Brown Betty

I Like when TV shows dont take themself seriously, Unfortunately because of some stupid fans they wont try it again.

It was an entertaining episode , nice little romantic épisode Some of the very best X files episodes were comedy episodes so I Hope Fringe will do one just like that.

The reviewers giving this episode 1 star clearly think they're too smart and serious to enjoy a lighthearted episode in this series. Being someone who enjoys a bit of "fluff" just as much as a deep, thought-provoking story, I loved this episode. It was actually the first episode that made me say "I love this series!" It worked in the context of a story being told by a heartbroken man under the influence and yes, I may have shed a tear or two at the end. Y'all need to get over yourselves.

I don't understand the hate for this episode. Sure, it is different, but my gosh, this whole series is in a genre that is already outrageously different from almost everything else in broadcast television.

This is NOT like some of the other "musical episode" efforts of other series, where people just, for absolutely no reason at all, start singing or dancing. This effort simply takes a page from the stunningly good (and well liked/received) Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Once More, with Feeling" episode. That episode worked because it was not just a bunch of people singing, for no reason at all. In the BTVS episode, they were singing (and dancing) because of a curse (over which they had no control), and most of the songs were actually dark confessions. And with a few exceptions, most of the singing was not played for laughs, but instead, depicted lyrics/confessions that were heart-breakingly sad.

That is exactly what is happening in this Fringe episode, except it's all about Walter (finally) verbalizing/confessing the many things that he has avoided facing, for the entirety of the series up to this point, as well as (accurately) assessing the state of mind of all the important people in his life. Specifically, with respect to those people (family and otherwise), it's also about his perception (which is spot-on) regarding the state of their interpersonal relationships. Walter simply chooses to express his assessment (and, bare his soul) in the form of a story that he tells in order to entertain Ella. And, because music has always been an obsession of Walter's, it should not strike anyone as unusual, that he quite naturally makes music a part of the story that he spins out to Ella.

Far from "jumping the shark", I personally think it was a great way to assess where everything stands (especially with respect to those relationships), before the series takes a "hard right turn" in the following episode, and finally leaps, head first, into the multi-universe story line that will be a major focus throughout the rest of the series.

One of the more "endearing" traits of Fringe is that most every episode includes a "wink"; a moment saying "we're not taking ourselves TOO seriously." This episode fits nicely in the "continuum" as it tries to deal with the romantic tension so far developed between Olivia and Peter, and the matter's recent alienation from Walter. It does seem most series of this era threw in a "musical" episode, even if this one downplayed the actual "break into song" moments. Nonetheless, I can forgive it for "going there". After all, a "Brown Betty" IS a dessert!

After all, how could an episode that starts with Roundabout by YES in background while that unhinged pinball machine inside Walter's mind is running on high gear, powered with Chronic Supernova mixed with some other "stuff" be anything but excellent?!

By Walter's own word, in this story nothing is what it seems. Besides, its filled with lots of funny moments, emotions, references and foreshadowing.

Even Gene The Cow gives one her best performances!

Someone has completely missed the whole point of this writing/acting exercise and defaulted to label it a filler or, more simplistically a musical. I, for one, am not a fan of the musical genre but in this case even those parts are absolutely enjoyable. And one must be able to read in between the lines before reductively call this a filler episode. Its far from being either.

The final scene is a *WHAM* one too.

BRAVO!