Welcome to Multiversity Comics’ Summer Binge of Fringe, a show that Parks and Recreation’s own Ben Wyatt once called “airtight.” This is the first series that I ever really discovered on my own and 9th grade me watched all 5 seasons as fast as I could so it’s a real treat that I get to watch again it with all of you.
1. A Shockingly Good Pilot
Holy cow does Fringe start with a bang. Not literally given the fact that the plane on which our first mystery begins self-lands but some real explosive energy. Where a lot of shows are a bit tentative in their introductions to their worlds, Fringe thrusts you right into the middle of things to great effect, delivering as fully formed a show as anyone could hope for in its first episode. The tone, the character work, the visual language, and the plot all come together beautifully in a way that few series premieres* Structurally, this is all rooted in the incredibly smart decision to make this pilot the length of two episodes. Most new shows suffer from the issue of the pilot being a pretty boring outing given its obligation to reveal all of the backstory and establish every major character and plot line. That means that, historically, the second episode of a show-particularly one like Fringe, which has a whole lot going on in its world- serves as the real barometer of whether or not it’s worth giving a shot.** With the double-length pilot, J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci give themselves the freedom to both establish the world of the series and give it some real weight and momentum. You just can’t ask for much more than that.
2. “I Thought You’d Be Fatter”
That line- Walter’s first upon seeing his estranged son for the first time in years- is not only pitch perfect, but indicative of so much of what works about this pilot. Fringe delivers fully formed characters with rich histories (both personal and interpersonal) and you can feel the weight of all that right from the get go. Walter and Peter’s relationship is obviously the standout in that; Walter’s desperation to connect with and get support from his son is palpable, as is Peter’s equally deep feelings of resentment and longing toward his father. When the two of them are interacting, the episode is at its most interesting. I’m giving John Noble and Joshua Jackson a ton of credit right now and it’s well deserved- they give rich, natural, lived in performances- but I don’t want to take away from the rest of the cast, especially not Anna Torv. Torv, who stars as Olivia Dunham. Torv does really strong work as Olivia, who serves as both an audience conduit and a strong, dynamic character in her own right. That’s a tough tightrope to walk and she does more than pull it off. Probably the best part of the episode is the collective chemistry that Walter, Olivia, and Peter have; the scene where they set up the psychic bathtub is brimming with energy that you only get when a cast is really jiving. In that scene, a real, deep connection forms between out main trio and so a real, deep connection forms between us viewers and the show. The supporting cast of Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick, and Kirk Acevedo (with his weird whisper shouts) all pull their weight, too, standing out even as they get relatively little screen time.
3. You Are the Weakest Link
There’s only one part of the episode that doesn’t work and it’s the relationship between Olivia and John, her fellow federal agent and secret boyfriend who also happens to be part of the conspiracy she’s turned on to. It’s oddly dull and that’s an issue given that Olivia spends most of the episode driven by her desire to save him. Luckily Anna Torv is so good at what she does that it doesn’t hurt the episode too badly.
4. The X-Files but Make it Great
RIP to Mulder and Scully but Fringe is different. This is a show that is clearly, deeply indebted to The X-Files but- and I understand I could make some enemies saying this- it achieves significantly more as a FOX television series about government agents solving sci-fi crimes and uncovering a massive conspiracy. I say partly because it’s fun to be provocative but mostly because it’s impossible to talk about this show without talking about a series it shares so much DNA with. The thing is that Fringe is so better than The X-Files! The reasons for that reach far beyond the scope of this pilot but never quite escaped its shadow. I don’t necessarily want to live in a world where Fringe blew up the same way The X-Files did; I like the fact that this show feels like a treasure and it certainly had a very healthy run in the longterm. But I also want it to get the recognition it deserves.
Continued below5. An Intriguing Season Arc
Yet another element this pilot has going for it is the way that it introduces the major plot points of the season. The introductions of “the pattern,” Massive Dynamics, and the Fringe Division are all vital to the episode but none of them feel jammed into anything and all of them feel deeply intriguing. And while these all come into play through expository dialogue, they also don’t feel unnaturally jammed into the episode, nor do they feel like normal table setting. There’s strong writing that bakes them into the plot naturally- we’re being thrust into the middle of the conspiracy, not just learning that it exists. God, I love Fringe!
*Others include Scrubs, The West Wing, Lost, Veronica Mars, and Freaks and Geeks.
**I personally have a 5 episode rule for every show that I want to give a real chance but that is generous and generally speaking I know if a show is worth it much faster than that.
