Anna Torv kisses a woman on "Fringe"
I'll admit it — after weeks of Lori making me watch the Fox sci-fi drama Fringe, I'm officially hooked. And no, not because of the lesbian kissing in this week's episode, but because I'm fascinated by Australian actress Anna Torv (whom many of you non-Fringe fans know as Shelley Conn's lesbian lover on the first season of Mistresses).
Anna (and her Fringe character Olivia) has an appealing ineffable quality I can't quite figure out. And I love that about her.
Here's what happened on Fringe this week: Torv's Agent Olivia Dunham engaged in some same-sex activity while physically linked to the mind of a man named Nick whom Olivia was paired with in a clinical trial as a child. (Follow that?)
Both were given an experimental drug as children that is now having the unfortunate side effect of making Nick's moods contagious — literally — which is translating into everyone around him killing themselves, since he's always contemplating suicide.
To track Nick and stop him from (unintentionally) killing again, Olivia goes under sedation and temporarily melds with his mind — just as he enters a strip club and seduces one of the strippers, of course.
Since Nick's sexual excitement is contagious, the stripper breaks the "no touching!" rule of strip clubs and Arrested Development fans everywhere, and kisses him — I mean her — and then leaves with him/her.
After this scene, you see Olivia semi-sedated on the table in the lab, in the middle of having sex with the stripper. You don't see the scene, you just um, hear it, through Olivia. (Humorously, it's Astrid, played by out actress Jasika Nicole, who first catches on to why Olivia's writhing around on the table).
I'm sure it's not coincidental that the writers chose this scene in which to have Olivia become Nick (is it May sweeps already?), and yes, it's obviously designed to titillate the audience, but this is offset by the fact that the scene actually feels very organic to the plot (unlike, say, random Goth women hooking up in a morgue on Life). And in a nice change, Fox didn't use the kiss in the promos as bait.
Plus, Anna Torv kissing a woman is almost always a good thing. Just watching the way she walks into the strip club "as a man" is amusing (and sexy) — and the audience's first tip-off that something isn't quite right, since Olivia doesn't usually walk that way. (But she should!)
Watch the scene here:
(We're not suggesting you visit this guy's website to see the whole thing — that's pretty much the whole kiss.)
Overall, I thought it was a very good Fringe episode. There's lots of the show's trademark quirky humor; a single-episode mystery to solve that ties into the overarching one; Pacey rolling his eyes at his dad; and (the best part of the show) a focus on Anna Torv's character, who remains an enjoyable puzzle to be solved.
Or maybe I've just been spending too much time in the lab with the cast of Fringe. What does everyone else think about the show and Anna/Olivia?
- Sarah Warn's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Facebook
Twitter
Comments
Fringe
I'm in total agreement with
Bones
Am I the only one who thinks that stripper had more bones than moves?
I completely agree. I
Nope
Hahaha, agreed...she was indeed a little too thin...
Also, I'm not so sure the song ("Starstruck," by Lady Gaga), though good, was the best for a stripper to dance to...I guess I'm still overly partial to the Lindsay Lohan scene from "I Know Who Killed Me"...
?!
MMMMmm!
I thought the stripper was FIIIIIIIINE!
http://kiiimmmaaayyy.blogspot.com/ CHECK IT!
I was hestitant
but the show has caught me to. Olivia is a very well made character and Anna Torv is fantastic at portraying her. The acting is extremely good, i think that's why i kept watching and the plot has really picked up. The show has actually managed to make her a person first, not a girl power woman with a tendency to use her sexuality as a weapon. Her gender is not often noted at all and as a character she remains very realistic. To have a powerful woman as a lead, one who doesn't use sex appeal is something i rarely see and she's not a hardcore feminist either. She's mainly focused on protecting people, her family and her job as an agent, she's not submerged in personal drama or desire to find true love. I found the kiss to be nice, the cynic in me understand of course that it has underlying reasons, but it was not randomly thrown in there and actually a bit refreshing. I love that she's such an individual person, one who can act by herself and takes initiative to do so. I look forward to seeing the development of the story and i enjoyed this episode and hope they will continue to improve further.
"Blackmail always works better then bribery."
I adore Fringe!
I love that Torv's character doesn't wear heels or makeup at work, she wears practical shoes and just gets her hair out of her face, and still manages to look beautiful (of course, the woman could wear a burlap sack and she'd still look incredible).
But yes, that scene with the stripper ... I figured out pretty damn early that her 'doppleganger' (of a sorts) was involved ... but that extended shot of Dunham walking down the street, into the club, and then checking out the stripper before then walking up to her, even before the kiss, was literally one of the sexiest things I've seen on TV in quite a while. Dunham was literally predatory in her sexual drive towards the stripper.
And then the twist in the ending?! WOAH!
I love that they credit us the audience with the intelligence to figure sh*t out and not spell it out to the n'th degree like they do in so many other shows. They do that crediting a lot in this show, and I really appreciate it.
Fringe is very very cool (which I suspect will mean it will be cancelled, as the intelligent, different, and complex shows that I tend to like always end up being cancelled).
Sarah
***************************
http://kiwi-grrl.livejournal.com/
i was just about to watch
i was just about to watch this episodes to! but i decided not and go to bed early....):
first episode
Very surprised
Fringe
I love Fringe. it's my fav show right now.
I watched the episode this morning.I loved the scene with the stripper. Torv's character looked so sexy when she was walking to the club. I totally stared at the TV the whole time.
It's such a great a show. The plots are interesting, it's well written and I like all the main characters especially Olivia and Walter. And seeing Anna Torv kissing another woman makes it even better.
______________
www.myspace.com/ertmerartworks
Fringe is a new favorite
I quite enjoy Fringe. I like how the mystery deepens each episode, and yet we are not left feeling like there's no payoff for the hour we spend watching the characters. I was also very pleased that the "kiss" in this recent episode was not overly hyped or used to titillate. Olivia is a fascinating, complex character and I'm very glad that the writers didn't go the "easy" route and make it all about the eye candy.
Fringe
Yay! My favorite ladies!!
:)
X files for the new generation.
How much you wanna bet Pacey and Anna get together. I'm calling it right now! Apr. 22, 2009, 5:38pm MT!
Peace!
i think i may actually start watching fringe
this episode sounds really interesting
and its not just 'cause anna gets to lock lips with a lady again
i loved her and shelly in mistresses
hope they get their characters back together!
oh and does anyone know the name of the song at the end??
song at the end
you mean at the end when it tells you where to find more videos? cause that's "Don't Trust Me" by 3Oh!3
sorry if thats not what you meant tho
Gah! Please don't suck me
Gah! Please don't suck me into watching this show! I have sworn off J. J. Abrams shows, but this one is so tempting, and this scene didn't help...
I do plan to watch Mistresses, though.
I love fringe!!!
I started watching since 1st epsd! It's a great show, reminded me of X-file. I do all my show watching on Fox's website. So I also like Bones, House, Dollhouse, etc...yes. I'm addicted to the computer. But Fox has pretty good shows.
But I didn't know abt the Lez kiss! I was watching earlier today n' when i happened, I was like OMG! n' I came to AE n' see if anyone talked abt it...This post wasn't up yet. but I'm glad Sarah put it up... It's a great epsd! Love love it... now..I'm just gonna reply that scene again... muhahhahahah
Watching her walk up into
Seeing her walk up into the club like that makes me miss Sofia Curtis, for some inexplicable reason. :)
Of course, this had to be the episode I didn't get to watch.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEE
Do you know the worst thing about not having any lesbian friends (and i mean NONE) is that I have no one to share my spontanious combustion with. I mean i have strait friends who like the show, but they don't understand what exactly that little video did to my nervous system *starts twitching*
It was kind of like when Stephanie March came back to SVU, i was so happy I thought i was going to cry out for joy...but somehow its not nearly as much fun when you can't share it with your best friends :(
This post ended up sounding depressing, but it wasn't meant to be. the point was that because I have no gay friends i'm just going to have to celebrate my utter joy for that kiss here...
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D OMGOMOGMOMGOMG :D:D:D:D SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
phew done, wait nope....here comes another one...
*Drools* Thank you TV GODS!!!!!! ...
Normally i have something smart and intelligent to say I swear...but every once in a while i've got to be honest. most often when seeing one of my favorite tv show characters lock lips with a girl and sound all sultry I can't do anything but resemble the horny 13 year old boy that i often feel inside. Sorry guys, smart saying next time :)
*Let no man bring you so low as to make you hate him* -Booker T. Washington
*sucess is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm* -Churchilll
I agree with what you said
Anna Rules!
Anna was great in this as always, but if u would like to see an even darker side of her, watch Book of Revelation with Tom Long. No, it doesn't have any lesbian scenes in it, but it does show a woman masturbating naked. Three women kidnap this guy, tie him up and do what they want with him (even turning him over) and Anna is the sort of dominatrix in charge. Unfortunately, we never get to see her naked, but as always her voice, her eyes, and the way she carries herself lends to the seduction.
That she does
I love Anna Torv, I saw Mistresses by accident on late-night tv and went 'she sounds Aussie!' and of course looked her up. She's talented and very hot too. I can't get into Fringe but I watched the episode to see that scene, and it was still worth it. Now I have to go watch some Mistresses :)
As a side note, she played Tom Long's girlfriend as well as his kidnapper in The Book of Revelation, although they weren't actually the same character. She just played both roles.
oh my god
Wow. It actually seemed like
The sexiest thing about
The sexiest thing about that scene was the way that Olivia walked into the strip club and looked at the stripper (who is probably the worst stripper i have ever seen)
Totally agreed
Stripper sexiness = FAIL
At least the kissing bit was alright.
damn
strip clubs in my country aren't this inviting. i have to agree with the posts above, the stripper is skin and bones o.O
i'm so fed up with labeling and explaining myself, that the next time i'm faced with such situation i'm just gonna say IM DAMN SURE IM NOT STRAIGHT end of story
Anna is wonderful in this role...
I love Fringe! It reminds me of the X-Files except it deals with fringe science and things of this earth while the X-Files dealt with UFOs and aliens.
From what I've read, Anna is very down to earth. In one magazine article she answered some question by saying that her Mom was cross with her as she hadn't done the dishes yet. On the Fringe-Forum site some members said at Comic-Con in NYC this year some guy in the audience asked her to put on some hat contraption he had made so he could read her mind. She was a good sport and obliged and took pics.
I think she was also one of the last characters cast, sent her tape in from the outback of Australia and then days later meet JJ Abrahms on the set of the Star Trek movie. JJ sure knows how to find actresses that aren't well known (like Evangaline Lilly in Lost) and putting them in big roles that they are perfect for.
As for Olivia and Peter getting together... I think it will be her sister and Peter... If Olivia and Peter hooked up it would be like Mulder and Scully hooking up and then everything falls apart... besides... it seems like Olivia and Peter may have some connection as children...
There is something compelling about Anna. Maybe it's in her eyes. Something....
Fringe
I have watched it from day one, last night's episode was one of the best. Anna is awesome to watch, there is something about her, love her outfits
I don't think she will hook up with Peter....that's too obvious
Peter's dad is funny, he adds humor
Have to agree, I'm hooked
Have to agree, I'm hooked on the show as well.
Love Walters character, usually makes me laugh.
And Olivias ofcourse. You said it missy, there's just something about that woman.
Todays show was fairly good as they usually are.
But the "inner child" episode has been the one stuck in my little head.
Just can't seem to get the little buggers face out of there. hehe.
Just wondering though.. How is it that Pacey wandered all the way from Dawson Creek and ended up in your article about Fringe? :P hehe.
Poor guy, I guess he might not be remembered so well as Peter Bishop, but as good ol' Pacey to most people.
Saw someone abow me posted about a movie she plays in: Book of Revelation with Tom Long. Think I'll check into that one. Have liked her acting so far both in Mistresses and Fringe so I'll have a go. Thanks for the tip ;)
Fringe
one of my fav shows
Oooh
I was wondering about the character, just because the actress is Anna Torv.. the producers would want her to go a bit gay.. I mean a woman in power on TV not doing something a bit lesbo is becoming unheard of. I'm not complaining. HAHA
-Rachel
http://www.kissthegirl09.webs.com
Did I hear one of them say
Did I hear one of them say "Are you sexually excited?"
if so... not... very... sexy.
No, no. Olivia was being
No, no. Olivia was being hypnotized in the lab into feeling this other guy's emotions, so it was actually the guy that was at the club, kissing the girl, and what you heard was Olivia (in the lab) saying, "He's sexually excited" as she recounted his emotions. That probably made little sense, but that is the beauty of Fringe.
twitter.com/peacecharade
that waz sexy
very nice...
Fringe
Cheers to Lori for getting you hooked on Fringe. :-) Being a sci-fi nut from way back, I had to check out the show when it started airing and have been watching since then.
Anna Torv's Olivia has many layers, some of which we're just now beginning to see, and hopefully more will be peeled off as the show progresses. She seems perfectly suited to this role and makes it more realistic each episode.
Last night's ep was one of the best yet. Walter always brings a bit of humor to the show with some of his childlike ways, but it's refreshing to see such intelligent writing and complex issues brought forth each week.
Hopefully, Fringe will survive to see another season, but sometimes when shows make people think, they end up being cancelled. This is too good to meet such an end.
Thanks, Sarah, for mentioning this great show...maybe it will draw in some new viewers.
Anna Torv is fantastic, but
Torv's diversity is
Torv's diversity is something current actors/actresses should aspire to. It's called "acting" and I love the fact that she does it so well, especially while masking that amazingly sexy accent.
Sci-Fi really isn't my thing, but this show had me hooked since Ep. 1 & I'm glad to say they've kept it up.
The power of Anna Torv
Anna has the swagger, baby! The way she looks at the stripper is sooo hot and intense. And how she walks up to her, wow, sexxxxxyyy!!!!! I'd love to dance for Anna anyday ;)
I watch a tiny bit of Fringe. Not a fan (I'm not into Sci-Fi) but I'm amazed by how Anna can adjust to different accents so beautifully.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last time I was inside a woman was when I visited the Statue of Liberty."
ummmmm
H.O.T..... never wanted to be a stripper..... until now.... though not any stripper.... just her.... *jealous*
Anna is so fine. *sigh*
Fringe (and Anna) at Paley Fest in LA April 23rd
For those of you in LA...
Fringe will be at the Paley Fest in Los Angeles on Th. April 23rd at 7 pm. There were still tickets available when I checked the site a couple of minutes ago. Here's who will be there:
J.J. Abrams, Creator/Executive ProducerJoshua Jackson, “Peter Bishop”
John Noble, “Dr. Walter Bishop”
Anna Torv, “Special Agent Olivia Dunham”
Additional panelists from the cast and creative team to be announced.
Sounds pretty amazing!
http://www.paleycenter.org/paleyfest09-fringe/
(PS I hope it's ok that I included a link...)
Is it just me?
Or is Anna Torv like a hotter (say it isn't so) version of Tilda Swinton? Of course, she hasn't evolved the acting chops quite yet, but give her a few years...
But what is it about TV shows or movies and their REALLY BAD strippers/exotic dancers? While I don't really frequent those places, the occasions I've been, the dancers actually had some moves. Not just slowly twirling around a pole like an anethestised 10-year-old on a jungle gym.
She needs...