Fringe...

[jomar]

The message of the opening scene to tonight's episode seems to be don't experiment with animals and protesters shouldn't break into the lab where they're experimenting with animals.

Nicely done.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Cool monster. I love Walter.

 

[3113]

Interesting how animal activists are the new stupid villains of shows. I mean, come on, you're telling me that they haven't enough sense to avoid the big metal door and whatever's kept behind it because whatever is kept behind it....?

And how many animal activists who "save anything with a beak or a claw" eat junk food rather than vegetarian?

Which is to say, I don't think either message (be nice to animals/don't break into animal labs) works as, for me at least, messages don't work well if the characters are cartoons. Or the messanger hits me over the head with it. I don't like anvils.

But I do appreciate that there was no ambiguity. I hate shows where they try to make it all mysterious (it was a monster...maybe...maybe not!).

 

[Boota]

I took the idea of them eating junk food as a symbol of their hypocrisy, which is often found in the behavior of extremists. Like the ones who run up in leather tennis shoes and throw paint on someone wearing fur.

 

[jomar]

Interesting how animal activists are the new stupid villains of shows. I mean, come on, you're telling me that they haven't enough sense to avoid the big metal door and whatever's kept behind it because whatever is kept behind it....?

The building didn't have a basement. Or an attic.

And how many animal activists who "save anything with a beak or a claw" eat junk food rather than vegetarian?

Anvil?

Which is to say, I don't think either message (be nice to animals/don't break into animal labs) works as, for me at least, messages don't work well if the characters are cartoons. Or the messanger hits me over the head with it. I don't like anvils.

But I do appreciate that there was no ambiguity. I hate shows where they try to make it all mysterious (it was a monster...maybe...maybe not!).

Yeah, they don't go for subtlety. I wonder if their focus groups found their intended audience didn't do subtlety.

 

[3113]

I took the idea of them eating junk food as a symbol of their hypocrisy, which is often found in the behavior of extremists. Like the ones who run up in leather tennis shoes and throw paint on someone wearing fur.

I'd buy that if the animal rights extremists had been more than just a plot device to let out the monster. You'll notice that they and their cause had almost nothing to do with the story once the monster was out and reeking havoc. The junk food was also a plot device in that it made that connection to the collage. All students eat there, ergo, these dead people in the van are students.

It also allowed for a laugh when Walter ate the left-over found in the van.

So I doubt the junk food was there because the writers wanted to make the extremists hypocrites. The writers saw a funny moment with Walter that could make this connection and keep the plot moving along. But even if we were to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, then making the extremists hypocrites only goes farther to turn them into strawmen, emphasizing that they're stupid and not to be taken seriously, rather than that they might have a valid cause.

And their cause was fairly valid, as the company is cosmetics not medicine and most of us would agree that it is wrong to torture animals for the sake of vanity. In a way, it's unfortunate that this was used only a plot device (i.e. to give the extremists a reason to be there and open the door). In the hands of someone who wanted to give the story greater meaning the monster could have been an allegory for our vanity and the greed of cosmetic companies that play on that vanity, and torture animals to sate that greed and vanity. But the monster was not created out of experiments done with cosmetics; as we find out, the company is a front for one that does genetic experiments. They created a monster. Stupid activists let it out.

I'm not blaming the show for being simplistic, by the way. It is what it is, and it told its monster story very well. I'm just saying that I don't think there's much more to it.

 

[CharleyH]

The message of the opening scene to tonight's episode seems to be don't experiment with animals and protesters shouldn't break into the lab where they're experimenting with animals.

Nicely done.

The show is going the way of Sarah Conner Chronicles (which is way cooler).

 

[jomar]

The show is going the way of Sarah Conner Chronicles (which is way cooler).

That show didn't grab me when I first saw it...maybe I'll give it another chance.

 

[CharleyH]

That show didn't grab me when I first saw it...maybe I'll give it another chance.

Too late, friend.

 

[3113]

Too late, friend.

Never too late in these days of DVD. Seasons get collected and put on disk, and anyone can get themselves up-to-date any time. This latest season should be out within a few months.

 

[Boota]

I don't think they were anything more than a plot device. Someone had to let the monster out.

I hear that Fringe is on the chopping block for Fox. Makes sense. It's another Fox show I like.

 

[jomar]

Too late, friend.

Never too late in these days of DVD. Seasons get collected and put on disk, and anyone can get themselves up-to-date any time. This latest season should be out within a few months.

I saw West Wing on DVD. I want to see Dexter.