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May 27, 2012

Review: Fringe - Unearthed

by Jane Boursaw, posted Jan 12th 2010 3:22AM

Fringe: Unearthed
(S02E11) "Please allow me a moment to entertain my fantasies. They often lead to a truth." -- Walter to the priest

Ok, first of all, thank God for Twitter. When Charlie Francis showed up in a scene, I immediately turned to my Twitter friends and said, "What the heck?! Someone please explain why Charlie is here when I thought both Good Charlie and Evil Charlie were dead and gone."

About 500 other people were asking the same question, and a few smart ones gave us the answer: It's an unaired episode from season one. That's what they said. I can't confirm or deny, but it makes sense. Doesn't it seem weird, though, to air such an old episode? Why not just put it on the DVD rather than confuse us? Whatever. More after the jump.

A good title for this episode would have been "Walter vs. The Priest." Wasn't that an awesome scene where Walter nearly got into a fist fight with the priest? The whole episode was an interesting intersect between science and faith, not to mention the whole "being possessed by a dead person because your brain waves crossed during life and death" thing. You can tell it was vintage Fringe -- if indeed it was -- because the storylines are more complex than that these days, what with the alternate universe and Leonard Nimoy and all.

High fives to the girl who played Lisa. She creeped me out with her cohabitation with Andrew Rusk, and I kind of knew we'd see him in the mirror when she went to wash her face. It was thriller lite.

And of course Walter was once asked to design an experiment dealing with psychic abilities. Is there anything the mad scientist hasn't done? "Walter's scariest home videos," in Astrid's words. And where else can you get the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Bible, and exorcism in the same show? Ok, The X-Files and lots of other shows, before everyone starts calling me names. But I'm still partial to Fringe.

And apparently, this re-animation thing happens all the time, as shown in the last scene.

One thing I didn't understand. At the end, I'm pretty sure that when Lisa said goodbye to Olivia, she also said, "I'll be 18 in a year. Don't wait too long to make your move." Did I get that right, and if so, what was she talking about?

I look forward to your thoughts on this episode. Until then, check out clips and episode of Fringe on SlashControl.

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David Wood

I just wanted to comment on the Part the girl said "I'll be 18 in year. Don't wait too long to make your move." It would seem when the girl turns 18 she would make a move on Peter. Which is why she asked earlier in the episode if Olivia was his Girlfriend. Therefore she told Olivia not to wait, or she shall steal him from her.

February 26 2011 at 3:14 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Jane Boursaw

We really don't have as much inside info as you might imagine. I'm as much a fan as I am a TV writer (so lay off!).

I'm just looking forward to Thursday's show. Hopefully it'll move the story and characters forward.

January 12 2010 at 7:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Europa

"... why don't people who write the review actually keep up on news about the show."

Yeah, that was my thought too when I realized that the blogger didn't know it was an unaired ep from season one. I would think that if you're blogging/reviewing a show on a regular basis you would keep up with pertinent "behind the scenes" type stuff. With the constant threat of FOX cancelling the show I "Google" Fringe from time to time under Google News to see what's up. That's how I found out about the unaired ep weeks ago. Shouldn't you bloggers be doing the same thing for all the shows you review????

January 12 2010 at 6:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Europa

"Usually Fox shows get cancelled long before they have time to become crappy, lame, and worthless. Will Fringe be the first exception to that?"

No, that was "Prison Break." ;D

January 12 2010 at 6:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jane Boursaw

It's interesting that it came up in this earlier episode - via the girl - that Olivia might have feelings for Peter. Because in the show's current time continuum, I don't really get that too much. They seem more like a brother and sister relationship.

I don't know - maybe there's an attraction there, but it's certainly not on the surface. What do you guys think?

January 12 2010 at 5:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tracy

I don't understand how so many folks missed that this was an un-aired story from season 1. That has been common knowledge for months. I actually think the folks at TV Squad should be embarassed that they did not know what has been talked about on SciFi Wire , Io9 and numerous other websites!

It was a sloppy episode, and I would imagine that's why it wasn't shown during season 1. I didn't actually notice anything that would give away a secret that the producers were hoping to protect but YNK.

January 12 2010 at 3:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Tracy's comment
H

Thank you! I knew it was an unaired episode too and assumed it was common knowledge. I wonder why TV Squad, having so much inside information on so many shows, would miss this information.

I didn't love it either, but since it was axed from its original airing, I figured it was pointless filler. If FOX considered it disposable, I knew it wasn't going to be integral.

January 12 2010 at 4:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
colin

Tracy, thank you. Yeah I read about them airing an unaired episode about a month or so again. It was just after NBC announced that Chuck would be coming back in Jan. and that Heroes would be bumped to 9/8c. Just a few days after Fox stated they'd air an unaired season 1 episode.
When I read this article I was more shocked at the lack of knowledge from the author than I was seeing Charlie. And I just imagined him as a random FBI agent than "Charlie". I don't like to complain about the site, because I like it -- but sometimes I don't get it. Why do some people write reviews when they don't even like the show - which happens a lot. Or why don't people who write the review actually keep up on news about the show. Whatever, just something I have to live with when coming to this site. Not complaining about the site or the writers, just mentioning something that crosses my mind from time to time.
And hessian I agree that this was most likely bumped because of the fact President Obama gave 3 or 4 speeches in the spring. The fact that this was a season 1 episode also means that they had to cut maybe 7/8 minutes from the show, because didn't each episode last season run for 50 minutes rather than 42 minutes.
Plus we ended season 1 with Olivia going to the alternate universe and started season 2 with Olivia coming back to our universe then being in the hospital. Charlie was "killed" and replaced with the shapeshifter in that first episode, so placing this episode in front of the season premiere would be difficult. I guess they could of placed it sometime when he was shapeshifter Charlie but I'm not sure when that could of happened.
They aired this episode on a Monday, different night that usual -- if gave people who don't watch the show on a Thursday a chance to sample the show. If they watch it again, no big deal cause he could just be that "random" FBI guy since it didn't go into his character. fans of the show know he's dead and either the looked it up on the internet or the already knew it was an unaired episode - so really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.


oh and the girl was crushing on Peter. She obviously felt/saw what we all see - that Olivia and Peter have feelings for each other. She had already asked Peter if Olivia was his girlfriend. It was just a cute moment of her letting Olivia know to make a move on the guy

just my thoughts

January 12 2010 at 5:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
hessian

It's ridiculous to say FRINGE has lost its momentum based on this episode when this is episode 21 from season 1.

The improvements the show have made mid-way through season two were still six months away when this episode should have aired.

I'm wondering... beyond the fact that this WAS a sub-par episode that was truly standalone, could it have been bumped by Obama's multiple prime time speeches back in the spring?

Didn't FOX have to move the IDOL results to another night a couple of times? Could this episode have been skipped in order to have the season finale air during May sweeps?

And if that's the case, plot line were set in place by the cliffhanger that were destined to result in Charlie's death. There was no way to squeeze this episode in before killing him off.

January 12 2010 at 1:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
iamored8907

I turned it off after 20 minutes (or whenever the observer walked behind Olivia.) The episode was too out of place. They should have left it as a dvd only episode. I may go back and finish it if I ever rewatch season the first season. I think the episode was supposed to air before the season one finale....

January 12 2010 at 1:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Phil

I'm getting disappointed in Fringe. It's lost its momentum or whatever it had. Clearly though this was an unaired episode from Season 1. (Charlie Francis was killed including the shapeshifter.) What kind of nonsense? (ABC wouldn't do this to "Lost" now would they?) Even if each episode doesn't deal directly with the central theme that they were developing, there should be some kind of reminder in each, some kind of continuity. This show can't last much longer if they don't begin to make it somewhat coherent from week to week. And they should have left this episode unaired.

January 12 2010 at 11:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ryan

Eh. I'm not really angered about it. I mean I knew SOMETHING was up when they decided to air a random "new" episode in this new timeslot while airing another new episode later in the week.

When I saw Charlie, I pretty much assumed this was an unaired episode. I also went to twitter to confirm... yay social networking!

January 12 2010 at 11:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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