Fringe - Earthling, S01E06

While this may have been one of the more interesting stand alone episodes of Fringe lately, delving into Broyles (Lance Reddick)'s back story and bringing aliens into the picture, Fringe continues to lack the through line necessary to create great television.

I watch now because I recall the need to watch that I felt in season 1, but it is from a loyalty previously established that is slowly dissipating. We no longer have delightful moments with Walter (John Noble) where he remembers bizarre things about his past, or shuffles across the carpet wearing woolly socks to shock someone, or sings himself to sleep. He rarely even asks for a rootbeer float over a cadaver anymore. Peter (Joshua Jackson) has also been cast to the side, and we haven't had much at all about what Water and Bell did to Olivia (Anna Torv) when she was small. The characterization has been pushed aside in favour of storylines which are entirely episodic. What has happened to Fringe?

Alright, enough lamentation. The plot with Broyles was pretty good. We learned what happened with his wife, why he got divorced, and we got to see that he has a tolerable relationship with her now, though she has moved on. With Charlie gone, it's nice to have a bit more familiarity with Broyles since he is now Olivia's closest friend in the FBI. Man it sucks that Charlie is gone.

The alien shadow creature was just bizarre. There's so much supposed to be going on on Earth with the Pattern and the other dimension, do we really need weird things going on in outerspace? And while that mystery guy from the end (JR Bourne*) might elicit some interest, the writers really have to figure out what made season 1 so great and bring it back before Fringe gets cancelled for not only having low ratings but also just not being up to par.

I suggest getting back on track. How is Walter involved with the Pattern? What is going on with the observer? Have we made any advances with the other dimension? Who was the guy who's head was stolen by the shapeshifter? Stop giving me questions that only barely register and then are forgotten or laid aside! I so desperately want Fringe to make me need to watch again; it was one of my favourite shows last year, and now it's one of the last Thursday night programs I get to.

Am I being to harsh? Am I missing golden moments?