Fringe: Alternative Methods

Can we call for a moratorium on black-and-white characters like "the rule-breaking private contractor" (Charlie Kevin) and the "yes-man doctor" (John Greenleaf) as they demonstrate what not to do? We need characters with some real intelligence and depth--not the accused Dr. Al-Badrani, who is so flatly and stereotypically portrayed by Alok Tewari that waterboarding seems like a viable option. There's a spark of a back-story given to rookie psychologist Susan Fulton (Julie Kline), enough to explain why she bonds with Al-Badrani and tries to subvert military conduct to free him, but that sort of illogical idealism belongs in Hollywood, which is fake enough to handle such things. The biggest disappointment in Alternative Methods is that it only provides more of the same.

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