Fringe Rocks!
January 7, 2011 1:54 PM Subscribe
In an upcoming episode of Fringe, Walter meets the keyboard player for his favorite band, Violet Sedan Chair, who will be played by Christopher Lloyd. And while the band is fictional, they have, in fact, released an album called Seven Suns, which was shipped to record stores across the country a couple of months ago.
Fringe previously
Many thanks again to Mefites who helped me get started on Fringe, which is a show I;m enjoying immensely. That said, I'm not caught up on Season 2, so i should probably duck out of this thread.
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wait, EVERY copy of the record is going to have unique packaging inclusions, and possibly even different lyrics? Good grief. They can't have made too many copies of this, then. I wonder if the Spokane record stores will have copies, or whether I'd have to make a pilgrimage to East Street in Seattle to find it.
posted by hippybear at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by hippybear at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2011
Artw: Fringe is in season 3 now... So you do have a bit of watching to do. But you're just getting into the part where it all gets really good, so I know you're going to have a blast getting caught up.
posted by hippybear at 2:00 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by hippybear at 2:00 PM on January 7, 2011
Yeah, I know, I'm at the end of S1, so now I'm looking at the S2 box set and wondering if it's worth trying to catch up and watch in real time.
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM on January 7, 2011
It shouldn't be too hard to catch up, particularly considering it's all but assured Fringe will not make it past season 3.
posted by Justinian at 2:09 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 2:09 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
(KINDA SPOILERY)
Well when you go the "OMG everything's connected and you're part of what you've been investigating!" route then your show probably shouldn't be around much longer anyway.
Why do I keep getting hopeful about TV shows when I'm so bad at liking them? :(
posted by ODiV at 2:15 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well when you go the "OMG everything's connected and you're part of what you've been investigating!" route then your show probably shouldn't be around much longer anyway.
Why do I keep getting hopeful about TV shows when I'm so bad at liking them? :(
posted by ODiV at 2:15 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eh. I thought Fringe had some problems in Season 2 (although it was still good) but Season 3 has been excellent. I'm not sure your criticism is fair given that Olivia was chosen specifically because she was connected. She wasn't a random person off the street.
posted by Justinian at 2:17 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 2:17 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Fringe knocks me the fuck out. It's like a supernatural lullaby or anesthesia to me. I watch a minute and I get the nods. Three minutes is like a ragfull of ether; start counting back from 100 and get to 97. Bam! Light out. It sometimes takes me a week to get through an episode. And the beauty of each attempt is that I often can't remember what was going on when I stopped watching, so I back it up to a point that I remember and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Every. Single. Time. "Wait, why is Pacey talking to Spock? Is this a dream?" Why yes it is!
I keep these on my iPhone because nothing has ever consistently worked for me. This show shuts off my brain in a way that no drug or alcohol ever has. I like this show too. I don't know what season I am in. I remember watching season 5, but that clearly didn't happen.
Fringe should not be allowed without a prescription.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:18 PM on January 7, 2011 [8 favorites]
I keep these on my iPhone because nothing has ever consistently worked for me. This show shuts off my brain in a way that no drug or alcohol ever has. I like this show too. I don't know what season I am in. I remember watching season 5, but that clearly didn't happen.
Fringe should not be allowed without a prescription.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:18 PM on January 7, 2011 [8 favorites]
Okay, so this just gets a bit stranger.
While Googling around trying to find a bit of information about which record stores would be carrying the album, I keep finding really odd bits.
Such as this article from Wired about hidden messages in albums.
Or this YouTube video about the guitarist talking about the guitar work on the album.
The band appears in a deleted scene from the episode "Over There".
And here is an image of the album for your examination. Others have been discussing it.
And then there's this other odd YouTube video. Which people have also been discussing.
This is a rabbit hole I'm going to have to not fall into any further. But it's all fun and fascinating!
posted by hippybear at 2:19 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
While Googling around trying to find a bit of information about which record stores would be carrying the album, I keep finding really odd bits.
Such as this article from Wired about hidden messages in albums.
Or this YouTube video about the guitarist talking about the guitar work on the album.
The band appears in a deleted scene from the episode "Over There".
And here is an image of the album for your examination. Others have been discussing it.
And then there's this other odd YouTube video. Which people have also been discussing.
This is a rabbit hole I'm going to have to not fall into any further. But it's all fun and fascinating!
posted by hippybear at 2:19 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Justinian: Maybe I missed that, but was that clear at the beginning of the series or retconned in later? If I missed that at the start then I could have saved myself a bunch of time. Investigators becoming personally involved (he's being stalked by the killer he's hunting!) is something I can't stand in TV for whatever reason.
posted by ODiV at 2:21 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by ODiV at 2:21 PM on January 7, 2011
Tried to get in to Fringe last year and just couldn't do it - similar to cjorgensen's experience, it was like a sedative.
But anyone who's watching it now - was there a scene in the season premiere that involved a shootout or an explosion or something at a gas station? Cause they were filming that like a block from my house in the summer, and I had a friend visiting from Sweden who wanted to check it out so we went down and watched them shoot for awhile. I couldn't really get excited except I was hoping to to luck out and meet Lance Reddick, who was awesome on The Wire and Lost.
posted by mannequito at 2:27 PM on January 7, 2011
But anyone who's watching it now - was there a scene in the season premiere that involved a shootout or an explosion or something at a gas station? Cause they were filming that like a block from my house in the summer, and I had a friend visiting from Sweden who wanted to check it out so we went down and watched them shoot for awhile. I couldn't really get excited except I was hoping to to luck out and meet Lance Reddick, who was awesome on The Wire and Lost.
posted by mannequito at 2:27 PM on January 7, 2011
It's been a couple years since I've seen the first season, ODiV, so I don't recall what was revealed when. I don't think there's much retconning going on, though. The most recent episodes make it pretty obvious that this series was scripted out in advance. There have been some tweaks certainly (as with Nimoy deciding to retire from acting) but there are a ton of things in early episodes that look like throwaways which turn out to have significance later on.
Unlike, say, LOST where nothing meant anything.
posted by Justinian at 2:30 PM on January 7, 2011
Unlike, say, LOST where nothing meant anything.
posted by Justinian at 2:30 PM on January 7, 2011
was that clear at the beginning of the series
Can't remember when, but once the Cortexifan stuff started up it was obvious. And I thought that was Season 1.
posted by wildcrdj at 2:31 PM on January 7, 2011
Can't remember when, but once the Cortexifan stuff started up it was obvious. And I thought that was Season 1.
posted by wildcrdj at 2:31 PM on January 7, 2011
Hmm. I always really liked the promise of the LOST marketing/ARG stuff, but felt that once you got into it up to a certain depth, it kind of unraveled--I guess that's how I felt about LOST as a series, too. But this bit, from the wikipedia entry, sounds awesome to me: "The producers were strongly interested in "world building", and the parallel universe plot device allowed them to create a very similar world with a large amount of detail to fill in the texture of the world." Time to take a look at ArtW's AskMe post to decide if it's up my alley.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:35 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:35 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
But anyone who's watching it now - was there a scene in the season premiere that involved a shootout or an explosion or something at a gas station?
I don't remember if it was the season premiere or not, but yes, there was a scene where a shootout at a gas station results in an explosion and is quite intrinsic to the meta-plot of the series.
posted by hippybear at 2:39 PM on January 7, 2011
I don't remember if it was the season premiere or not, but yes, there was a scene where a shootout at a gas station results in an explosion and is quite intrinsic to the meta-plot of the series.
posted by hippybear at 2:39 PM on January 7, 2011
hippybear: While Googling around trying to find a bit of information about which record stores would be carrying the album, I keep finding really odd bits.
Such as this article from Wired about hidden messages in albums
See under the image: Previous: Playlist: J.J. Abrams Picks What's Wired This Month -- seems like there was a bit of cross-over.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:03 PM on January 7, 2011
Such as this article from Wired about hidden messages in albums
See under the image: Previous: Playlist: J.J. Abrams Picks What's Wired This Month -- seems like there was a bit of cross-over.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:03 PM on January 7, 2011
I always giggle a little when they start talking about Cortexifan because, you know - cortex! Heh.
Anyway. I love this show. It knocks me the fuck out, too, but in a totally opposite way from cjorgensen.
was there a scene in the season premiere that involved a shootout or an explosion or something at a gas station?
Yep.
posted by rtha at 3:08 PM on January 7, 2011
Anyway. I love this show. It knocks me the fuck out, too, but in a totally opposite way from cjorgensen.
was there a scene in the season premiere that involved a shootout or an explosion or something at a gas station?
Yep.
posted by rtha at 3:08 PM on January 7, 2011
I thought Walter's favorite band was YES?
I know that some people have issues with Fringe because of Joshua Jackson, or because of the pseudo-science. Too bad. Season three has been about as good as genre TV can get. And come on, John Noble's performance as Walter has been just extraordinary. He should have gotten an Emmy already but Emmy hates sci-fi so he'll never get it. And though it took me a while to warm up, I am now addicted to Anna Torv.
posted by Ber at 3:16 PM on January 7, 2011 [5 favorites]
I know that some people have issues with Fringe because of Joshua Jackson, or because of the pseudo-science. Too bad. Season three has been about as good as genre TV can get. And come on, John Noble's performance as Walter has been just extraordinary. He should have gotten an Emmy already but Emmy hates sci-fi so he'll never get it. And though it took me a while to warm up, I am now addicted to Anna Torv.
posted by Ber at 3:16 PM on January 7, 2011 [5 favorites]
I thought Walter's favorite band was YES?
Not joking here: you may be thinking of Rusty Venture.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:23 PM on January 7, 2011
Not joking here: you may be thinking of Rusty Venture.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:23 PM on January 7, 2011
Fringe would really benefit from having seasons that are half as long. These epic 25 episode seasons that are now standard on network TV drag plots for way too long and introduce too many fluff episodes.
posted by painquale at 3:39 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by painquale at 3:39 PM on January 7, 2011
These epic 25 episode seasons that are now standard on network TV drag plots for way too long and introduce too many fluff episodes.
Although I agree in principle, I think Fringe handles its stand alone episodes very well and keeps the fluff to a minimum. Last season in particular had some really great "something important to the mythology will happen but everything else is pretty much unrelated" episodes, like Peter's Twin Peaks inspired adventure.
I know that some people have issues with Fringe because of Joshua Jackson, or because of the pseudo-science. Too bad.
That is too bad. The guy shouldn't be racking up Emmys or anything, but he does a fine job along side the equally pleasant Anna Torv and the motherfucking phenomenal John Noble and Lance Reddick.
posted by Roman Graves at 4:02 PM on January 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Although I agree in principle, I think Fringe handles its stand alone episodes very well and keeps the fluff to a minimum. Last season in particular had some really great "something important to the mythology will happen but everything else is pretty much unrelated" episodes, like Peter's Twin Peaks inspired adventure.
I know that some people have issues with Fringe because of Joshua Jackson, or because of the pseudo-science. Too bad.
That is too bad. The guy shouldn't be racking up Emmys or anything, but he does a fine job along side the equally pleasant Anna Torv and the motherfucking phenomenal John Noble and Lance Reddick.
posted by Roman Graves at 4:02 PM on January 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
I could watch Joshua Jackson's stubble on slow-motion loops 24 hours a day.
And Anna Torv proved that her depiction of Olivia as a cold fish was really an acting job and not just how she is during all the alternate universe episodes.
It's a better show than a lot of people think it is. I hope it survives beyond Season 3, but if it doesn't, at least they don't have all the shows written and filmed like Stargate: Universe, which is being cancelled at the end of this current season, probably without any resolution at all.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2011
And Anna Torv proved that her depiction of Olivia as a cold fish was really an acting job and not just how she is during all the alternate universe episodes.
It's a better show than a lot of people think it is. I hope it survives beyond Season 3, but if it doesn't, at least they don't have all the shows written and filmed like Stargate: Universe, which is being cancelled at the end of this current season, probably without any resolution at all.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2011
Laugh while you can, monkey boy!
I know that was Lithgow's line, but still...
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 4:22 PM on January 7, 2011
I know that was Lithgow's line, but still...
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 4:22 PM on January 7, 2011
was that clear at the beginning of the series
Yeah, it was. There was this whole "you're who we really want on this team, and no, we won't tell you why" thing going on from the start.
Also, this is where I plug Polite Dissent, which has a real medical doctor telling you all about the shoddy medicine going on in each episode. It's great fun.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 4:29 PM on January 7, 2011
Yeah, it was. There was this whole "you're who we really want on this team, and no, we won't tell you why" thing going on from the start.
Also, this is where I plug Polite Dissent, which has a real medical doctor telling you all about the shoddy medicine going on in each episode. It's great fun.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 4:29 PM on January 7, 2011
Olivia as a cold fish was really an acting job
Yeah, how did this show survive two seasons of subjecting the audience to a mostly unappealing female lead? I'd think "I kind of like this show, but I wish Olivia would grow a personality." And then, bam, Fauxlivia!
posted by sageleaf at 4:34 PM on January 7, 2011
Yeah, how did this show survive two seasons of subjecting the audience to a mostly unappealing female lead? I'd think "I kind of like this show, but I wish Olivia would grow a personality." And then, bam, Fauxlivia!
posted by sageleaf at 4:34 PM on January 7, 2011
In an upcoming episode of Fringe
Uh, thanks for posting spoilers on the front page? This isn't even a post concerning an episode that aired yesterday or the day before, about which people would have a legitimate point that, with time-shifting, many readers might not have seen it yet. You're posting about something that hasn't been broadcast yet. All you had to do was put the rest under [more inside].
FFS.
posted by tzikeh at 4:37 PM on January 7, 2011
Uh, thanks for posting spoilers on the front page? This isn't even a post concerning an episode that aired yesterday or the day before, about which people would have a legitimate point that, with time-shifting, many readers might not have seen it yet. You're posting about something that hasn't been broadcast yet. All you had to do was put the rest under [more inside].
FFS.
posted by tzikeh at 4:37 PM on January 7, 2011
My favorite part about Fringe is how nearly any use of technology involves grotesque Cronenberg-ian body modification and/or massive drug use.
And needles.
Hoo boy, does Fringe love injections.
posted by fryman at 4:40 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
And needles.
Hoo boy, does Fringe love injections.
posted by fryman at 4:40 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
tzikeh: I haven't seen the episode yet, but I doubt any of the details put in the FPP are actually spoilers which have anything to do with, you know the PLOT or anything.
posted by hippybear at 4:43 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 4:43 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Watched season 1. Now I'm waiting for the series to end so I can watch the rest in one giant netflix instant orgy. I've planned my vacation time for the next several years arond this so it better end soon or I'm just going to watch BSG a couple more times.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:46 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by Ad hominem at 4:46 PM on January 7, 2011
My favorite part about Fringe is how nearly any use of technology involves grotesque Cronenberg-ian body modification and/or massive drug use.
I wanted to have a game where every time Olivia takes a massive amount of LSD and gets into a sensory deprivation tank everyone else did too. Then I realized I did that while reading Feynman
posted by Ad hominem at 4:53 PM on January 7, 2011
I wanted to have a game where every time Olivia takes a massive amount of LSD and gets into a sensory deprivation tank everyone else did too. Then I realized I did that while reading Feynman
posted by Ad hominem at 4:53 PM on January 7, 2011
hippybear: "tzikeh: I haven't seen the episode yet, but I doubt any of the details put in the FPP are actually spoilers which have anything to do with, you know the PLOT or anything."
Facts about an episode of a television show (or about a movie, or whatever) that hasn't been made available to an audience are spoilers by definition, whether or not the information is a big deal to you personally. They shouldn't be on the front page. Erring on the side of caution wouldn't have cost the OP anything.
posted by tzikeh at 5:23 PM on January 7, 2011
Facts about an episode of a television show (or about a movie, or whatever) that hasn't been made available to an audience are spoilers by definition, whether or not the information is a big deal to you personally. They shouldn't be on the front page. Erring on the side of caution wouldn't have cost the OP anything.
posted by tzikeh at 5:23 PM on January 7, 2011
Dr. Walter Bishop: "There was something important. . . Oh! I've decided on the pancakes. Blueberry."
posted by clavdivs at 5:32 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 5:32 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Chill out, dude. This news has been everywhere. It's just a band - not a narrative. It's just a television show, despite creepy other-worldliness, so it's not actually that important.
posted by smoke at 6:18 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by smoke at 6:18 PM on January 7, 2011
It strikes me more as the discovery of an Easter Egg than a spoiler. The FPP references something incidental that happens in an episode, not a plot point, and it appears that the album was indeed made widely available to the audience several weeks ago.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:18 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:18 PM on January 7, 2011
I'm loving season 3 but this huge winter break is killing me. Fringe more than any other show I watch seems to love doing this. They drop a cliff-hanger mid-season and then go away for months. So long that I forget what was going on or even care, so I have to get back into it again.
I like Burn Notice's airing schedule a lot better.
posted by cj_ at 8:24 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like Burn Notice's airing schedule a lot better.
posted by cj_ at 8:24 PM on January 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not joking here: you may be thinking of Rusty Venture.
No, a Rusty Venture is where you CENSOREDCENSOREDCENSOREDCENSORED...
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:19 PM on January 7, 2011
No, a Rusty Venture is where you CENSOREDCENSOREDCENSOREDCENSORED...
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:19 PM on January 7, 2011
This isn't a spoiler any more than talking about the contents of a trailer is a spoiler for a movie. It's a discussion of promotional material that's already out there and that the creators of the show intend us to be talking about before the episode airs.
posted by painquale at 10:45 PM on January 7, 2011
posted by painquale at 10:45 PM on January 7, 2011
Laugh while you can, monkey boy!
Your overthruster is for shit!
posted by anazgnos at 1:31 AM on January 8, 2011
Your overthruster is for shit!
posted by anazgnos at 1:31 AM on January 8, 2011
... addicted to Anna Torv.
Let's just say I've recently cut and colored my hair red, not for any reason at all. Nope. <3
posted by functionequalsform at 10:14 AM on January 9, 2011
Let's just say I've recently cut and colored my hair red, not for any reason at all. Nope. <3
posted by functionequalsform at 10:14 AM on January 9, 2011
I love the idea of a marketing scheme that makes the universe just a little bit weirder.
The thing I love about Fringe is that it keeps out-creeping itself. It has some of the weirdest and genuinely creepy things I've ever seen on network TV. Gratuitous brain surgery? Check. Unholy mole/scorpion/human hybrid? Check. Singing corpses? Check. Grotesque dancing corpses? Check.
And then, there's episodes like the noir-Fringe one, where the entire show is just a rather high Walter making a story up. This is one of the few TV shows in which I actually find I don't actively dislike most of the main characters at least a little bit.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:59 PM on January 9, 2011
The thing I love about Fringe is that it keeps out-creeping itself. It has some of the weirdest and genuinely creepy things I've ever seen on network TV. Gratuitous brain surgery? Check. Unholy mole/scorpion/human hybrid? Check. Singing corpses? Check. Grotesque dancing corpses? Check.
And then, there's episodes like the noir-Fringe one, where the entire show is just a rather high Walter making a story up. This is one of the few TV shows in which I actually find I don't actively dislike most of the main characters at least a little bit.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:59 PM on January 9, 2011
I tried watching season 3 episode 1 last night and I don't remember anything about a Fringe Team from the other side. I was so damn confused. Last thing I remember is Olivia came smashing back into this world after having been plucked away from a car crash.
Either I've forgotten a lot of I stopped at some arbitrary point in season 2.
I went out and looked at an episode guild and I thought I knew where I left off, but I was oh so wrong!
posted by cjorgensen at 1:15 PM on January 10, 2011
Either I've forgotten a lot of I stopped at some arbitrary point in season 2.
I went out and looked at an episode guild and I thought I knew where I left off, but I was oh so wrong!
posted by cjorgensen at 1:15 PM on January 10, 2011
Came back to the thread and read your answers to my questions. Thanks for taking the time to write them.
I missed bits of the first couple episodes, so I probably blanked on the bit about Olivia being chosen specifically because of something "mysterious" that was sure to come up later. I didn't see all of the first season either, but the cortexifan episode pretty much made me write it off the show. What I've read since about its direction really hasn't done much to improve my perception of it.
I think I'm kind of a one season curmudgeon (2-3 seasons for good shows). Anything past that and I start having trouble enjoying them fully.
Hm... I complain about TV shows a lot on MeFi. I was thinking I should do a TV series recommendation AskMe, but It would probably just end in frustration. :P
posted by ODiV at 3:02 PM on January 10, 2011
I missed bits of the first couple episodes, so I probably blanked on the bit about Olivia being chosen specifically because of something "mysterious" that was sure to come up later. I didn't see all of the first season either, but the cortexifan episode pretty much made me write it off the show. What I've read since about its direction really hasn't done much to improve my perception of it.
I think I'm kind of a one season curmudgeon (2-3 seasons for good shows). Anything past that and I start having trouble enjoying them fully.
Hm... I complain about TV shows a lot on MeFi. I was thinking I should do a TV series recommendation AskMe, but It would probably just end in frustration. :P
posted by ODiV at 3:02 PM on January 10, 2011
Peeking back in just to let you guys know that me and Mr. WanKenobi are halfway through the second season so far and totally hooked. We <3 Walter.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:30 PM on January 30, 2011
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:30 PM on January 30, 2011
Ha! You're where I am. Yeah, it's kind of great.
I finally got to the retro titles episode...
posted by Artw at 9:49 PM on January 30, 2011
I finally got to the retro titles episode...
posted by Artw at 9:49 PM on January 30, 2011
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posted by shakespeherian at 1:58 PM on January 7, 2011 [2 favorites]