The Box (Fringe)
Encyclopedia
"The Box" is the second episode of the third season
of the American science fiction
drama
television series
Fringe
. The episode was written by Josh Singer
and Graham Roland
, and directed by Jeffrey Hunt
. The third season spent its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes
, and "The Box" was set in the former. It followed a mysterious box that when opened, killed whomever heard it. The fringe team of Fauxlivia (a doppelgänger
of Olivia Dunham
), Peter, and Walter investigate, with unknown consequences to the creation of a doomsday device
.
It first aired on September 30, 2010 in the United States to an estimated 5.24 million viewers, helping the Fox network
finish in fourth place for the night. The episode received generally positive reviews, and it was described as a "strong start" and "chock full of good stuff" by various critics. "The Box" was nominated by Motion Picture Sound Editors
for the 2011 Golden Reel Awards but lost to an episode of Boardwalk Empire.
's Olivia — "Fauxlivia" — (Anna Torv
); meets with Thomas Jerome Newton (Sebastian Roché
), who provides Fauxlivia several dossiers and books to help her acclimate herself to the prime universe's version of the Fringe team. Through them, she is able to successfully impersonate the prime universe's Olivia to Walter
(John Noble
) and Peter
(Joshua Jackson
), and joins the ranks of the Fringe division. Her first case on the team is at a house in Milton, Massachusetts. At first it appears to have been a robbery, with the family tied up and two thieves having dug a hole in the basement; however, all of the people are dead due to being placed into a vegetative state. Walter believes that a third thief took whatever was uncovered in the hole, but is somehow unaffected by its presence. On examining the corpses, Walter determines that the people were exposed to an ultrasound signal, likely generated by the object that was stolen.
Meanwhile, they discover the identity of one of the dead robbers, Blake, and learn of his abandoned apartment. Fauxlivia goes to the apartment alone without alerting Peter, but Peter soon joins her. The two find that Blake had a roommate, likely the third man, but he is nowhere to be seen. That night, while at Olivia's apartment, Fauxlivia is met by the third man Joe (Russell Harvard
), who had seen Fauxlivia at Blake's apartment and, believing her to be a cop, brought the item stolen from the Milton home - a small box. Fauxlivia finds Joe is deaf, and thus was unaffected by the ultrasonics of the box. Fauxlivia contacts Newton, who collects the box — having originally hired the men to collect it for him — and tells Fauxlivia to kill the deaf man after he leaves. She does so, and while hiding the body, Peter arrives to talk to her. To distract him, Fauxlivia engages in romantic actions with Peter.
Newton takes the box to a crowded subway station, and entices a homeless man (Eric the Midget
) to watch the box for a short while, expecting the person to steal it after he leaves. The Fringe team is soon on the scene having discovered the ultrasound signal, and find all of the passengers at the station are dead. They find no evidence of the box, and fear that someone took it into the tunnels and may still be active; the ultrasound would kill everyone on any train that passed. Peter offers to go find the box, and Walter has the idea to make Peter momentarily deaf by having Fauxlivia fire her gun next to Peter's ears. He finds the box, its lid cracked, in the dead hands of the homeless man. Without a way to seal the lid, Peter is forced to try to defuse the box. He does so in time before his hearing returns, but cannot hear the warning of an errant train bearing down on him; Fauxlivia enters the tunnels to save Peter. After recovering, Peter and Walter surmise the box is part of the machine, and Peter begins studying it. On her own, Fauxlivia contacts the parallel world through the typewriter shop, informing them that Peter "has the first piece" and is now "engaged".
In a side plot, William Bell is officially declared dead, and his will is read to Nina (Blair Brown
) and Walter. Walter is hesitant about opening the envelope left for him, but Astrid (Jasika Nicole
) assures him of William's friendship. Ultimately, Walter finds the envelope contains a key to a safe deposit box, containing the entirety of the shares of Bell's multi-billion dollar biomedical technology corporation Massive Dynamic, making Walter the sole owner.
reported that Eric the Midget
had been cast for a small role in the new season's second episode. Deaf actor Russell Harvard
portrayed Joe, a man who is able to survive the box being opened only to be killed by Fauxlivia. Harvard later commented in an interview, "Fringe was so much fun and not even stressful compared to [professional fighting film] Hamill. It was very fast and rapid. Playing the dead guy was very easy. Working with Anna Torv was so much fun, she is a great, great actress and very sweet. I did not think she would be that kind of person." He continued, "There was a stunt which she did not want to do herself, but I told her 'You want to be authentic so I want you to pull me,' so she obliged. It was a great experience and so much fun and I wish I could have stayed on the show for a long time."
"The Box" was written by co-executive producer Josh Singer
and executive story editor Graham Roland
, their first episode written as a pair. It was directed by Jeffrey G. Hunt
and was shot in the second half of July 2010. Hunt later tweeted
on-set photos in January 2011. At San Diego Comic-Con International during the summer leading up to the season premiere, actress Jasika Nicole
told the audience they would finally be able to see her character's apartment, which has previously been only alluded to in an early season two episode
. She explained, "It's really neat! There's all these tiny little things that give you insight into how things are. I know the color of (Astrid's) walls, so watch out!"
As with other Fringe episodes, Fox released a science lesson plan in collaboration with Science Olympiad
for grade school children focusing on the science seen in "The Box", with the intention of having "students learn about the different characteristics of music and how it can have physiological effects on the listener."
in the prime universe, Fauxlivia says "Who's Bono?" (pronouncing it "bone-oh"), implying Irish
rock band U2
and its lead singer Bono
either do not exist in the parallel universe
, or are not well known. Fauxlivia also mentions liking a song by country music
singer Patsy Cline
when she and Peter hear it playing in a bar, suggesting either that Cline is famous in both universes, or that Fauxlivia had further studied pop culture of the prime universe before her conversation with Peter. Peter tells Fauxlivia that living with Walter is like a bad buddy cop movie
, referring to a genre of movies that have two men of very different and conflicting personalities forced to work together.
, the first broadcast of "The Box" was watched by an estimated 5.24 million viewers in the United States. Fox finished in fourth place for the night.
gave the episode an A-, explaining "this week's episode was chock full of good stuff. We get some more fun nuggets about how Earth 2 differs from Earth 1... Your Bose headphones cannot protect you from the awesome sonic power of "The Box". UGO Networks' Alex Zalben wrote "Two weeks in, Fringe is still the best damn show currently on TV". Zalben loved the serial aspects
of the plot, praised Anna Torv's performance, but disliked how no one has realized Fauxlivia's true identity. Josh Wigler from MTV
enjoyed the episode particularly because although he found the parallel universe a "compelling world, sometimes it's nice to just kick your feet up on the table and know that you're home... Two episodes down, and it's safe to say that the third season of "Fringe" is off to a very strong start". Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
thought it was a terrific episode, with "a tremendously clever game-changer of an ending...This Fringe was a good example of how far the series has come since its first season, dominated by pre-credits scare-scenarios for Fringe Division to investigate, some of which spilled over into the show's mythology. Now, Fringe is a seamless whole".
A.V. Club's Noel Murray graded it with a B+. SFScope
contributor Sarah Stegall wrote, "Tightly written, well acted, and directed with a sure hand, this second episode of the season bears out my original prediction: this year is going to rock." Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times
praised the episode's use of a "Harold"
, in which three separate plots working off a central theme converge together. He also loved the climatic scene involving a gunshot-induced deaf Peter and the subway. "I hope more people were watching this episode for so many reasons: To see how good "Fringe" has become, to get addicted to the show and, most important, to see that they quoted my blog in the promo for next week. Thursday night has become "Fringe" night".
for the 2011 Golden Reel Awards. The crew included Supervising Music Editor Paul Apelgren, composers Chris Tilton
and Michael Giacchino
, and re-recording mixer Rick Norman. "Brown Betty"
, a season two Fringe episode, was also nominated for Best Sound Editing: TV Short Form Music in a Musical. "The Box" lost to an episode of Boardwalk Empire.
Fringe (season 3)
The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros...
of the American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
. The episode was written by Josh Singer
Josh Singer
Josh Singer is a WGA-award nominated television Writer and Producer, whose most noticeable work includes writing and producing episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, the critically acclaimed series The West Wing, the crime series Bones, and the FOX science-fiction series Fringe.- Fringe...
and Graham Roland
Graham Roland
Graham Roland is an American television writer.- Career :Roland is best known as a writer on the FOX series Prison Break and for the final season of the ABC mystery series Lost...
, and directed by Jeffrey Hunt
Jeffrey Hunt
Jeffrey Glen Hunt is an American television director, former steadicam and camera operator of film and television....
. The third season spent its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, and "The Box" was set in the former. It followed a mysterious box that when opened, killed whomever heard it. The fringe team of Fauxlivia (a doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of Olivia Dunham
Olivia Dunham
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series Fringe . Olivia first appeared in the pilot episode on September 9, 2008. She is portrayed by actress Anna Torv....
), Peter, and Walter investigate, with unknown consequences to the creation of a doomsday device
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
.
It first aired on September 30, 2010 in the United States to an estimated 5.24 million viewers, helping the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
finish in fourth place for the night. The episode received generally positive reviews, and it was described as a "strong start" and "chock full of good stuff" by various critics. "The Box" was nominated by Motion Picture Sound Editors
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its...
for the 2011 Golden Reel Awards but lost to an episode of Boardwalk Empire.
Plot
In the prime universe (aka "Our Side"), the parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
's Olivia — "Fauxlivia" — (Anna Torv
Anna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
); meets with Thomas Jerome Newton (Sebastian Roché
Sebastian Roché
- Early life :Roché was born in Paris, France, on August 4, 1964; he is of Scottish and French ancestry. He is also fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian. On General Hospital, he spoke in Russian, Spanish and French, and on the pilot episode of Odyssey 5, he spoke in French...
), who provides Fauxlivia several dossiers and books to help her acclimate herself to the prime universe's version of the Fringe team. Through them, she is able to successfully impersonate the prime universe's Olivia to Walter
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
(John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
) and Peter
Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
(Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
), and joins the ranks of the Fringe division. Her first case on the team is at a house in Milton, Massachusetts. At first it appears to have been a robbery, with the family tied up and two thieves having dug a hole in the basement; however, all of the people are dead due to being placed into a vegetative state. Walter believes that a third thief took whatever was uncovered in the hole, but is somehow unaffected by its presence. On examining the corpses, Walter determines that the people were exposed to an ultrasound signal, likely generated by the object that was stolen.
Meanwhile, they discover the identity of one of the dead robbers, Blake, and learn of his abandoned apartment. Fauxlivia goes to the apartment alone without alerting Peter, but Peter soon joins her. The two find that Blake had a roommate, likely the third man, but he is nowhere to be seen. That night, while at Olivia's apartment, Fauxlivia is met by the third man Joe (Russell Harvard
Russell Harvard
Russell Harvard is a deaf actor. He has portrayed the adult H.W. Plainview in There Will Be Blood and will portray professional fighter Matt Hamill in Hamill, a film about his life.-Filmography:* CSI: NY...
), who had seen Fauxlivia at Blake's apartment and, believing her to be a cop, brought the item stolen from the Milton home - a small box. Fauxlivia finds Joe is deaf, and thus was unaffected by the ultrasonics of the box. Fauxlivia contacts Newton, who collects the box — having originally hired the men to collect it for him — and tells Fauxlivia to kill the deaf man after he leaves. She does so, and while hiding the body, Peter arrives to talk to her. To distract him, Fauxlivia engages in romantic actions with Peter.
Newton takes the box to a crowded subway station, and entices a homeless man (Eric the Midget
Eric the Midget
Eric Lynch , better known as Eric the Midget or Eric the Bedhumper, is known solely as a fan of The Howard Stern Show. He is considered a part of the Wack Pack, though membership is unofficial. Lynch is tall, weighs , and uses a motorized wheelchair, in addition to various other afflictions...
) to watch the box for a short while, expecting the person to steal it after he leaves. The Fringe team is soon on the scene having discovered the ultrasound signal, and find all of the passengers at the station are dead. They find no evidence of the box, and fear that someone took it into the tunnels and may still be active; the ultrasound would kill everyone on any train that passed. Peter offers to go find the box, and Walter has the idea to make Peter momentarily deaf by having Fauxlivia fire her gun next to Peter's ears. He finds the box, its lid cracked, in the dead hands of the homeless man. Without a way to seal the lid, Peter is forced to try to defuse the box. He does so in time before his hearing returns, but cannot hear the warning of an errant train bearing down on him; Fauxlivia enters the tunnels to save Peter. After recovering, Peter and Walter surmise the box is part of the machine, and Peter begins studying it. On her own, Fauxlivia contacts the parallel world through the typewriter shop, informing them that Peter "has the first piece" and is now "engaged".
In a side plot, William Bell is officially declared dead, and his will is read to Nina (Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
) and Walter. Walter is hesitant about opening the envelope left for him, but Astrid (Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
) assures him of William's friendship. Ultimately, Walter finds the envelope contains a key to a safe deposit box, containing the entirety of the shares of Bell's multi-billion dollar biomedical technology corporation Massive Dynamic, making Walter the sole owner.
Production
In early August 2010, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reported that Eric the Midget
Eric the Midget
Eric Lynch , better known as Eric the Midget or Eric the Bedhumper, is known solely as a fan of The Howard Stern Show. He is considered a part of the Wack Pack, though membership is unofficial. Lynch is tall, weighs , and uses a motorized wheelchair, in addition to various other afflictions...
had been cast for a small role in the new season's second episode. Deaf actor Russell Harvard
Russell Harvard
Russell Harvard is a deaf actor. He has portrayed the adult H.W. Plainview in There Will Be Blood and will portray professional fighter Matt Hamill in Hamill, a film about his life.-Filmography:* CSI: NY...
portrayed Joe, a man who is able to survive the box being opened only to be killed by Fauxlivia. Harvard later commented in an interview, "Fringe was so much fun and not even stressful compared to [professional fighting film] Hamill. It was very fast and rapid. Playing the dead guy was very easy. Working with Anna Torv was so much fun, she is a great, great actress and very sweet. I did not think she would be that kind of person." He continued, "There was a stunt which she did not want to do herself, but I told her 'You want to be authentic so I want you to pull me,' so she obliged. It was a great experience and so much fun and I wish I could have stayed on the show for a long time."
"The Box" was written by co-executive producer Josh Singer
Josh Singer
Josh Singer is a WGA-award nominated television Writer and Producer, whose most noticeable work includes writing and producing episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, the critically acclaimed series The West Wing, the crime series Bones, and the FOX science-fiction series Fringe.- Fringe...
and executive story editor Graham Roland
Graham Roland
Graham Roland is an American television writer.- Career :Roland is best known as a writer on the FOX series Prison Break and for the final season of the ABC mystery series Lost...
, their first episode written as a pair. It was directed by Jeffrey G. Hunt
Jeffrey Hunt
Jeffrey Glen Hunt is an American television director, former steadicam and camera operator of film and television....
and was shot in the second half of July 2010. Hunt later tweeted
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
on-set photos in January 2011. At San Diego Comic-Con International during the summer leading up to the season premiere, actress Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
told the audience they would finally be able to see her character's apartment, which has previously been only alluded to in an early season two episode
Fracture (Fringe)
"Fracture" is the third episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode followed the Fringe team's investigation into a man who mysteriously hardens and then explodes, killing those around him...
. She explained, "It's really neat! There's all these tiny little things that give you insight into how things are. I know the color of (Astrid's) walls, so watch out!"
As with other Fringe episodes, Fox released a science lesson plan in collaboration with Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
for grade school children focusing on the science seen in "The Box", with the intention of having "students learn about the different characteristics of music and how it can have physiological effects on the listener."
Cultural references
When researching popular culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
in the prime universe, Fauxlivia says "Who's Bono?" (pronouncing it "bone-oh"), implying Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
rock band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and its lead singer Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
either do not exist in the parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, or are not well known. Fauxlivia also mentions liking a song by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
when she and Peter hear it playing in a bar, suggesting either that Cline is famous in both universes, or that Fauxlivia had further studied pop culture of the prime universe before her conversation with Peter. Peter tells Fauxlivia that living with Walter is like a bad buddy cop movie
Buddy cop film
The "buddy cop" is a subgenre of buddy films and crime films with plots involving two men of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process...
, referring to a genre of movies that have two men of very different and conflicting personalities forced to work together.
Ratings
According to the Nielsen ratings systemNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the first broadcast of "The Box" was watched by an estimated 5.24 million viewers in the United States. Fox finished in fourth place for the night.
Reviews
"The Box" received mostly positive reviews. Salon.comSalon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
gave the episode an A-, explaining "this week's episode was chock full of good stuff. We get some more fun nuggets about how Earth 2 differs from Earth 1... Your Bose headphones cannot protect you from the awesome sonic power of "The Box". UGO Networks' Alex Zalben wrote "Two weeks in, Fringe is still the best damn show currently on TV". Zalben loved the serial aspects
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
of the plot, praised Anna Torv's performance, but disliked how no one has realized Fauxlivia's true identity. Josh Wigler from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
enjoyed the episode particularly because although he found the parallel universe a "compelling world, sometimes it's nice to just kick your feet up on the table and know that you're home... Two episodes down, and it's safe to say that the third season of "Fringe" is off to a very strong start". Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
thought it was a terrific episode, with "a tremendously clever game-changer of an ending...This Fringe was a good example of how far the series has come since its first season, dominated by pre-credits scare-scenarios for Fringe Division to investigate, some of which spilled over into the show's mythology. Now, Fringe is a seamless whole".
A.V. Club's Noel Murray graded it with a B+. SFScope
SFScope
SFScope is an online trade journal devoted to entertainment news concerning speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It was founded by Ian Randal Strock in early 2007....
contributor Sarah Stegall wrote, "Tightly written, well acted, and directed with a sure hand, this second episode of the season bears out my original prediction: this year is going to rock." Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
praised the episode's use of a "Harold"
Harold (improvisation)
Harold is a form of longform improv. Developed by Del Close and brought to fruition through Close's collaboration with Charna Halpern, the Harold has become the signature form of Chicago's I.O. and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and Los Angeles...
, in which three separate plots working off a central theme converge together. He also loved the climatic scene involving a gunshot-induced deaf Peter and the subway. "I hope more people were watching this episode for so many reasons: To see how good "Fringe" has become, to get addicted to the show and, most important, to see that they quoted my blog in the promo for next week. Thursday night has become "Fringe" night".
Awards and nominations
"The Box" was nominated for Best Sound Editing: TV Short Form Music by the Motion Picture Sound EditorsMotion Picture Sound Editors
Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its...
for the 2011 Golden Reel Awards. The crew included Supervising Music Editor Paul Apelgren, composers Chris Tilton
Chris Tilton
Chris Tilton, born 9 June 1979 in New Orleans, U.S. is an American soundtrack composer and has helped compose several television, film and video game scores. He collaborates with Michael Giacchino and J.J. Abrams on several of his projects. His projects include the video games Mercenaries:...
and Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino
Michael Giacchino is an American composer who has composed scores for movies, television series and video games. Some of his most notable works include the scores to television series such as Lost, Alias and Fringe, games such as the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series, and films such as...
, and re-recording mixer Rick Norman. "Brown Betty"
Brown Betty (Fringe)
"Brown Betty" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and is the only one of the series performed as a musical. The episode was written by co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman, and consulting producer Akiva Goldsman. It was...
, a season two Fringe episode, was also nominated for Best Sound Editing: TV Short Form Music in a Musical. "The Box" lost to an episode of Boardwalk Empire.
External links
- "The Box" at FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...