This Week in Fringe - 11/19/09

Episode 8 - "August"

Ah, now this is what I love to see. Fringe is the type of show that loves to drift away from its core storyline, instead opting to showcase weekly scenarios and events that more or less have no connection to each other or the main plot. But when it goes back to showcasing that main plot, it really shines.

This week's episode brings back The Observer, the peculiar hairless man in a suit that loves spicy food and somehow appears during major events throughout time... well, things are different now. Different in that there is more than one Observer, and now one of them has changed someone's place in time. It also stirs up the question of why is The Observer so important to Walter, and what is their connection to Peter (I have some theories, but if they're right I'd rather not spoil anything for you).

Point being, this episode is really a showcase as to how good the show can be, even if Leonard Nimoy isn't around. Perhaps it seems better because it's the first on-story episode in a while, or because it actually makes you think about these characters for once. For an episode that shines more so than Season One's good episodes, it's a shame to know that this season has a lot of not so good ones. It's the type of episode that should get a VFH Seal of Approval, but doesn't because rewarding the show for doing something it should have been doing all along just wouldn't seem right. Here's to hoping the rest of the season brings episodes that are just as great.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu