FRINGE THEORY | Peter & Fauxlivia's Baby: Perhaps We've Already Met Her

Ella?

OK, I realize this theory may be far-fetched, and is a bit of a shot in the dark. However, here are some dots I'm connecting:

• "Brown Betty" [2.19] episode allegory: Ella provides Walter with "a much better ending." If we are to take the episode's allegories seriously as indicative of the Fringe mythology as a whole, perhaps Ella is the gamechanger and ace-up-the-sleeve at the end of the Fringe series, whenever it is.
  
  
• "Brown Betty" episode allegory: Rachel (in Walter's story) was actually not Rachel, but an actress pretending to be named Rachel who was used by the fictional Walter for his agenda. If we take the episode's allegories seriously, perhaps Rachel was lying/acting about being Ella's aunt from the get-go - and that brings to mind another question: who (perhaps Walternate?) would be using her?
  
  
• In "Bound" [1.11] (starting at the 30:00 mark), we see the first extended scene involving Olivia and Rachel. Two interesting factors come up: 1) Rachel claims Ella gets her strength from Olivia (and looks temporarily distracted a few seconds later), and 2) Olivia asks Rachel if there's something Rachel isn't telling her (which Rachel denies).
  
  
• At the end of "August" [2.08], August and December watch Olivia and Ella, and December says: "Look how happy she is - it's a shame things are about to get so hard for her." "Her" could be either Olivia or Ella.
  
  
• Possible writer/producer hint: In "Concentrate and Ask Again" [3.12], there is a magic 8-ball towards the beginning of the episode - the other magic 8-ball is seen in "Bound," as it was the gift given by Ella to Olivia, after Rachel and Ella's alleged trip to Peru. Perhaps we are to "connect the 8-balls" a little, although the symbolism is still alluding me at the moment.
  
  
• In "The No-Brainer" [1.12], Rachel marvels at Peter and Ella's first meeting, and states: "The way you are with Ella, you could be really good," then quickly "corrects" herself and says "at a party."
  
  
• Also in "No-Brainer," Ella survives the brain-melting computer video, while others did not. Ella, in fact, has no signs of any injury, and Olivia seems almost shocked that Ella could withstand such a trauma.
  
  
• In "The Transformation" [1.13], Olivia has trouble remembering some historical details relating to Rachel, after which Rachel changes the subject to John Scott. [This is similar to how Olivia had trouble "remembering" Fauxlivia's memories (after they were implanted in her) a few seasons later.] A minute later in the same "Transformation" episode, Rachel looks distant when she claims that her former partner Greg is a jerk.
  
  
• In "Inner Child" [1.15], it is Olivia (as opposed to Rachel) who Ella wakes in the morning for company.
  
  
• In "Unleashed" [1.16], Rachel "jokes" with Olivia and Ella: "You two work well together, and I don't like it."
  
  
• In "Bad Dreams" [1.17], it is revealed that Ella is receiving some sort of "vaccination" - frequency unknown. Ella says that this substance was dead, but that she now felt it was "alive" (though Olivia assured her that it was just a "bad dream").
  
  
• In "Over There, Part 1" [2.21], Olivia gave Ella the cross handed down from her mother, further cementing how Olivia thinks of Ella kind of like a daughter.
  
  
• So how would Ella time-travel back to an earlier part of the timeline? The only 2 ways I can see is that 1) an Observer would have to do it - the Observer was able to allow Roscoe Joyce's son to travel through time in "The Firefly" [3.10] - OR - 2) back in "Safe" [1.10], it was revealed that Walter was once working on a time-travel device - perhaps Walternate was successful in making one work. Also NOTE: In the first Fringe comic book series, William/Walter DID make one work.
  

--David Wu

An interview of Roscoe Joyce, former keyboardist of Violet Sedan Chair

DAVID WU: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us for a few moments, sir!

ROSCOE JOYCE: Wu! How in the blazes did you get here?

DW: I drove. I think all of us Fringe fans are excited about your appearance in the upcoming episode, "The Firefly," which will be aired this Friday, Jan. 21. Do you watch the show?

ROSCOE: Not as much since Season 1, to be honest. It seems like a great show. I remember a great subplot involving an agent who died, but somehow stayed around for half a season. It was great plot. Great Scott! I forget the agent's first name.

DW: Interesting. Do you enjoy the resurgence of the popularity of your former band?

ROSCOE: Definitely! I want our music to be heard for all time. Well, you better not hook up your amplifier to the record player - there's a slight possibility for overload.

DW: So now that it's years later, what current road are you on with your music?

ROSCOE: Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads! But I do have one thing to say: wohohoho, the future is looking a who-o-o-llle lot better now that I personally dropped off old vinyl records in used record shops around these here fine United States.

DW: Yeah, a fan named Kiki found one of the vinyls a few days ago here in Seattle's Easy Street Records, the Queen Anne store! And then another one found it at the Easy Street Records in West Seattle... and then I found one and bought it for five dollars plus tax at the West Seattle location just today! Thanks for doing that, man.

ROSCOE: Fans of Fringe, please excuse the crudity of this method of distribution. But it works! It works!

DW: Congratulations, again! Any last thought for Fringe fans?

ROSCOE: Just one - remember, Fringe is what you make it!

The Fringemunks to end episodic recaps after Season 3

As announced on Facebook earlier this week, I will cease to produce The Fringemunks' episodic recap parody songs of Fringe, after Season 3 (and after a total of 65 recap songs have been completed and released).

For me, this was a simple and easy decision. I do love the project, but I know that to continue on past this season would be too much of a burden. Having said that, I have nothing but great things to say about the project, the fans, friends and supporters - all in all, a win-win situation that grew out of thin air.

So does this mean the end of The Fringemunks? Not exactly - you may see/hear them pop up in some odd project or song once in a blue moon. But it's the grueling one-song-per-episode schedule that was becoming a bit of a chore.

However, keep in mind that there are still 19 more songs left to be released before the project's episodic run ends at 65 songs, so the ending - while clear - is still only on the horizon. Until then, enjoy the ride!

The current state of "The Fringemunks" project

Truly a global audience!

It's hard to believe that, as of this writing, The Fringemunks project is now 45 songs old (not including the odds-and-sods tracks of Bloody Rare). I thought I'd share a few thoughts about where things are with this project.

What started off as a fun 2-song joke has turned into the flagship project of my website, and I never expected it to go this far, this long, and this deep; and never did I expect that it would help me obtain an audience (however big or small) from around the globe. Each time someone overseas listens to a song, someone's dream (mine) is coming true!

That's not even including the possibility that the "David Wu" character in Episode 2.18 may have been more than just a coincidence; and I haven't even mentioned the plug by Alyssa Milano earlier this year. Meeting the cast in Feb. 2009 in New York was an amazing experience. These are great stories to tell my future grandchildren.

I'm not by any stretch of the means an "expert" in TV series, nor do I share the same type of enthusiasm or passion as some other amazing Fringe-ies, and that makes the accomplishments of The Fringemunks project all the more remarkable!

But, as you can imagine, it is a huge epic project and - not an easy one. If it were easy, more people would be doing it, I'm sure!

The toughest part now is actually the lyrics - that's the phase that takes me the longest - scrutinizing every phrase, every word, every line, every verse, every chorus - to make sure it flows and that it is accurate. The music is a little easier. Season 3 storylines involve so many moving parts, to the point where it is hard to recap an episode from only one person's POV per song.

On top of that, each song now is now under a bit more of a microscope than, say, the Season 1 songs - in those early songs, there was hardly any pressure. Now each song is reviewable and ... may I say ... sometimes The Fringemunks can be a tough act to follow, even for The Fringemunks themselves!

I find that I have less and less time to work on the songs nowadays, so in the very spare amount of time I do have, I try to make it count - and means sometimes doing tracks in one take and leaving things raw (which is actually not a bad thing to do). But it also means that it can be tough to keep up with an already-busy schedule. I'm 45 songs in, but there are currently already 51 episodes out, so I'm 6 behind.

I have stated my complaints about FOX for Fringe's timeslot, yes. I have stated that the move to Fridays could very well mean the end of the show by Season 3's finale, yes. There is a chance I might need to cut off The Fringemunks' episodic songs after a certain amount of time, yes. But I need to make it clear in case it isn't already clear: I don't personally want the show to end, nor do I want it to end merely for the sake of relieving me from parody-making duties. If I really want to quit, I'll quit, regardless of whether or not the show continues.

If there's a bit of a constant shift back and forth between wanting to continue and not wanting to, then that is also the mark of any longterm project. Whereas a project can last 3+ years, life changes month-to-month and week-to-week, and I'm essentially not the same person (or in the same state of being) as I was when Fringe started.

But while things change, there is a constant - the released music. The project evolves, and the music approach changes song-to-song, but once a song is released, it remains as is. And I have found that they actually age well in time, like red wine. I thank the supporters/fans of the project for this, as they are the ones who really make the project worthwhile! They even show more passion for my productions than I do at many times! Some know my own lyrics better than I do!

So, moving forward... let's continue to have some fun. And thanks for listening.

How I Lost 30 Pounds

In August 2008, I decided to take control of my health. Since then, I have lost over 30 pounds. Here's how I did it:

1. Eating 3 meals a day, including breakfast.
2. Eating more vegetables/fruit.
3. Eating healthy portions. (This is key - no food is off limits, but higher-calorie foods should be limited.)
4. Recognizing which foods are healthier - no need to count calories if this is practiced.
5. Drinking more water.
6. Limiting sugar intake, in both foods and drink.
7. Exercising, including running and team sports (dodgeball/softball)
8. Limiting the amount of times I eat out after 9 PM.

Fringemunks: Some random thoughts as I near completion of Season 2 songs

Just wanted to say that The Fringemunks project, in retrospect, almost single-handedly resurrected my music career. Before it, my music career was in shambles, and was in disappointment mode. With music ministry coming to a screeching halt in 2007, and with my music not generating much buzz, I led the life of many a-musician, just inching by, making music and hoping people would listen. Not too many people did over time.

The Fringemunks and all the buzz resulting from it gave me the adrenaline/motivation I needed. It really is nice to know people are listening to the songs - even in a silly project like this. The fact people actually come to me and ask me "what song is next?" rather than me having to motivate people to listen, is something I'm not as accustomed to. Some celebrities have heard the songs, too. Who would have thought?

So, anyway, 5 songs left for me to recap for Season 2. Epis. 2.18: The Man from the Other Side will involve the 'munks singing about the David Wu character in one part, which will be fun. I'll parody Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Otherside." I'll use an instrumental stripped down to its bare essence.

Then Epis. 2.19: Brown Betty will be one of the most talked about productions of the entire Fringemunks repertoire, I can predict. How do I recap a somewhat "musical" episode with music? I think I found a way.

Then Epis. 2.20: Northwest Passage. Well, since that Pearl Jam dude scored this episode, would it be feasible for me to parody Pearl Jam? I haven't decided if I will yet, but that would be an obvious option.

Then Epis.'s 2.21 & 2.22: Over There, Parts 1 & 2 ... being that they were separated out, I will opt to create 2 songs, one for each part. If I try to combine it into 1 song, it will either be too long because I want to mention all the details, or it will be at regular length and I will end up missing out on mentioning some key details. Considering that there are zeppelins in the sky on the other side, would it make sense for me to parody a Led Zeppelin song to recap one of the parts? And how will our final Season 2 song end? I think I found the most epic way.

And perhaps I'll sing, without my voice sped-up, for a verse or so in one of the 5 remaining songs. Who knows? And can you believe that there will be 43 Fringemunk songs about Fringe in existence? ...and counting...

Fringemunks songs for Fringe episodes 2.16 and 2.17 will go "back to basics"

The past several songs of the Fringemunks have been fun, rewarding, but also a bit complex. The project is definitely in a different place now than it was a year ago at this time. At the time, the project was merely a "side project" to say the least. Nowadays, it is near (but not totally in) the forefront of my music career - it is, after all, my most successful "brand" of music, even if it is not at the heart of my music career as a whole.

So admittedly, the bar I've been setting for the songs has been so high that I find it hard to follow it sometimes. The difficulty level of the songs (having to learn the songs, perform them well instrumentally, create lyrics, harmonies, etc.) has been hard to keep up with at times.

I've received more comments and encouragement for the past 8 songs (I'm already up to 36 songs) than any time before - but I think it's time for a slight change of pace so I can continue the journey in an efficient manner. Not that I've strayed away from the original intent, but I think for the next two songs (2.16: Olivia. In the Lab. With the Revolver. / 2.17: White Tulip), I will take it back to basics. Lyrics lyrics lyrics. Songs that drive the plot. The essence of Fringemunks - well, I'll strive to meet it. Let's roll.