Welcome to the latest edition of the Fringe Round Table!

Below, staff writers Sean McKenna, Carla Day, Carissa Pavlica - along with Fringe super fan Nick Shere - gather to break down "Five-Twenty-Ten," discussing Peter's transition into the enemy and the return of Nina Sharp...

-------------------------------------------

What's you're favorite or least favorite part about the Peter as Observer storyline?
Sean: I'm really enjoying Peter as an observer. It brings such a different aspect to his character, and it's kind of fun watching him act with his monotone voice.

Nick: My favorite part is that we're seeing in detail how he's using his Observerly abilities to mess with causality/predict and manipulate events. It would be easy to focus entirely on powers that we can see in exciting action sequences, or observercam POV, but this is much more interesting, and more fitting both to the Observers and to Peter. (The brutal, efficient approach is reminiscent of him hunting the shapeshifters when he was "weaponized.")

Carla: I agree with Nick. I love that Peter's transition is comprehensive and isn't focusing on only one aspect of their abilities. I'm looking forward to seeing how far the transition goes and what all he will be able to do. It provides a unique look into who the Observers are and how tight their strangle hold on humans actually is.

Carissa: Now that I've finally realized the juxtaposition from last year to this, I'm enjoying it more. He fought so hard to come back and now he's disappearing. I find that choice fascinating. 

What did you think about Nina's return?
Sean: It was okay, but I wasn't jumping up and down with excitement. Her return does make me wonder if William Bell will find his way back in this final season as well.

Nick: It felt truncated. Her relationship to several of our main characters is really important -- and with Olivia, much more so in the last couple of seasons than previously in the series. I liked everything they did in the episode, but it really should have been over the course of the season so far.

Carla: I hope that we see her again. Her connections and history should be pertinent to the team's goals of bettering the Observers. I do wish we got to see a little more of her personal connection to Olivia, but we did get to at least see her have the heart-to-heart with Walter. Perhaps, Olivia will go to Nina for help saving Peter....

Carissa: I agree with Nick that it felt truncated, as have the visits we've had so far. I'd like to see Broyles and Nina more present. Olivia could benefit from Nina's experiences with William. Whether she'll get the chance is another story.

Do you think Walter will learn to live with himself or take out the pieces of his brain again?
Sean: I think he will learn to live with himself. He has to. If he doesn't than it would be a huge step back for his character. He has to be able to grow, especially with this being the final season.

Nick: I don't know. Because it's TV, I suspect he'll try to take out the pieces, and be interrupted or have to stop at the last minute and deploy the Full Walter. What would be interesting is if he tries to science up some kind of system to monitor or mitigate the transition.

Carla: While he clearly wants to take the piece of his brain out again, I don't think it will happen. This season, I hope, will be about gaining personal closure and acceptance. I want Walter to grow to accept who he is and be able to incorporate that part of him with the person he desires to be.

Carissa: Walter is about to realize just how special his brain is when he has to figure out how to save his son, so I think he'll learn to live with it. Especially since he'll be removing something of Peter's. He'll be completely distracted.

What will be Oliva's reaction now that she knows about Peter?
Sean: Nervous and afraid? She's going to want to save him and hopefully she finds a way to do so without destroying him and their relationship in the process.

Nick: Total freakout? I imagine she'll be pretty pissed that he's been lying to her. But maybe (given her history) she'll be able to relate to what's happening to him.

Carla: Shock and horror, initially. Then, I expect that she will understand why Peter did it and work with him to use his Observer abilities to help their fight against the occupiers.

Carissa: She'll be hurt that he kept it from her, and want to keep him safe. She'll want to undo what he did and worry about the long term effects. 

What will Walter do when he finds out?
Sean: I'm not sure. You can never tell with him. Maybe he'll be intrigued? Maybe angry? Either way, he's going to want to figure out a way to bring his son back to his human side. He can't let Peter turn into the thing that they are all fighting.

Nick: Lots and lots and lots of science.

Carla: He will want to know every itty-bitty detail about Peter's abilities. At least initially, he'll look at it from a scientific point of view, rather than considering that he could lose his son.

Carissa: With what he's been feeling about losing himself, I think he'll see similarities between his "other" self and the new Peter and freak out. He's going to want to keep Peter from turning into anything even close to what he once became.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/fringe-round-table-five-twenty-ten/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Larry Hagman has passed away from complications related to cancer. The legendary Dallas star was 81.

Hagman - who also appeared recently on Nip/Tuck and Desperate Housewives - was surrounded by loved ones at a Dallas hospital yesterday around 4:20 p.m. when he passed.

He had announced in the summer of 2011 that he had been diagnosed with a "treatable" form of cancer, but then celebrated a few months ago by claiming it was in "remission."

Said Warner Bros. TV and Dallas executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin in a joint statement:

Hagman was “a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace.”

the veteran star is survived by his wife of over 58 years, Maj; two children and five grandkids. Our thoughts go out to them.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/larry-hagman-passes-away-at-81/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Following a Sunday off, what can fans expect when Once Upon a Time returns this week with "Into the Deep?"

The episode will feature a heavy dose of Cora, as she's intent on tracking down the mysterious compass and using it for her own nefarious purposes. Watch her confront Hook over its whereabouts in this sneak peek:

 

Once Upon a Time Clip: Where's the Compass?

It also looks like Cora will come up with a plan to get what she wants. As teased below, it involves Aurora and Snow/Emma's well-meaning hearts:

 

Once Upon a Time Clip: Cora vs. Aurora

Finally, in Storybrooke, David will devise a scheme of his own. It will also have a lot to do with Snow's heart, along with her lips, as he urges Mr. Gold to send him back into the slumber in which we first found him way back on the Once Upon a Time Season 1 premiere. See what we mean now:

 

Once Upon a Time Clip: Something is Wrong

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/once-upon-a-time-sneak-peeks-a-compass-conundrum/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

With Downton Abbey Season 3 set to premiere in the U.S. on January 6, ITV has given fans of this British drama another reason to celebrate:

The network has announced an eight-episode fourth season, replete with a 2013 Christmas special. PBS is expected to air each one in the States, as it's done throughout the beloved run of this series so far.

“Viewers can look forward to more drama, comedy, love, hatred, jealousy, rivalry, ambition, despair and romance," on Season 4, said ITV Executive Producer Gareth Neame.

Creator Julian Fellowes and his entire team is on board for the new season, with production scheduled to commence in February.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/downton-abbey-season-4-confirmed-by-itv/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Ready to flashback, Revenge fans?

On Sunday's new episode of this ABC thriller, we'll travel back to 2006. What can viewers expect from this trip down memory lane? A visit from Victoria's estranged mother, which explains a great about the woman Emily has been so intent on taking down.

Watch a sneak peek at "Lineage" now:

 

Revenge Clip: Meeting the Mother

Elsewhere, we'll witness Emily's very first mission under Takeda's training, where she meets Aiden and discovers what has led him down a similar vengeful path.

Check out a clip of these two working undercover now and be certain to visit our Revenge spoilers section for a lot more scoop on what's to come:

 

Revenge Clip: "Lineage"

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/revenge-sneak-peeks-in-2006/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Castle and Beckett had their hands full on "After Hours," as the couple ran for its life. But were they running from a mob enforcer or the calamitous meeting between their parents?

Our Round Table team of TV Fanatic staffers Carla Day, Jim Garner, and Christine Orlando are joined here by Castle fans Jenn and Jennifer from The 12th Fan Forum as they decide who was to blame for the dinner disaster and whether Castle and Beckett have what it takes to make Always a reality...

-------------------------------------------

What was your favorite scene?

Carla: When the cop pointed out that Castle and Beckett could take the cab ... that was right there. A hilarious end to their crazy game of hide and seek, while trying to get out of the neighborhood.

Jim: Rick on the phone with the girl whose phone they had. Thought it was interesting she was more worried about her phone than the window in her car.

Jennifer: I would say my favorite scene is more a three way tie between, my two favorite funny moments: Castle disturbing the peace in order to get help at the apartment building and Kate busting in the car window for the cell phone and my favorite tender moment: their hug at the end.

Jenn: I really enjoyed the bickering throughout, but my favorite scene was near the end where with her hands bound Beckett races up to Castle and throws her arms over his head for an amazing hug. It that moment they didn't care who saw them, they were just filled with the relief that they still had each other. To me that one scene spoke volumes about their relationship.

Christine: Kate opening up about how concerned she is that they are from two different worlds. We've waited five seasons for them to share their feelings so I love it every time they actually TALK to one another and forgo all of the subtext.

Who started the fight, Jim or Martha?

Carla: If I learned anything from the episode it is that this is a question with no winning answer. So, I'll abstain!

Jim: Marth. Her distaste of baseball came through pretty quickly.

Jennifer: In the end I would say neither actually started the fight as no one went in there begging for one. It was more just one really bad comment and response after another until the whole dinner went south.

Jenn: Okay, even though Jim cast the first stone in the fight with the comment about Martha's cooking, I blame Castle because he is the one that even brought up his mother's cooking to begin with in the first place. Granted, a fight could have happened later in the dinner, but I guess we'll never know because of the pop fly that Castle hit out there.

Christine: She basically called him boring and he called her flighty. There's blame on both sides but I did love the way they came together at the end. Worrying over their kids connects their worlds.

Most surprising moment? Leo is the killer or the Sister schooling Esposito?

Carla: Leo being the killer. Who would have thought that actor would play two roles both on ABC (the other being on Scandal) within weeks where he was the bad guy pretending to be the victim. Typecast?

Jim: Knew the Sister was going to school Espy after he bragged about combat being worse. Leo being the hitman totally shocked me. Well played Leo.

Jennifer: Leo is the killer, hands down. In the end Esposito was a little too sure of himself, it came as no surprise he would learn his lesson fast.

Jenn: Most surprising moment was that no one realized that even though a cell phone is locked you can still dial an emergency number!  But I guess if they would have realized that then Leo aka "The Killer" could have gotten away. I was a little surprised about Leo, but I think Castle was more surprised than I was with that discovery.

Christine: Yes, Jenn! I kept thinking about the 911 thing too. Wouldn't a cop know that?  But Leo being the killer was something I didn't see coming. That said, Esposito and Ryan interviewing the Sister was hysterical.

Are Rick and Kate too different to last?

Carla: Nope. They are perfect for each other. Being different isn't a problem. If James Carville and Mary Matalin can make it work, then Rick and Kate's (seems weird to use their first names) won't be something that stands in their way. They may have issues, but it won't be because of their different backgrounds.

Jim: Not at all... they have differences sure, but they want the same things where it's really important.

Jennifer: They may be different, but that is what makes them great, where ones abilities ends the other makes up the difference. To borrow from Castle, they are yin and yang, perfect harmony, perfect balance.

Jenn: No, the fact that they do in a lot of ways come from two different worlds is what is going to keep them together for the long haul. She will continue to keep him grounded in the real world and he will continue to encourage her to have fun and take a chance on something once and awhile. Honestly these two have been through so much over the years that I really don't believe there is anything that could keep them apart.

Christine: Looks like it's unanimous. They might make one another crazy from time to time but these two were made for one another. They are obviously happiest and at their best when they are together.

This episode had some great lines. What was your favorite?

Carla: Castle: Dude, where's your car? That was a funny line and the event set the debacle into motion.

Jim: Rick's reply to Kate about being different: So what if we don't make sense on paper, we don't live our lives on paper.

Jennifer: Ryan's Not that I would ever doubt a nun.

Jenn: I'm torn with this one, but I'd have to say Castle with Dude, where's your car? First, I was having flashbacks to terrible movies, but then I was thinking, "Haha, Rick just called Kate dude."  I give this line credit because just like "Call Me Maybe" I can't get it out of my head. Martha calling Gates out was a close second.

Christine: Ryan's Catholic school is like combat. If you haven't been there, then you don't know. Esposito and Ryan were at their best. I love our boys.

Source:
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/11/castle-round-table-after-hours/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith