Seth Gabel not returning as regular in season 5

[jadehase]

Just read about that at TVGuide.com

I understand the story arc about his character has ended, but it would still be nice to see him guest star in season 5...
And I started to miss the alternate universe...

[PB]

Just read about that at TVGuide.com

I understand the story arc about his character has ended, but it would still be nice to see him guest star in season 5...
And I started to miss the alternate universe...

His character didn't really have a story, unless you count that one episode where they killed his Alt from the Red Universe (the one everyone loved). The Lincoln character seemed to be used at first as a stand-in for Peter before his return in 4.04, then loosely employed as a kind of passive romantic rival for Olivia's affection, and finally as a fifth-wheel member of the Fringe team until his defection to the other side after the death of his doppelganger.

This guy had SO MUCH SCREEN TIME this season, then they finally flesh out his character more than halfway through the season in "Everything In It's Right Place" and now that they've found as use for this character they show him the door!?

I've said this elsewhere, but if their plan from the beginning was just to get rid of this unpopular character why did they waste so much screen time on him through the whole season?

I'm confused.

[Rekka]

Maybe he isn't a pivotal enough of a character to dedicate airtime to in the final 13. I liked him, but the character wasn't a vital presence to the orchestrated endgame. I think he was a nice character that allowed us to see different sides of our main cast, but maybe that was his purpose. I wouldn't say he was an unimportant character, just an unnecessary one now that we have such a limited time left.

[PB]

Maybe he isn't a pivotal enough of a character to dedicate airtime to in the final 13. I liked him, but the character wasn't a vital presence to the orchestrated endgame. I think he was a nice character that allowed us to see different sides of our main cast, but maybe that was his purpose. I wouldn't say he was an unimportant character, just an unnecessary one now that we have such a limited time left.

I definitely see your point, I guess what bothers me is that the way things were going, the fourth season could just as easily have turned out to be the last and yet a great deal of attention was turned to this character throughout. It felt as though they had the Lincoln character at loose ends throughout when at the beginning of the season it had seemed as if this character had a fleshed out back ground, clear personal motivation, and would assert himself as a strong independent force within the story. His quest to avenge his partner and uncover the truth definitely took a backseat to being a placeholder for Peter towards the beginning and then later just some dude who was also on the team. If he had stronger relationships with other members of the team and better dialog and chemistry with them I feel it would have been much easier to see the changes in this new timeline through his fresh set of eyes, but they didn't do a very effective job of using him that way.

I just feel that with all the time that was devoted to this character who finally found an identity as it were (even if it wasn't his own) in "Everything in its Right Place" that they finally would have had a use for him that didn't seem contrived or just to stand in for Peter. I think what I'm saying is they didn't do right by the actor or the character in my opinion and that really bothers me. It's Kirk Acevedo/Charlie Francis all over again. I'm sure we'll see him in some fleeting capacity in Season Four but I still feel this character had yet to hit full stride.

[phx219]

When they introduced Lincoln, they would have been hoping for more than half a season to continue with, and probably would have featured him in more episodes. He is an integral part of the redverse Fringe team, and on our side, without Peter, he was heading towards the same important position. Lincoln is probably huge.... just not in our verse

[phx219]

really, its no different than a seasons worth of Charlie, right?

[PB]

really, its no different than a seasons worth of Charlie, right?

Precisely, which is why I think it bothers me so much.

When they introduced Lincoln, they would have been hoping for more than half a season to continue with, and probably would have featured him in more episodes. He is an integral part of the redverse Fringe team, and on our side, without Peter, he was heading towards the same important position. Lincoln is probably huge.... just not in our verse

I guess knowing he's living a baller lifestyle in the Red Universe is going to have to be enough, plus I'm sure we'll see him again even if only briefly, at least I hope.

And on another, note, this is my 800th post!

[jadehase]

Maybe he isn't a pivotal enough of a character to dedicate airtime to in the final 13. I liked him, but the character wasn't a vital presence to the orchestrated endgame. I think he was a nice character that allowed us to see different sides of our main cast, but maybe that was his purpose. I wouldn't say he was an unimportant character, just an unnecessary one now that we have such a limited time left.

I agree. He has served his purpose.
Still I hope to see the alternate team again in season 5...

[PapayaGoo]

I'm sure it wasn't a purely creative decision not to bring back Lincoln. Between cutting the budget (again) and Seth probably wanting to do movies (or maybe take a break? he's a new father), it probably made sense to wrap up his character.

Alt-Lincoln had plenty to do, so it sucked to see him written off. Blue-Lincoln...well, ugh. I like Lincoln (most of the time), and I think 'on-paper,' he played a vital role this season: Seeing Fringe Division for the first time, giving Olivia somebody to get close to (because she never seems to get to know Astrid personally, although I think it's because she was interested in Lincoln romantically), and so forth. But the execution kind of sucked. I thought Gabel did a better job with Lincoln in S3, but he also had better material to work with.

I'll miss him, but it makes sense. I hope Gabel had a choice in the matter, or at the very least has reasons to look forward to leaving Fringe as a regular. And I hope to see him and Acevedo once more!

[Destiny Found]

I think amberlincoln's character was unnessecary and it was a waste of time. Alt lincoln was way better than amberlincoln. I hope this doesn't mean that we are not going to see the red universe again. I guess when the bridge is closed red universe stopped healing and went to destruction and observers captured the blue universe