Rewind & Review: Pilot Premieres – Fringe & True Blood
Two of the most anticipated new series of the fall season (at least in my household) were Fringe and True Blood. Here are a few initial observations about the first episodes of both…
It would be easy to dismiss describe Fringe as the new X-Files, but I don’t think that is a fair assessment. Watch me get defensive…
I watched all 202 episodes of The X-Files as they unfolded, which I believe justifies my assertions and opinions comparing these two shows.
The lead female character on Fringe (Olivia Dunham) works for the FBI, but that’s where the similarities end. She does not work with an assigned partner, and she kicks far more bad guy ass than Scully ever did in 9 seasons. Dunham spends quality time in a lab and real science is discussed. The paranormal activities that she investigates are not as far-fetched; modern and future technologies are featured and applied, which she explores in depth personally rather than in theory.
Felicity. Alias. Lost.
Some may accuse me of being a J.J. Abrams apologist, but the man simply does not create crap television. I appreciate the meticulous details on Fringe that beautifully convey his original vision, from the unflinching cinematography to the graphical glyph titles. The script was probably my favorite aspect of the episode; the dialogue was paced rather brilliantly and the humor interjected appropriately. And once again, Abrams has selected the right woman to command the small screen and our immediate attention; without a doubt, Anna Torv has joined the talented ranks of Keri Russell, Jennifer Garner and Evangeline Lilly.
The unedited pilot episode of that I watched at Comic-Con in July was almost identical to the one that aired this week, and the second viewing has confirmed my initial declaration that Fringe is must-see TV for me.
For the lingering skeptics, I would encourage you to stick around for a few more episodes and allow the series to both develop its own pace and earn your Season Pass.
I love Alan Ball. American Beauty is one of my top 5 films and Six Feet Under is among my favorite shows of all time. So I’ve been impatiently awaiting the arrival of True Blood.
To be honest, I am in like…not love. Yet. I believe that the series has great potential; that the first episode crammed too many side characters into the hour, not giving us enough time to digest the vampires-as-minority theme and develop a vested interest in the two leads (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer).
I’m far from a prude, but I have to say that the explicit sex scenes were a bit of a surprise. On more than one occasion during the episode, I found myself saying “wow, dir-ty.” Am I complaining? No. It’s HBO after all, and after enjoying all seasons of Deadwood and The Sopranos, I’m not quite sure why any of the carnal relations on True Blood would shock me.
But have faith, vampire fiends and dedicated fans of the Charlaine Harris novels…after I attended the True Blood panel at Comic-Con, I got the sense that we are in for quite a ride during this first season.
I will be tuning for the duration, as I believe in Alan Ball and am pleasantly surprised by how much I like Paquin in this role. Oh, and I am also very amused by Paquin’s BFF on the show (Rutina Wesley, as Tara); she reminds me of a younger, sassier version of Wanda Sykes.
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* What did you think about either Fringe or True Blood?