no. lacked a strong cast with great chemistry. felt over-dramatized and under-written. not sold.

I personally enjoyed it a lot. The comedic relief worked and even the terribly dark humor worked(Massive dynamics: "Your world is our world"). action wise it was pretty meh but I felt the plot moved well and offered a lot fo great places to go in the future.

I must say, I was intrigued. Yeah you can see the comparisons with Skyent and Massive Dynamics but I think there could be more behind the first look.

I liked the idea of 'The Pattern' and really want to see that story unfold. So yeah. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

One thing that did bug me though, a big deal was made about it being a $10 million pilot and I can't see where the money was spent. There wasn't really that many huge action sequences and the make-up wasn't anything special.

My personal opinion is that I can see the potential. I believe there will be lots of questions asked to leave the audience wanting more.

It was a decent pilot, but took too long to get to the point, so for
the first hour or so I was mildly bored. If they had not had those
short commercial breaks I might have lost interest completely. I'm
still not crazy about the cast. I warmed up to the blonde chic a little more by the end, but she was pretty annoying for most of the episode. Jousha Jackson was awful, wow, there has been no growth
over the years. I felt like I was watching an older/smarter version of Pacey. I hope he shows a bit more range or he could ruin the show for me, if he has too much screen time. The only character I really liked on the show was the crazy doctor, he'll be good for some laughs.

I feel the show has potential, so I'm going to stick around for a few more episodes and see what it has to offer.

As for covering it on /film, I think that would be cool, unless it takes a nose dive. Perhaps give it a trial period?

I thought it was ok, didn't exactly live up to all the marketing hype Fox created. "The last two lines!! OMG!!" - Eh...saw it coming...

assuming they can clean up the relationships a bit then i think this show could do good stuff. there's already the "lost" factor of just giving you so much to think about and deal with which is definitely a plus. if they jump into a romance with jackson and the female lead (olivia?) i think they could shoot themselves in the foot. on the flip side though the x-files already perfected the perpetually tense and working relationship with mulder and scully. assuming they can find a line that doesn't count on josh jackson being too much of a "pain in the ass" for the olivia character to ever fall for, they could make it work. i think the father/son dynamic is strong at least initially. it's good that they're on a par regarding intelligience and opposites as far as method.

ultimately i think we should trust jj abrams to at least be able to entertain us. he's got a pretty strong track record.

The pilot episode was interesting and I will definitely see where it goes. As an avid van of The X-Files, I've been really aching for a new TV show along the same lines, but of course new and fresh and not a copy.

This show, thus far, has accomplished those things. I can't say it'll reach the popularity of The X-Files, but it's possible. I just want a new paranormal or strangely-themed TV show that at least reminds me of the X-Files. The previews for the future episodes look more promising. Since this is a J.J. Abrams produced show, I expect it'll just get better as we go.

Please don't cover this show regularly on /Film. Regardless of the film talent involved, it's a TV show, and not a film. If you think it's worth it, perhaps you should consider creating another splinter site a la /Gamer and cover HBO/Showtime series as well.

Normally, I'm a fan of "if you don't like it, don't read it" mentality surrounding websites and blogs, but I receive the /Film Daily Digest, which means I HAVE to at least skim every article on the site. There have been times I've considered unsubscribing because of mounds of overhyped film articles, but at least those were film articles. I don't think I could handle mounds of TV or general entertainment articles as well.

As for the pilot, didn't like it. Thought the dialogue was laughable ("Now let's go make some LSD!"), the characters unbelievable/unlikeable, and the "Pattern"/evil corporate conspiracy plotline heavyhanded and forced. But the effects were good and a couple previews looked interesting. If the MOTW is good, I'll give it another shot.

Well, I'm no FBI expert but if you catch a guy possibly responsible for 100+ deaths by a biotoxic, I have a feeling more than one agent would "interrogate" you. I also have a shaky feeling that a crazy doctor and his son wouldn't be able to watch said interrogation on a nice widescreen monitor. On top of that, said crazy doctor's son wouldn't be able to go through a door labeled FBI Personnel only. After going through this "secure" door, he easily goes into the interrogation room to conduct his own interrogation? Come on, I can suspend belief for all the weird shit going on, but not this.

I enjoyed it. It was suspensful, The lead actress is a looker. Joshua Jackson is the shows main draw for me. He stole the show on Dawson's Creek and it is great to see him get a fully adult role. He has a subtle yet comedic presence in Fringe that he plays very well. Great character here for him. Hope you have a long lasting run, joshua! Only one negitive comment: they might be trying to go a little bit to far with their 'fringe' science. keep it mysterious, stay simple, don't bring in the little green aliens anytime soon. Otherwise, two thumbs up!

I had to turn it off about an hour in. No thanks. I thought it was heavy-handed, obvious and painfully cliche. The female lead (though cute in a "standard blonde" kind of way) had about as much personality as a turnip. Joshua Jackson has moxy, but it's wasted on an otherwise unlikeable cast. Per the STORY, the effects, and the "ick" factor -- I have seen better sci-fi/horror in ten different series. If *this* is the episode you choose to sell me on the show as a whole, wow. I am so not interested. Man, I just ...really don't seem to like anything JJ Abrams is involved with.

fan to the astic.

The acting was stiff, the dialogue hurt my brain at times, but the last 30 minutes sold me enough to give it a couple more episodes before making a long term decision. The preview of the season at the end was the most interesting part...

I liked it for what it was, a sci-fi show with a bit of a conspiracy/mystery similar to Lost.

I thought it was quite good and that it has much potential!

I liked the show, and all of those who have so much bad comment about it..... make your own if you can do better. It's so easy to break things down you did not create, looks like your all just here to stop good shows on tv. No it's not as good as the x-files and why compare it with it ??? although have you seen the new x-files 2 movie ??? that is a load of crap right there, that was a horrible piece off shit movie. More a love thriller then annything the x-files should be.

again i liked the show it was not the best tv-show ever but still nice enough to view.

what a load of shit, the worse piece of dribble jj has come up with. IT WILL NEVER TOUCH THE X FILES AS IT IS SO SHIT AND RAMMED FULL OF BULLSHIT BABBLE.

An average X-Files rip-off,,,
Not much more, the story was a twist on the Mulder relationship, mixed with a niave neurotic love struck agent,,, that just dosnt pull off the Scully aspect for me...
(Some of the lab scenes were laughable).
The dialog is shady as well as the casting.

This show is a poor mans X-Files and a comical show at that. 8-)
If it pulls off a full season, its the end times. Cause the show is garbage.

I have to say I enjoyed it (8 of 10),

however I'm waiting to see the big reveal when Dharma and Massive Dynamics are the same company and Hanso is running them both!

The floating signs i did not mind the only thing i hated about them is that thay used them to much because the show jumped around to much liked the opening the dialogue was awful but the cast is alright i will wait and see on this one sometimes the pilots of shows are awful

Curious note: the lab set scene in the promo photo above was shot in the same location as the entirety of Bruce McDonald's Pontypool (currently in TIFF). Noticed it after seeing both this and Pontypool in this past week.

a lot of potential. pilots can be a hit-or-miss a lot of the time, but if the concept is interesting, it's worth sticking around.

typically i rent a show and force myself to watch the first disk, so about four episodes, before i make up my mind. i didn't like the Sopranos right off the bat either, but now I love it.

i think it'll get stronger as we go. those transformers guys are just not good writers at all. i'm guessing JJ can string together a good writing staff and get this show really kicking.

I sat through the first hour or so, but lost interest when I began to study the images on screen before the commercial breaks. As soon as the frog with the Phi symbol on its back and the handprint with six fingers started showing up I told myself, "I refuse to wait for the polar bear to show up in Massachusetts" and once again LOST faith in J.J. Abrams.

Well, I liked the first episode. I even watched it twice because there was so many interesting things that I didnt pick up on the first time.

Definiately continue coverage on it.

When I wrote that JJ Abrams said that episodes will get better, I was thinking that he wasn't happy with the first episode. That's what i was thinking. I'm sure not where I read that source.

I think I read somewhere that JJ Abrams said that upcoming episode will progressively get better. My question is, where did the 10 million go? To the 3D titles?

I felt the 2-hour episode was rushed with no room for imagination. Bad pacing? But I do believe in the show so I hope it does get better. The one problem I have with it is the horrible score. The music is really bad, doesn't fit the shows profile.

Is it me or does Massive Dynamic sound like the Umbrella Corporation?

I really liked Fringe. The effects were awesome for a TV show and while I know they can't possibly keep that kind of budget for every episode, I'm sure the quality won't be any less. The 3-D titles were awesome and very unusual. Also I think the writing will get better as the show progresses. Pilot episodes are never really written or acted well. And this show is not really at all like the X-Files. Why every show that involves scientific research of abnormal activities has to relate back to the X-Files...oh wait. Well, it's still a great show in my mind.

it's like the lame MOTW episodes of X-Files, the crappy pacing and dialogue of 24, and all the things people who aren't fans of LOST hate about LOST. I have high hopes it could get better, but in reality I don't see it making it much past the second season.

Possibly. and Yes.
I also didn't like the 3-d lettering or the mechanical arm but it seems like it has so much potential

It held my attention but if it doesn't hold my attention by the 4th or 5th episode, Fringe could end up like last years Bionic Woman. Thought it was ok, and by the 3rd episode I just gave up on it. So far I thought it was ok so im will to invest some more time and give it a chance.

one word for this show comes to mind

"overrated"

i watched it and thought that this was not worthy of all the hype fox was giving it

X-Files was better and actually more believable. The story here really sucked and I don't care to follow it any further. Fringe is bad. Abrams screwed up! Don't bother!

I thought it was pretty good for a pilot. It definitely had the Abrams touch, and contrary to what most people here thought, I really liked the 3-D location titles. The acting was solid, storyline not so much; but I think it could be pretty good if you don't take it too seriously.

I'm watching it on Hulu right now. Charlie Conway is double-deeking all over the place.

I liked it, it was top notch. It was better than most things on TV and it has potential to be the next XFiles if not better. I think most of the people bitching about it seem to be trying to sound like critics but they come off sounding more like a-holes.

It felt like a bastard child of csi and eureka in a rather dull way. The short preview of what's gonna come in the next episode just makes it seem more ridiculous than the show would appear to be at first glance.

It wasn't what I thought it would be. I struggled to hang thru the last thirty minutes. I dug the commercial bumps and the short breaks. Joshua Jackson was ...okay.. I guess, I didn't understand how he went from being blackmailed to being totally on board with his looney ass father and everything going on. I'll give it one more episode. Bring on Life on Mars now!

I really enjoyed the pilot episode. It definitely grabbed me with the amount of outrageous activity that hopefully dives head first into teleportation, mind reading, and many more aspects of live that we only believe to be real in our imaginations. As for it being as good as X-Files? Who's really to tell? The ratings system? No. Was it as good as the last X-Files movie? Definitely. But in it's prime. I think it'll shoot for the stars but not reach where X-Files peaked at.

- Chris

I thought it was pretty darn awesome. Especially John Noble, I thought his ginger ale line was heaps funny.

it's got those pr-commerical break LOST strings.

I did quite enjoy it, but a few things bothered me.

The plot device of the pearl auto-pilot system seemed mostly unnecessary and too far fetched.

The FBI agent who was infected with the disease had vastly different effects bothered me. People on the plane are losing their skin almost immediately, yet they can get him in an ideal situation so quickly and after a large explosion like that, then end up with transparent skin instead is a very large lapse of judgment on the writer's part.

Finally when they were getting that doctor to help the FBI agent they let him shave. Yeah, he looks like a hobo, but they gave a person who is in an insane asylum a giant pair of old rusty scissors? That's not going to happen in any insane asylum. Not only that, but he leaves the bathroom completely clean shaven.

A few things that could have been changed to make it a bit more believable, but they chose for something that requires far more suspension of disbelief than one should have watching a science fiction TV series. That being said, I'll be watching it this coming Tuesday as well because I was thoroughly entertained.

It was like that movie The Cell...minus the cool parts. And young Vince Vaughn.

Oh and the that company in the show, Massive Dynamic, is basically a wannabe Skynet.

apparently I'm one of the few who thought the floating intro signs were kinda cool.
to each his own though.

Boo. JJ needs to focus on Lost.

Yes, I found it to be really good. I'll be watching the show for the remainder of the fall.

I dont see how some of you people are just automatically calling this show crap. I think that it was a really smart show and set itself up for a really long and entertaining run. Im really not understanding how people think it is that bad.

I was entertained. I'm not hooked, but I'll keep it on my DVR and see where it goes.

The comparison to X-Files are very deserved. I was reminded of the show over and over again. In fact, if the new X-Files movie had been at least this interesting, I wouldn't have felt so disappointed walking out of the theater.

It wasn't terrible but I was bored through a lot of it. If the next episode isn't awesome, I'm done with it.

I will definately be watching the rest of the season.

I was disappointed. I was REALLY hoping for an old-school X-Files type show, but got new-school X-Files; the show that lost it's fanbase because of it's wild direction into government conspiracies, aliens, and double-agents.

I will probably watch the next one to "make sure" that I don't like it, but I'm not impressed so far. There were several times I thought there were script cards behind the cameras they were reading off of, and I'm not convinced of the "mad scientist" guy. He's lucid one moment and out there the next with no real "trigger". Eh... Not sure about him...