Fringe Season 1

An airplane soars through the sky, filled with unsuspecting passengers, tragedy about to unfold before their eyes. No, this isn’t Lost and yes, this where the similarities between J.J. Abrams two shows end. Whereas Lost deals with compounding mysteries of a secret island that require multiple viewings to understand, Fringe prides itself on being able to explain everything to it’s audience even if its totally impossible in the world as we know it.

From the onset, the show already has the considerable task of differentiating itself from a series that deals with similar material in X-Files. While fans are bound to draw comparisons between the two, what sets them apart is the overarching story that flows throughout each episode of Fringe. Rather than focus on one paranormal case per episode, that has little to no bearing on the plot, Fringe collects every case and labels them as part of a growing series of events collectively known as “the Pattern”. What “the Pattern” is and who is responsible for it builds slowly with each episode until finally reaching a crescendo in the season finale that opens up more questions than it answers.

Responsible for tracking and solving each individual case is a team of characters whose backgrounds make them perfect for dealing with such situations. Leading them is FBI agent Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv. As determined as she is beautiful, Dunham is driven to find what the connection between each case is when her lover appears to be a traitor, directly involved with everything that is happening around her. She is admittedly motivated by her emotions, often bringing her into conflict with her superiors, so that she may grasp the truth for herself.

Aiding her is the father/son team of Walter and Peter Bishop, played respectively by John Noble and Joshua Jackson. Their relationship is strenuous at best, with Walter often getting on Peter’s nerves with his nonsensical behavior though they grow accustomed to each other by the end of the season. Walter is wide eyed and eccentric, having spent the latter half of his life in an insane asylum, and is prone to making inappropriate remarks at the worst of times. He is often seen requesting to try certain foods and drinks unavailable to him within the confines if the asylum, while enthusiastically dissecting bodies given to him for research. His behavior can be grating at times as he can be over the top, but its his quiet, emotional moments that make him a treat to watch. Peter acts as the straight man to Walter’s madness, questioning everything, often resulting in Walter berating him for his lack of imagination.

Together, they encounter psychics, monsters, and even alternate worlds, all the while pursuining those responsible for the rising discord that threatens to tear their own world apart.

Along the way, the group struggles with the emerging “Pattern” while at the same time coping with the revelations each new mystery brings. Each episode adds a new layer to the characters, so that by the end of the season, the audience is emotionally invested in the outcome of their story.

Props go out to the special effects department. Nothing looks fake or hokey. In fact, those who have weak stomachs should be warned; violence is excessive and the results are often brutally realistic. It was truly surprising how far Fringe pushed it’s rating. It holds nothing back, opting instead to bring the audience as close to the gore as possible.

Fringe should have a long and healthy life. It successfully fuses character drama with bizarre, over the top ideas, creating a unique and well crafted show that should appeal to more than one fan base. Fans of the defunct X-Files will latch on to it for the sci-fi nonsense of which Fringe takes so much pleasure in toying with, while followers of J.J. Abrams other works will obviously give a curious glance over just to see how it stacks up. Either way, if you do decide to give Fringe a chance, consider yourself in good hands. It’s bizarre nature, unique characters, and well written plot make it a welcome addition to the library of any fan of science fiction.

Fringe Season one - A-