FRINGE: Critical mass…reached
Thursday, September 4th, 2008I love FRINGE. You guys know I do.
But I’m at the point now that if I read ONE MORE article or interview about FRINGE, then I’m going to hurl. This is coming from someone that has been a part of a media frenzy before - I have lived and breathed the media coverage of LOST much more than your average fan. Heck, I have even co-written a book about it eating my life. But this FRINGE stuff…it is just way way out of hand.
There is something to be said about mystery. There is something to be said about anticipation. At this point, I feel FRINGE has reached “critical mass” - aka the “put up or shut up” phase for their potential fandom. Face it - no other television show, in the history of television shows, has had THIS MUCH build up…this much pre-pilot hype. I’ve seen the pilot (the legal version) and it is hella awesome, but there is no way it is going to come even close to fulfilling this massive weight of expectations that has been bestowed upon it and the series. Nothing short of the cure for cancer or the formula for immortality could appease the level of expectations that exist at this point.
As aggravating as that is to me…I am also sickeningly happy that there will be those who are disappointed by the pilot once it airs. Why? Because it will give everyone something NEW to talk about and debate. As I said in my “pissing in an empty pool” post, there has been a whole lotta riggermarole over practically NOTHING at this point. A million interviews with JJ/Alex/Bob/Jeff/Bryan and you will never get more out of them than they are willing to say, so most of the interviews from the past month or so have been the SAME thing, over and over again, just asked in slightly different ways. The Fab 5 are GOOD. They are EXPERTS at handling the media. In fact, their media savvy should be a testament to every other show out there. But even the Fab 5 cannot prevent the inevitable backlash that will come after the Pilot airs next Tuesday. In fact, they should embrace it.
Again you may say, “how can you say that?” Because, as sick as I am about the over-the-top media coverage of a show that has yet to air, I KNOW that once the cards are laid out on the table and the critics line up to take their pot shots at the new kid on the block (SO to Danielle) - this show will hold up. It is NOT going to appeal to everyone and it is NOT going to miraculously come out on the other side completely unscathed by vicious TV critics who live to tear down, especially something so shiny and bright and media-saturated as FRINGE. But this show has the meat, the creativity, the depth, the acting, and design to stand up under the intense microscopic examination it will be receiving. Once the wrapping paper has been peeled off, there is something REAL underneath that should appeal to a fairly large fanbase. And I am DEFINITELY ready to get past the packaging…aren’t you?
