So Anya and I have been watching JJ Abrams' new show "Fringe." It's only been on for two weeks, so I'm willing to give it some time before I make a final judgement. But so far, it's a mixed bag.

As with all JJ Abrams shows, the production values are amazing. This is one of those shows that looks like it was made to be a movie. Not only is the cinematography great, but the special effects, make-up, and action are all "movie grade" quality.

And the premise is pretty outstanding. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's about a FBI operative who works with an eccentric scientist and his brilliant, but down on his luck, son to research mysterious happenings throughout the world. It seems that someone or something is using experimental science, such as extremely fast aging and the ability to navigate through other people's dreams, to alter human events. It has a very LOST feel to it in terms of there being a global conspiracy of sorts that we'll learn more about each week.

But something's not "right" with the show. I can't put my finger on it, but the show just feels off. For the most part, the acting's alright. The direction is usually pretty good. It handle's tense situations well. And it's creepy as shit.

But..well first off, it feels a little too "self important." It's like it knows that its a show that tries to transcend the idiot box instead of just being a show that transcends on its own merit. Every line is delivered with the utmost seriousness and each line delivery tries to have gravitas at all times.

And every time the show goes to commercial break, a voice comes on and says "Fringe will return in 90 seconds." Although I like knowing how long I'm going to have to wait until the show comes back, it still has this air of self-importance that permeates throughout the show.

And there were times that the show just makes all kinds of continuity errors that a new show should be able to avoid. Like last night, a woman conceived and delivered a baby within the span of a couple of hours. And this baby continued to grow and grow until it died a few hours later as the body of an 80 year old man. During the delivery, it shows the doctors screaming and throwing up all over the hospital room, but then later in the episode, they talk about how the baby had a normal delivery and was placed in an incubator.

And the premise of last night's show was that there was a man who needed to take people's pituitary gland because he was a product of this affliction that sped up people's aging. So he murdered women and took out their pituitary glands. It's all cool at first glimpse, right? Well, lots of people have pituitary gland issues and have to take hormones. They don't have to go kill people in order to keep from dying.

Also, the genius doctors on the show always come up with the solution in really contrived (almost to a Scooby Doo level) towards the end. It's one of those things where one character says, "Well what if we heighten the gland's output" and the rest of the group chimes in and they all simultaneously finish the sentence "and that will stop the person's aging."

My biggest fear about the show is that its going to have a hard time maintaining its mythology and its newness. How many creepy situations are really out there? If a woman is conceiving and delivering a baby within a couple of hours in episode 2, what's going to be the scenario in episode 10, let alone episode 50?

Again, I'm pretty pleased with the show and will continue to watch. But a show that's only 2 episodes in shouldn't already have these issues.

Consider me a cautious fan.

- Matt