Image Credit: Liane Hentscher/FoxOn April 29, Fox’s just-renewed Fringe will take a page from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Scrubs by staging a musical inside inside the mind of mad scientist Walter.
“We didn’t set out to do a musical,” maintains executive producer Jeff Pinkner. “We set out to do an episode that explored Walter’s state of mind — he’s dealing with some very upsetting news. When we realized that the way Walter would deal with such news would be to try to anesthetize himself with copious amounts of marijuana, well, singing and dancing became a natural outcome.”
Anna Torv’s Olivia — who adopts a retro private-eye persona (see above) — plays a central role in Walter’s drug-induced fairy tale. Teases Pinkner: “It’ll be interesting to see how Walter really perceives her.”
When I heard they were going to do a musical episode of Fringe “Drugs” and “Walter” were the first things I thought of *g*
Fringe is awesome! I am upset about the musical, but at least this isn’t as poofy as Glee. That show sucks huge black skin logs!
Crude, much?
psh! glee is good television.
uncalled for and ribald^^
haha that’s funny, black white yellow red purple it’s no good whatever color the skin logs are haha
Fringe / Lost CROSSOVER… The SPYGLASS!!!
great show
When I heard there was a musical episode I thought it was joke on twitter this is actually true?
S’pose doesnt really matter to me I dont watch the show but it doesnt seem like a show that would stage a musical!
You’re seriously missing out if you’re not watching Fringe!
Anna Torv kind of looks like how she did on The Pacific last night.
I thought the same thing.
She was on the Pacific? I didn’t notice her…
Which scene was she in?
I definitely though the same thing! She played a movie star that is sleeping with John Basilone at the beginning of Episode 5 (which aired last night). She looked stunning.
How tired is this cliche? Cripes, it’s the “clip show” of 21st century television.
Except that clip shows were loathed because they are an obvious attempt to pass off less work as a full episode, whereas musical episodes take easily twice the effort (or more; Whedon spent six months writing the Buffy one).
Fair point. Nonetheless, I’m still amazed that “Show X is doing a musical episode!” is still considered water-cooler-worthy.
In an age where most singers can’t even sing in tune (without computer assistance), it’s never a bad thing to be reminded that many actors are so talented and versatile.
@Tarc, I disagree. That just makes it seem self-indulgent. Show it off at the Emmys.
Musical episode = jumps the shark. This means that creators are running out of the ideas. There are many other ways to create unique episode (well musical episode isn’t even unique because it has been done to death).
@m but it’s a whole music themed week and a lot of other fox shows are doing it…im excited to see it! I see a piano in the background of the photo so Peter is probably playing it because he has piano experience.
Ouch… JJ Abrams running out of ideas?
First of all, just because it’s a musical episode doesn’t mean it can’t be serious. I actually think the whole “through Walter’s eyes” concept is very interesting. He’s got an amazing and damaged brain so obviously he perceives the world differently from others. If Stanley Kubrick can make music an essential part of his movies, Abrams can try.
Whoops, forgot to say one more thing.
Fringe isn’t a story-driven show. It doesn’t need gimmicks or a “unique episode” to succeed. The producers probably did this because… hey, why not?
I just wish they’d hurry up and get Peter some superpowers lol
I’m actually way happier about this than I thought I would be. Knowing how the Fringe writers work, I think it would be really cool, and in it’s own way, sort of organic. We don’t really get into Walter’s mind much, and I think this episode will be really interesting.
Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!!!
THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!
Aaaaand, I love Fringe even more. Fox, move it to another night so it can survive!
Taking a page from “Buffy” and “Scrubs”? What about all the other shows that those two were “taking a page” from who had done musical episodes in the decades before? For pete’s sake–I Love Lucy did musical episodes, and that was more than half a century ago.
The difference with I Love Lucy was that Ricky Ricardo was a bandleader and performer so having musical numbers in the show was practically a given, as were Lucy’s plans to be in those numbers.
Still, “Moonlighting” was doing musical episodes 25 years ago, when it really was surprising. Also, in other news, I now feel old.
Aurelia, I am right there with you.
Remember the “Even Stevens” musical episode? I love those songs!
I do remember that. Oh my God those songs were weird and hilarious
We went to the moon in 1969. Not 1970 but a year sooner.
omg. that was probably the weirdest thing i had ever seen back then. @Jane, my first thought was the song about the moon. i hope the music is more Buffy and less Even Stevens. I have a feeling that if I sat down and watched that episode of Even Stevens today, I would be so embarrassed that I ever liked it. That is not the case with Buffy.
I thought I read that a bunch of fox shows were doing this, musical theme episodes? Something they were made to do for Glee.
They are doing a week of music-themed shows in honour of Glee. This is just one of them, others include a re-airing of House’s “Broken” (because he raps) and other silly things. Not all musicals, just musical references and the like.
Well why do they have to ruin the show with dancing and singing. This is not GLEE. OMG, so stupid.
Wonder if it’s just going to be for a couple scenes – not the whole episode.
Guess I’ll wait till the air date before I get offended.
JJ in a fedora? I’m so there!
This is all we really needed to know. The rest of the ep could suck (it won’t, I’m sure) and it would be worth it just for this!
Yep, same here.
This sounds freaking hilarious!!
I love Fringe, but wowsa does this sound like a big ball of fail. I hope not, but let’s not break the show yet.
Awesome. I can’t wait!