I’ve spoken in the past of the television show Fringe. It started out a 21st-century X-Files, but then it went all parallel universe and really came into its own.
Anyway, two weeks ago episode 6, titled “6955 kHz”, started out in Maine!
Here’s the Stockton Harbor intertitle, in the show’s 3D graphic style:
Now, to be picky, Stockton Harbor is actually only a body of water; the land near the harbor would probably be Stockton Springs or maybe Searsport.
Anyway, we meet our intrepid lighthouse keeper, who I have named “Mr. Bad Accent”:
“You cahn’t get theyah from heeah …”
Then the lighthouse keeper turns on his MacBook and all hell breaks loose:
Just as we think he’s dead, he pops up; but something’s wrong. He’s all slack-jawed and confused, and thus we begin tonight’s episode …
I don’t want to make fun of Fringe, it’s a clever show, but I have a few squabbles with the portrayal of my state in the show.
First off, bad accent. Baaaaad. But that’s almost to be expected when Maine’s on film. The majority of the audience won’t even know it’s bad.
Besides, the next location for the episode was Chinatown, and I have no idea how their accents were. Probably laughable. But I don’t know!
Secondly, lighthousekeepers? Didn’t that go the way of dial-up internet years ago?
Thirdly, his outfit. Why does everyone think that Mainers wear knit hats and wool sweaters all of the time? I blame L.L. Bean. Outdoorsman bastards!
Overall, it was a so-so episode, borrowing heavily from its cousin Lost (seriously, a radio loop of pre-recorded numbers? You barely explained that shit in Lost!) But I like the ideas of The First People. Very Zecharia Sitchin-meets-fifth sun. I like.
