Stars: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Jasika Nicole
Writers: Monica Breen, Alison Schapker
Director: Joe Chappelle
Network: Fox, airs Thursdays @ 9 p.m.
Airdate: Dec. 9, 2010
Not sure why they gave us this episode as the send-off for FRINGE in 2010.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say this fall finale ended in a whimper rather than a bang. Instead of ending it last week with the blow-out episode where both Olivias (Anna Torv) swapped sides once again. We were given just a run-of-the-mill mad scientist episode in “Marionette.”
Obviously, the pay off was the (at least for now) break up between Olivia and Peter (Joshua Jackson). Olivia was replaced, she says in her words. She took over her house, her clothes, her job and her boyfriend and she just can’t get passed the fact that Peter couldn’t tell the difference, or never bothered to try.
That was the main result of “Marionette” but again I just felt as if we should have been left wanting more. Wanting more of the good stuff – the battle between universes. That’s not to say this was a bad episode because it wasn’t and some of the scenes with people just lying around missing major organs but still living was pretty damn freaky.
Joshua Jackson in FRINGE - Season Three - "Marionette" | ©2010 Fox/Liane Hentscher
Beyond that shock value and a very creepy dude that was basically trying to reanimate his daughter (I think or lover or something, we never really know, or I just missed it).
However, “Marionette” really was about Olivia’s return to work in order to bring peace to both worlds, her words to the “over there” Broyles (Lance Reddick) before he was killed and his body used to transport “over there” Olivia back, uh, over there (it all gets rather convoluted after a while).
I get where they are going. Olivia is traumatized, and deservedly so given what she went through (although in reality, I wish she had been stronger, fought back and been tougher because she’s always seemed so tough up until her kidnapping). In the global picture of bringing fans back to the show in the winter, especially if they are moving nights to the death slot of Friday (though SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL have thrived on this night), you need to go out with a hammer, not a toothpick. I realize they want to give the fans something good when they come back, but some better planning might have served the already-struggling series better.
I want the best for this show as it is one of the best shows on TV and it deserves to be on the schedule and I want a fourth season. I think the move to Friday could be positive as there is far less competition and people may come back to it even if it is in DVR form.
AGREE? DISAGREE? Leave a comment below and let us know what YOU thought about this episode.
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