2x10 "Greys Matters" - Reviews

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EW

io9

MTV

Zap2It

AV Club

http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2009/12/fringe-grey-matters-missing-pieces.html

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Now, I recognize that I've been posting these reviews fairly late each week (or skipping them altogether, as I did last week), but it feels like the amount of conversation here about this show has fallen off the table. Have people just given up? Is it just that you have nothing to say by the time I've watched it and written about it? Or were you waiting for a mythology-heavy episode like this one to get to talking?

This has been a worry for me too, more so than the ratings controversy.
There are not nearly as many official reviews of the show as others, even the last show I followed: Reaper. Fringe really doesn't seem to get that much attention.

*sigh* I wouldn't worry so much...
If you google fringe + review, or fringe + recap, you get a lot. At least, I do.

Regarding that.... here's a quote I was saving for Cathy, who's always eager for ratings numbers, and a fan of both Fringe and Glee, but she is off with Mr. Santa-Cathy being festive, I guess, so I'll post it now; this is about Fringe's (& Glee's) ratings perceived problems:

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The reasoning the so-called “experts” give (and they try to sound as if they read ratings for a living, it’s so sickening) is that shows like the ones listed above are not pulling in LOST or Grey’s Anatomy-like numbers, which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard when it comes to the ratings game. Keep in mind, these people are blog posters saying this and not blog writers who know their field from the back of their hand.

First of all, networks like The CW and FOX are not on the same scale as the big three giants of CBS, ABC, and NBC, which is basic common knowledge to the average person, let alone a wannabe TV critic. Secondly, The CW is not available in all areas, something that might come as a shock to some people. Gossip Girl got a full season order and was renewed off it’s performance on iTunes, which insinuates that it was a hit with viewers and they got to the show any way they could. The same can be said about Glee, which is bringing in tons of money from iTunes downloads from not only episodes, but music downloads as well. The cast of Glee has also been tagged to sing the National Anthem at the World Series and if that doesn’t scream ‘successful runaway hit’ then I don’t know what does.

When you look at the DVR numbers, and the fact that this is holiday month and lots of people are more interested in the eggnogg than working, I'd be more surprised if there were lots of reviews.

YES DVR numbers !

Elliot wrote:

*sigh* I wouldn't worry so much...
If you google fringe + review, or fringe + recap, you get a lot. At least, I do.

I'm talking about official reviews, from reporters in online newspapers. Google blogs, I get a lot of reviews. Google news? Not so much, and there hasn't been since the premiere back in September.

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First of all, networks like The CW and FOX are not on the same scale as the big three giants of CBS, ABC, and NBC, which is basic common knowledge to the average person, let alone a wannabe TV critic.

Not getting into the CW, but for FOX that's no longer true since American Idol and 24 came along. House is now also helping. FOX is actually winning the ratings wars against the Big Three.

I'm still heartened a bit by the tweet my friend got from her friend at FOX not to worry about Fringe, it's doing fine. But that really won't stop me from being concerned, at least until the network announces Fringe has been renewed.

If you read FOX's own words, they credit Fringe with helping them do better than they have in a long time. There are links to those articles here. As long as FOX and BR say they are both happy with Fringe, I am not complaining.

Elliot wrote:

If you read FOX's own words, they credit Fringe with helping them do better than they have in a long time. There are links to those articles here.

I am not arguing that FOX is not currently standing behind Fringe. But it's a long way off until May. Things can change, and Fringe *is* fragile. Imagine if FOX decides next year it wants to put House on Thursdays, and make room for more new shows with the potential for even greater numbers than Fringe. Particularly if Fringe's ratings get worse, even when up against little competition.

DVR numbers only go so far, if the audience isn't watching within 3 days, it doesn't matter HOW big the timeshifting audience is. Not even some of the biggest reviewers watch within *7* days - like Alan Sepinwall (the guy I quoted above), who's one of the biggest of the biggest.

Powerful Fringe "Grey Matters" Fun, Intriguing