet, am going to do so now. But my jaw was just dropping last night (I watched Fringe last night so...)

Mike V. said...

Ohhh yeah...all caught up on everything and ready to chat! (GoT, Grimm, Mad Men, ONCE). Finished S1 of Sherlock but I'll probably watch the new ep over the next couple days on the treadmill. lol

Surely Astrid will be in next season. If she dies then the future has already been changed since she was "un-ambered" lol Of course, if she dies then maybe it's intentional that the future is already changed. interesting!! :)

MJ said...

' thankfully, Olivia realized that the series finale is approaching and her cortexiphan abilities are starting to become more useful to her! ' Nice !! And I was hysterical when she took Peter over and had him fighting. We did see Olivia in control of her powers in that other future we saw previous to this year - where Ella her niece is in Fringe. Oops - I now see you already mentioned this.

Did Olivia slow the molecules, or did she take the heat ? She looked kinda sweaty afterward so I thought maybe she took the heat from Jessica.

Loved the whole xmas eve vs. NYE thing ! And Walter sniffing and licking those documents was hysterical.

When they talked about two frequencies I was so sure it was going to somehow involve the other universe. When he started with the lemon cake I was thinking yummmmm - til he then stated he added pig brains.

Olivia did look like she was about to tell peter something before they were interrupted - so I think you are right that she is already preggers.

I certainly hope someone will also have knowledge of our original timeline - but I've wanted that for all of them. I can't help but think that they are leading us to believe Belle is bad and they are going to switch it up on us somehow. Like maybe he's doing these things cause he's seen the future and these things have to occur to ensure that some future event still happens ?? But can't see him as bad really - and they are trying too hard to make us see him that way now.

maybe Mr. X is an observer !!!

I think the future will def change, so Astrid could die. I hope not though.



G of T - I can't believe someone stole those dragons ! And that Joffrey could have cared less that they dragged Sansa off and almost raped her. They really have made him totally hateable. Loved Tyrion going off on him. But - I did not ever want to see Osha naked ! How can I ever watch Harry Potter again ?!? LOL Jon Snow should probably have killed that wilding - I'm guessing she's gonna be lots of trouble. Was laughing at her 'squirming' when they settled in for the night. And the old man who was killed - Godrick maybe? - he was totally familiar by face - but I can't remember who he really is. But whom ever told Robb NOT to go back there and fight for that town was right.

I have to go - start talking Once and I'll catch up to ya !

Mike V. said...

This may take a couple posts. lol
@MJ

FRINGE:
Olivia's abilites - Yep, I think I covered it! lol But, good to hear other reactions as well!

Good question on what she did with Jessica. She may have absorbed the heat. I have no idea! lol

Yeah, there was plenty of Walter goodness in this one. Loved it all!

I figured the 2 frequencies thing WAS a reference to both universes. I guess we don't really know what ALL the results of blowing up boston would have been. Maybe it would have affected OVER THERE too? But, I guess overall, the whole thing was a way to unlock Olivia's potential.

Yep, I think she's preggars too. You see my caption on the picture? lol It didn't look like she was drinking that wine either. It was full and far away from her.

Oh definitely with Bellie. I always assume he has a greater objective whenever he returns and that he's not necessarily evil. But, if he's the mastermind behind some of these events, he's definitely done bad things to get here. Then again...Walter is no saint either. But yes...I really hope at some point there is a collective understanding about the original timeline!

MR X - Hmm...I guess he could be an observer. Of course, when we saw him he had hair. Maybe like Agent Smith in the god awful Matrix II and III, he's an UNPLUGGED Observer. lol

I think the future WILL change, but we haven't seen anything happen to distinguish this timeline vs. the future timeline we saw. At least in our LAST flash forward, we saw Future Walter purposely sending the machine back in time to alter this future path with present day Peter being present to witness that timeline. He went back and altered things. Here, we have no indication from the 2036 future that any messages have been sent back in time to alter the timeline. Even September interacting with Peter and Olivia this season seem to be related to the 2036 future we have seen. Peter had to return to existence for Henrietta to be born. I dunno...there could be something we don't know yet from this final hour of season 4 that could cause Astrid to die. But based on all the info we have right now, she should live!

Mike V. said...

Game of Thrones:

I couldn't believe someone stole the dragons either! You know why?? Not in the books!! lol But, I think I know where they're going with it. And there are enough hints in the past 2 episodes to suggest who may have taken the dragons. So, knowing where Dany's story goes next and that final shot they showed of the episode...I think I know who took them and what Dany's new motivation for going there will be. But, obviously, that's all I'll say!

Joffrey is an absolute imbecile. Don't get me wrong, I love to hate the dude. The actor Jack Gleeson is pulling it off fantastically. But, I think I love it more when Tyrion slaps him. LOVE IT! lol Tyrion was awesome again this week. And you gotta love the Hound (Sandor Clegane) saving Sansa. There is so much more with the Hound and Sansa in the books and it's more understated on the show. In the books you can tell the Hound has a soft spot for Sansa even though he always says frightful things to her. It's more a defense mechanism on his part. But then he does stuff like going back out into the mob and saving her that really shows his true colors. Of course, that won't stop Arya from hating him because he did kill the butcher's boy on Joffrey's orders!

I'm trying to remember if that Osha scene was in the book too. And I think it was! But, the whole escape thing was Bran's plan I believe. And, there's nothing saying this couldn't have been his plan either. It's crazy to see the conflict in Theon. I always sensed it in the books too, but the show is going further to show a sympathetic side to Theon. But, he's still a total DB! lol Hacking at Rodrick's poor neck. That was rough to watch. Rodrick escorted Catelyn to King's Landing last season and was with her on the way back when they ran into Tyrion and went to the Eyrie. He's Winterfell's master at arms and taught all the stark children (and Jon Snow) how to fight.

Jon Snow and Ygritte....I really wish I could say more, but that would ruin the fun ahead! :-) I will say that I loved their interactions in this episode. And the chase scene was NOT in the books, but it was a beautiful way to show Iceland's fine scenery. If you're going to ship the cast and crew there to film on location, you better get some sweeping cinematic shots! It looked amazing!

And yes... the advice for Robb was probably sound advice. His mother's advice was pretty good too. But, again...this whole storyline is NOT in the books. Catelyn didn't even meet back up with Robb until much later in the story. lol She went back to Riverrun to be with her dying father and just heard about Robb's war progress. But...for television this works better. Plus, we get to see stuff only talked about in the books with Robb's story. I'm digging it! God...I wish I could talk some BOOK TALK on this recap with someone but the stuff coming up is so good I would never want to spoil it! (I'm 60% through book 3.....which means I'm probably into season 4 of the show by now lol.....and it's still ridiculously awesome)

Mike V. said...

ONCE: Great episode. The show has been on a roll and only keeps getting better. I will say that I totally called who was going to eat that Apple Turnover. It was only during that scene that I realized he was going to do it intentionally. I knew it would be the perfect way to get Emma to finally start believing. I love how the flashbacks are finally leading up to the first flashback we saw in the pilot episode. Everything is tying together well. It makes me wonder what they'll do for season 2. But...i wondered the same thing with season 2 of lost. MORE FLASHBACKS...and they started to get redundant and kinda boring. But, new characters were introduced which added new stories to tell. I'm sure that will happen on ONCE as well. But...the good news is the Storybrooke story has only been getting better and better. I love that there was actually some conversations of their old lives this week and it upped the stakes. Regina and the Mad Hatter plotting...using the last bit of magic. All good stuff. Looking forward to the finale!

Mike V. said...

GofT: BTW, I didn't even realize that character giving Robb advice is Roose Bolton. I don't think he is his direct advisor in the books (that is Greatjohn..i think)...but Roose does have a role to play eventually...so you may want to keep tabs on him!

Roose also has a b**tard son and he was referred to in this episode too. He may show up in one of these storylines eventually too. lol

It really is tough to keep all of these characters straight. I may be reading about people for 5 to 10 chapters and not piece everything together about who is related to whom and who is who...until I google stuff, refer to websites and retroactively recreate the scenes in my head correctly. lol And somehow, I find this enjoyable! lol

MJ said...

Fringe: I haven't been getting your screeen shots and such for ages now - so no I didn't see about the wine. LOL on the Matrix reference. But maybe they see themselves as they want - so he pictured hair. LOL j/k

I didn't even notice Nimoy's name in the credits ! Remember thats how we used to be accidently spoiled with Lost. Was it me or was that chuch behind them with a sign 'Light of the World' very prominent.

G of T : Wow - the stealing of the dragons was not in the books !?! How huge then. I also loved when he gets slapped by his uncle. Cercei's whole thing with her daughter is dumb though - all these women are sold off to better the familie's politics. I think her real issue is that SHE didn't control it. LOL And yes - Tyrien had another fab scene with joffery. I hate Joffrey more than Malfoy on HP !

I'm guessing they didn't want to have a kid suggesting that she whore herself so that they could all escape. LOL I know that they have made alot of these characters a little older than the book cause they couldn't have children actors doing some of what they did in the book.

Ah yes - he was her escort ! Thanks. I knew I'd seen him, just didn't know why.

I couldn't quite tell - did LittleFinger recognise Arya ? I think yes !!!


Once: Loved Regina's dream. And the guillotine (sp) blade turning to water. Did we know that killing Emma would break the curse ??? I don't remember that. Why would Regina go to Gold knwiong he always twists it so he doesn't deliver on his deals ! And wasn't the Hatter gone ? i was surprised to see him again.

When they told Red that she has someone on her chin it remined me of Lost when Hurley told someone they has Arzt on them. I was cracking up. Parlay ? Stealing from the other disney show Pirates of Carribbean ? LOL At least Emma was not stupid enough to eat the turnover - though I guess she just didn't want it at the moment cause she didn't throw it out - which most people who supposedly don't trust the person giving it would have done.


Can't believe how many finales this week ! No HIMYM for 2 broke girls 1 hour finale tonight. And Parcks and rec ? Seems like they only just started - how can they be ending this week ?

Sunday will be killer for me this week. Once finale, Survivor 2 hour finale, Desp Housewives 2 hour finale. Plus G of T ! Just shoot me now !

Sorry so long - I keep jotting down my thoughts then when i have the time I post them all ;-D

Mike V. said...

FRINGE: WHAAAT?!!? You're not getting my screenshots? Do you know why? I hope that's not a general problem. I don't think it is because I've gone onto the site not logged on plenty of times and they show up. Do you have an old browser or is it a work restriction thing? Can you tell I'm overly concerned about this? lol

But you could be right...maybe they see themselves as they want. Plus it was in Bell's mind within Olivia's..so who knows? lol

I didn't see Nimoy's name in the credits either. But yes, I do remember being spoiled on LOST all the time. (speaking of which..anyone see Matthew Fox got arrested for a DUI? Oh boy lol That man really needs to go baaaaack!!!) I didn't catch the church sign....actually, maybe I did. lol Hmmmm....you're making me think I did now. So maybe it was prominent!

GoT: Yep, the dragon thing definitely is pretty big. I like that I can be surprised with the show. But, I also can see how they can reroute it easily back to the story. The problem with Dany in book 2 is that she really didn't have many chapters. So, they found some interesting ways to expand her story. I'm cool with it!

Cercei: I think her problem with Myrcella being married off is because SHE was too. She tried to love Robert, but he had no interest in her. His love remained for Ned Stark's young sister Lyanna even after she died. Even in the pilot episode, the first thing he wanted to do when he got there was visit her grave. Cercei was not too pleased.

And oh god yes...Joffrey is so much worse than Malfoy! I don't see any sympathetic end to Joffrey either. The dude is awful. lol

Oh yeah...Bran is like 10 in the books. I don't know how they're going to deal with these kids aging faster than the story allows them too. Should be interesting. But no...i don't think Bran suggested that Osha "whore around" in the books. I think his plan was to leave Winterfell. lol But yeah...I do think that Osha/Theon scene DID happen. It was probably one of the Theon chapters.

No problem on Ser Rodrick.

Oh right...the Littlefinger/Tywin/Arya scene. So awesome!! This whole little plotline with Littlefinger is definitely an addition. He's such a great character, but again...was not a POV character in the books. But everything that he's doing with his discussions with Catelyn and Tywin is setting something up that does happen in the books....so it's realistic to believe that these scenes did happen. I think it would seem that he thought he recognized Arya, but maybe he shook it off. If he did recognize her...he will keep that for his secretive advantage for another day as he and Varys always do so well. lol

ONCE:

I don't think we knew killing Emma would break the curse. That's crazy news! Regina seemed do definitely do a "Bond Villain-esque" mistake there by telling Gold her plan. That seemed awfully silly. I don't think we ever knew what happened to the Hatter. He was trapped in Wonderland PRE-CURSE....but after his bout with Emma/MM...I think he just disappeared. But he must not have left town.

Nice on the ARZT reference and the Pirates/Disney tie-ins!

I'm excited about Finales coming up. I love having a little TV breather during the summer! Yep, HIMYM's 1 hour finale is next week which is probably why 2 broke girls is airing 2 eps tonight. Yikes...I guess I'll keep the last couple DH eps on my TiVo and watch them eventually. I did invest in quite a bit of the show...i don't think it will be too hard to come back in to watch the end. But yeah...that sounds pretty rough for your Sunday TV watching! lol It'll just be ONCE, GOT and Mad Men for me again!

No problem on long posts...any distraction from the day job is a good one sometimes!

Leslie said...

ONCE – Yep, another great episode! It was news to me that killing Emma would break the curse. I’m starting to feel bad for August turning back into wood. Doesn’t sound like a good way to go! Love the kid who plays Henry. Just checked him out on IMDB for the first time and found that he played Bobby on Mad Men in 2009 and 2010! Didn’t realize that! Maybe that’s why he’s looked familiar to me.

MAD MEN – Interesting that Megan decided to quit advertising for acting. Don looked SO disappointed, but he supported her anyway which was very unselfish of him. Peggy really seemed disappointed, too. She has really been supporting Megan. Joan was pretty under-whelmed at the announcement. Loved the argument between Peggy and Don in the test kitchen when Peggy couldn’t seem to remember the tag line in front of the client. And, what was up with Don looking into that elevator shaft???

Did Pete mention his insurance policy covers suicide? Mike, didn’t you post that is the rumor? I didn’t realize until Pete got home with Beth that she was Alexis Bledel. (Loved Gilmore Girls!) I couldn’t believe Pete invited himself home with Howard after he asked Howard if he was worried about getting caught, and he sure seemed overly upset that this accidental hook up didn’t meet him again.

Curt Sminkey said...

Here's a screen shot of the nanites:
http://i45.tinypic.com/s3n7eh.jpg

Here's a screen shot of Mr. X:
http://i49.tinypic.com/2u631c8.jpg

Did I pick up on something that the great Mike Vitullo missed? Only been trying since LOST season 3 :-)

Anonymous said...

Very interesting Curt.
I think you may be on to something there. What, I'm not sure, but something.

Bill B

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

ONCE - Oh yeah, I looked that kid up in the pilot episode so I knew he was the Mad Men kid. lol He's not the best actor on the show but he's cute enough to pull it off. lol Hopefully August will be spared from returning to wood if Emma starts believing or something like that. I really see some kind of love interest brewing there. But we'll see!

MAD MEN - Well, I guess Megan's Dad really got to her in last week's episode. He wanted her to continue her dream and not settle. The crazy thing is how good she was in advertising. Don, definitely was disappointed and it will be interesting to see the ripple effects there. The Peggy/Don scene was hysterical, agreed! No idea about don with the elevator shaft. I'm sure there was some symbolism there that writers will write 500 page essays on one day. lol But for me, it seemed to symbolize that things are going to go downhill pretty quickly. lol

I didn't catch Pete mentioning suicide in his insurance policy but yeah, I did mention that there is a rumor about that. It seemed like Pete thought Miss Gilmore Girl was going to be offing herself the whole episode. (I picked up on in midway through the ep too. lol Not that I watched GG or anything!) Yeah...Pete seemed pretty obsessive over her. He's on a self-fulfilling path of destruction right now. Definitely going to lose Trudy if he keeps it up. But, she does have a day job on Community!! (ANNIE!!) And...maybe lose his own life in the process. I just have not seen anything on this show that would lead us to think that there is a death coming this season. Most characters that have died were people with close ties to main characters but not main characters themselves. The people I remember dying were Betty's Dad, the real Don Draper's wife (that Don became good friends with in california), and Pete's dad. There was a heart attack for Roger Sterling and a lawnmower incident. But other than that, most intense drama is business related or with emotional stakes. But, I guess that could all change this season!

@CURT

FRINGE: Thanks for posting those screenshots. Those X's are DEFINITELY the same X's. Good catch! I will bow down to you this one time only. lol As Bill said though, what exactly you're on to, I don't think we know. Does William Bell have nanites inside him? Maybe this William Bell is millions of nanites built together to resemble william bell and he's not actually a living human being. lol Or maybe Mr. X that we saw in Olivia's mind WAS literally a nanite that somehow is hanging out inside olivia...ready to take her down at any point. All of that sounds ridiculous. lol We also should probably factor in that Walter labeled September as "Mr. X" when he was trying to save him. I don't know if it was really a hint by the writers or just a way to keep us thinking about the X-Man fresh in our heads!

Anyway...I think you definitely caught a good clue...now we just have to see it play out!

MJ said...

G of T: Did we even discuss how funny it was that his men sent a letter to the wrong camp ? And that was cool with Arya running to get jaquen to kill that guy before she's outed for stealing that note. Two down, one to go.

Lots of gore in this one - the hacking/kicking off a head, disembowelment, and arm cut off ! I feel like we're talking TWD ! LOL And since Robb has REALLY been sworn off this medic lady we know he'll be in love with her soon.

Screen shots - nah - I think it's a websense thing here at work. Just like TVline is all unformatted for me now.

Well - I guess Matthew Fox has broken the chain where they all got them in Hawaii ! LOL

Once - well thank god - thought I was nuts that i forgot killing Emma would break the curse. LOL I think the kid is ok - let's face it, they have not given him very much to do or say except try to convince Emma over and over, and have the same fights with the evil fake-mom.

Fringe: Wow - very interesting with the nanites/Mr. X !! Anyone read Doc Jensen guess on the finale ? I just read it now. Interesting is all I'll say.

Finales: I am already behind on 2 Broke so now I'll just marathon it. Probably ignore Survivor finale til another day - though it will be impossible to not get spoiled by who wins. I sometimes wonder why I still watch it really. LOL I def won't be worrying about watching DH - that's been known to sit on my DVR for weeks. I'm actually 2 behind on TVD too - so I'll marathon that one on thursday and then see the finale.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

GoT:
The whole thing with the illiterate man sending a letter to the wrong camp was hysterical. And Arya demanding the death happen RIGHT NOW and then next shot has him falling through the door was just classic. I forget exactly how it all went down in the books but I think that guy WAS the 2nd death. So crazy that I forget the details of these 3 deaths. Pretty sure I remember exactly how #3 goes down...looking forward to seeing it all play out!

Yeah...Hibberd talked about this seeming like an episode of TWD..especially with the arm being cut off. It looked like they were going to eat the guy too! I will say nothing about Robb and the "medic lady" lol

Gotcha on the screen shots. That's a bummer!

And touche' on Matthew Fox! lol

ONCE: Oh yeah...Henry is doing fine in his role. It doesn't distract me from enjoying the show!

FRINGE: I have not read Doc Jensen's guess. But I do know a lot of people think that future vision we saw was of a MERGED universe (you know..all that stuff we were talking about LAST season). So they think that's what's going to happen in the finale. I don't know about it. But, I'll go see what the Doc has to say. Chances are he's extremely wrong as he always comes up with ridiculous theories! lol So it's probably safe to read.

FINALES: I'm way behind on 2 Broke...so agreed. can't help you with Survivor. I only watched 2 seasons and that's because a friend of mine knew one of the contestants. (Stephenie LaGrossa) I can't imagine still watching it after all these years. But then again, I still watch Idol. lol DH will definitely sit on my DVR too. I'll check it out eventually..maybe. TVD always wraps up their seasons pretty well...so last week's was pretty intense. Looking forward to Thursday!

Mike V. said...

FRINGE: Read Jensen's Recap. Interesting that Jeff stole that commenter's theory from a couple weeks ago as his own about Future Walter sending messages back through time using the BEACON they're building. I posted that theory here too but gave the commenter full credit AND acknowledged that jeff liked the theory. lol

As for the rest of his theory...who knows? He could be on to something. It's interesting regardless, like you said!

I did mean to point out more on that 20 year Chess Match with an unknown opponent though and what Bell was saying exactly. It seemed important...and more than just about "the bishop must be sacrificed". Just don't know what yet!

Anonymous said...

LOL,
If I didn't know the producers and writers had deadlines that far exceed the previous week, I'd swear they read these blogs, comments and theories, and then write the story to make sure no one is right.

Bill B

MJ said...

Bill - I used to swear that about Lost ! And I was right - NO ONE guessed that ending.

Mike V. said...

Oh come on that's not entirely true! I totally called the last shot of lost. And I had guessed the sideways universe might be dealing with the ghosts we saw in previous seasons at one point. The problem is I made every other possible guess too! LOL :) not to toot my own horn or anything!

Mike V. said...

Bishop and bell interview/teaser for Friday!

http://m.ign.com/articles/2012/05/08/fringe-leonard-nimoy-and-john-noble-talk-william-bells-return

MJ said...

Yeah - didn't mean the actual last shot ! LOL

Probably same teaser for Fringe finale - but just in case. Jensen might be somewhat right. But I swear sometimes he's already seen the eps. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fringe-Season-Finale-Video-Spoilers-1047201.aspx

MJ said...

Warning - my link is different than Mikes' as it shows some info for the finale.

Had to laugh and Nimoy saying B & B, cause the actors are N & N !!

MJ said...

I read jensen's thoughts on the finale - have to say I like it. Had to laugh when he talked about someone getting 'Chucked' though.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

LOST: Oh I know. lol I was just joking around as always. But I did make that Ghost theory at one point...and it was actually sort of right! lol

FRINGE: Yeah...i get that feeling too about Jensen. considering he stole someone's theory from a previous week...it wouldn't surprise me if he stole theories directly from the show too! lol I may check out that vid later.

Pretty funny on B&B, N&N! lol

Is there another Jensen post up already besides his recap from last week? Guess I'll just go check ew to see! lol

Mike V. said...

Ahh nm...you were just referring again to the Jensen recap. lol. But yes...the CHUCKED comment was silly!

MJ said...

Once - having a live chat today at 3pm. I won't be able to do it but thought some might like to.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/05/once-upon-a-time-live-chat-with-creators-adam-horowitz-and-edward-kitsis.html

Mike V. said...

Thanks for the heads up, MJ! I might check it out if I have time. Any chance to hear some rumblings about past experiences with LOST. :-) lol

Mike V. said...

Alcatraz is cancelled :-(. I'll post links later. On my phone.

MJ said...

Yeah - I heard that Alcatraz bit the dust, along with a show called The Finder. But Touch will be back - which surprises me. I thought they'd try once again with Alcatraz but cancel Touch. Oh well.

Mike V. said...

Well as promised, here's a link for everyone. lol http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/09/fox-touch-renewed/

It's a shame about Alcatraz. I've only watched like 3 episodes of Touch. I enjoy it, but it's basically another procedural show. (then again, so was alcatraz on the surface) It's probably Keifer that earned the renewal since he's part of the FOX family. Plus, I think the ratings are actually pretty decent on Thursday nights.

MJ said...

I still watch Touch - and it's ok, but not fabulous or must-see by any means. The premise is great but for me it's a little too sweet. And it's hard to watch Keifer continually talk to this kid who will never answer or explain himself. The actor does a great job with very subtle movements to communicate - but it's wearing thin as it's the same plot each week - jake wants him to go somewhere and do something that poeple or events connect. But the what and who have been kept interesting so far.

MJ said...

Smash - meant to say that I finally am caught up - had 2 of them again. LOL Really - Dev sleeps with Ivy ? Ick! And loses the engagement ring while with her ? And are we all pretty much thinking that our favorite assistant is the one who put the peanuts in Rebecca's smoothy ?

Mike V. said...

TOUCH - yeah, that's basically why I fell behind on the show. after 3 episodes it was basically the same. lol

SMASH - I don't even think i cared enough to wonder who poisoned Rebecca with peanuts. lol But that totally makes sense. Maybe he'll get fired or arrested or something and that will be the end of him. And yeah...the Dev/Ivy thing may have crossed the line a bit. But, whatever! Looking forward to the finale....so that maybe when it returns they are more focused on the stuff that actually worked well! lol

Leslie said...

I'm glad to hear you guys say you haven't been blown away by Touch. I've been watching, but it's kinda boring. Personally, I would have preferred Alcatraz to be renewed over Touch, but oh well. I know ya'll have been watching Awake. I've only seen the first episode. Is it still worth the time? I'm still hanging in with Smash although I haven't watched this week's episode yet.

Have to say I'm looking forward to Big Bang Theory tonight. Will they or won't they get married? I also heard we might see Howard's mother.

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

AWAKE - I'm behind on that too. Thursday nights are just too packed, and with the baby there's just some things that we inevitably have to fall behind on! lol But, I've been enjoying what I've seen. The problem is, when I did watch them it was so late that I was falling asleep during them, so I missed stuff. Still love the concept for the show and want to catch up.


THURSDAY TV: Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to BBT, Community and Parks tonight as always! And of course, we'll watch the TVD Finale. (and fast forward through most of Idol) I've heard rumors that we might see Howard's mother too...but I don't think we will. I think they've adopted the whole Niles' Ex-Wife on Frasier concept for this. We should never see her! lol As for them getting married? No clue! I just assumed they would, but maybe not! The bigger question for me is if he'll actually go to space! lol

And of course, it's sad that I'm not looking forward to The Office finale as it used to be one of my favorite shows. It's still entertaining but just a shell of what it used to be. It might get pushed off to a FRINGE appetizer tomorrow. lol

Leslie said...

BBT - I agree with you that we should never see Howard's mother, just like Niles' ex whose name I can't remember now that you brought it up, and it's bugging me! Help!

Modern Family - another good episode! Lily and her leash, then new heels to slow her down, Phil running crooked, Gloria with her new fuzzy slippers and better mood, and robot Lincoln convincing Jay to stay with his kids. Love this show! Have I said that before?? lol

Mike V. said...

BBT/Frasier - Maris! Can't believe I actually remembered. lol

MF - Oh god, it was a great episode! The leash was hysterical but Jay was the star of this episode. It was almost like this episode was made specifically for his emmy consideration reel. lol He built to it the whole episode but then said he stuck around for his kids and then left his wife after they were grown..(cut to Gloria asking him to join her in the jacuzzi)..AND THE UNIVERSE REWARDED HIM! LOL Doesn't get much more classic than that! lol

Phil getting sick on the rides hit too close to home. My wife and I decided to go to Disney/Universal for a pre-kid vacation 2 decembers ago. I was so excited to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We went right off of the plane and we got on the Hogwarts ride. I was sick for 2 days after that. Jay talking about the inner ear building stuff up and motion sickness...ugh...that was me! But, I'm still hoping it was just the flight down that had me all imbalanced...just like Phil had the flu. lol I want to go on rides with my son too! :-) (we did hit Space Mountain, Aerosmith's Rockin Roller coaster 6 times each and Everest 2 times later in the week and I was fine. lol)

Leslie said...

Maris! Thank you! That was going to bug me!

LOL about the ride thing! I had a similar experience on a tilt-a-whirl ride a few years ago, not even a roller coaster! I felt bad the rest of the day, but I wrote it off to the fact that it was 100 degrees that day...it was Texas after all! lol

Mike V. said...

No prob on the Maris thing!

Ahh yes, that Texas heat and spinning rides probably aren't a good mix. lol I used to love the Gravitron at the fairs that came to town....but not any more! Too much spinning! Ugh...my wife wasn't very forgiving when we got on the teacups at the magic kingdom! She knew I wasn't feeling right and she kept spinning that damn wheel!!! I still haven't forgiven her. lol

MJ said...

Dang ! I just lost an entire post. UGH!

Heard your Cougartown got saved by TBS ! Also that they bounght all of them - I'll have to watch for when they start airing from day one and watch it. I had started the show when it first came out but dropped it after a few eps.

MG - I was hysterical watching Phil. And Jay telling Gloria not to get her latin up (or something like that ) when he tells her she's mean sometimes and he thinks its the shoes.

Awake - I still really like this one, still intrigues me. I really hope it gets renewed - they haven't said yet.

It can't have been HP that got you sick ! Though you never know - I have never ever gotten sick on any ride but got naucous from a virtual Aladdin magic carpet. VIRTUAL. LOL

I also watch Missing - have been enjoying that as well. Which is why I'm so behind on TVD - cause I'm watching Touch, Missiand and Awake. LOL

MJ said...

LOL on the teacups by the way.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

Sorry about losing your post! I hate when that happens.

I read about Cougartown as well. That's a good time! The show definitely got better after the first few weeks. I love how the opening title cards have been making fun of the name of their show since season 2. lol

MF - The shoe thing was hysterical. lol agreed.

Awake - Yeah...i really need to catch up!

RIDES - I'm so annoyed that I got sick on that ride! I want to do it again to be sure. Maybe not the first day I fly down. lol Didn't go on the Aladdin ride before. Is that at Disney Quest?

MISSING - Yeah, I've heard good things. Maybe I'll ipad it up on the ABC app this summer. lol

I'd rather watch other stuff than TVD on Thursdays but it's the Wife's fave! (though, I'm not sure if it still is or not!)

Mike V. said...

Happy Fringe Finale Friday everyone! Very exciting stuff.

Way behind on Awake, but I heard last night's was a good one. Looking forward to catching up to find out why!

Anyone watch TVD? Pretty crazy stuff!

BBT and Parks were a good time as always. And Community (YAY RENEWAL!!) was awesome too.

Leslie said...

BBT - great episode! Loved how they pulled the wedding off for Google Earth. I kept thinking something would happen at the last second and Howard wouldn't really go off into space. You could hear the Awwww's at the last scene, and Sheldon even took Amy's hand! Awwwww! lol

MJ said...

TVD - I'll be caught up after the weekend and we can talk.

Aladdin - yes - Disney Quest. It was my first VR thing (this was years ago when it was new). The helmet was so heavy, and I got really hot. And you sat on what was almost like a motorcycle and leaned forward and back and side to side to make the magic carpet go - and it made me motion sick. I never actually got sick - but was quesy for hours. We were supposed to do the build your own roller coaster and then ride it next but i knew that I couldn't. Never did another VR againg though.

Loved Mt. Everest - was more intense than I had thought - much to my husbands chagrin. He's not a coaster guy and i told him it was just like a wild mouse. Oops! LOL We kept doing all this stuff at 9a whent he park opened too to avoid the longer lines. Mission mars was VERY intense for a 9am ride.

Can't wait for tonight's Fringe. I'm sure we'll all be blown away.

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

BBT - I think both my wife and I were fighting some tears in that final scene with all the hand holding. lol It was pretty darn sweet. Pretty emotional episode for usually such a silly and hysterical show. The payoff of Sheldon holding Amy's hand was well earned though. He usually gives off the impression that he doesn't care about Howard...plus he doesn't usually show emotion, especially towards Amy. So when he grabbed her hand out of concern for Howard...well it just struck all the right emotional chords. Crazy! lol Even Bernadette holding Raj's hand....and of course Leonard and Penny. lol good stuff. And the episode itself was hysterical. Loved how Howard told his mother Bernadette is the only one that can yell at him now. lol Loved Leonard and Penny's banter in the middle of the wedding. Good stuff! lol

@MJ

TVD - Sounds good. For once, I don't think I'm going to forget what happened! lol

DISNEY WORLD:
Disney Quest/Aladdin - We were having dinner in the area of Disney Quest so we decided to go in since our park plan covered it. Didn't see the aladdin ride though. But we did design our own rollercoaster and then ride it. That was pretty fun! lol

Everest - Loved that ride too! Totally worth going to Animal Kingdom just for that. But we did the Faux-Jurassic park ride too. lol Oh god..was Mission Mars that space shuttle simulator in epcot? We went the "INTENSE" path on that one...and I was still in my "motion sickness period" lol .....I did not feel good after that one!! Ugh...all this talk of Disney has me ready to take little Parker on his first trip!! :-)

So psyched for Fringe. And I agree, I think our minds will be blown!

MJ said...

Yup - Missions mars is that ride - and we did the intense too. I loved it. I know - my sister is in Disney right now with her 4 yr old grand daughter. Better her than me ! LOL

FYI - heard that Talking Dead will return with TWD !

I'm outta here. Have great weekend folks.

Mike V. said...

Yeah - probably a little bit different of a trip with the kids. lol I'll have to keep that in mind!

I heard Talking Dead was renewed too...good times!

Have a good weekend everyone! And enjoy Fringe for those who watch!

Mike V. said...

Looks like NBC just cancelled Awake. Booooo! :-( Not surprising though.