Top 10 Penultimate TV Episodes

Many shows can’t pull off a solid finale. However, when it comes to penultimate episodes, as in the episode that precedes the finale, there have been some superb ones.

Here are my top 10 penultimate episodes (of about the past ten years, because I'm not going to try to remember the 90s).

10. LOST – Episode 3.21, Greatest Hits: This was all about confronting realities and accepting the inevitable. It was done to perfection, allowing characters to shine above the plot. Deeply emotional on all levels. Technically this was the third to last episode but the season finale was shown as a 2-hour event.

9. GAME OF THRONES – Episode 2.09, Blackwater: This show will probably go down as delivering the most epic penultimate episodes. This one gave us the drama and action of a big budget movie. Originally I put this higher on my list but then I watched the other episodes and realized it belonged right here.

8. MAD MEN – Episode 5.12, Commissions and Fees: Many people have argued and will likely argue for many more years about the quality of the fifth season but there is no denying that its penultimate episode was one of the show’s best.

7. COMMUNITY – Episode 2.23, A Fistful of Paintballs: The first part of a fun finale set. It was thematically different from the second part and arguably better than the finale.

6. FRINGE – Episode 2.22, Over There (part 1): This episode started a frantic ball rolling that would lead the show headfirst into its third (and my favorite) season.

5. CHUCK – Episode 2.21, Chuck vs. the Colonel: Not just a great episode but arguably the best episode the show ever pulled off in its 5-season run. It has everything that made this show beloved: heart, romance, action, family, drama, and comedy.

4. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – Episode 1.12, Kobol's Last Gleaming (part 1): This show had some amazing episodes but only one penultimate makes this list. Part 2 would probably make a top 10 list of finale episodes.

3. GAME OF THRONES – Episode 1.09, Baelor: For those who hadn’t read the books, this sent shock-waves throughout the galaxy. It was one of the most surprising turn of events in television history. That is until…

1. GAME OF THRONES – Episode 3.09, The Rains of Castamere: I am going out cheap and declaring a tie for first. Book fans knew what was coming. Non-book fans did not. Both were equally blown away. After 20 episodes of waiting, we finally received the payoff to "Baelor". And yes, this show gets 3 episodes on the list... by earning it!

1. THE WIRE – Episode 5.09, Late Editions: One of the show’s best with various plot points reaching their emotional apex. If Emmy voters had actually bothered to watch this show while it was on the air, this episode would have resulted in a clean sweep of the awards. The Emmy’s need a new category: shows we were too stupid to realize were incredible until off the air.

Don't like my list? Make your own in the comments section below.

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Furycast 62 - That Horrible Noise

Jess and Magnus discuss a whole heap of things including the CHUCK anniversary, NEW GIRL, HAPPY ENDINGS, PARKS AND RECREATION, GAME OF THRONES, FRINGE, movies, and why the Golden Globes are dumb. Plus more. Adult language used.

WARNING!!!! Jess' microphone is apparently so bad that I had to put a noise filter on the entire podcast just to help drown out the buzz emanating from it. At times it isn't as bad as other times. It may bother some more than others. I apologize for this and have all the confidence in the world that Jess won't give two shits about it and make no effort to improve her microphone issues in the future.

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Review - FRINGE 5.11: 'The Boy Must Live' or how the writers think you are all f**kin' stupid

Give me a break, guys.

If there is ever a category for lamest retcon in the history of sci-fi/fantasy television shows, it should go to FRINGE.

"The boy must live" suddenly means baldboy Michael?  Because he must return to the source like Neo and then everyone will see the error of their ways and then the Observers will never exist?

Of course if the Observers never exist, then the series of events caused by them will never exist, which means when Walter takes Peter back through the portal there will be no September there to save them and so NONE OF THIS WILL HAVE HAPPENED!!!!!

But of course that's not how it will go down because they will just make it fit even if it doesn't.

The writers think you are all stupid.

And perhaps a lot of you are. Or you will just eat up anything because it is the show you love.

For you guys, why do you read reviews? Why do you read comments about the show you love? Just to read someone agreeing with you?

Anyway, what a mess. What a joke of a final season. The writers, and any critic who praises them, should be embarrassed.

If I had to rate this episode, and I don't, I'd give it:

0 out of 100

A massive turd was just deposited into the mouth of a show I once loved. Thank the gods it is over next week.
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Review - FRINGE 5.09: 'Black Blotter'

"I wanted to cry for you. But I'm different now."

Walter's acid trip toward the reconstitution of his brain brings a fairy good time.

I know what you are wondering. Did this episode make up for the general weakness of this season? Did the writers finally remember what this series is about and put more focus on characters and relationships over slow plotting boredom? I mean, did they do so without spreading a ton of moldy cheese all over it?

Maybe?

We did get some amount of Walter tripping, Astrid looking cute, and Peter & Olivia in-love. These things work well so the writers have spent a large amount of time not utilizing them out of fear of making what many love about the show less interesting.

That makes a lot of sense since purposely making the show suck DOES elevate the enjoyment of those elements when they are actually utilized well.

So a signal brings our heroes to a house where the Observer kid with the terribly hidden bald-cap is being protected by some old dude and a frail woman. And that's when Walter joins a Monty Python sketch to save the day. After some talk, the gang takes the weirdo back to their secret base and tries to make him drink hot coco. It is here, during some dumb dialogue, that it becomes clear that this kid is September. Not to the characters, of course. That would be too easy. But to anyone with a brain.

In the end, Walter trips some more balls and then sets fire to his damnation. Unfortunately, he is already doomed. He now knows and soon the world will end by his hands.

Did I skip a story element that would illuminate the meaning behind what I just wrote?  If it feels like I'm not putting a lot of effort into this review, consider your observational skills tested and confirmed to be in working condition.

If I had to rate this episode, and the makeup department over at WB says I don't, then I'd give it:

76 out of 100

It wasn't terrible.

What did you think?
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Review - FRINGE 5.08: 'The Human Kind'

As Peter turns into a logic meat puppet, Olivia pines for a bloody bullet, and Walter worries about Peter's ability to cry.

And we get yet another episode of FRINGE, in a season of only 13 episodes that are supposed to close out the series, whose story could have been told in one act of a much better episode. Proving, yet again in an endless proving of yet-again, that 13 episode arcs are in no way superior to television story telling.

When writers get lazy, they run out of quality ideas NO MATTER HOW MANY EPISODES THEY HAVE TO WRITE.

Anyway, so Olivia's mission to find a magnet did feel at some point like a story element that could go somewhere interesting. The character of Simone, the woman who had been waiting for a couple of decades for the blond monotone ice popsicle, as foretold by a gray-haired granny from the past, was one of those LOST type story-lines that always intrigue me. But then a couple of things happened. Things of total mindfuckering stupidity.

First, Olivia decided to school this very kind and helpful sweet lady about her delusions of hope. Yes, darling Olivia, there is no better time to shit all over someone than after they spent TWENTY YEARS waiting for your robotic personality to show up, point a weapon at her, refuse her kind gestures, accuse her of trying to poison you, and then SHIT ALL OVER HER as you try to leave in the vehicle she kept safe for you and just refueled so you could go on your merry stiff way.

And second, while on the road to your clandestine destination, with your super important cargo, in a world where you are one of two MOST WANTED PEOPLE ON THE PLANET and being hunted by super-human beings who can manipulate time and space, you fall for the oldest trick in the book (not kidding, I looked it up, it is on page 1) of highway robbery.

Meanwhile, Pacey Poof's Matrix agent fight take 2, while cool, was so unoriginal and predictable that it didn't do much for me. While his injury and subsequent scene with Walter made me somewhat curious enough to pay attention, in the end it just led us to a half-assed scene between Olivia and Peter where he ends up cutting out his super power for the sake of love.

Wow. Awesome...

The best part of this is that Jackson won't have to channel ice-queen Olivia in any more scenes as a way to pretend to be turning into an Observer. Because there were times I couldn't tell the two apart. Well, other than Torv's less curly hair. Otherwise, it was very difficult... they were like twins.

If I had to rate this episode, and blahblahblahblahblah, I'd give it:

61 out of 100

This probably could have been a good episode if it had different writers, producers, director, key grip, and editors.

So what did you think? I am very interested. And please be respectful in your idiotic responses in the comment section.

Keep it classy.
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Furycast 59 - Schweddy Balls

VladyGG and HGF whine about their listeners, or lack thereof, while also somehow remembering to talk about STAR WARS, THE HOBBIT, IT, getting old, relationships, sleeping habits, going to concerts, making videos, playing video games, Gandalf the Gay and other stuff.

ATTENTION: I am doing something different this time. The podcast is being posted as a YouTube video which has my own personal video game footage (mostly Diablo 3, but also some from Planetside 2, Dishonered, and Borderlands 2). I am also including the usual iTunes upload and MP3 download link but depending on how you decide to access the podcast, I will most likely get rid of one or more of those options in the future. Listen to the podcast for why I am doing that.

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Review - FRINGE 5.07: 'Five-Twenty-Ten'

In this week's episode, something happens. Then something else. Finally, something happens that makes you go "wooooo!" as you wait weeks for whatever comes next.

I truly don't have much to say about this episode. So let me sum it up in some bullets.

• Walter's complete brain makes him do bad things and love won't change that.
• Peter can see the future and shit because he's turning into an Observer.
• Olivia is worried about Peter.
• The Observers still haven't gotten around to noticing those Etta "Resist" signs. I suppose they could think they are advertisements for a new deodorant for the dead.

The only truly effective thing that this episode did was shit on the ridiculous notion often bandied about by television people that a 13-episode season means meatier episodes and no fluff.

Clearly they could have dished out a majority of this shit in one act. Instead, they stretched it out for an entire episode. Lame.

If I had to rate this episode, and I truly don't, I'd give it:

60 out of 100

What did you think?
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Furycast 56 - Strahovski vs Torv

VladyGG and HGF talk about the most recent sex scandals; FRINGE; DEXTER, including Yvonne Strahovski's decision to not go nude; FIREFLY; STAR WARS; REVOLUTION; RED DAWN; C. Thomas Howell; TWILIGHT and Kristen Stewart's naked sex time in ON THE ROAD; and various other things and sub-discussions.

This could be the best podcast I've ever done... with VladyGG.

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Review - FRINGE 5.06: 'Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There'

Dear friends, I was unable to write a review last week due to a megastorm that knocked out power across the area. I did discuss what I thought of the episode in our latest podcast but decided not to catch up with a written review. If you were disappointed by that, then I apologize for failing your expectations.

My recent complaints have been about Olivia's lack of a primal grief over her daughter's death. As I stated on the podcast, there is no believable reason for this. Sure, Olivia did have something in last week's episode that one could say was a nice moment for the actor/character but it wasn't primal grief. It wasn't about losing control. And when people lose someone they can't replace, they have those moments even if they are emotionally protective. Humans can't control themselves in those moments. The grief escapes.

So I went into this episode very disappointed by how the writers have treated Olivia's reactions (minus that one moment, as I indicated), but very happy with the Pacey Poof material. Not much changed this time around. The episode starts with Peter still holding onto his grief and Olivia still acting much too amiable about the whole thing. Sure, the two share a nice moment together but Peter continues to deliver an appearance of stress, anger, and grief while Olivia has a much too accepting disposition. As if she finds all of this a bit cute or sweet. It feels unnatural.

As for the rest of the episode, Walter's hunt for his hidden puzzle pieces was interesting in that I wondered where it was going but also silly in that he didn't realize how dangerous it would be to go out alone to do it.

Though, an even bigger and growing issue I have with this season is how slow and incapable the Observers seem to be whenever the show needs them to be, and how quick and capable they seem at other times.  I am not sure if this whole evil Observer story line will pay off well down the line, but they were so much more interesting when they seemed like detached time travelers who existed for some less-than-evil purpose. Now they are nothing more than more strangely dressed agents from THE MATRIX.

Let me mention some things I did like: the previously mentioned moment between Peter and Olivia; the way the alternate world worked differently on technology; Peter irritatingly pushing Walter through the time warp (toward the end) as Walter tries to do his little dance shuffle; though the setup to it happening was silly, the Pacey Poof Neo Vs. Agent Observer fight was pretty cool, and I think they even used a musical nod to THE MATRIX in there; Peter's new powers!

On that last point, the Observer's warning about what Peter has done to himself is likely to turn into something completely fuckin' stupid as these things usually do.

If I had to rate this episode, and some little albino boy says I do, then I'd give it:

78 out of 100

This show has seen better days. And worse. I gave the episode an extra 3 points for the final minutes which had some nice John Noble acting.

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Review - FRINGE 5.04: 'The Bullet That Saved the World'

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Furycast 48 - Revolution of Fringe Zombie Strahovski's

In this episode, VladyGG and HGF discuss the presidential debate, REVOLUTION, THE WALKING DEAD, DEXTER, Yvonne Strahovski, FRINGE, HOMELAND, plus more.

00:00 - 00:32 Testify by Rage Against the Machine
00:33 - 03:32 Presidential debate #2 (overall debate #3)
03:33 - 15:21 REVOLUTION (we also talk a bit about HEROES and other geek shows)
15:22 - 22:06 THE WALKING DEAD
22:07 - 22:51 DEXTER and Yvonne Strahovski
22:52 - 26:24 FRINGE and the continued fan wars
26:25 - 27:02 HOMELAND and why VladyGG is a cunt-twat
27:03 - 27:47 End Talk about a future podcast
27:48 - 28:13 Voice of the Voiceless by Rage Against the Machine

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Review - FRINGE 5.03: 'The Recordist'

When the team goes out looking for clues to Walter's Observer-killing weapon, they meet up with people who have been keeping records of the history of humanity post-occupation. And stuff happens.

After last week's killer episode failed to really create much dialogue in the comments section about anything but Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and the amount of screen time each get versus which is a better actor (yeah, that happened), I wonder what argument either side will make this week.

Because both received a fair amount of screen time.

Both had a fair amount of good scenes.

Both delivered pretty good performances.

Granted, Joshua Jackson is the superior actor.

Oh shit. I just started it all over again!

I kid.  Well, not that Jackson is the superior actor or the one with better scenes, but that I was trying to stir up any shit.  Though, having said what I said it probably comes off a bit disingenuous for me to say that. Oh well.  Like it matters what I say anyway. Last week I just talked about how awesome the episode was and barely got a peep about that in the comments section.

Why the fuck am I writing about the comments section in a review about the episode?  I have been effectively trolled!

So this episode wasn't brilliant but it wasn't mediocre either.  It did move the story along. It did tackle some of Olivia's simmering emotional issues about abandoning her husband and his search for their daughter and her reasoning made sense. 

She had given up hope.  She couldn't see past her depressed outlook.  All she could see was that she had lost again.  All this the cause of a messed up childhood where she was used and abused by those who were meant to look after her. It is a good bit of believable writing.

Pacey Poof's moments were pretty effective too. Jackson has such a wonderful hold on his character's heart that he never fails to tap into that emotional side when he needs it. And with Olivia as the cold one, Peter needs to be the one who speaks for their relationship.  Otherwise the audience would be left wondering why they ever fell for each other.

Apart from those elements, the rest of the episode had some good beats like the mole who calls the rebels to warn them of the incoming enemy; Walter just wanting to get high; Astrid the laser surgeon and VHS fixer; freaky looking kid who made graphic novels out of the legends of the Fringe unit; creepy black stuff; a sacrifice; and a montage (I love a good montage!).

For an episode that surfed the line of significance and insignificance, it worked for me.

If I had to rate this episode, and Walter's suit of armor says I do, then I'd give it:

83 out of 100

So what did you think?  I mean, beside the obvious stuff of how much it sucked. Oh and see you in two-weeks!
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Furycast 46 - Where is Jimmy?

In this episode VladyGG and HGF discuss COMMUNITY, REVOLUTION, FRINGE, DEXTER, HOMELAND, ALPHAS, and play some listener phone-calls, plus more. All times and topics noted below.

Consider all discussions to have potential spoilers and only listen to that which you have watched or don't care to know about even if you haven't.

00:00 – 00:26 OPENING (Damned If I Do by Life Of Agony)
00:27 – 03:11 INTRO including talk of COMMUNITY premiere delay
03:12 – 10:33 REVOLUTION
10:34 – 16:24 FRINGE and the crazy Joshua Jackson fan(s)
16:25 – 19:07 DEXTER
19:08 – 19:11 HOMELAND
19:12 – 19:35 ALPHAS
19:36 – 27:19 Listener phone calls
27:20 – 30:49 End of podcast discussion including Eli, Jimmy, Plopper etc.
30:50 - 32:42 OUTRO (River Runs Red by Life of Agony)

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Furycast 45 - Sexalogue

Jess and Magnus talk *breath* DOWNTON ABBEY, COPPER, NEW GIRL, THE MINDY PROJECT, PARKS AND RECREATION, FRINGE fan wars, ANIMAL PRACTICE, 30 ROCK, extras (that do stuff in the background of scenes), what the listeners want... oh hell, we talk a lot of stuff. Just listen. Oh and there are two outtakes at the end.

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Review - FRINGE 5.02: 'In Absentia'

Hardcore fans of any show can easily turn into ass-kissing douchebags or hate-everything assholes once it has been on long enough (my often mentioned post-season 2 phenomenon). And it is difficult, as someone who finds himself trying to be objectively critical, to not side with the haters more often than I do the ass-kissers. But being someone who prides himself on being able to maintain objectivity even when show writers make it difficult to not dive headfirst into negativity, I definitely root for quality.

In this episode, quality emerged with a vengeance.

Trying to shy away from the hyperbole of feeling blown away by something just watched, I am going to stop myself from proclaiming this "one of the best episodes in the series."

Fuck it, I just failed.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES OF THE SERIES! HOLY SHIT!

One of the things that made this show something of an addiction was the excellent acting and well written characters/dialogue. Throughout the history of the show, those things have trumped the stories, even when they were worthy of praise.  But something happened on the way to season 4 and everyone seemed to, more often than not, lose their focus. As I mentioned in the latest podcast, FRINGE had become a show with characters and situations I loved, but without the intrinsic quality that made me fall in love.

Somehow they rediscovered it in episode 89.

What made it so great? Let me just bullet point it because I am too exhausted from the intensity to recap shit.

• It's a break-in episode and those rule!
• It's a grand plan episode and the origin of those ideas are often so much better than the eventual payoff (yes, this probably means the resolution will suck but we live in the now people!).
• The individual interactions between Etta and her parents were pretty much perfect, with so much unshared pain and frustration between them, yet with love holding them in a bond.
• Walter being the Walter we all know and love with nutty and hilarious dialogue.
• A side-story involving an enemy that goes well beyond anything one could have expected (give that man an Emmy nomination!).
• A somewhat Star Wars like infiltration into the enemy base minus a wookiee and this time to turn the power on.
• One of the most powerful scenes in show history (when Etta loses her shit upon discovering what had happened to her partner) that is still giving me chills.
• A powerful ending that ran the gamut of emotions.
• And all the things I forgot to mention because I'm on such a high right now.

Bravo writers. Superb work. If this is what is to come this season, then I will weep when the show ends.

If I had to rate this episode, and I really want to, I'd give it:

98 out of 100

What did you think?
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Furycast 44 - Kids Hate VladyGG

In this episode VladyGG and HGF discuss REVOLUTION, DEXTER, HOMELAND, COVERT AFFAIRS, FRINGE, ELEMENTARY, DOCTOR WHO, MADE IN JERSEY, and play some listener phone-calls, plus more. All times and topics noted below.

Consider all discussions to have potential spoilers and only listen to that which you have watched or don't care to know about even if you haven't.

00:00 – 00:18 OPENING (Stone the Crow by Down)
00:19 – 02:45 INTRO
02:46 – 12:41 Discuss ratings and REVOLUTION
12:42 – 15:28 DEXTER
15:29 – 17:33 HOMELAND (season 1 spoilers and some COVERT AFFAIRS talk)
17:34 – 21:14 FRINGE
21:15 – 24:11 ELEMENTARY (some DOCTOR WHO and MADE IN JERSEY tossed in)
24:12 – 26:03 Listener phone calls (hold onto your diaper)
26:04 – 27:00 END OF PODCAST (Breadfan by Budgie as performed by Metallica)

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Review - FRINGE 5.01: 'Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11'

The beginning of the end of FRINGE is upon us and its fans squee in earnest. But was it worth the wait? Can this final season live up to the hype? Does this episode kick off greatness or invite the coming of disappointment?

Season 4's failure was in building up to several main points that under-delivered. Peter's attempt to return to his timeline was a silly and total waste of time since it should have been obvious to anyone paying attention that he was already in the correct timeline (as I shouted in virtually every single review last year). And the "death" of Olivia that was foreshadowed by September felt totally void of earned drama when it occurred after we had already seen an episode about the future that made it clear she had to have survived.

Not to mention the weak plodding along of the main storyline and its lazy resolution.

However, within that season there were several interesting developments, the greatest being the takeover of Earth by the Observers and the jump-forward into the future where everything has gone wrong and our heroes have to be collected and released from amber to fight the invaders.

That is where we begin this season and at least I am excited to see where it all goes. I am thrilled that the case-of-the-week element has been vanquished from the show (I know some of you dig that).  So this should be a 13-episode fully serialized story about how these characters either save the world or fail and die.

Spoiler: they will save it.  Not that I know anything but... they will. Come on.

What one has to wonder is whether or not the ride will be satisfying. Do these writers have it in them to deliver something worthy of the greatness of say seasons 2 and 3?  Will we feel like the journey, even with some of the missteps, was done justice when the final curtain is pulled back on the series?

I want to be able to say yes but this episode made me a bit worried even though I did like it.

The fundamental problem with it is that we are given certain story beats as expositions and that rarely works. Something happened between Peter and Olivia (and Walter I guess) where Pacey Poof decided to not join them because their daughter was missing? Yeah, I'd like to have seen that not heard about it. And if I couldn't see it, then don't bother explaining it. Or don't even write it. Unless there is some grand plan to have that pay off in some way later, it is just a strip of dangling drama that used up time that could have been spent on emotional points that weren't utilized enough.

In that regard, why have these writers been so afraid, since the end of season 3, to allow Peter and Olivia to have actual intimacy without having to play with their relationship? How many times do we need them to rediscover each other? Does this show even need that? I'd rather focus on whatever and wherever this story wants to take us toward. Again, unless there is some grand plan for that this season, it is just a waste of time.

Anyway, I liked the Walter interrogation scenes even as I cringed at his suffering. I loved the infiltration sequence though it did go by much too quickly (could have extended it by doing away with exposition talk earlier).  I even enjoyed the search for Olivia even if it was completed (again) much too easily.  And I was encouraged by a few character beats that make me wonder about where Henrietta's mind is at and whether she may be a loose cannon at some point.

I also watched the promo that followed the episode and did feel a twinge of excitement about future episodes.  So, while I wasn't blown away by 5.01, I am also not too down on it. Instead, I am cautiously waiting to be blown away.

If I had to rate this episode, and Walter's scrambled brain says I do, then I'd give it:

81 out of 100

Less exposition, less Peter and Olivia emo-sillyness and more shooting Observers would have brought the score up.
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Geek Furious the Podcast Episode 25 - Fuck Sony... and Not in a Good Way

Vlady GG and HGF discuss tons of topics from Metallica to Dan Harmon, to Diablo 3, Avengers and CHUCK. Times of each topic detailed below for your convenience. Either listen to the whole thing or just listen to the parts that interest you.

Intro 0:00-02:46
Metallica 02:47-15:34
Dan Harmon Firing 15:35-28:10
Tenacious D 28:11-30:36
Diablo 3 30:37-31:57
FRINGE 31:58-32:04
THE AVENGERS 32:05-39:53
Bear McCreary's Mandala in the Clouds interlude 39:54-40:20
SPIDER-MAN 40:21-41:14
Back to Avengers and some Secret Wars 41:15-42:35
Maryploppins 42:36-43:04
CHUCK 43:05-44:43
ANCHORMAN 2 44:44-44:48
Goodbyes 44:48-44:50
Outro 44:51-45:17

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Review - FRINGE 4.22: 'Brave New World Part 2'

The season finale (not series finale since the show has been picked up for a fifth, 13 episode, final season) wraps up the story of the two-collapsing-worlds-to-make-another-new-world that could have made for a TERRA NOVA reboot (since that show's been cancelled) storyline. Was it worth the ride?

Not really. And I think the biggest problem with the finale is the great episode "Letters of Transit." But how can a great episode be a problem? Well, it pretty much made all the shocking points of the last two episodes too obvious. We have already seen into the future. We know Astrid lives. We know Olivia lives since Pacey Poof and her have a kid. So, at no point did I feel any sense of real danger for these characters. And that's why ending the season like this was a bad idea.

A very bad idea.

Not to mention that Olivia's death (granted, I thought they might have Peter have to make that choice) seemed obvious to me from the start. So none of it worked on the level the writers clearly intended. And even the final scene with September carries less weight because of "Letters of Transit." We know who is coming. We know how these things play out. And I'm not excited about the prospect of spending 11 episodes next season getting to the next scene that would have followed "Letters of Transit."

I'd much rather the writers not stall us for 90% of next season to get us to the point in the story WE ARE ALREADY AWARE OF.

So, the best episode of the season essentially ruins the finale for me, and based on how this season was constructed, it isn't ridiculous to expect it to ruin the main beats of next season.

Granted, the writers could surprise me and do something unexpected, but there were so few surprises this season, and such great dependence on contrived elements, that I can't lean on recent evidence to support such dreams.

If there is anything positive to say about this episode, it is that it ended what has been a mostly disappointing season. Sure, there are maybe 7 or 8 good episodes and 1 or 2 great ones. But the majority didn't live up to what the previous two seasons had built up. There was no great payoff. It all seems so convenient. And one must wonder what went wrong?

This happens on many great shows. They have solid seasons with daring and unique payoffs and then, suddenly, it is as if the writers stop giving a shit. Or they lose touch with the part of themselves that was passionate about not just telling different kinds of stories (FRINGE is at least still doing that) but telling them WELL.

If I had to rate this episode, I'd give it:

72 out of 100

If I had to rate this season, I'd give it:

75 out of 100

Too bad. Let's see if they can salvage this whole thing and not just tell a convincing, well written, and consistent story, but also do so without losing what made the show so loved: its characters.

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Review - FRINGE 4.21: 'Brave New World Part 1'

Walter is forced to revisit his painful past when a fringe event causes people to spontaneously combust; the team faces off with David Robert...

Plot
The episode starts with some fringe event where about two dozen people experience spontaneous combustion. There are survivors and one of them volunteers to be tested on to create an antidote. Immediately I am convinced she is part of this since 1) she seems way too eager and 2) because it is Rebecca Mader, best known for her work on LOST.

There is NO WAY IN HELL she's coming on the show just to play a bit part.

In Walter's lab, she is about to fry out when Olivia uses her super powers to cool her down and save her life. We've been seeing a bit of Olivia's abilities lately and apparently they are building up to something. At this point I start to think this is all an evil plan by Jones to get her to do his bidding.

We then find out that William Bell has been pulling the strings all along and that Jones works for him. The two discuss chess and sacrificing pawns. Bell tells Jones that in this case, they have to sacrifice the bishop (Bishop is implied). I suppose if you aren't a super genius, it isn't obvious at this point that Jones will soon be dead, sacrificed as Bell's bishop in his master plan.

When Jones utilizes some solar death ray device thingy to cook the planet, Peter and Olivia go to stop him.

They succeed but Peter is attacked by Jones. As Peter is getting his young ass kicked by the much older Jones, Olivia discovers another power, remote controlling, and swings her arms like a goofy cartoon character, defeating Jones through Pacey Poof's apparent pussy arms. I laughed.

Anyway, so Jones dies only realizing at the end that he was the bishop in Bell's chess game. So long, farewell, and thanks for all the fish. Though, if you think about it for two seconds, Bell couldn't possibly have known Jones would get defeated in that manner on the roof. So, either Jones was making a silly assumption, or this is lazy writing.

Meanwhile, Walter and Astrid walk into a trap, Astrid is shot, and Bell meets with his bestest buddy once again.

To be continued...

Quotables

Jessica: What are you?
Walter: (confused) I'm human, what are you? Is this some sort of alien invasion? Are you part of a strike...
Jessica: (interrupting) No I mean, I mean, what are you doing here? Are you a doctor?

Walter: May I take a blood sample? The discomfort will only be momentary.
Jessica: That's what all you men say.
Walter: You're very brave.

Bell: I'm not sure I ever thought I would see you again. (pause) Hello, old friend.

Rating
If I had to rate this one, and Bell's creepy eyes say I do, then I'd give it:

76 out of 100

Penultimate episodes are supposed to be bigger, badder, and better than this. That finale now needs to deliver all the awesomeness this episode didn't.

Some positives: I loved seeing Astrid shooting a gun; it was nice to see Peter and Olivia have an actual sweet moment together... in bed; Olivia's growing power is intriguing; and having William Bell back and as the apparent bad guy at least elevates the possibilities of what is to come.

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