Aug
2
I mauled my way through 14 episodes of Fringe, this weekend. I’m very excited, now – why? The alternate reality arc of the show is about to kick in fully, meaning that Walternate, Bolivia and company will force all the mediocre standalone stories to one side for a spell. Frankly, they’re boring, and have always been Fringe’s greatest weakness. I’m not saying this to stir, or anything, I just think they’re tiresome and detract the show from challenging its cast as well as fully characterising the protagonists.
JJ Abrams’ specialty – and, by extension, the talents of those he works with – is serialised drama. Becoming invested in a show is altogether more difficult with a procedural; that’s why I watch Mad Men or The Wire, rather than CSI: Miami or Cold Case. In the alternate reality, Fringe finally found a plot device for its viewers to latch onto. As a result, it brings the spotlight onto the cast and allows a genuinely interesting sci-fi idea to be explored in more than just an hour (with commercials).
I’m not saying the show should be deliberately prohibitive to those who turn on halfway through a season – I just don’t think anybody will be talking about the episode with the 15-year-old who can control minds in a year’s time. The procedural episodes just aren’t strong enough. John Noble’s Emmy-worthy acting efforts as Walternate, however, will remain a talking point for years to come among the Fringe faithful. The third season will pick up with the alternate universe plot straight away, as evidenced by season two finale cliffhanger – we’re excited to see where it could go next.
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I agree – Fringe works best in the alternate world storylines and now it has found its audience I believe season three will benefit from its mythology now all the way through. Some of the standalone stories were OK in season one but now it’s found its footing, Fringe should stick to the alternate universe storyline so we can see where this exciting show can go next.
Totally agree Sam. Although the two season build to crossing over and the slow burn over Peter’s backstory was excellently played out inside various ‘monster of the week’ episodes the same way X Files did it. Like you, throughout season two it got harder to not ‘let’s just watch another’ as the brilliantly crafted alternate world story arc played out. Fringe is one of the most exciting SF shows for years and has an amazing potential. It’s not as glossy or ‘sexy’ as X Files but it’s wonderfully crafted arcs and characters coupled with strong acting make this show a must see. Can’t wait to see how it all pans out ‘over there’ next season.
I totally agree that “Fringe” works best when it is exploring the alternate reality and wish the show would spend more time delving into the conflict between the two universes. We learned SO much in the season 2 cliffhanger as to why the other universe is so desperately trying to destroy ours. When Walter originally opened the doorway to the alternate to steal Peter 2.0, he set off a chain-reaction that has caused much destruction over there which continues to this day. No wonder they hate us and want us destroyed. There are numerous plot points that could play out if the show focused solely on the battle between the 2 worlds and abandoned the weekly, self-contained episodes altogether. But, is this realistic? Clearly “Fringe” is an “X-Files” wannabe, having the duality of self-contained episodes with the occasional foray into serialized storytelling, as “X” did with its “Alien Mythology” episodes. With “X-Files” succeeding at it for over 8 years, clearly FOX and the producers are thinking along the same lines with “Fringe.” I don’t think either entity is bold enough to allow the series to become JUST about the conflict with our universe and the alternate, as much as I may wish otherwise. That in and of itself could alienate many casual viewers, and “Fringe’s” US ratings have been on a roller coaster as it is. So, while I think it would be a brilliantly bold move to make the show soley about the two universes, don’t expect it to happen. We will be back to self-contained episodes before you can say “Walternate” and “Fauxlivia!”