FOX
Don’t quite have time for a full-on review of “Brown Betty,” last night’s episode of Fringe. But I’m not sure in any case that I could objectively review an episode that incorporates a musical detective story and begins with an elderly scientist listening to Yes’ awesome “Roundabout” while smoking a bong under the watchful gaze of a cow. I mean, that just automatically rocks.
But beyond that, I would just say that, love or hate the episode or fall somewhere in between, I love that Fringe is indulging its sense of play. Isn’t self-indulgence supposed to be a bad thing? Nah, not necessarily. Having a sense of fun and a gee-whiz attitude toward being able to do things just because they’re cool can lead to mistakes, but it’s also an essential part of the greatness of shows like Lost and—the comparison has to be made here—The X-Files.
“Brown Betty”‘s musical lark may not have been essential, but that attitude is. But let me know if it didn’t have you head over heels.