'The Ghost Network' - Fringe, Season One

Fringe

Season One

Episode Three

'The Ghost Network' - 6.0

It's awesome that this amber shit comes up again later down the line. It really is.

I'm feeling pretty sick right now - just the flu - so I'll try a give a relatively brief review of Fringe's third outing, 'the Ghost Network'. The episode concerns telepaths and psychics, which are always a risky avenue for sci-fi shows, however by the episode's end the focus has shifted to a broader and ultimately more interesting idea.

I didn't like Roy, the unfortunately mind reader. He seemed whiney and jittery, utterly ineffectual and weak. Sure, he's a one-off character, but we are supposed to care for his plight and want the best for him. I didn't. Am I a horrible person? Regardless, I thought the actor was crap and Roy's lines were unbelievable and unremarkable. However his storyline does become more and more enthralling as it goes on - from the moment Walter starts the brain surgery the episode kicks into high gear, and the sequence at the train station was exemplary.

It was action-packed and as quick as they come. From start to finish would have only been five minutes, at most, but it was the best part of the entire episode. The random death of both villains was well done, though I effectively predicted both, especially the one who threw himself in front of the bus. That's so cliché.

I guessed that the partner was evil from the get-go, I mean why else dedicate a scene to him giving an emotional farewell to one of the victims when we don't even know who he is? It was a bit lazy in my mind, I thought they could have hidden the truth better, or maybe even not have the bad guy be someone we've met; the real bad guy wasn't, and it didn't negatively impact the plot or quality.

There is a lot in this episode I found a little confusing, for example the little discs removed from the victim's and John Scott's hands, when do we discover what is said on them? Do we ever? Anyway, I was more confused by the Broyles - Nina Sharp connection, are they evil, or just good friends? They didn't sound like they were planning something or anything, so if we were supposed to be put on edge by this revelation it kinda failed. I can't make any real assumptions though, so I can't complain too much.

On the topic of John Scott, where did the funeral scene end up? It had little relevance to the story and Olivia didn't really mention it again afterwards. Will Scott's mother reappear later, or was there a deleted scene? In the end, I believe this was unnecessary, and could have been simply referred to rather than shown. Also, John looks great for someone who's been dead a couple weeks, as seen at the episode's end.

I'm gonna stop now, my head is spinning and keeps colliding with the table. If anything here doesn't make sense, tough titties for you.