J.J Abrams, Fringe and Spock

People talk how J.J Abrams likes to make sophisticated cross-overs between his shows, how it creates some sort of complex universe full of hints and mysteries. Well, it maybe so, but there is a difference between simple cross-over and shameless advertising.

When his latest TV show Fringe started last year, I actually watched some of the first episodes, trying to find anything that will hook me up, that will make me interested. The giant words effect was kinda cool, but after three episodes I gave up. The show was weak, boring, lousy written and had no potential whatsoever. I knew right away, that the level of imagination that I saw during these episodes is not going to change, that the show already limited itself to the small pool of content and it will continue splashing there in the same shallow water.

Yesterday I happened to catch last episode of the show, and since J.J's Star Trek is due this weekend, I decided to watch it and see if I can find any Star Trek references, or just in general if anything changed in the show, anything at all. And I was shocked to discover that I was right, that nothing changed during the 16 episodes I didn't see. Anna Torv still having the same look on her face all the time, like she is having very nasty constipation, John Noble (Dr. Bishop) still playing it dumb with unexplained desire for sad faces of misunderstood genius martyr, Joshua Jackson (Bishop's son) still has issues with his father and prefer to be pointless most of the time, and sexual tension, or some kind of sexual content, nowhere to be found.
The evil corporation is still there, some bullshit conspiracies as well, absolutely ridiculous experiments and pseudo scientific theories didn't go anywhere further from where it started. The general feeling was like I missed only one episode since I stopped, which you never can say about Lost or good show like Rescue Me.

And I was right once again regarding the Star Trek reference. In one scene Agent Dunham and Peter Bishop came to see some mad conspiracy theories specialist, played by Clint Howard. Beside strong feeling of X-Files rip off, that scene was actually quite amusing moment. Apparently this specialist was completely nuts, thinking he is actually Spock and that evil Romulans are trying to create super soldiers to attack the Federation from within. Or something like that.
They even signed off with the Vulcan greeting.









And next week Fringe viewers will get to see Leonard Nemoy in a guest role as the main villain. Very nice, Mr Abrams, sophisticated cross-overs my ass. Long live shameless advertising.

Update: Now I have this scene on video. Enjoy.