Power Hungry

Season 1, Episode 5, Aired

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8.5
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The team investigates the case of a man who can generate electrical phenomena and is at the center of a series of strange deaths involving electronic devices.
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • Ok episode, nothing great.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By tv_buffy_addict, Mar 12, 2011
    I didn't like the electricity guy. He seemed like a creepy stalker! I mean seriously how are you meant to like him after he has creepy pics of this girl he likes on his phone (who doesn't know who he is), then he accidentally kills her. Plus I thought it was really predictable when he killed his mum.
    All the stuff about Olivia's ex was ...odd. The guy was kind of evil and didn't he try to kill her? It'll be interesting to see where they'll go with this.
    I'm loving the characters and the show but this was an average ep.moreless

  • Well this episode get a big fat MEH, from me.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By benner82, Jul 24, 2010
    Well this episode get a big fat MEH, from me. I still like this show a lot over all, but this episode was pretty lackluster. The premise for the episode was promising enough, but I thought it got a little silly when they brought the pigeons on. The end was very good though, after the case had been resolved. I think that redeemed the episode from going from lackluster to dull. The over arcing character story lines need to get more in depth, in my opinion, if they want solidify their fan base. The writing of any single episode, this one included, has never disappointed me. It is very sharp and clever. A lot of research must go into each episode, at least I hope so.

    I really don't have much to add other than emphasizing what I said earlier about getting more in depth with the characters and/or over arcing story lines dealing with John Scott or Massive Dynamics, which was sadly absent this episode.moreless

  • A man has the power to control electronic devices.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By thefanof, Jul 24, 2010
    It's rare that I'll start off with the negative for an episode, but this week things took way too long to get into the story. We didn't need to see the man for 7 minutes to know who he was before something happened. To maintain possession of House viewers Fringe needs to quickly hook them in with a 1-2 minute supernatural occurence, like they have done for the past few weeks.

    The back and forths between Walter and Peter Bishop are usually the high point of the episode but it felt forced tonight and not as natural. I did like Walter being obsessed with his wool socks though. If John Noble doesn't receive an Emmy nomination there is something severely wrong with the system.

    The premise here was good, but at points it came off as pretty pointless in the grand scheme of things. They advanced the storyline between Olivia and John and I am interested in where that's headed, but this just wasn't up to standards set by previous Fringe episodes. Still a good, entertaining hour though.moreless

  • "Visiting hours. Everyone put on their best straitjacket" - PETER

    8.5
    "Great"
    By efc91, Jul 24, 2010
    The team discovers a man with the uncontrolled ability to affect electrical energy, made the way he is by a scientist performing illegal experiments on humans. With the help of carrier pigeons modified to track the man's electromagnetic signature, the team manages to track him down and arrest the scientist. Meanwhile, Olivia begins seeing visions of John, which she learns are caused by memories transferred to her during their experience in the first episode. Through these memories, she discovers one of John's secret hideouts, where a large number of investigation files relating to the Pattern are found. This episode gave a lot of the characters screen time which means CHRACTER DEVELOPMENT yay but still the episode was slow and nothing much happened. I enjoyed it but after the last couple of episodes this is a bit of a let down. I gvie it a 8.5 out of 10 there was some funny moments in this one.moreless

  • On the whole, a solid effort and further evidence that Fringe is only just getting started.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By screenagedkicks, Jul 24, 2010
    Fringe gave us its fifth instalment this week after a short absence and it was something of a beaut. The episode's core concept - that a human being could potentially wittingly or unwittingly control electricity - was explored fantastically, offering up a number of hugely memorable water cooler moments: the guy's arm in the mechanical device, the car alarms and lights going off, and particularly the entire pre-credits sequence in the elevator which was superbly shot for maximum effect. The decision to cut from the chaos to a still shot of the ground, from which we view the ultimate collision, was inspired, magnifying the horror of the incident to an even greater degree than we perhaps would've experienced had we simply been treated to an aerial shot or even remained in the elevator. The subsequent exploration of this theme was also very well handled: kudos to the writers for allowing the viewer to care about the outcome of the investigation by beautifully characterising the role of Joseph, and leading the narrative oft-times from his perspective. Granted, we had our usual absurd blast of barely-even-psuedo-science from Walter (electromagnetic signatures to cassette tapes to homing pigeons is um... yeah), but I'm starting to forgive the show for it to be honest, especially following the superb 'The Observer' which effectively began to shift the show's self-imposed rules (did you all spot him getting out of the elevator before Joseph got in? Did you?) Plus, Olivia's characterisation was delicately handled, paying dividends as a result: I actually began to care about her previous relationship with John, and the entire 'part of his consciousness is in yours' angle certainly holds promise for future wackiness. On the whole, a solid effort and further evidence that Fringe is only just getting started.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (5)

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    • During the scene in which Olivia finds an engagement ring in the container with John's personal effects, there is a second metallic object visible inside the ring box. After the cut, the smaller object is absent.

    • Trivia: The glyph for this episode is "SURGG," possibly meant to be "SURGE."

    • It seems unusual as well as unlikely that any relevant security cameras that might have shown Joe Meegar on tape were wiped by the electronic pulse (including those outside the elevator that might have shown him entering) but the weight sensors on the elevator itself were undamaged so that Olivia could determine the weight discrepancy.

    • Trivia: During the scene in which they watch the news report a coffee cup has the word "INtREPUS" written across it. This word is a clue toward the next episode "The Cure."

    • Trivia: The Observer can be seen emerging from the elevator and putting on his hat as Joe walks past.

  • QUOTES (6)

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  • NOTES (4)

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    • Original International Air Dates: Sweden: October 30, 2008 on Kanal 5 United Kingdom: November 2, 2008 on Sky1/Sky1 HD Norway: February 1, 2009 on Tvn Finland: February 2, 2009 on MTV3 Germany: April 20, 2009 on ProSieben Belgium: June 11, 2009 on RTBF2 France: June 24, 2009 on TF1 New Zealand: July 29, 2009 on TV2 Australia: September 9, 2009 on Go! Poland: October 8, 2009 on TVN Slovakia: November 1, 2009 on Markiza Czech Republic: February 19, 2010 on Nova Cinema

    • The flybys of "Worcester, Massachusetts" are actually of Hartford, Connecticut.

    • Music: Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore (REO Speedwagon)

    • Blair Brown is credited but doesn't appear.

  • ALLUSIONS (1)

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    • Walter's lab note: "I Sing the Body Electric" Referencing the poem from the Walt Whitman collection Leaves of Grass (1855) . The same title was also a short story by Ray Bradbury in an anthology of the same name, as well as an episode of the original Twilight Zone based on Bradbury's story.

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