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American Badger, The Movie Interview with Star Andrea Stefancikova!
Welcome back admirers of Andrea Stefancikova!

Click to visit and follow Andrea Stefancikova on Twitter. Images courtesy J. Benson

On July 01, 2021 we had the honor of interviewing Andrea Stefancikova, star of American Badger, a new Canadian film that stars several actors of who we have covered in the science fiction fantasy genre piquing our interest in reviewing this noir action thriller; Andrea Stefancikova (Debris, Corona, Promiseland, Supernatural), Kirk Caouette (Snowpiercer, Travelers, Stargate SG-1), Michael Kopsa (The Man in High Castle, Van Helsing, Fringe) and Zak Santiago (Debris, Continuum, Stargate Universe).

American Badger stars Stefancikova, most recently featured in Debris series. Andrea is a talented actor, and one of Team WHR’s favorites whom we were excited to interview on Thursday July 01, 2021. We include our interview with Ms. Stefancikova below for your enjoyment.

American Badger is executive produced by Kirk Caouette and produced by Ines Eisses, Jacqueline Nguyen and Rick Podd. As described on IMDB, American Badger is about “A seemingly cold-blooded hitman (Kirk Caouette) who is assigned to befriend a call girl (Andrea Stefancikova), but all hell breaks loose when he is forced to kill her!”
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American Badger Background:

American Badger stars Andrea Stefancikova and Kirk Caouette. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

The films main protagonist, Dean, the American Badger, is portrayed by Kirk Caouette. Caouette is most well known for his over twenty-five years of television and movie industry experience as a superb stunt performer and fight scene choreographer. In 2003, Kirk moved into acting with a supporting role in Stargate SG-1 after performing stunts in the series a number of years earlier. In 2012 Mr Caouette expanded his career to include directing and producing before American Badger, where he writes, directs, and takes on the leading role.

Caouette portrays a ruthless secret agent operative, and if need be, an assassin named Dean who is assigned by his employers to make friends with a chat room call girl named Velvet (Andrea Stefancikova). Dean is subsequently ordered to take assassinate Velvet. This presents the American Badger with a conundrum that will challenge his amoral beliefs that he ultimately decides to go against.

Debris S1x13 Irina looks at Maddox after he says there is another door for you Irina. Image courtesy NBC

Stefancikova, who portrays Velvet / Marcella Horvathova, is a gifted actor whose career we at Team WHR have followed for years. Her recent role as Irina in the science fiction Debris series was excellent. Unfortunately, much of Andrea’s performance was cut from the final broadcast episodes in which she appeared leaving many questions unanswered.

Sadly, the Debris series was not renewed by NBC after a hit first season for reasons that do not make much sense. NBC also cancelled their own flagship science fiction mystery series Manifest, leaving fans without answers to the final story arcs in both cases.

In this way, fans may never know the fate of Irina, BUT we can see this superb actor in American Badger, where we witness Stefancikova in a full fledged starring role displaying all of her considerable entertainment industry performing arts talents!
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American Badger, The Movie:

American Badger poster. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

The opening sequence begins with a textual definition on a black background of what an American Badger critter is, and how the American version differs from it’s European cousins. In specific that the American Badger is anti-social critter and likes to be left alone.

The opening scene segues to a background discussion from the American Badger lead character himself. His name is Dean who explains who he is and why he has chosen American Badger as his nickname and that he never asks questions about his job, a must in his business, that Dean’s wife who died from cancer and who originally gave him his nickname. We also learn that Dean has a dog that he loves, that we see on the opening credits, who he shares dinner with and is seen throughout the film. Nice doggy.

As the film progresses after the opening sequence, we learn that Dean is an assassin who prefers to work at night to complete his assignments, that Dean is an expert fighter, as witnessed in a card game that he recalls from recent job where he kills everyone at the game as Dean replays the moment in his mind. The fight sequences leading to the killing of his targets in his last assignment are well choreographed and realistic.

Subsequent to the opening credits, Dean continues to delineate his life. He appears to be a heavy drinker and smoker. Since his wife’s death Dean has been a recluse. Not unlike all the real critters of the American Badgers namesake, in fact Dean has hardly spoken a word to a woman in over twelve years. Dean gets his assignments from the “Handlers”, executes them, often with requisite violence involved, and then goes home like anyone would do with their job.

Dean is aptly named American Badger after the feisty wild animal of the same name that is well known for dedication to the task at hand, it’s fierceness, as well as it’s lesser known “lone wolf” type of behavior.

American Badger – Kirk Caouette as Dean. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

Dean, the American Badger is not to be confused with what we have all seen about the wild creature “Honey Badger Don’t Care” who seems to be an affectionate critter in the cute videos. Dean is however somewhat like the “Honey Badger” in one respect; Dean has a well-earned reputation of being a fierce, feisty agent who takes his assignments very seriously!

The story arc follows the American Badger on his next assignment. When Dean is handed his next project in the film, we learn that he has been recruited to find a chat room lady named Marcella Horvathova, nicknamed Velvet portrayed by Andrea Stefancikova. Dean finds Velvet online via a chat room and begins his assignment in earnest.

Next we find out that Velvet appears to have a handler of her own named John played by Zak Santiago. We witness Velvet and John arguing in an alley with Velvet asking John to leave her alone. John is not being very nice to Velvet. Dean approaches and snap goes John’s neck, so it’s bye by John.

American Badger – Michael Kopsa and Andrea Stefancikova. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

Dean’s initial directive is to extract intelligence from Velvet about what she has been doing, who she is dealing with, and why she is working for a shady Albanian criminal gang has been doing what is now outside their prerogative. Velvet is the closest person the Albanian mob boss Vasily (Michael Kopsa) has to family. We find out later that Velvet is like a daughter to Vasily.

We also learn that Velvet is an abused, frightened sex-trafficked female when her brother shows up demanding that she return home and stop embarrassing the family. After Dean finds Velvet, he makes an awkward, yet memorable introduction, by pointing a gun at the brother’s head, effectively saving her from both John and the dear brother!

Their friendship takes on a new aspect, a pleasant romance that is believable on screen. The Badger has not been very good at making friends, but he has made one of Velvet. It is here that we learn why Marcella is nicknamed Velvet, her entire wardrobe is made up of red velvet clothing.

American Badger – Romance develops between Velvet and Dean. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

As we move on in the story arc, it becomes apparent that Dean is excellent at following the orders of his employers. Despite his initial objections about ever becoming involved with his targeted assassinations, Dean gets too close to Velvet Marcella Horvathova.

Developing a soft spot for Velvet as their relationship grows while Dean is attempting to extract information as he has been directed, Dean ultimately hesitates when his employers give him an order to take down the entire Albanian criminal organization beginning with Velvet!

Even though he identifies himself as a hardened recluse, Dean quickly realizes that he is much more vulnerable than he thought he was. The conflict causes difficulties, but Dean is able to impart a sense of self worth and confidence to Velvet that was an unexpected, and pleasant development in the story arc.

American Danger – Velvet and Dean fight for survival. Image courtesy Cranked Up Films

American Badger features several perilously violent combat sequences that are very well executed with good fight choreography. As the writer of American Badger, Kirk Caouette has terrific scenes hammering the evil people guys. As he falls in love with Velvet it becomes obvious that Dean will not execute Velvet as revealed in one scene where Marcella asks, “Don’t you feel bad about killing people?”. The film ends with a great scene with Velvet and Dean fighting for their survival!

American Badger is a great action packed film with well choreographed slow motion fight sequences with well placed cameras producing a believable set of scenes that include a great soundtrack of techno funk theme score by Matt Dauncey and Dion Marinos to dovetail the action that leads to a surprise ending that we will not reveal here.

Overall, the American Badger is a story about love, relationships, and that people can make positive changes to their lives. It is a film worth buying and watching multiple times to catch subtle aspects that make the film even more enjoyable with an aesthetically pleasing look and feel as imparted has a clear vision. American Badger is available on YouTube, iTunes, Fandango and other sites that feature fine films.

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family by clicking one of the icons below. We thank you for visiting and express our sincere gratitude.

Feel free to visit TeamWHR on Twitter or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of TeamWHR
July 3, 2021
Shout Out To Andrea Stefancikova From The Debris Wormhole!
Welcome back Debris Lovers, WormholeRiders, and admirers of the awesome actor Andrea Stefancikova!

Click to visit and follow Andrea Stefancikova on Twitter. Images courtesy J. Benson

Andrea’s long list of acting credits recently include a recurring role on NBC’s superb science fiction series Debris, and a starring role in “American Badger”, an action adventure film that is scheduled to premiere in the United States on June 15th, 2021.

Last week, on May 06, 2021, TeamWHR was honored to interview Andrea Stefancikova who is perfectly portraying an enigmatic character named “Irina” in the hit science fiction series Debris as seen on NBC Monday nights in the United States. The mysterious nature of Irina is further enhanced by the opening sequence words that tantalize those who believe that alien life forms have been monitoring planet Earth for millennia and finally arrived!

“Three years ago, images were captured of a wrecked alien spacecraft moving through our solar system,” it says. “For the past six months, Debris from that spacecraft has been falling to Earth.”

According to our sources about the science fiction series, Stefancikova had been filmed in four Debris episodes including the Pilot episode, and is featured in three broadcast episodes including “Supernova” which revealed Irina as a Russian agent of suspect origins.

Debris Season One – Andrea and Norbert Leo Butz. Image courtesy Andrea Stefancikova

In Supernova Irina was observed delivering an alien communications artifact to a character named Craig Maddox (Norbert Leo Butz). Maddox is a CIA agent somehow associated with Irina in a past life. Maddox is the head of the “Orbital” division which has been collecting the alien artifacts that have survived their arrival on Earth.

Exactly how Stefancikova’s episode appearance, when the alien artifacts were discovered falling to Earth, and her relationship with Maddox, remains a mystery at this point.

Apparently the creators wisely felt that it would reveal too much regarding her interactions as a Russian agent dealing with the seemingly corrupt Craig Maddox character if revealed too early in the series.

We agree since it has increased the suspense about exactly who Irina is, and how she originally met Craig Maddox and how this relates to the two main Orbital agents, Finola Jones (Riann Steele) and Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker).

Images courtesy J. Benson

However, according to NBC, Legendary Studios and Frequency Films, and to our sheer delight, Andrea Stefancikova is featured in the two final episodes of the Debris season one run; episode twelve “A Message From Ground Control” airing on May 17, 2021, and the season one finale named “Celestial Body” airing on May 24, 2021.

Each of the next two episodes promise to reveal more about her Russian character and Irina’s involvement with Maddox. We are very excited to see what transpires over the next two weeks and hope that the series will be renewed for several more seasons with additional appearances of Irina!

We include a five minute video shout out from Andrea Stefancikova below and an extended audio interview below for your enjoyment.

Additionally, Team WHR includes Andrea’s answers to our questions in a text format as well that features more details about Andrea not discussed in the audio interview.
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Images courtesy J. Benson

Andrea Stefancikova is a European born actress and filmmaker, now residing in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. Stefancikova’s talent was recognized in 2019 when she was awarded the highly acclaimed Whistler Film Festival’s “Star to Watch Award” for her outstanding performance and breakthrough portrayal of a character named “Velvet” in the film Promiseland.

In addition to Stefancikova, Promiseland featured several celebrities that Team WHR admires including Michael Kopsa and Adrian Hough, both featured in Joel J.H. Wyman’s iconic Fringe series, as well as Zak Santiago (Ghost Wars and Fringe). Santiago also appeared in the Debris episode “Do You Know Icarus” broadcast on April 26, 2021.

Andrea may be best known for her notable appearances in the multi-award winning films such as “Below Her Mouth”, “Unmasked” and “Dark Harvest“. Andrea stars in Corona (2020) as one of the ensemble cast in the film, a world-wide recognized drama as the first Covid-19 feature film. Andrea was also featured in 2019 in the beloved Supernatural series during it’s successful fifteen season run. Team WHR first became aware of Andrea Stefancikova’s talent in a 2012 film named “13 Witches”, which we covered at that time.

Andrea Stefancikova was born in a town named Bratislava that was once within the Communist sphere of influence in a country called Czechoslovakia. Subsequent to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Bratislava became the capital of the country now known as Slovakia.

Andrea had been creatively expressing herself through dance, piano, writing and singing from a very young age. She immigrated to North America with her family in 1998. Andrea trained and began acting in her early twenties. As primarily a former international beauty model, Andrea only fully dedicated herself to acting as her career in 2011 when she relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada.

Stefancikova has since accumulated an impressive list of acting credits with growing success in the indie film circuit and television. Andrea speaks several languages including English, Slovak, Italian, Czech and is often witnessed speaking Russian on screen which she learned at a young age. All in all Andrea Stefancikova has exceptional acting skills recognized in the entertainment industry that have made her a desirable star, respected on our screens in North America and around the world!
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Andrea Stefancikova Interview Additional Q&A:

1. How have you enjoyed playing the role of Irina on Debris?

I really loved playing this mysterious and intelligent woman. This is my first sci-fy show I have worked on and it’s Joel Wyman’s show! How cool is that!

2. Irina is a strong and intelligent woman, is that something you look for in a role?

I look for different things in each role, and intelligence and strength are definitely something I search in each role amongst other things

3. How much of Andrea is in Irina?

A lot! Could you tell from the phone interview?

4. Where would you like to see Irina go in a season 2 if it is renewed?

Fingers and toes crossed Debris is renewed. My gut tells me it will be. If Irina comes back, it will be a dream come true!! I’d like to know more about how Irina and Maddox met, and what sort of back-story they have. Norbert and I came up with a solid one when we first worked togetherJ Why do they keep dealing with each other and also, what does she want from Maddox and why… She is a character that doesn’t just help of good will, she usually wants something in return, especially when it comes to Maddox. If she doesn’t get it, she will come back for it. It would be interesting to see more of her world, the Eastern/Central European intelligence, and more of its collision with the American world.

5. Can you tell us anything about your role on Debris without revealing spoilers?

Irina is a strong, intelligent, calculated woman with purpose. She comes across cold, but she is vulnerable and she does have a soft spot for Maddox. She worries about him, but also about herself. Her survival instinct is very strong, and she always puts herself first. I think that’s all I can say at this time.

6. How were you bitten by the acting bug?

It started off early, when I was a kid. The background of my family is artistic, and I was immersed in entertainment from a young age. I always wanted to be an actor and make my own movies.

7. Back to Debris, what was it like on set – all serious, or were there fun times?

Of course we had fun, and moments of laughter and jokesJ but when the cameras were rolling, it was mostly serious. I should add that working during the pandemic changes the overall vibe a little. It’s different not to be able to see peoples’ faces, and having to maintain safe distance. Set is normally a very “together” place. But we did it, and we could do it again!

8. What has been a memorable moment from Debris?

Everything! For me it’s meeting new people that is always so special. From directors, actors, to crew. Getting close to people like Norbert, and working with him on Joel Wyman’s show was a real treat that I am grateful for.

9. Did you have to learn a specific skill (e.g. Russian accent) for the Irina role on Debris?

Yes, I did an accent for Irina. I chose a Russian accent that is not the stereotypical one that we hear all the time, the comedic over the top one, but more of an educated, global citizen Russian accent, that is more subtle, so we focus on what she says and not how she says it. Someone who works with international people and who is a secret agent would speak like this.

10. How have your interactions with fans been regarding social media? Mostly good?

Yes! I am very grateful for all the fans. Always.

11. What is something that your fans might be surprised to learn about you?

Other than what I mentioned in the phone interview, it could be that I am a Kundalini Yoga Teacher. I don’t teach, but I practice. I dance Argentine tango and have done acro yoga. I am an alto in a Gospel chorale. (not active this year) I lived in the Middle East for some time. People never expect it. Or that I visited Libya for instance. Oh, and I am afraid of heights!

12. Is there an actor or actress that you would love to work with?

If there only was one haha. There are quite a few I would love to work with starting from my industry friends…

13. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working as an actor?

I love spending time outdoors with my dog, reading, watching movies, exercising. When it comes to other work, I love producing and am quite busy with my projects in development. I have recently produced two music videos, and I also teach acting on and off, depending on my availability.

14. Beyond Debris, do you have any other projects in the works that you can discuss?

Yes, I have a feature film to be released in the U.S. on June 15th called American Badger. Its companion film American Velvet will be released at the end of the year or spring 2022.

15. What is next for you Andrea?

I don’t know yet. Many things cooking right now, so fingers crossed!

We are certain to learn more about Irina next week in “A Message From Ground Control” and in the season one final “Celestial Body” the following week! Make sure to watch Debris on NBC or you can watch the next day on Peacock TV to help Renew Debris. See you then!

As we proceed to the future with Debris in our thoughts, Team WHR will return with more analysis of our favorite series including select science fiction book and television reviews. We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future!

Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
May 12, 2021
Fringe: Review “Liberty”… The Fight for the Universe!
Fringe Fans…it has been an amazing journey, these five years of our beloved show.

I have a confession to make; I have tried to prolong these reviews as long as possible so I can keep the show alive. In my heart I never want it to end, but alas as with all great things it must eventually come to an end.

I am glad that the producers (mainly Joel) decided to break up the last two episodes into two separate ones. It makes it easier on this reviewer to be able to ease into the ending better.

Joel Wyman has often said time and time again that this show is about a family and with these last two episodes that has never been truer than now.

I suspect though that he was not only talking about the on screen family, but the off screen one as well. There are parts in both episodes where that is shown to its fullest extent.

I hope that you will forgive me if I get a little emotional when writing these reviews. This show has changed my life (and I suspect that I am not alone in that) in ways that I cannot describe.

It has given me faith again in television as a medium that can move people and can unite fans worldwide. It has restored my faith in quality writing, acting and directing, it has breathed new life into the sci-fi genre that has lost a little bit of luster.
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Liberty:

Now on with the show….I like the opening and how the desperation and urgency of the situation is felt throughout the scene. There is always great banter between Walter (John Noble), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) when they tend to get into their rhythm together.

It is always a treat because mostly Peter and Olivia are trying to decipher what Walter is saying. I love that Broyles (Lance Reddick) is still very much a part of their plan and that he is almost the shadow that moves between both worlds.

I love that he calls himself the Raven instead of Dove, which reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe and his most famous poem “The Raven”. The raven has always been a mysterious symbol as well; it has been steeped in mythology for such long time. It is very fitting that Broyles make that comment.

The scene with Windmark (Michael Kopsa) and Michael (Rowan Longworth) are great. It looks as if Michael has a slight smirk on his face, as if he almost pities Windmark in his attempt to extract information from him.

I love that Michael gives Windmark a taste of his own medicine, that he shows Windmark what it must have felt like to have been Walter or Hastings when they were both in the chair and being questioned by him.

“Liberty” features two very gifted guest stars that many science fiction fans will certainly recognize and we have covered at entertainment conventions.

The first is Peter Flemming, well known for his roles in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. A veteran character actor, Flemming portrays an Observer Loyalist Lieutenant who reveals the detention location of Child Observer Michael’s unwittingly after Agent Broyles trickd him into thinking he is to provide an extra security detail at Liberty Island.

That boy is strong, yes he is an anomaly, and he is the one thing that will ultimately be the downfall of the Observers. Michael Kopsa is as always great as Windmark, you are almost cheering at how he gets frustrated to an extent that he cannot break Michael.

I love how the answers to Windmark’s questions just bounce back at him, it makes it that much sweeter when you know that Michael is the clear winner in that ‘battle’. It makes me giggle to know that Windmark has been bested by a child. I find it interesting that he refers to Michael as “it” just as Walter did in a previous episode.

Where Michael is being held seems like a fortress as the team stated, but as Peter quickly pointed out no building is impenetrable. The plan that arises from the desperation is one that this viewer was happy to hear.

Leave it to Olivia (Anna Torv) to come up with the plan to save Michael. It has always been her ability to see the other side that has given the team its advantage. Only with the bridge closed how would they accomplish this, is the million dollar question? Only one answer…cortexiphan.

It seems that Fringe has harkened back again to old school, which I love. It brings back parts of the past episodes that have always been my favorites. Seeing the cortexiphan, brought back all the memories of Olivia entering the tank and all the amazing things she could do with it running through her system.

Olivia was always unstoppable, not even a bullet (well, at least without Walter’s quick thinking) could stop her. Once she triggered it, stand back because she was not afraid to use it and use it fiercely.

A lot of fans were a bit frustrated with the lack of kick ass Olivia in this season, but when she did finally show that side of her again, it was great.

Anna has always had the capacity to channel that rage into action and power. Just watch her body language when she is amped on cortexiphan, it is like she was a whole person again.

Peter’s concern about the effects that the cortexiphan would have on Olivia is palpable. Olivia knows that he is worried, so is she, she knows that without Michael the plan is lost.

The second Stargate guest star making an appearance is the talented Peter Kelamis from Stargate Universe portraying Doctor”Tobin”. Tobin is called in to oversee the cortexiphan treatments given to Olivia in the lab warning she could be killed in the process if the dosage is too high. Naturally Walter overrides Tobin’s guidance and injects more cortexiphan into Olivia.

I love that Olivia reminds him that Etta died so that they could finish the plan, “both feet in, that’s what we said”. His comment of “What if I lose you, too” is so lovely, it is filled with such love that it almost stops the scene. Josh again shows his talent, his eyes reveal his pain at the thought of potentially losing her, too. She and Walter are all Peter has left, they are all the family he will ever have, now that Etta (Georgina Haig) is gone.

The points that Peter make about the Alt-universe and what if things are not where they remember and what happens if…are all valid and add fuel to his argument of why Olivia should not cross over. All good points, but Astrid (Jasika Nicole) is smart enough to figure out just how to solve that dilemma.

Walter and his brilliant inventions, it is because of that window that this whole mess started, but it is also the solution. Of course it doesn’t stop Walter from using yet another one of the wonderful (I will miss them) incarnations of Astrid’s name.

Seeing Michael in the chair and getting a paralytic is frightening. It is such a telltale about what Nina (Blair Brown) had said in the previous episode about how the Observers are animals. The way that Windmark is still affected by Michael, that he has to leave the room because the blood is still leaking from his nose is almost his comeuppance of sorts. It is almost getting to Windmark and Kopsa is great at just showing a bit of frustration.

The scene when they finally get to Battery Park to find the proper space to set up the window, to me is when the episode shifts. The team has hope again (that word again!) they might just have the chance to pull their plan off.

It is great to see Donald/September (Michael Cerveris) again. He has always had a wonderful part in the Fringe family as a somewhat outsider, but now that we know what really happened and the purpose he always served it makes his role in the ‘family’ a whole lot better.

I like that we get to see Donald constructing the device that will help him travel to the future with Michael. His careful planning and precise details would make Walter proud if he were there helping him.

It made me giggle, though because I could not help but think of that brilliant show (and one of Josh’s obsessions) Breaking Bad, on AMC. With Donald blending all the elements together, it just was hilarious, because it reminded me of the “cooking” that goes on when making meth.

One of my favorite scenes (and there are a few in this episode) is when the gang head underground to help ready Olivia for the cortexiphan. It is an intense scene between all the main characters, you can feel the tension in the air, it practically oozes off the screen. Josh and Anna are fantastic in this scene, the care that Peter shows is perfect and the pain that Olivia goes through is visceral.

When Peter is attaching the pads to Olivia’s chest, you hear her whisper to him “I’m okay”. It is such a sweet moment, because she knows him and what he is thinking without even saying it. Again, Anna and Josh are the epitome of brilliant.

Watching Anna take each and every “shot” of cortexiphan was torture, but that was the point. You felt her pain, every shift or change of her body you could feel. Every time I saw the needle go into her neck it made me cringe. It was a perfectly constructed scene.

That scene must have been so physically exhausting for her and everyone involved. Those scenes are never easy for actors to do, but I applaud her for being the trooper and barreling through it like the pro she is.

One of my favorite things about this scene is Walter (John Noble). The ability that John has to turn his megalomania on and off at the drop of a hat is proof of his immense talent. His comment about the fact that he knows about cortexiphan and the effects is hilarious, but also a bit scary. That part of himself that he has been desperately trying not to have resurface does at times. Too bad Nina (Blair Brown) is not around to rein him in.

“Sacrifice is hard, son, but you are no stranger to it,” is such a great line that Walter says to Peter. It has so much meaning, especially in the finale episode. It is basically a huge foreshadowing of what is to come and also a nod to the past and what Peter has lost in every time line.

“Neither are you dad,” Peter answers him, and knows that Walter can relate in so many more ways than he could possibly imagine. The times that Peter calls Walter dad are few but when they do happen, it makes my heart swell. It is such a beautiful moment between these two men and it shows all over John’s face.

I love that the images that are present in Olivia’s cortexiphan laden brain are of little Etta (Abagayle Hardwick) and the short time they had together. The fact that there is hope (that darned word) of them getting her back is one of the reasons, dare I say the ONLY reason that Olivia is doing what she is doing. The notion that she will have not only her “perfect little soul” back, but her husband and her life back is the best incentive ever.

The light in her eyes comment is funny. It gives Anna a chance to be snarky with Walter for once. It is also a tender scene with John and Anna embraces it wonderfully. Those two actors are always incredible in their scenes together. When you have two powerhouses going head to head it makes watching the scenes a whole lot better.

The moments of Peter saying goodbye to Olivia before she goes to the Alt-universe are beautiful. You can see in Josh’s body the worry and fear that is running through Peter.

He does a great job of manifesting it and showing it through his eyes. I have always said that Josh is great at revealing his emotions through his eyes and in this scene there is no doubt. The “I love yous” are just perfection. I guarantee every Polivia fan was squealing with joy.

Hello Alt-universe! Hello Bolivia, damn she still looks great for being 50 years old. I am so happy that Lincoln (Seth Gabel)and Bolivia got married and have a son. I was a little confused by that since we all know that she had VPE and nearly died giving birth to Henry in the episode Bloodline. Maybe things changed or they found a cure, but nonetheless it is amazing. Seth Gabel aged well…it is so great to see him again, too. I love that the producers are bringing back cast members from the past.

Am I the only one that got choked up and teary eyed when both Olivia’s hugged? I don’t know why it was such an emotionally powerful scene for me. Maybe it was because of the now friendship that they had developed despite the history that we the fans know has been a part of their past. It is as if they are long lost sisters seeing each other again, Anna does an exceptional job, as she always does when playing both versions of Olivia.

It is a little sad to see her reaction to the picture Bolivia has on her desk, it is a reminder of what she once had with Peter and Etta and will hopefully have again…if all goes as planned.

I was a little confused about how Bolivia knew about Etta and the fact that she was missing. I think there were a few scenes that may have been left out and that we will hopefully see on the DVD. I know that on twitter there were folks that had said that Bolivia and Lincoln’s son name was Trevor and that there was a scene that was shot but not shown. On well, let’s hope we get those in the DVD.

I also love the fact that the cortexiphan is affecting Olivia as she sees her little girl again at three years old standing in Bolivia’s office. It is such a jarring sight, but great to see Anna’s reaction to it.

The scene with Windmark and his superior in 2609 is great. That room is so stark; it is quite disturbing because it reminds me of a mental institution and the sterilization of what that represents. The baffling quandary of Michael and his advanced intellect is causing great concern for Windmark. He cannot accept the fact that Michael is far greater a threat than he could ever imagine.

That Michael may be the cause of their downfall. I think that even though Windmark doesn’t say it he feels it and knows it somewhere in that Observer brain of his. “There is no greater danger than that which is unknown” as Windmark states, which has been a running theme in Fringe since the beginning of the show…the unknown.

Talking about Michael like he is a thing is disturbing, asking that he be “disassembled and preserve the parts” is so creepy it sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel.

Olivia’s scene with Lincoln is great, I love that there is still a little reminder of the decision that she chose Peter over him; but that she is glad to see he has a wonderful family.

Seth is great at that tension and he shows it well, but I think he will always love Olivia, but differently now. Bolivia’s comment about “her young ass” is funny and so cute to see Lincoln react, they are completely in love and it is beautiful.

Now comes the kick ass Olivia that we all know and love and have missed (some fans have) dearly.

When she arrives again, she is clearly disoriented and keeps seeing things. Her hallucinations are some of the things that Walter warned about and Olivia has to be extra careful and know which ones are real and which ones are not.

Michael being wheeled to an examination room is eerily reminiscent of what happened to Olivia in the Entrada episode when Walternate wanted to vivisect her to see how her brain and the cortexiphan work. It is very interesting that Olivia was considered an anomaly to Walternate, a threat as well and look at what happened to her and how the show has almost come full circle again.

Olivia becomes her bad ass self as she roams through the halls looking for Michael, anybody that gets in her way gets taken out. You can clearly see the desperation and urgency in Olivia’s body as she races against time (literally) to get Michael and herself back where they belong. Anna is always at her best when she is in her kick ass mode; she has that confidence and swagger that has always made her great to watch as any incarnation of herself.

Rampaging through the hallway she fades in and out again, but after encountering an Observer and besting him, she charges toward her goal and finds Michael. The little smile that Michael has on his face when he sees her is sweet.

Just because he does not speak does not mean that he does not feel or comprehend what is going on. The contrary is the case with Michael; he is more in tune with everything and everybody that he is beyond feeling.

When Olivia and Michael make their way to escape and are caught by the Observer, you think they are done for until the team of Dunham and Lee open fire in a carefully choreographed synchronicity that you are cheering for them.

The last scene with both Olivia’s is bittersweet, again we say goodbye to the Alt-universe, we say goodbye to a part of Fringe that has always been a weird little part of the family.

Without it we would not have our beloved show, love it or hate it but know that it will forever be our Red verse! Goodbye old friend you will be missed.

Anna once again does what she does best; she is perfection as she bids herself a farewell. I love Bolivia’s retort to Olivia’s statement of “You have a beautiful family” and she says “Thank you, go save yours”…watching it again I am getting teary eyed.

It is a beautiful scene between two characters (albeit the same actress) that shows just how much each has grown over the course of the five years and the different timelines. They are not so different after all. Anna’s talent is one of the things I will most definitely miss on TV, she is a rare gem.

Arriving back with the team everybody breathes a sigh of relief, especially Peter. He has her back in one piece and he is glad. But the fight is not over as Olivia mentions that the Observers know she crossed over.

The scene in the van when Peter and Olivia have their moment together it is so…perfect. There is really no other word to describe that scene, a photo of that scene was leaked on twitter and of course it set the fandom on fire. Now we know the context of what is was and are very happy about it.

Windmark sitting at his desk as he asks the officer about how Michael disappeared is creepy. When he rats out Broyles you want to just scream, because that is very bad. But we all know that Broyles can most certainly handle himself..

It is so great to have the episode end with Donald going to see an old “friend”…December (Eugene Lipinski). I always liked his character, because he was always giving September the benefit of the doubt. He had a soft spot, so to speak, for the plight of September and the “family” he made himself a part of. The producers did a nice job of keeping that a secret too, I like how they are bringing back some of our favorite characters.

Watching that scene again floored me, here’s why, I was so excited about seeing December again that I completely missed what September said to him. When I did watch it again and September said “Walter Bishop is back and we have the boy,” makes me think that this was always planned. That what happened has happened and that the timeline needed to get reset again on order for things to be as they were. It was a HUGE HUGE HUGE revelation and one that segues perfectly into the next episode. That last shot of the door closing revealing 513 was pure genius.

Well, that is the end of this review of the second to last episode of Fringe ever. I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did and used enough Kleenex to warrant opening another box. I would love to hear your comments and remember Fringe is and always will live on …forever!

I hope you enjoyed my review and my previous news articles about my analysis of Fringe and I thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit the WHR on Facebook or me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story. See You on The Other Side“!

Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
February 3, 2013
Fringe: “The Boy Must Live” To Eliminate The Observers From History!

Welcome back Fringe fans for our final series of reviews in this timeline,

How does one write about the apparent end of Fringe during ones final analysis for such an epic science fiction drama series that has brought excellence to our screens for five years?

Was it The End of Eternity as this reviewer has written about previously? Or is it simply a new beginning for a franchise that could to be headed to the big screen deserving of Academy Awards to atone for the many years of being snubbed by the Emmy’s?

This editor believes this is the case. In my opinion, and many others whom we have consulted with, Fringe movies loom in the future. The only question is when “Fringe Movies” will actually enter our timeline!?

With a focus more in the present timeline, the Fringe creators recently sanctioned products including September’s Notebook created by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry set for publication in March of this year!

Although not actually revealed in “The Recordist”, the end of the current Fringe eternity began with the return of September (Michael Cerveris) to the series story arc when we met, with fleeting glimpses what seemed to be a new character. Then referred to as Donald, who appeared at a remote mountain encampment, the final foundation was set.

“The Recordist” featured a well known and much admired actor Paul McGillion as Edwin Massey. Massey had laboriously recorded all of human history since the invasion of Earth by The Observers in 2015.

Massey related that Donald, whom we now know is September, had been captured by The Observers subsequent to when “Donald” had visited their remote encampment on a secret mission.

The Fringe team went on a field trip to track down clues revealed in Walters Betamax video tapes (I loved that video format, so superior to VHS as Walter confirmed during the series).

Olivia (Anna Torv), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter (John Noble) met Massey discovering a high energy mineral needed for Walters plan to stop The Observers per the Betamax video cassette “bread crumb” he had left behind before being ambered in the year 2015.

As we reviewed previously here at WHR, we speculated that Donald was September, but “The Recordist” episode did not confirm September was alive as a fact until his return in “Anomaly XB-6783746” via the memories imparted from the child Observer Michael (Rowan Longworth) after he was secured in “Black Blotter”, when as you may recall Walter decided to take a little trip via LSD!

We include an edition of “Noble Intentions” courtesy of FOX Broadcasting that chronicles the memories imparted to Walter from Michael, the Child Observer.

The Boy Must Live:

After a bit of work in the former Harvard University lab to locate September, between Walter and Peter with the ever able work of Astrid (Jasika Nicole), in this episode we finally learn about Donald (September) and what happened to him since his disappearance at the hands of evil Observer Overlords from the year 2609.

With Peter’s, Astrid’s, and Olivia’s help to monitor the experimental events, and as Michael looked on with curiosity, Walter Bishop entered “The Tank” in the laboratory to isolate the important memories imparted to him by the Child Observer Michael (Rowan Longworth) in “Anomaly XB-6783746” in order to locate September in the year 2036.

In a truly humorous moment, well beyond anything ever contemplated on “Naked Tuesdays”, where Walter at least had an apron to cover his vitals, Olivia opens the tank in the lab only to find Walter stark bare ass naked in the process of searching his thoughts about September.

This fun scene brings us a moment of levity in the serious story arc full circle. One can only assume that it must be “Naked Tank Tuesday” in the year 2036! Even Olivia smiles at what they have discovered, Walters nakedness notwithstanding!

Subsequent to discovering enough clues from “Naked Tank Tuesday” to locate September, Walter dons some clothes to cover his fine physique to lead the Fringe team on the search for September in 2036.

In a number of memorable sequences, Peter and Walter chat about why he is so sure about things, including Walter remembering that he does not really enjoy “public displays” of affection and not using public restrooms to “go number two”. Peter’s growing love for his father’s eccentric nature is displayed lovingly with a wonderful smile.

We are suddenly taken to the year 2609, the central nexus of The Observers strangle hold on humanity. Now one may ask, why did The Observers Commander (James Kidnie) or delightfully evil Captain Windmark (Michael Kopsa) and other implied higher Observer authorities simply not kill September after his meddling with time without their explicit approval?

For those who read and follow the time-line psychology ripple effects of changing events or people as eloquently depicted in Fringe and by Isaac Asimov’s novel in “The End of Eternity”, the answer is simple. Well almost.

As discussed between Captain Windmark and The Observers Commander in “The Boy Must Live”, in order to not disturb the certainties of the reality they have created wherein they are the dominate species across the universe, certain individuals cannot be eliminated or they risk that the entire equation of time could unravel. September is one of those individuals in this reviewer’s opinion.

Now you may hypothecate; WAIT! Other of The Observers, their Loyalists and quite a few resistance humans have been killed. Why did these events not impact the timeline?

Although not delineated directly, the Fringe creators require viewers to think about serious consequences of ripples in time across realities from changes. This reviewer believes that this may have been partly responsible for lower ratings because Fringe as a story, took much thought to internalize. This factor was also responsible for the initial lackluster reception of the novel “The End of Eternity” that later went on to become a cult classic.

Nevertheless, the epic nature of the program can be understood as follows; One must assume that if a person was killed “out of order” in contravention to The Observers philosophy of “Everything In Order”, then a viewer should assume that the Observer command nexus in the year 2609 would have dispatched other Observers to fix or “patch” the timeline to restore 99.9999% infinity likelihoods just as what was performed in The End of Eternity to ensure the future eventualities desired.

More on these complex factors later in my analysis.

Walter, Olivia, Peter, with Michael in tow find September at an apartment after leveraging Walter’s memories ascertained in the tank.

September, in turn, obviously is quite happy to see Olivia, Peter, almost the entire team, and Walter in specific for reasons we learn in major reveals in the series story arc.

We were thrilled to also see an emotion of joy on September’s face when he sees the Observer Child is with the team.

Michael is later confirmed to actually be September’s son Michael. September opens a cigar box to retrieve a tiny music box which plays the memorable song “Greensleeves also known as “Who is the Child” when the tiny handle in turned.

A most appropriate selection by music composers Chris Tilton and Michael Giacchino in the opinion of this reviewer that is featured in episode.

After relating what had happened to themselves, our heroes learn that September had been stripped of the technology implanted in his skull which allows The Observers to traverse time across multiple alternate realities with causation by making minute adjustments in the time-line.

The ultimate purpose is to ensure Observer dominance across all realities to within 99.9999% infinity percent likelihood as discussed above.

We learn that September was punished for his many instances of meddling with the plans of the Overlord Observers to ensure their dominance across all time and in all universe possibilities.

Logically we must assume that after his capture and punishment, September was deemed to be harmless by The Observers without his enhanced abilities.

This proves that The Observers, the season five antagonists, are not all powerful. By not monitoring September more closely, thereby making a major mistake, especially considering the perseverance of Walter and our heroes of the Fringe Team in the year 2036, the quest to destroy their slavish, albeit intellectually developed society will become realty.

In the process we learn that September chose his name, Donald O’Conner, from a favorite movie he and Walter had once watched together; “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952).

One is also left to ponder another interesting theory. Did Walter name “Gene the Cow” to honor Gene Kelly who starred in the 1952 award winning film enjoyed by September? This reviewer find this theory to be highly likely.

As Olivia and Peter listen with great emotion on their faces, they find out, among the many details Walter did not remember, despite having many “feelings” imparted by Michael, that this included all the details of “the plan” to stop The Observers from manipulating all time and universes.

Powerless, September, had been inserted into the year 2036 where he could be “observed” by Captain Windmark after his capture and punishment.

September then began life as a normal human believing that his plans with Walter twenty-one years previous in the year 2015 to save humanity would never be realized.

In a major reveal about what has transpired over the past five (season) years, September shared how it all happened.

In stunning visual effects sequence reminiscent of “The Matrix” (1999), September reveals how Michael was created from his own genetic material in a vault of young Observers. The chilling scene delighted this reviewer to no end.

Michael, September’s progeny was deemed flawed by the genetically fascist Observer hierarchy of the year 2609. The result was that Michael’s maturation was deliberately stunted.

Although not depicted in the episode, September informs our Fringe Team heroes that he took the boy from the year 2609 and hid him in the past of the year 2036 to hopefully be found later by Walter, Olivia, Peter and Astrid.

During the meeting in the year 2609, we learn more about the weakness of The Observers. Although seemingly firmly in control, they are not capable of predicting all possible outcomes, and in fact are afraid of the consequences of making any additional changes to eliminate “the resisters” as the Fringe Team is referred to.

The Observer Commander relates to Captain Windmark; “we are not prepared to deal with a readjustment of probabilities”. The Observer Commander is obviously referring to the killing off the Fringe Team and or Michael, the “defective” Observer Child.

To his displeasure, Captain Windmark is forbidden from going back in time to kill them all. This is the next Observer weakness that is revealed.

Although The Observers have invested nearly five centuries from 2167 to 2609 to “breed out” emotion in favor of intellect, the Observer Commander detects something is wrong. Captain Windmark states “the idea of ending their existence consumes me”.

As we know from being emotional human beings in 2013, obsession is a destroyer of many aspects of humanity. So it will be with The Observers. Obsession causes people to make mistakes and or draw the wrong conclusions from history that ultimately leads to serious errors in judgment.

When the Observer Commander states “they are insignificant”, we know that our heroes can leverage their arrogance to ultimately win the day!

With a segue back to the Fringe Team at the apartment, now with September restored as an ally, we discover “The Plan” is to take Michael to the year 2167 on the 28th of February, and introduce him to The Powers That Be (TPTB) of that era. All of history, past, present and future would be radically altered to benefit humankind.

By offering a different alternative in humanities future decision making process, with proof they do not have to sacrifice human emotions for intellect, the result would cause the evil of The Observers as we have known them, to never become manifest, to never exist!

Brilliant move in the story arc by the creators!

We move in the episode to a rather touching tender sequence whereby Olivia and Peter discuss that if the plan succeeds, and the timeline is reset, that they will be restored to a point in time before the invasion with their daughter Etta (Georgina Haig) when she was young. Olivia is optimistic, while Peter says they have a long way to go to succeed.

At this point in the series, our Fringe Team Leader Lori theorized the time reset result would be in the park in the year 2015 with young Etta when she was playing with Peter and Olivia during a family picnic.

The episode moves quickly as Captain Windmark returns to the year 2036 plotting obsessively to learn all about and track down September who has unfortunately been tagged with Observer chip “784651”.

Captain Windmark’s intent is quite clear. Although he is not actually disobeying direct orders from his superior, The Observer Commander in year 2609 by track downing his obsession in the past, Windmark is absolutely determined to kill our heroes in the year 2036 to achieve his goals.

September thinking carefully ahead of their arrival, has removed his tracking chip before leaving his apartment. September’s foresight is correct, he has setup a booby trap with an Observer tech quantum bomb at the apartment for Captain Windmark and his Observer minions whom he is certain will try to find him there.

In another wonderful sequence involving foot tapping to jazz music, The Observers are affected by a somewhat reflex human emotion, rhythm. September almost succeeds in killing Captain Windmark and his two Observer minions.

Windmark and his main minion escape, however one of The Observers is apparently killed unable to dematerialize quick enough as the Observer bomb from the future vaporizes the entirety of September’s apartment.

The episode winds down as our heroes gather the parts September has stashed in the year 2036 to complete the device to establish a wormhole and send Michael to February 28, 2167 to reset the timeline, but not without consequences.

September and Walter are at a warehouse gathering the requisite parts. Walter recalls a partial memory imparted by Michael.

Walter, with September’s prompting understands that he will have to sacrifice himself by accompanying Michael to the year 2167.

September fills in the missing memories and discusses “A White Tulip”, its importance and the strength given to Walter over the five years of Fringe. Tears well up in Septembers eyes as they discuss the events of past that have brought them here.

However, while the White Tulip is seen by Walter in his mind, it is missing from an envelope in September’s Notebook.

The poignant scene provides a startling revelation of the Fringe series mythology now made manifest, the existence of his, “September’s Notebook”, which is seen on screen in September’s hands!

Yes, Fringe admirers, this is the very same historic September’s Notebook collectable to be published by Insight Editions in March of 2013.

This fantastic book that contains the secrets of the series mythology is created by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, whom we had the honor to interview on WormholeRiders You Decide Sunday February 03, 2013!

In the final hectic moments of “The Boy Must Live” episode, evil Captain Windmark tracks our heroes down on a local commuter train.

Aware of the importance of their freedom to complete “The Plan”, and for reasons not explained in the episode, Michael makes a sacrifice allowing himself to be captured by Captain Windmark in order to allow the others to escape!

As Captain Windmark takes Michael into Observer custody, an evil grin of revenge and retribution spreads across his face, all we see and hear is; “Hello” as the television screen fades to black!

Michael Kopsa is absolutely delightfully creepy as Captain Windmark, superbly delivering his final line in “The Boy Must Live” episode. This reviewer says simply; Bravo Mr. Kopsa, BRAVO!!

I end this, my final analysis of Fringe as we know it by thanking everyone who has been involved with the production of Fringe, from Bad Robot Productions, Warner Brothers, FOX Broadcasting, and all the wonderful actors, crews and creators who brought science fiction joy to our screens over the past five years!

Our Team Leader Lori will be writing the last two reviews of the series to be posted in rapid succession after this analysis. Lori will include interesting quotes from The End of Eternity novel to dovetail our belief that Isaac Asimov’s book was an inspiration for Fringe.

Just remember, #ItsNeverOver when it comes to altering the timeline, meaning this reviewer believes Fringe will return in movies as changes ripple across our timeline to become reality in the future!

Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or if you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article.

Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side“!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn

February 3, 2013
Fringe Review: Anomaly XB-6783764 Answers the Question!
Hello Fringe fans!

I hope that you are surviving the hiatus. With the New Year just around the corner, so are the last three episodes of Fringe.

It is bittersweet to know that so few remain, but also great because we will see the final battle unfold as it should be.

It has been an interesting season; we have lost a few beloved characters, gained new ones and finally got back our beloved Polivia.

It was questionable whether or not we would see Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) back together, but last week’s episode showed us that their love is as strong as ever.

Come January 11, 2013, the final battle will be waged and we will see what Walter has in store and what his plan has been all along. Hopefully by the end, all will be revealed and everyone will be satisfied. I am glad that we found out that question that had been burning on everyone’s mind…who is Donald?

The answer was shocking to say the least, but a wonderful one at that. What else is in store for our beloved team? Only time and Joel Wyman will tell as he did in this appreciation video from December 13, recently re-tweeted by the great team at Fringe on FoxTV.

We also include the latest promotional trailer courtesy of FOX TV below for your enjoyment.
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Now…on with the review.

Anomaly XB-6783764:

I like the little boy who plays Michael (Rowan Longworth). He is doing a good job at conveying his empathic abilities, which I am sure again will be revealed more as the remaining episodes count down.

It must have been hard for the team to get answers out of him, since he has yet to speak a word. It does also make you wonder what happened to the connection that he had with Olivia in the past. Will it be again or is it lost to time?

Walter (John Noble) plying him with candy is fun, no doubt a desperate plea on his part to try and find out why he is so important to the team. His frustration with Michael’s non verbal communication is evident.

Walter suggests that they try and pry things from Michael’s mind via going into it as he did with September (Michael Cerveris).

It always cracks me up when John gets outrageous, because he lets Walter’s madness bubble to the surface and just peak out; John always does it to perfection. I also suspect it would be a good excuse for Walter to use more drugs.

John also has the great ability, as we saw with Walternate, to have a sinister side to him. What he feared would happen, when he told Nina (Blair Brown) about becoming the man he used to be is starting to show through. Let’s hope that Walter, the one we know and love will still be intact by the end of the series. His God complex is surely starting to manifest and take over, hopefully Donald and our team can prevent that from happening.

It is so wonderful to see Blair Brown have such an integral part in this episode. She has always been a favorite actress of mine and I am glad that she is finally being utilized the way she should be. Nina’s intentions in this episode are what make this episode so epic. Blair had explained so well about her final decision being one that she had no choice in the matter.

The gadgets that the Observers use harkens back to a past episode, Road not Taken, where Peter (Joshua Jackson) had used an old record player to extract sound waves from a window. I mentioned before that as diabolical and cruel as the Observers are they do have some of the coolest gadgets around.

Windmark will stop at nothing to extract any and all information any way he can. I must give great praise to Michael Kopsa for playing Windmark with such evil intent that he makes it so much fun to hate him. He is truly one of those characters that once his demise comes; cheering will be heard throughout all of Fringe fandom.

I think that Nina, somewhere in the back of her mind, knows the eminent danger she is potentially putting herself and the team in, but the cause and what the outstanding Austalian actress who portrayed Etta (Georgina Haig), died for is more important.

Finding a way to help the team is of the utmost importance to her and something she feels show owes Olivia (Anna Torv) and the team.

Walter’s snarky comments are abounding in this episode. Again, John manages to make us laugh even during the direst of situations. Having that extraordinary gift is something I as a director and a Fringe fan know is something to cherish. His comment of “I’m cold” reminds me of the countless times he has complained in previous episodes of the lack of warmth or food at crime scenes.

Nina has always been a very mysterious character, never quite knowing if she is on the side of good or bad. She has toed the line a few times and has definitely done some questionable things in her time.

The fact that she is and I suspect always was a part of William Bell’s (Leonard Nimoy) and Walter’s inner circle speaks volumes about why she has always been shrouded in mystery. Why she has always had these weird connections, like Peter used to, to things that are not quite explained. How she knew Sam Weiss (Kevin Corrigan) and how she happened to mention this black lab that Massive Dynamic has.

Nina’s concern for Walter is evident as shown through the conversation with Peter. They are both worried about him and rightfully should be. The interesting thing is that Nina has seen Walter the way he used to be and knows all too well what reverting back to that state can do harm not only to Walter but the plan and the team.

“Your father understands that anything worth fighting for comes with a cost” is what Nina ultimately tells Peter. How right she is, because this statement not only pertains to this particular episode but every sacrificial episode from every season. The price that they ALL have paid in one shape or form has brought them to this point in time. The picture of Etta plastered on the wall driving home the statement that Nina just told Peter.

The black lab entrance is cool. Leave it to Nina to have a lab underground where all kinds of experiments are taking place. It is of no surprise what they find down there. It explains how Nina has been more than aware of how the Observers work and she has always been one step ahead.

The scene between Peter and Olivia when he asks if she is thinking about Etta is great. Anna has a vulnerability about her that shows in her body language and she also proves how visceral she can be as an actress.

Her maternal instincts are on alert with Michael ever since they found him and in a way he is helping her heal from losing Etta. Peter’s comfort is always ever present, in the way he interacts with her and the way he looks at her. Josh again displays his talent for compassion that Peter has shown since he fell in love with Olivia.

Walter’s fascination with the ECOG device is a little disturbing, more so when he says to prep the subject and Peter corrects him that his name is Michael.

Walter seems to be slowing reverting back to his old self, glimpses we have seen throughout this season. John again being the brilliant one to just give us enough of a shadow to know that something darker looms.

One thing that I found interesting and that no one (at least not in my circle of Fringe friends) has brought up is what Michael represents. What I mean by this is that I cannot help but think of the Michael the Arc angel. If I remember anything of my Catholic schooling, it is that Michael led the armies of heaven against the forces of Satan and defeated them. To me that is what this Michael almost represents, he is the answer and the one that will be the one to ultimately defeat the Observers. It also makes me wonder why he would be so important to Walter if it weren’t for what Michael possesses. Why Donald was sworn to keep him safe, that Michael is indeed the one or dare I say weapon that the team has in their pocket, their ace up their sleeve, in a way.

I maybe reading too much into it, but it was just weird that no one picked up on that. I guess that’s because science and religion do not mix very well, that Michael had to be shrouded (sorry for the pun) in something a little less obvious. I would love to ask David Fury who wrote this episode if that was what Michael represented in this episode or what Michael represents overall. I guess that is a question for Joel as well…his is the maestro after all.

There have been many references to the Observers being like the Nazis and in some ways I can definitely see the correlation. Their methods mirror those that make them look similar to the Nazis, Windmark being the most sinister of them all. It is an eerie sight indeed, frightening to say the least.

Of course Michael’s readings are off the charts, of course he processes things differently than the other Observers, and he IS different, like September (Michael Cerveris). He is the one that is the major cog in Walter’s wheel of a plan, without him the whole thing falls apart. He is an empath; he isn’t the cold, calculating Observers that we have seen (minus September of course). He is the chosen one, the one of great importance, the one that will lead them to the final battle with the Observers…sound familiar? That is where my theory of the arc angel comes in.

The shot of the warehouse made me giggle out loud. It reminded me of the last scene in one of my most favorite movies, Raiders of The Lost Ark. I don’t know if that was intentional to make it look like that, but it was great fun to see. It also made me think that like the warehouse in Raiders, what secrets does this warehouse hold?

The scene with Hastings in the interrogation room with Windmark is very reminiscent of what he did to Walter in episode one of Season 5. It does not matter to Windmark how he gets his answers as long as he is satisfied that is his main goal. By any means necessary.

When Olivia informs Nina that she has been compromised that is when the episode really begins to shine. It is some of the best writing and acting that I have seen in a long time, mostly on Blair Brown’s part. Her decisions from this scene forward are ultimate and when the plan is set in motion there is no stopping her. She knew what she had to do as tough as a decision as it was it is what needed to be done in order to keep the team and Michael safe.

I am so curious what Michael showed Nina when he touches her cheek and she reacts. I suspect it’s the future if they do not defeat the Observers. I hope that we will get a reveal about it so that we the fans are not left in the dark.

The team needs to get back to the lab as soon as possible, especially knowing that Nina has been compromised and possibly put Michael in danger. What they do is brilliant; leave it to Peter, the reformed con man to think up that plan.

It works and our beloved team escapes for the time being. I love that Peter can still hot wire a car; it just goes to show that those con man skills never die!

Once the lab has been breached this is when one of the best scenes in recent memory takes place. Blair does some of her best work and it is so brilliant that it will be forever remembered for the power, but for also the end result.

Windmark discovering the experimented Observers is what sets him off. He calls Nina an animal…I thought pot calling kettle. When Windmark reads her he points out that she had mentioned the boy Observer, he is important to the fugitives, again my theory goes here. The fact that Windmark says that the boy is a chromosomal mistake leads me to believe that Michael has a power that is still untapped.

That Michael is the one and only thing that Windmark is afraid of even though he lets on that he isn’t. Sometimes it is those mistakes or anomalies that turn out to be the very thing that we have been looking for the whole time.

The ones that will save the universe, kind of like how Superman was an anomaly, a boy wonder and the power he possessed ended up saving the world. So was Jesus in his time, again religion comes into play, but only to make my point.

Nina’s speech to Windmark about why Observers tilt their heads is so freaking brilliant I cheered when she finished. She was so on point that you almost wanted to high five her mechanical hand for the excellent job she did.

What she pointed out was so true that it was eerie. The fact that the Observers had devolved instead of evolved is a testament to the human spirit and the relationships that we have. The way that we show love and compassion, the way we feel does not make us weak, if anything it is the one thing that defines us as humans.

Her speech is the last hurrah she has before she makes the ultimate sacrifice. She did it for love, for the love of Olivia, love of Walter, Etta and I even suspect love for William Bell. Nina truly gets the last word, in your face Windmark!

When she shoots herself, twitter went crazy! It seems that Nina after all these years had become a character that fans really loved and to see her commit the ultimate sacrifice stunned everyone, but also made her immortal to everyone. It was the second shot heard throughout all of Fringe-dom (the first being the one that killed Etta). Goodbye Nina, you will be missed, in more ways than one.

The scene when the team discovers Nina dead is so heartbreaking, but John and Anna are the two that really shine in this scene. Even though Olivia does not show as much emotion as Walter did, does not mean the loss is not great. I was disappointed to see that fans were saying that Olivia’s reaction was not as powerful as Walter’s. I do believe they were wrong, dead wrong.

Olivia’s reaction was perfect…for Olivia. What they failed to remember is who Olivia really is. She was never one to break down, on rare occasions she has. Olivia never thought herself worthy of love and always kept a distance so as to not get hurt. She had to develop the thick skin that she had in order to survive her life. I do believe that Olivia feels very deeply, probably more so than we do.

Walter’s reaction was perfect as well. John Noble made a great point during one of his many Noble Intentions videos that maybe Walter and Nina’s relationship may have been deeper than we always thought. John always brilliant as usual moves you to tears. I also love what Josh does, how Peter comforts Olivia, but in a very soft, loving way.

I made a point to someone that all the people in Olivia’s life, regardless of time line, whom she loves, always end up dead. That is my point as to why she always has that pain, it will always be behind her eyes, because she has gone through a hell that we can only imagine and never wish on another human being.

Anna Torv’s talent is undeniable; her eyes are so perfect at revealing those emotions, just under the surface. John had made the point that her subtly is brilliant and that is what makes her so good. Olivia has a quiet strength that has always been there. She carries on through unbelievable pain, she is a survivor, and she is the very definition of the word.

Where they find Michael is clever, obviously Nina made damn sure that Windmark could not find him and he was too hell bent on finding the fugitives that he did not bother to look any further. I love that once they find him and pull him out; he sees Nina and reacts as only an empath can. The single tear speaks volumes, bravo little one!

When Walter dons the ECOG it is a great scene because at first the reaction to the questions are just nods. When Walter asks Michael why he was needed for Walter’s plan, and why he was important he does the same thing he did to Nina, touch her cheek and show her.

The montage is beautiful, it is flash back of all past episodes and a virtual zoetrope of memories that Walter had either forgotten or repressed.

The final revelation to the question is what we have all been waiting for…the question that has been on every Fringe fans mind, who is Donald. I must say it was one of those moments when I audibly gasped! It was so wonderful to see Michael Cerveris again; he has been sorely missed in the fifth season. It was a little weird to see him with hair, but great nonetheless.

Okay, well now we know who Donald is, what I want to know (and I am sure every Fringe fan on the planet wants to know) is how did Donald become September? Is the boy Observer possibly September? Was September another anomaly as well that somehow slipped through the cracks?
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That would explain a lot about September and the significant role he played not only on the show but in the lives of Olivia, Peter and especially Walter. I know that Michael Cerveris said on twitter that his being Donald was the hardest secret he had to keep, but he loved the reaction of all the fans!

When Walter finally tells the team that Donald is September they are a little perplexed, how that is possible I bet they are thinking. The look on Walter’s face is wonderful, almost like a veil had been lifted from something that was clouding his memory. He almost had a look of relief and nostalgia, as if to say to himself, now it all makes sense.

Beautiful, heartbreaking episode, I am conflicted about the fact that there are only three episodes left. I am happy that we do get to see the final battle between good and evil, but I also do not want to see our team’s story end. I am being selfish when I say that I want Fringe to go on forever.

The good thing is that thanks to other mediums, Fringe WILL go on forever. I do hope that there is going to be more in the way of comic books and possibly a movie or two. Until then, we always have our DVDs and fan fiction to tide us over.

It will be a hell of a final ride and this fan is desperately looking forward to it. Have a Happy New Year Fringe fans, see you in 2013 and remember that “Momentum can be deferred, but it must always be paid back in full!”

I hope you enjoyed my review and my previous news articles about my analysis of Fringe and I thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit the WHR on Facebook or me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story. See You on The Other Side“!

Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
December 31, 2012
Transparency (a.k.a. Takedown) At Oldenburg International Film Festival

Welcome back Transparency fans!

Update September 07, 2010:

Click to see news with images and promo trailer at WHR Movie Site!

Having made its successful world premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival to much critical acclaim, Transparency (known as Takedown in Europe) will appear at the Oldenburg International Film Festival in Germany on September 17, 2010. It has been confirmed that Deborah Kara Unger (Angel and the Badman, Highlander), one of the stars of the film, will be there.

The Oldenburg International Film Festival started in 1994 and has been host to many prestigious independent films. It has been called one of the most off-beat festivals in Europe by Variety Magazine and dubbed as the European/German version of Sundance by several sources. The Hollywood Reporter reports, “…Oldenburg proves that, justifying its reputation as Germany’s premiere indie fest by putting innovative filmmaking ahead of box-office glamour, while still filtering out the dregs of the low-budget scene.”

I was one of the fortunate people to have seen this film in Dallas. The sound mix had been ready the Friday previous to the Dallas International Film Festival premiere, the film itself was ready on Wednesday, they flew in on Thursday and the film was shown on Friday night, April 16, 2010.

Without giving too much of the story away, it is a dark tale about human trafficking. Channeling Charles Bronson, Lou Diamond Phillips nails the character David, the movie’s antihero. He is joined by the talents of Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes, Law and Order) and Deborah Kara Unger who give the film its warmth and chill respectively. Transparency (a.k.a. Takedown) is filled with outstanding stunt work, beautiful production quality, amazing dark humor, and unexpected plot moments that had the Dallas audience startled in their chairs or had them gasping in disbelief, with a complex, contemplative ending.

Raul Inglis wrote this outstanding script in a mere 2 weeks, the original idea for the film having been pitched to him by Matt Kelly. Galvanized by real video footage about human trafficking, Raul made sure to include some of disturbing, resonating comments into the script. Later he signed on to become the director. The research became another source of inspiration that gave the film an element of authenticity. Originally it was planned to have the women just speak with Serbian or Russian accents; however, when women during the audition process spoke in their native Serbian or Russian language, the script suddenly became alive.

Lou had been involved with Matt on a previous Hallmark Channel film called “The Angel and the Bad Man.” Matt came up to Lou on set during that time and told him he was a producer. Lou was thinking, “Yeah, yeah, good for you; so is everyone else in Hollywood.” A year later, Matt pitched his film idea, and after reading 5 pages, Lou was hooked, feeling like it had a mixture of “Death Wish” and “Taxi Driver” with a retro-70’s vibe about it.

Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia in a mere 13 days, the film tapped into the wealth of talent from the region. Not only did the cast list read like a Stargate reunion (including Aaron Pearl, Kendall Cross, Michael Kopsa, Vitaly Kravchenko, Emma Lahana, Jonathan Walker, Anna Galvin, Aleks Panuovic, Dan Payne, and Bruce Crawford), Leo Award winner Michael C. Blundell did a stellar job as cinematographer, bringing his Stargate Universe production crew, who were on hiatus at the time, with him to make this tightly budgeted movie look like a million bucks that would rival any at the box office. Other gifted performers rounding out the cast, many of whom can be seen in other favorite Vancouver productions, include Jordana Largy, Dariya Parakhnevych, Matt Kelly, Adrijana Blauhorn, Anja Savcic, Alberta Mayne, Emma Sutton, Bill MacDonald, Alexander Mandra, Taras Kostyuk, Andrei Kovski, Vadim Oskolkov, and Michele Cummins.

If you plan to be in Europe, I would recommend diverting to Germany on September 17, 2010 to support not only this wonderful film, but to help support the independent filmmaking community as a whole.

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments!

We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or their website.

Until next time…PBMom (Hilda)

September 4, 2010
Dallas International Film Festival: Transparency – A Personal Perspective

Early in April, Lou Diamond Phillips twittered to his followers that he was going to be at the Dallas International Film Festival to premiere his new movie, “Transparency.” Dallas is so close to Houston (about 4 hours). Being that the premiere was on a Friday and not being sure I could secure child care, I let him know I was not sure I could attend, but so very much wanted to. He sent me a tweet to me that said, “I’ll make it worth your while! BTW if anyone does say hi, pls let me know that we’re Twitter buddies. We’ll Twit Pic! Big D on 16th!” I responded, “You seduce me with your words.”

Fast-forward 24 hours and I found out that the new agency working with my son with autism was set up and ready to provide overnight respite care. My husband was eager to attend with me. It is significant to note that my husband and I had not been on an overnight trip together since 2004 because of my son’s disability, with no family close to help us. I had to type up an 18-page guide to my son (since he is nonverbal) to cover the 26 hours we would be away. By Thursday night I was exhausted but was running on pure adrenaline.

I have been a fan of Lou Diamond Phillips since his career began. When he was on “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” I hooked up on Twitter with his wife, Yvonne. She expressed concern that Sanjaya may get the American Idol vote; I assured her that Stargate fans were more devoted. Every week I went on every fan website I could to post the numbers for Lou. Too, as a loyal Stargate fan, we follow our actors/actresses of the Stargate franchise wherever their paths may lead them. On April 16, 2010, it led me to Dallas.

Knowing that there was a question-and-answer session after the movie, my husband and I bounced ideas off each other about what questions to ask if we got the opportunity. The trip to Dallas was entertaining. We saw a billboard that said, “Need a hubcap” and listed a web site. I laughed and said their slogan should be “we steal them from you, and then make you buy them back.” Being a cowboy is apparently a new religion as we passed by the Cowboy Church. We went through a few prison areas that were pointed out several times by signs along the road but then we came across another sign that said, “Prison Area: Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers.” The makings of a Syfy Saturday afternoon horror movie, I believe.

We got to the hotel in great time, hitting no traffic along the way, and they allowed us to check in early. Our hotel room was beautiful.

The view from the room was spectacular.

We settled in and decided to go across the street for lunch, as we planned to walk over to the Angelika Film Center where the majority of the films were being screened. As I am eating my lunch, I look across the street and there is Lou Diamond Phillips. I missed him by about 10-15 minutes.

My husband decided to take a nap and I was bored so I headed to the business center so I could borrow their computer to go on Twitter. I was talking to another DIFF attendee who said I just missed Lou in the elevator (like 5 minutes). The ballrooms were on the same floor as the business center and the exercise room. My husband came back to the room after working out and said that there were people arriving in black-tie/formal gowns for the big red carpet event/awards ceremony in the ballrooms, and here he was in sweaty, disgusting clothes on the same floor (the workout room was on the ballroom level). We had reservations for dinner at Central 214 at 7:30 and had to get ready.

As we were going toward the restaurant, Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Kelly, Raul Sanchez Inglis and a fourth person were walking out. I held my hand up to say hello, but that fourth person I did not recognize looked at me with an intense glare, and I quickly put my arm down, and said to my husband, “Bodyguard? We’ll see him later anyway.” Lou had such a swagger going on, being totally unfazed by the flashing lights of cameras as he walked out of the restaurant.

We had a lovely dinner: Jeff had the chicken-fried Kobe steak

I had the diver scallops.

The portions were the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. Let us just say that it has been a long time also since I ate quality food of that caliber. I sounded like my son while he is eating something he enjoys, “Mmmmmm, Mmmmmmm.”

We split dessert.

We arrived at the Studio Movie Grill, about 5 minutes up the freeway from the main festival, at 9:00 p.m. I convinced a wonderful woman that I wanted to be first in line to get the best seat. Once she put us in the right line in the hallway, I picked up the phone and called @TiffaneJane who was expected to meet us there. She is a fascinating person who has had quite the life with equally cool parents. I enjoyed getting to know her.

While in line, we met Carolyn Hodge, who had premiered movies in the past at DIFF. I asked her if her movies were on DVD as I had not been to the Film Festival before, having been in Houston, and she said they were, so I will go check them out; you should, too. She was a lovely woman and seemed to be extremely popular with people stopping to say hello to her in line.

Never having been to a Studio Movie Grill or the like before, the same kind woman who helped us get in line gave us her menu and beeper and told us a waiter would come by to take out order. I would like to thank her for her kindness. I didn’t want to drink anything, but the movie started late because the Q&A from the movie before ran way over the allotted time. I also needed some caffeine. It was getting close to my bedtime. This was a mistake. I desperately had to go to the bathroom while the movie was playing later on.

After the patrons were seated, the people involved with the movie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Raul Sanchez Inglis, and Matt Kelly came in and everyone applauded. They moved to the front of the theater. He talked a little about the movie. When asked if there were any Stargate Universe/Twitter fans in the house, @TiffaneJane and I shot up both of our arms and let out a “woo-hoo.” And then I had my rockstar moment: Lou Diamond Phillips recognized me. Lesson here people: Use your real picture in your Twitter avatar. There was someone in the audience who videotaped the beginning introductions before the movie began. It is here you can hear my shout-out (at about 1 minute 50 seconds). You can hear @TiffanieJane and I yell out our “woo-hoo’s” as well.

A special guest came to the film, Glenn Morshower, who was also premiering a film he was in at DIFF this season: “Walking Distance.”

Transparency’s World Premiere was in Dallas. The cast and even the cinematographer, Stargate Universe’s own Michael C. Blundell, had not seen the final cut. It was just finished on Wednesday and they flew to Dallas on Thursday, showing it on Friday. As far as the number of people there, it was difficult to say as we were closer to the front.

During the pause before the movie started, Glenn Morshower yells out, “Someone should sing La Bamba” which got a great laugh from the audience; some even attempted. The movie began and everything got quiet. At first it felt a little awkward knowing they were all behind us. I heard actors do not like to watch themselves on screen. As a viewer, it was odd to have them present. I hated to have to get up to go to the restroom, having to walk right past them. I tried to find some place where I thought might be a good time to go, and I think I picked the perfect 2 minutes, otherwise I would have missed out on a lot.

A separate review strictly on the film itself is forthcoming.

During the Q&A, most of the questions I had were asked and answered. I was able to ask a question: “Do you have a Twitter, Facebook or internet web site for the movie?” Lou was so funny. He said, “That is such a self-serving question, my love. You and I have spent many late nights together and you know that we have. ” It is unclear how many shades of red my face displayed. Matt Kelly, producer of the film, said they had started a Facebook page, and then added, looking at Lou, “It’s a picture of you in a dress. It’s not fantastic.” Lou chimed in, “His significant other is on Twitter by the way, Alberta Mayne, who is fantastic, and she is in the film as well.”

After the Q &A, we chatted with Raul, Lou and Matt for 15-20 minutes. I was smiling from ear-to-ear. Raul asked me why I was smiling so much; the film is supposed to be depressing. I told him, “It was a dark movie, but you don’t understand. This is the first time I’ve gotten away overnight with my husband since 2004 because of my child with autism.” No matter what I saw or did, from the moment I left home until the moment I return, I would be grinning.

Matt Kelly (and Lou off to the side)

A very thirsty Lou Diamond Phillips

Raul Sanchez Inglis, Lou Diamond Phillips and Matt Kelly (photo credited to @TiffanieJane)

We also met Twitter friend @BurningSpyMi6.

By now it was about 1:40 a.m. and it was mentioned that we may be at the same bar in the same restaurant in the same hotel before closing time. Glenn Morshower was kind enough to take a picture with us as well. (I had to edit Jeff out). Thank you, Ms. Hodge, for taking the picture. It was most appreciated.

We did go back to the hotel bar to get some soda and water, but I was expecting it to be quiet with a great opportunity to sit down and talk to the group some more. Since the awards events were held in the hotel, the bar was packed. When the group came in, they had so many more people to say hello to, that I knew it was time for us to leave. We had our time with them and now it was time for others. We did get to speak with Mr. Morshower a little longer and asked him what he was up to next. He was about to star in “Trauma” on NBC and “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC and had just finished up working on Transformers 3. He was about to leave town to promote a video game for which that he did voice-over along with Keith David. We told him how much we enjoyed hearing his voice on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The next morning as we were waiting to ask a concierge a question, we saw Raul in the lobby talking on the phone and waved “hello.” I bet he thought we were stalkers. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at Central 214.

It was sad knowing we had to pack up and leave. Had I done a bit more homework I would have discovered that Pete Docter from the Disney/Pixar movie “UP” was going to do a Q&A after the movie at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Before leaving, I realized that Krispy Kreme doughnuts still existed in other places in Texas; they were just banned from the Houston market. We went and bought a dozen. After we got home, I had given Patrick one. Jeff had one. When I opened the box, there were only 2 left. Of course, I thought Jeff had eaten them, but my golden retriever, Maddie, apparently did. She apparently jumped up on the counter, opened the box with her nose, pulled out one doughnut at a time and consumed them. I just had to laugh; that was pretty smart not to have just nudged the entire box on the floor and consumed them there. Quite the stealth attack. Of course she got sick later, receiving little sympathy from me.

I would definitely go back to the Dallas International Film Festival or perhaps now check into the Houston Film Festival. I would like to send a personal shout-out to Diana at the Dallas International Film Festival for helping me coordinate my trip and answer all the questions I had.

I got to drive on the way back and we stopped twice, once to stretch our legs and once to eat lunch. We came home refreshed and ready to take over our duties as parents with a child with a disability. I want to thank Lou Diamond Phillips for making me, a mother who is so exhausted and so overwhelmed with the responsibilities that come with my kiddo, feel like a rock star. He also did something very special that helped me raise some money for a local autism charity (that story is to follow as well). It was great to make new connections, too, with Matt Kelly, Raul Sanchez Inglis, Glenn Morshower, James Faust, and Carolyn Hodge.

Please stay tuned for Part 2 of this magical ride: The actual movie “Transparency” and the Q&A that followed.

PBMom (Hilda)

May 21, 2010
WHR Announces Coverage of Lou Diamond Phillips At Dallas International Film Festival

Hello Lou Diamond Phillips fans!

On April 16, 2010, a new film called “Transparency,” starring Lou Diamond Phillips will be previewed at the Dallas International Film Festival. It is a 96-minute action/thriller directed by Paul Inglis, produced by Matt Kelly, and also stars Estella Warren and Deborah Kara Unger.

Summary of “Transparency”: “David’s (Lou Diamond Phillips) life has been a nightmare. Five years ago his daughter had been raped and brutalized by an unknown assailant. The emotional damage cost him his marriage. In trying to move on, David finds work as a security guard but during a routine security inspection, David finds a trafficked girl from Russia. She had been brought into the country against her will to be used in a prostitution ring. As he uncovers more about the people he works for, David must find a way to save the girl and get out alive.”

Yvonne Phillips, Lou’s wife, and their daughter, Indy, also make an appearance in the film according to Lou’s Twitter feed. The cast list appears to be a Stargate reunion!

Among the actors in the film are:

Aaron Pearl (Fringe, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1 [as the young George Hammond])

Jordana Largy (Flashpoint, Psych)

Kendall Cross (Caprica, Stargate SG-1 [as Julia Donovan])

Michael Kopsa (4400, Eureka, Stargate SG-1 [as General Kerrigan])

Dariya Parakhnevych (multiple films produced by the Vancouver Film School)

Vitaly Kravchenko (The Chronicles of Riddick, Stargate SG-1 [as Lt. Marchenko])

Emma Lahana (Psych, Stargate Atlantis [as Ava Dixon])

Jonathan Walker (Flash Gordon, Shooter, Stargate SG-1 [as Ta’Seem])

Matt Kelly (Fringe, Supernatural)

Adrijana Blauhorn (a newcomer)

Anja Savcic (Supernatural, Bionic Woman)

Alberta Mayne (Fringe)

Emma Sutton (a relative newcomer)

Anna Galvin (Mrs. Armstrong from SGU, Shannon Adama of Caprica, Stargate Atlantis)

Aleks Paunovic (SG-1 as Shaq-rel, SGA as Rakai, BSG, Human Target)

Dan Payne (SG-1 as a Kull Warrior, Sanctuary, SGA in several episodes of various characters)

The movie will show on Friday, April 16, 2010 at 10:30 p.m. at the Studio Movie Grill, 11170 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas. Lou plans to be there at the screening. Tickets are $10.00 (a bargain if you ask me!). Click the image to the left to purchase tickets.

I’m calling on all Lou Diamond Phillip fans and Stargate Universe fans who live throughout Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma to make the journey and give our Colonel David Telford from Stargate Universe some support. I will be bringing you a report from the festival along with pictures and we will post them here on WormholeRiders. Stay tuned!

PBMom

April 11, 2010
The Panel in Detail

This was the first time I have ever seen Creation have an almost ComicCon style panel, and it was very interesting!

The guests were:

Fulvio Cecere
As Stargate SG-1’s Colonel Davidson, cammander of the Oddesy, Fluvio is very proud that he is the only person to have commanded one of earth’s ships while fully manned and not been killed in the process! Sadly, he’s incorrect! Colonel Ronsen was not killed, and Cam Mitchell was in command in Ark Of Truth and lived to tell the tale . . . just.

Heather Doerkson
Heather’s character on Stargate Atlantis has not been given a name in more than one episode, and it’s possible she has never played exactly the same role twice! According to IMDB, she was a bridge pilot in “The Intruder”, Meyers in “No Man’s Land”, an Apollo tech in “First Strike”, a crew man in “The Kindred Part 1”, and a lieutenant in “The Last Man”.

Kirby Morrow
Kirby may be most easily recognized for his role as a Jaffa warrior in the Stargate SG-1 episode, “The Warrior”. He has also appeared on Atlantis as Captain Dave Kleinman.

Michael Kopsa
Michael may be best recognized by Stargate fans as General Kerrigan in the episodes “Prodegy” and “Proving Ground”. Fans who are esspecailly astute may remember him in one other role in the series. Can anyone name it without looking at his IMDB profile? That would be cheating! : P

Jody Racicot
Even with the beard, it’s impossible not to recognize him as Vernon Sharp from “Sight Unseen”. I spotted him in the lobby as he arrived for the panel and did a very good double take!

and Patrick Currie
The only role that you can recognize Patrick for by sight is Fifth, the bad guy you just can’t help but sympathize with . . . that is until he starts torturing Sam! If you listen to his voice, Eamon from “Space Race” may come to mind, and you’d be right! Finally, he played Chaka in “Enemy Mine”. The role had previously been played by Dion Johnstone, with great success I may add, but when Dion was unavaliable to reprise the role, Patrick was called in to save the day!

Each pratically admitted to looking themselves up online in preperation for the panel so they could give a full account of their work, so I have linked each of their names to their IMDB profiles! (more…)

April 24, 2009
Day 2: Working Actors of Vancouver Panel

This was the first time I have ever seen Creation have an almost ComicCon style panel, and it was very interesting!

The guests were:

Fluvio Cecere

Heather Doerkson

Kirby Morrow

Michael Kopsa

Jody Racicot

and Patrick Currie

Each pratically admitted to looking themselves up online in preperation for the panel so they could give a full account of their work, so I have linked each of their names to their IMDB profiles!

I took copious and confusing notes which I promise to transcribe and post at a later date, but I have to post this one quote right now, just because.

When asked by an aspiring actress trying to get work whether it helps to be choosy about the type of things you audition for, Patrick Currie immediately answered, “Think long and hard because the internet does not go away.” Hmmm, I wonder what that’s supposed to mean . . . : P

It was sad that we couldn’t have more time with each of these actors. You could just tell that some of them had some great stories to share, particularly Jody, Patrick, and Kirby. Hopefully they will attend more conventions in the future and be given an hour all to themselves!

April 3, 2009

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