Welcome to Fringe Observations: the comprehensive Clues and Eastereggs Round-up for episode 2 of season 6 – Earthling.

Below the jump we explore the various clues and eastereggs from the episode and try to figure out what it all means.

Stoned

The opening shot of this Gargoyle could well be the clue for the next episode. Historically, Gargoyles are said to ward off and protect from evil spirits. I guess we’ll have to see whether this ties into the next episode.

Freezing

The song at the beginning of the episode is called “Freezing” by MoZella. My interpretation is that the song relates mostly to Phillip Broyles’ state of loneliness after the break-up of his marriage, and his often lonely battle to keep Fringe Division afloat:

Lyrics: The clouds in the sky have covered up my life
And the day just stays gray ’till it’s night
And the dark ness out side is a mirror to my eyes
‘Cause my soul won’t reflect any light

Oh, I can’t lie, I’m so lonely
Oh, make it right and just hold me

‘Cause I’m freez ing, there’s no way to stay warm
Don’t you need me?
Left me out in the storm
How could you for get me
My sun shine has left me alone
You’re so cold

The song may also relate to Tomas, his brother or even the shadow itself -- seemingly trapped down here on earth. And for those of you who have been observing the plethora of ‘cold’ references throughout Fringe, this song -- “Freezing” -- is another possible clue.

The Ring

In the Dream Logic episode observations, we suggested that the many references to the ring or infinity might hold some meaning (example above). Well, we got several ‘ring references’ in this episode suggesting that this was indeed a clue. We got a glimpse at of the following ring-shaped object:

..And the Dancik’s wedding rings:

We also had several TV-moments with imagery reminiscent of the classic horror film, “Ring“ or “The Ring” (minus Samara crawling from the TV, of course):

The Space Between Us

Another potential clue for THIS episode may have been the young Peter’s Shuttle Challenger poster and space toys from “Dream Logic”. Whilst it was a clue in itself for Peter’s origins, it also alluded to the heavy ’space’ theme for “Earthling”.

Dust Devil

Walter tells Peter that he needs several Dust Devil’s to transport the remains back to his lab. While he’s referring to the vacuum cleaner, this could also be a cute reference to the movie “The Dust Devil”, in which a shape-shifter “comes from the desert in search of its victims, a spirit the locals call The Dust Devil”. You can take your pick at the number of allusions here, from the shape-shifting soldiers, to the “spirit” (the shadow), to the desert/ash analogy. One could even take a giant leap and say that this is a clue for alter-Walter being the creator of the shape-shifters, since our Walter said it with such..intent.

Projection

Walter suggests that the organism is capable of “projecting” itself without ever really leaving its host. One thought crossed my mind when I heard this -- the Alter-Walter who visited Walter in st.Claire’s. I have to believe that this was a clue since most of the cases do tie into the larger arc, and it seems possible that Walter’s visitor back in episode 1.08 was a projection of some kind, and not just an hallucination. Perhaps the real Alter-Walter used this method to communicate with our Walter whilst he was in St. Claire’s?

As Walter was explaining his theory on the shadow, I also noticed that the camera remained on Peter for a split second longer than it probably should have -- it was as if he were digesting the information and finding it remarkably relevant. I’m wondering whether this “projection” idea could also tie into Peter’s story? We know that Walter’s Peter is dead, and that this Peter is from the other side, but what if there’s more to it than that? I just have a sneaking suspicion that the writers are giving us more subtle clues that might become clearer later on down the line. Watch this space.

Observing The Observer

The Observer made his usual appearance, this time exiting gate 43 (further suggesting that he travels by normal means..at least sometimes). It’s interesting to see him observing Phillip for a change. Unless, there’s more than one of everything.

Green for Earth (2), Red for Mars

The famous green and red color sequence made another appearance, this time when Tomas was trying to contain the shadow. My out-there theory on this color sequence is that it has something to do with space. When I mentioned it a few weeks ago I was half joking, now I’m thinking it could actually be on the right lines. I mean, inspiration for brands or symbols come from all kinds of places.

Stuck on You

Probably the most intriguing clue of the entire episode -- if indeed it was meant as a clue. Firstly we have Walter attempted to think “less linearly” by using tinker toys to create a 3-dimensional representation of the formula. For a show dealing with different dimensions and realities, I found this to be a suitable shout-out to how a higher plain of reality can exist within another.

Then when Peter and Walter attempted to separate the formula, they found that it couldn’t be separated -- the idea being that the only way to destroy the shadow is to kill the cosmonaut. For me, this is an allusion to the two main worlds of the show -- “over here” and “over there”. We could be looking at a situation where both worlds are more connected than we think, where the decisions and choices in one world also effect the outcomes in the other (and vice-versa). Of course we’ve also learned from the ZFT Manuscript that for the survival of one world, the other HAS to die -- indeed, this is the very reason for the coming war. Survival. (or so they say).

However, this contradicts the above scenario in which the two entities are permanently joined, with the destruction of one resulting in the destruction of the other.

Like I said, the writers might not have intended this to be a clue, but I think it would make for an intriguing, yet subtle, foreshadowing.

Another possibility is that this relates to Peter and his alter-brother.

Eight No Stopping Us Now

Remember the other week we suggested that the number 8 was an important number in Fringe, specifically for Olivia? We got another dose of 8 in this episode. At first I wondered why it appeared in a Broyles-centric episode, but then we got some good intentional Olivia positioning (above). I’m more certain than ever that 8 is her ‘number’, if you will.

8 may also refer to infinity, and we kinda get the impression at the end of the episode that the shadow lives on. The imagery is just too intentional, in my opinion, to be coincidence. I’m just waiting for one more solid 8 reference to prove my point beyond all doubt.

One of Us

I’m not 100% sure on this, but I think the cartoon the little girl was watching was “Kimba The White Lion“. More important was the specific clip which went:

Off-screen voice: He’s not one of us, get rid of him!”

Kimba(?): “I may have a different color, but I’m still a lion like you!”

I think this is an allusion to Peter being from another universe and the possibility that he will ultimately feel an affinity with our world, despite being from the parallel world. As I’ve been saying for a while now, the journey will severely test the loyalties of many of our Fringies, particularly Peter and Olivia.

The cartoon could also apply to the shadow entity who may be human in a sense we cannot currently comprehend, although they’d need to beef that story up before we could make any real connections there.

Another thought that crossed my mind relates to the belief (in some quarters) that the popular Disney movie “The Lion King“ was a rip-off of Kimba The White Lion. In the other reality, was Lion King ever made? I guess we’ll never know since it’s not that important, but you have to think the creators lace every scene with intent.

Stranger Danger

Maybe it’s just me, but I get the impression that the lighting in this scene is very intentional. Do we only see half of the CIA agents face (in the shot above) because he’s not from over here? The ‘half-face’ thematic is similar to the lighting technique used in the Peter/Walter beach house scene from the season 1 finale. Is this a clue for a future story arc involving government conspiracy? Belly said that only a few people have successfully crossed over, but he could be wrong, especially if the ‘doorway between worlds’ has been known to man for centuries.

Other clues

• In some respects, the shadow was a bit like shape-shifters -- they need mercury to survive in one body (for long period of time) “over here”, and shadow seemingly needed radiation to survive “down here”.
• Was the 2009 movie “Moon“ an influence for this episode? Earthling shares some vague similarities.
• I noticed a continuity error (there were quite a few in this episode actually) when Phillip was in the park with the senator. A guy on a bicycle rides past as they are talking, then when Phillip is standing the same guy rides past again. If the bicycle was any color but red I’d say this was 100% a continuity error, but I’ll leave 2% for it being an intentional allusion.
• The glyphs for Earthling spelled DEJAVU, referring to Phillip’s old case coming back to haunt him.

As always if you have any thoughts on the above, or any observations you’d like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

Welcome to the FB review of the Fringe season 2 episode 6 – Earthling. In this review I present my honest opinions on both the good and the bad aspects of the episode. I also take a look at the answers and unresolved mysteries, before sharing my thoughts on other aspects which may have been overlooked.

THE GOOD

• Humanizing Phillip Brolyes. It was good to see Phillip’s back-story fleshed out. I feel that I know him a little bit better after this episode – In particular, I know that some of his flaws, are also some of his strengths. I learned that he’s a man who’s prepared to make sacrifices if it means that the world is a safer place. Cliched perhaps, but all in all I have a greater understanding of WHAT Fringe Division is and how tirelessly Phillip has worked to keep them afloat.

• International investigation. The Russian government, The CIA and inter-departmental friction.  These elements hinted at a greater sense of urgency and importance (even if the episode didn’t quite deliver on that front). It’s only natural that other countries have their own brand of “Fringe Science”, and it’s believable for the CIA to butt heads with those who they see as interfering. I feel that the show is building towards a more realistic world-view, with the American government and various international agencies and societies becoming an important part of the storyline the further along we progress.

• Analogy to the alternate reality theme. The episode was quite effective in the way it played with parallels to the alternate reality theme. It felt as if the magnifying glass was positioned closer to home, allowing us to consider space as another ‘reality’ in its own right. Although the show has a strict “No aliens” policy, I also have to wonder whether this is as close as we’ll get to an alien storyline in Fringe? Technically it could be argued that the ’shadow organism’ was ‘alien’. Either way, I really enjoyed comparing the shadow storyline to the broader alternate reality theme.

• Cool effects. I thought the crumbling into ash effect was pretty darn awesome.

THE BAD

• Pacing. The episode moved along at an awkward pace. It felt too slow at times, often pondering through scenes which didn’t quite resonate. Earthling had a couple of tense moments, but they bookended the episode. The rest of the scenes tried to be creepy and interesting but lacked the spark to get them out of 1st gear. Perhaps the ’slowness’ was to help provide that introspective feel, but I overall I think there were too many missteps.

• The Shadow – opportunity missed. I would have liked to have known more about the shadow and its motivations. This was a great chance to explore an interesting character in the Fringe mythology. We know that it was a ‘projection’ that absorbed radiation, but WHY? Did it need radiation to survive or was it something more sinister? Some of its actions also made little sense (like following people home and going after little girls who presumably didn’t have high levels of radiation). It just seems like the shadow was a “cool” concept that wasn’t fully thought through. There wasn’t enough fleshing out, either through the cosmonauts back-story, his brother’s battle to keep him alive (and the ethical consequences thereof) or even Phillip’s past encounter with the case. It all seemed a bit, well, random. Kinda like Night of Desirable Objects.

• Walter’s explanations for the shadow were half-arsed at best. That’s not normally a problem if he’s to back up his theories, but too many of his ‘break-throughs’ were muddled and barely explained. I hate to say it but it felt as if they cut corners just to resolve the episode before the closing credits.

• Are we supposed to believe that Tomas kept this organism at bay, wheeling his comatose brother from hospital to hospital without the CIA, Fringe Division or the Russian government finding him? The problem is, I didn’t buy the character, his ability to avoid capture for so long, or his skill in keeping the shadow quiet for 4 years. Again, he reminded me of the doctor from Night of Desirable Objects. I get the idea – he is another allusion to the Walter/Peter story (or perhaps the Peter/Peter story), but the guy was not that exceptional. Furthermore, what prevented the shadow from going after him in the first place? Too many contrivances.

• By servicing Phillip the other characters took back seats and Astrid was relegated to the cart. I LOVE that Phillip got some character development, but I was still disappointed that this was at the expense of others. It works the other way too – most of the time Phillip, Astrid and Nina are left to feed on scraps, and if you read FB regularly then you already know what I think would solve this problem…

• Episode format. I’ve championed a more serialized format for Fringe for a long while now. This episode is another example of why I feel the producers need to re-think the stand-alone preference. We have a potentially fascinating character such as the shadow and yet we’re unable to really dig into it because the show is more concerned with wrapping everything up with a ribbon by the 42nd minute. Trouble is, some stories can’t be completed within an episode, they need room to run over. I feel that this is one such ‘case’ that needed more depth, investigation and exploration. I know we get bits and pieces of the wider arc in each episode, and I do enjoy that, but Fringe is not CSI, the stories and its characters need room to breathe. Furthermore, you simply don’t get transported to another dimension and not mention it in either of the two proceeding episodes. Rethink, rethink, rethink.

• “There was a man, a shadow man. He disappeared”. This looked good in the trailers, wasn’t nearly as effective in the episode (I said a similar thing for Night of Desirable Objects). The line was purely for dramatic effect and I can’t see how having the girl spell out the obvious added to the episode. If they wanted to make sure we knew that the shadow’s life was connected to that of the cosmonaut they could have had one of our Fringies mention it in passing. In fact, I’m sure it was mentioned. The kid at the start was a cute little bit of character building, the girl at the end was anything but. And don’t get me started on why she just sat there motionless after seeing a shadow man. No child would just sit there and then calmly describe the situation.

ANSWERS

• The “organism” seemingly became ‘one’ with the cosmonaut when he went on a spacewalk. The shadow was a “projection” of the organism, which passed through its victims to absorb their radiation, disintegrating them to ash in the process.

• Tomas was apparently able to ‘contain’ the shadow by distressing his brother with electric shocks – “if you hurt the host, you hurt the organism”.

• Although Phillip shot the cosmonaut in the head, seemingly killing the organism, the cosmonaut lived. The insinuation being that the CIA sent his body back into space to prevent the organism from projecting here on earth. One wonders why they didn’t just kill the cosmonaut? Or are we to suspect that the shadow made him indestructible?

• Fringe Division has had a troubled history, struggling to stay in operation due to a lack of “public results”.

UNRESOLVED MYSTERIES

• What IS the shadow?

• What value is the shadow to the CIA and Russian government? This question becomes less clear if we believe that the CIA sent the shadow back into space. Would the Russian government have done the same thing?

• Why did the shadow stop killing for 4 years? I’m assuming its because it had all the radiation it needed, but even this seems inconceivable given that Tomas took credit for keeping it at “bay” for this long. What measures did he take to contain the shadow, and what changed for the shadow suddenly become “stronger”?

• IF the CIA sent the cosmonaut’s body (and hence the shadow) back into space, how did they arrange it so quickly? Does his also suggest that they have previous experience of dealing with shadows? What else have they ‘dumped’ up there?

• Are we supposed to believe that the fly passed through the shadow and became infected? If that’s the case, why didn’t the fly fall to pieces before reducing the coma patient to rubble?

• If the shadow / organism is a projection of itself here on earth….what does it actually look like?

FRINGE THOUGHTS

• As usual, there were more allusions to Peter being from another universe, here are a couple of examples:

Walter giving a firewood analogy of the disintegration effect: “So hot it remains intact, holding shape of is former self. You used to love that when you were a child..”

Walter talking about Russian Fringe Science: “Because they’re from the other side of the world, Peter. Is it so hard to believe that they’d have their own stripe of the inconceivable?”

• Phillip keeps his evidence files in a public self-storage facility. Really?

• Walter refers to the formula as a she. That’s Walter for you, but it’s perhaps interesting that Mother Nature (Mother Earth) is usually referred to as she. Just saying.

• I loved this line from Olivia: “When we break the rules we’ve got you to protect us. Who’s going to protect you?” It really illustrates just how much juggling and string-pulling Phillip has to do to keep this operation alive. It also shows just how fair Olivia and Phillip have come. As always, I really like these two in scenes together.

• For a while now I’ve gotten the impression that they’ve added post-production voice overs for Walter. There was another one in this episode when Walter was explaining how he planned to contain the shadow. Not a big thing but it takes me out of the episode a wee bit.

• The season 2 the location titles appear to have gone from silver to gold and back to silver again in this episode. I’ve been observing this for a while, it’s probably nothing important though.

• Can the shadow project across realities? Now that would be one deadly weapon in, I don’t know, an inter-dimensional war of some kind..(especially if over there was made more radioactive).

• Fringe has featured quite a few head-kills. We’ve already had exploding heads and Evil Charlie’s death-by-bullet, now the cosmonaut gets shot in the head. Not all networks are so liberal with head-violence – in fact, has there ever been a head-kill on LOST?

FINAL THOUGHT

I would really like to see this episode in serialized format, I think it could have been truly amazing, all things being equal. This has probably been my most frustrating episode to review. Not because it was terrible, but because it feels like an opportunity missed on soo many levels. Coming off the back of Dream Logic also doesn’t help. We’re treading water when we should be swimming in waves.

That aside, my lingering thought from the episode is: Who is the “Earthling” in the title? It could be the cosmonaut – Earth’s voyager, or perhaps Phillip – Earth’s protector? Maybe the shadow is the “Earthling” – a sentient being not of this world who has become trapped down here?

Another thought crossed my mind whilst watching the episode – Olivia asked whether the cosmonaut had been “dosed”, something we’ve seen before on Fringe. Whilst this seemed to have been refuted, what if he was dosed or purposefully infected by a man-made organism in space, away from the glare of public intrusion?

On a final note, the Earthling title coupled with Phillip looking up at the night sky illustrates just how tiny, yet central, Earth1 is to this entire arc. Perhaps we are all the “Earthlings” in the title.

Best Moment: The ending – hinting at a much larger conspiracy.

Best Performer: Lance Reddick

Episode Rating: 7/10

[video: thekrot1991]

Here is the promotional trailer for next week’s Fringe episode -- 2.07 “Of Human Action”.

EPISODE 2.06: “EARTHLING”
Emmy Award winner Jon Cassar (24) directs as the Fringe Division takes on a puzzling investigation of victims who inexplicably disintegrate into ash. The shadowy case casts light on Special Agent Phillip Broyles’ (Lance Reddick) past and leads the team to the possibility of foreign fringe science.

2.06 Sneak Peek -- “Pleasant Surprise”:

2.06 Sneak Peek --  ”Why This One?”:

[video: konggrio]

“Secrets of Fringe”:

[FOXBroadcasting]

Season 2 Catch-up:

[FringeRus]

Jasika Nicole -- Astrid & Walter:

[FOXSource]

Last night’s World Series match ended with a New York Yankees victory meaning that there will be a new episode of Fringe tonight. The Lowatus is finally over and what better way to celebrate than with a final round-up of the latest post-worthy bits and pieces from the Fringeverse.

Actually, there’s not much to report, but this set visit video from IGN is a decent watch. Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson give their thoughts on where the show is, and where it’s heading. (mild spoilers):

Joshua Jackson on Attack of The Show:

It feels like Christmas Eve. Well, not quite. But with the return of Fringe just a day away I’m so excited that I feel like leaving a glass of milk and some cookies out for father Fringe. (what do you mean he doesn’t exist!?).

The Lowatus’ reign is almost complete, but it’s planning one final cruel twist which involves the baseball going to game 7 tonight. Hopefully that wont happen and we can all watch Fringe tomorrow. With that in mind we have a few cool bits and pieces below the jump to tide you over til’ then:

Fancast follow up their initial Fringe set report with a sequel. They gather some insights from Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Anna Torv and Jasika Nicole on what to expect from the remainder of the season (mild spoilers, mostly opinion):

While we’ve already provided a glimpse of things to come on ‘Fringe,’ here’s more food for thought from the cast as to which mysteries might yet be revealed, and when. Granted, in a world where shapeshifters, underground cannibal mutants, human bombs and re-animated cryonic frozen heads have free reign, this creates a pretty wide berth. Even so…..

Joshua Jackson has weighed in on the possibility of “alter Walter” wanting his son back. What does John Noble think about the prospect of a Walter vs. Walter smackdown in Fringe’s future? “It’s certainly something we’ve talked about, quite seriously,” Noble admits. “It would be fun to do, and have the Walter from the other universe meet this old Walter. The other one will probably be fit and healthy…..and very angry at having had his son stolen, I would imagine. That will happen. It’s too delicious not to.”

Indeed, Walter provides more than his fair share of delicious moments, thanks in no small part to those misfiring neurotransmitters. But with increased rebounds in the mental health department, is there a chance that Walter might one day be completely sane again? “I don’t even know what completely sane is, to be honest with you,” Noble responds. And even so, he added, “I don’t know that we’ll ever see Supreme Court Judge Walter.”

Walter versus Walter aside, what about the second biggest pending cage fight in the Fringe-iverse? Noble promises that the William Bell confrontation will be coming “very soon.” (No, really – how soon?!?) “I’m not sure that will happen this season,” he ventures. “I’m not saying it won’t, but I’m not sure it will.” (Spoken in true cryptic mystic Walter fashion.)

As for the guaranteed moment of greatest impact this season for Walter, Noble can speak with more certainty: “I think it will be when Peter realizes that Walter is not his natural father. I think it’s going to be wonderfully horrible. It will be painful, but it’s got to happen.” He adds, “I think our viewers have followed so closely their growing relationship. To see that smashed apart! I’m a bit nervous about that, actually. I haven’t seen any scripts about it.”

Joshua Jackson seems to concur that this will be the big moment for Peter, too. And he seems slightly more confident than Noble that it’s well within the realm of possibility prior to season two’s conclusion. “It seems like we’re on track to do that,” Jackson says. “Each character has whatever their inevitable end to this season’s story is going to be, and the end for this season’s story for Peter has to be that revelation.”

Ah, but the clash between dimensions won’t be a small thing, either. Where exactly will Peter’s allegiance lie when push comes to shove, given that he’s the brother from another mother (or the same mother, different dimension, or….whatever)? Jackson expounds thusly on where Peter comes from – and where he’s possibly going: “His father, obviously, was not a great father when he was younger. There’s some as yet untold mystery about what happened between he and his mother. Most of his life, he’s sort of been out there on his own, trying to figure it out for himself, and doing it not the traditional way. He’s specifically tried to avoid joining anything…..[but now] I think he’s enjoying being a part of a cause bigger than himself, even though he probably couldn’t admit that out loud. He gets drawn into all this, and then he’s going to find out that everybody around him was lying to him and betraying him. So – people don’t generally react well to things like that. At the same time, he’s going to be confronted with the idea that his allegiance isn’t to the side that he’s been fighting for. It’s actually, blood-wise, to the other side. That’s going to pose a very difficult question for him that I’m not sure the writers have resolved. I would actually be happy to play it either way.”

Continue reading here.. [heads-up: Shayne]

**Spoilers may follow**

Not enough shows do parodies of themselves. This fun Fringe 2.06 sneak clip could almost pass for one. Give me Walter doing something Waltery and I’ll give you my attention for a few minutes. Meanwhile, we have another, more intimate, scene between Phillip and Olivia. I really like these two as a pair – heaven knows they’ve come a long way since the “LiAson” days – and it looks like we’ll be getting some much needed character development. I don’t want to judge the episode before even seeing it, but it looks like a good one.

TV Guide probe the differences between “Over here” and “Over there” in this spoiler snippet:

Any scoop on Fringe? I’m dying to see more of “over there.” — Vic
MICKEY: Lance Reddick himself told me that “over there” Broyles is different in a fundamental way: He’s a happily married man. What’s that — you didn’t realize Broyles was divorced? Well, after Thursday’s episode, you will. And you’ll also know why.

We already knew that our Phil was divorced and I guess the above link explains why. But I’m ready to delve deeper into the mystery that is Fringe Division’s leader. Hopefully the episode wont just pay lip service to his back-story.

According to the Fringe forums, Joshua Jackson will appear on Attack of The Show tonight.

And that’s about it for now. Episode 2.06 preview and all that jazz tomorrow (assuming the baseball doesn’t run over).  Tonight, I’m backing New York. Tell em’ Jay.

A few days ago we posted promotional photos for the upcoming Fringe episode 2.08 – “August”. The photos are nice but pretty standard in that they lacked “squee” factor. Well, that’s about to change! FOX have just released a couple more photos featuring one of our most observant Fringies.

Hit the jump to see who it is.

These photos are pretty awesome – and not too spoilery which is the way this FringeBlogger likes it.

If you missed them, you can check out the other “August” promo photos here.

[photos: FOX]

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Not quite, is the answer – we still have to navigate our way around the final bend of the Lowatus. But I swear, we’re nearly there – the promised land is in touching distance and nothing can stop us (well, except the baseball if it goes to match seven). To prove how close we are to some new Fringe, we have an itsy bitsy sneak peek at Thursday’s prospective episode titled “Earthling”. I love this title, it conjures so many possibilities in my mind. I sure hope they don’t waste it!

Hit the jump to view the episode 2.06 sneak peek.

[video: FOX50] [heads-up: FringeWatch]

This sneak peek reminds me somewhat of Inner Child, with an “old case” coming back to haunt one of our Fringe crew. Whilst I do have a soft spot for Inner Child, “the Artist” himself was a disappointment in every department. Here’s hoping big Phil’s ‘antagonist’ yields greater value.

JJ. Abrams is a busy man. Not only is he set to produce the next Mission Impossible movie, but he has a new Spy series in the works and a Superman movie has been rumoured. In fact there must be more than one JJ. Abrams, that’s the only logical explanation for how he seems to get so much done! Speaking of twos, JJ. Abrams talks exclusively to Tribune Interactive about the alternate reality storyline that has helped make Fringe “sexier” and more “confident” in season 2. Whilst I have a few problems with the ’standalone’ element of the show it’s difficult to argue with JJ.’s assessment.

Check out the interview after the jump.

Thanks to Tribune Interactive for the video.

Happy Monday to you. It’s good to be in the final throws of the Lowatus, I must say. I’m looking forward to the next batch of episodes -- my fingers are crossed that the baseball doesn’t run over and delay the return of Fringe this Thursday!

Anyway, below the jump we continue to stick it to the Lowatus with several bits and pieces made of Fringe.

Here’s a short promo for this Thursday’s Fringe return -- “Earthling”:

[video oilery]

Fancast report from the Vancouver set of Fringe (spoiler alert):

From the fantastical set of Fringe in Vancouver, I got to play the role of Observer (without undergoing a buzz cut, thankfully) and find out from the cast what’s coming up on this show in which “the impossibilities are endless.” Here’s a whiff of what was uncovered during my visit.

A prevailing topic on the set was that The Observers are about to get a whole lot more face time. We now know there is more than one, and that they are all named after months. The main man we’ve come to know, as played by Michael Cerveris, is “September,” by the way – but it’s the episode entitled “August” which is supposed to be a doozy. And, contrary to what you might think, it seems these fellows are far from invincible. What can bring these hairless heavies down – besides bland food? Why is Walter (John Noble) apparently their only BFF from this dimension? And why is The Observer carrying Walter’s photo around in his briefcase?

“Somehow along the line, because of Walter’s experiences, because of things he’s done, he’s been able to make communications with The Observer, whatever The Observer is – I’ll leave that for you to think about,” Noble says. “That will continue, and that will become far more dense as the season goes on, as to what the role of The Observers are, and also Walter’s relationship with them. In terms of the teaser as to why Walter’s photo is in [The Observers briefcase]: my feeling is because he’s their only live contact. The rest -- they should not and cannot make contact with other people. And if they do – at their peril, which will also be revealed.”

Anna Torv promises that the William Bell and Walter meet-up is finally coming. And there are a couple of other episodes that she thinks we should keep a particularly careful eye on. “We have an episode that we did just shoot not so long ago – the last one that we did – that sort of pulls and answers a couple of questions from the episode where Charlie dies,” Torv tells us. “When she finally remembers what was said to her during the meeting with William Bell, with the mention of the man with the marking on his head also comes up, there’s some stuff that kicks in that was really fun to do, that’s a little bit of a throughline.”

Continue reading here.. [heads-up FringeWatch]

You have to admire Jasika Nicole. She’s somehow managed to make Astrid more human, despite limited screen-time. I have a feeling that Astrid will turn out to be a much bigger player later on down the line, but that’s speculation for another time. In this interview with Examiner she sheds light on one of the most intriguing mysteries of the season -- her lovely new haircut. (and more..):

Sean: I am extremely happy to be interviewing you as you’re filming season 2 of Fringe.  You’ve added much to the show over the past season, and now it looks like you are getting an even bigger part in Fringe.  These past few episodes have given you much more time to interact with John Noble’s character (Walter), and to develop your own wry charm on the screen.

How do you feel about growing the Agent Farmsworth character to take a more important role in the show?

Jasika Nicole: I think its overdue, but I also think its wonderful that the character had a chance to garner some followers. The fact that Astrid’s background is unknown and you don’t get to see her interact with very many people makes it that much more satisfying to start learning more about her.

Sean: Do you think that you will join Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson outside the lab sometime in the future?

Jasika Nicole: Astrid has already gotten out of the lab in season 2, the audience just hasn’t seen it yet (we are filming episode 10 right now).

Sean: In the first episode of this season, I believe that Walter (John Noble) makes a comment about your new haircut.  Was your new haircut something you did on your own, or was it something that was asked for by the producers?

Jasika Nicole: Actually, Walter doesn’t make that comment, Peter does. I don’t think that Walter is particularly interested enough in things like ladies’ haircuts to notice them or have much of an opinion on them. My haircut was accidental- I was supposed to get a trim and they cut off almost 2 inches, so we had to throw a line in the script to acknowledge the new style since it was so different than the way it was in the final episode of season 2. My hair didn’t take long to grow back at all, so by the time the first episode aired, I looked completely different on screen than I did in real life.

Sean: One of the major mainstays in the lab where you spend most of your time is a cow that Walter ascribes some human-like qualities.  After all of your time on the set and reading through the scripts, do you think that Walter talks about the cow like that because Walter is just crazy, or because there is something special about Walter’s cow?

Jasika Nicole: No to both questions; I don’t think he is any crazier than a pet enthusiast, someone who loves their dog or their cat and is sensitive to how that animal feels. I think his is actually a pretty normal response to spending lots of time with another living creature, be it  human or otherwise. Walter would seem crazy to me if he ignored the cow or forgot that it was there or had no sense of connection with her at all. And I don’t think there is anything special in the “fringe” sense about our cow either- she is essentially the equivalent of a lab rat that we have become way too attached to. What is striking about her presence in the show is that she isn’t a cute and cuddly little kitten that runs around the lab and purrs and and begs to be petted, or a rat kept in a cage that Walter can do tests on- Gene is bigger than a human, louder than most house pets, and she needs a lot more special attention than a smaller animal ever could. So the strangeness isn’t the fact that Walter treats her like the family pet, the strangeness is the fact that no one has ever seen a family pet quite like Gene.

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Elsewhere, Fringe has been nominated in for the Sixth Annual TV DVD Awards (best current TV series, Best Blu-ray and Best Extras).

Fringie of the Week will be starting up again this time next week. It’s worth mentioning that Olivia Dunham won the Dream Logic vote, giving her an overall score of 4 victories this season. Peter is her only challenger so far with 1 win.

And that’s about it. No daily polls this week, we’ll save em’ for next week.

Til’ next time.