Retrospective: Fringe

Although Fringe (which aired on FOX) concluded its run in January, I have just completed my own binge-watching of the series which happened to begin then. Consisting of five seasons and exactly 100 episodes, Fringe was one of those rare shows that is able to fly under the radar in the face of low ratings and end on its own terms, thanks to its loyal cult following. Created by J.J Abrams and his Star Trek co-writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (each of whom have created various cult sci-fi properties), Fringe was initially conceived as a new sort of X-Files, a procedural with a new case each week that involved an area of fringe science (things like mind-control, bio-engineering, etc.). However, Fringe also built up a heavy mythology, with some episodes more serialized than others and each season having a primary arc. While the cases of the week vary from serviceable to excellent, the serialized story is steadily compelling and it retains your interest with elaborate plots and twisty developments.

Of course, any show is only as good as its cast and Fringe is excellently served on that front. The series begins with a focus on steely FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), as she is desperate to save her partner from an unknown flesh-melting biological weapon. This leads her to Dr. Walter Bishop (an absolutely incredible John Noble), who's research in the field of fringe science at Harvard in the '70s has suspicious similarities to the case (and most of the ones that follow as well). However, Walter has been in a mental institution since an accident in his lab 17 years ago and can only be signed out by his next of kin, his con-artist son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson). Olivia tracks down Peter in the Middle East and "convinces" him to return to Boston and his father, allowing Walter's lab at Harvard to be re-opened and the core Fringe team to be formed. Rounding out the team is Olivia's investigative research assistant, Junior Agent Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole), who's sweetness and patience are put to the ultimate test as she helps look after an uneven Walter (who can never seem to get her name right, referring to her as Astro or Asterisk, among other butcherings including my own favorite, Esther Figglesworth). Though he is still exceptionally brilliant, Walter's extensive time in an insane asylum has unsurprisingly left his mind quite scattered, as have his regular (scientific and recreational) experiments with LSD and other mind-altering drugs. While Walter provides most of the series' comic relief, with his hilarious non-sequiturs, TMI candidness, and daily specific food cravings, he also provides most of the show's heart as well. He is simultaneously simple offbeat comedy and complex dire tragedy, as his past scientific ambition is both directly and indirectly responsible for many of the catastrophic events the team investigates. Walter's heart and the development of his conscious is characterized by his relationship with Peter, as they make up for their previous distance (both physical and emotional) by working and living together, since Walter needs full-time care and supervision. Despite his wry skepticism and sarcastic one-liners, Peter's involvement with the Fringe team gives him a real purpose after years of being unattached. Similarly, he and Walter bring out a gentler, more playful, side of Olivia, especially as her and Peter's relationship develops into something deeper than merely being partners. Aside from the lab the team's assets include no-nonsense Fringe head Lt. Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick) and Massive Dynamic COO Nina Sharp (Blair Brown), a company with its hand in nearly everything related to science and was founded by Walter's old lab partner, the now elusive William Bell (Leonard Nemoy).

Part of what keeps Fringe captivating episode by episode, is the way many of the cases relate to the series' overarching plots (slight season-to season general plot points follow, so potential spoiler heads up if you want to remain completely fresh). While cases are typically solved by the end of an episode, some remain largely open-ended as the culprit and/or the device involved carry over to other episodes and affect the overarching plot of the villains. Furthermore, these plots are typically shrouded in mystery as the team races to find and/or stop a suspect, while attempting to uncover their true intentions. Towards the end of the first season, the revelation of a parallel universe led by the team's malicious doppelgangers becomes the emphasis of seasons two and three (the best of the series), as there is a perpetuated notion that only one universe can survive an inevitable war between the two. To go further into the various twists and turns involving the parallel universe (bio-mechanical shape-shifters are involved), particularly as it relates to Walter and Peter, would be a disservice to the carefully constructed and thoroughly rewarding storylines that unfold with tense action and emotional depth. The series' fourth season goes in another direction as the universal conflict's resolution leads to a kind of alternate timeline (Fringe makes numerous episodic trips that reveal the past and foretell the future) where the main characters must reforge their connections to each other, an uneven season that does at least offer further insights into the show's prominent themes (including love, fatherhood, responsibility, and redeption) and an excitingly villainous plot to create a new universe. Meanwhile the final season focuses on a totalitarian and dystopian future involving the mysterious Observers, omniscient and hairless beings who wear suits and fedoras as they appear at important events throughout history (without aging), substantial Fringe events included.

Despite its shortcomings of some cases that underwhelm and plotlines that can sometimes feel convoluted, Fringe is still an engrossing tale when taken in its entirety (similar to other series that were able to finish their stories as they intended, such as Chuck and Lost, which will be discussed in future Retrospectives), with well crafted mythological episodes and some truly exceptional procedural episode as well. The numerous connections among various characters and events, such as Olivia's unique abilities (which proved helpful when dealing with the parallel universe and some select cases) that were a result of childhood experiments and William Bell's role in the overarching stories, are a constant source of intrigue. The fifth season in particular makes many references and callbacks to previous events in the series and some memorable cases. Even if you're not obsessive enough of a fan to decode each episodes secret theme word (each commercial break is marked by an image that represents a letter in the alphabet), the extensively rich mythology will maintain your focus while the fully developed characters ensure your investment. Thankfully, since Fringe was able to finish with a complete vision and story, that investment is ensured to be worthwhile.