Fringe - Season 1 [Blu-ray]

There's no denying it, really: Fringe treads precisely the same ground as The X Files. Except, where X-Files was almost uniformly supernatural or alien-y, Fringe approaches it all with science. Or, rather, "fringe science". So while it deals with the same topics, (such as telekinesis, telepathy, ghosts, "alien" parasites, spontaneous combustion and even vampires) each is given an entirely earthly scientific explanation. The explanations are, of course, as fanciful as any explanation given in the X-Files, and that's a part of its charm.

It has 3 leads, really: Anna Torv as Olivia Dunn, an FBI agent, Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop and John Noble (the unmitigated gem and joy of the entire series) as mad scientific genius, Walter Bishop. Walter is Peter's estranged father, and watching their relationship gradually develop is really very lovely.

Fringe is a complex and wildy twisty series, so describing any one part of it is immensely tricky as it's a little like a knotted ball of string, so everything is connected to everything else.

Each episode is stand alone in terms of topic, ie, telepathy, but arcing throughout the series are multiple threads and you need to watch every episode to keep a handle on them. There's the mysterious, unseen William Bell, Walter Bishop's former lab partner; there's a shadowy, seemingly emotionless, hairless man who seems to be everywhere you look; Nina Sharp, the secretive face of "Massive Dynamic", a huge science and technology conglomerate started by William Bell; Olivia Dunn's past: the tests she went through as a child, and Bell and Bishop's involvement; the big mystery about Peter's childhood and "death"... on and on it goes, everything inextricably linked with everything else, and everything revolving around Walter.

Some of the episodes are phenomenally good and some are terribly lacklustre, making the series so far quite hit and miss. Without John Noble as Walter Bishop, Fringe would be mediocre - he is absolutely its heart and soul - so everything combined, so far so watchable.

However. The final episode is breath-taking. Actually, that needs to be condensed even further: the final scene is breath-taking. I can't possibly overstate how powerful it is. The entire episode is hugely intriguing, and asks as many questions as it hints the answers to. Plus there's a lovely cameo from a sci-fi legend, so it was already rubbing the elbow of greatness. Then the final scene came, and I watched it blithely and contentedly, thinking nothing of it. The camera pulled back slowlyslowly for the big reveal and when realisation sunk in, my skin literally prickled. It was eerie, and it made my head fuzzy for about an hour.

I find myself thinking of it, and wondering, "What if?" The entire series is almost worth watching for that one scene alone. Luckily, the entire series is, overall, really very good, so it won't be a big ole waste of your time. Yes, Fringe is most certainly an homage to X-Files. But it's done well, so no harm done. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is an homage to butter... but it's still lovely on toast.

Great series, I think, and friends I've passed it on to / watched episodes with agree.
Yes, you're a bit more likely to enjoy it if you like sf-type shows, but the acting is good and the ever-building narrative is terrific - always enough momentum to get over the sporadic holes in the plot!
Plus if you like this, you will certainly want to get Season 2 ...

Being a massive fan of the sci-fi genre, I picked up this boxset just last week (good decision too as it has now gone back up in price!). However, I had already watched the first season. In fact, I am currently watching season two, which will be coming to an end soon.

Firstly, the show is just great. It's refreshing to see a show perfect the sci-fi genre so well. The explanations for each scenario are complete nonsense but when you're watching, it just passes you by and you forget to care about it. The cast is fantastic, a great ensemble of characters that you would never think to see working together yet are thrust into the same team.

The show focuses on a team of investigators (an FBI agent, genius scientist who spent 17 years in a mental institution and his wayward son) working on mysterious, odd cases which are all part of "The Pattern". These include mind control, teleportation, alternate universes, astral projection, mutation and many other situations that are simply out of this world. Some of the episodes are genuinely gory and creepy, so this is probably not something to let the young ones watch! The show also has a very interesting story arc that continues through each episode and also into season two.

The stories are great, the writing is great, the cast are great. To put it simply, if you like sci-fi and enjoyed watching the x files when that was on television, then Fringe is certainly for you. It's modern, funny at times and genius at the same time.

However, there is one thing I must bring up that is not a positive. It is not regarding the show itself, but again, the packaging it comes in. My packaging might simply be a one off but the first time I opened each DVD case, a handful of small pieces of black plastic came tumbling out. These pieces of plastic are what holds each disc in place. The prongs are very loose and although it may be simply a case of bad luck, I fear that if any more fall out, the discs will be unable to remain still and slip about inside the case. On a more positive note, the front cover of the DVD set is great. It is that material that changes picture depending on how you tilt it, which is a nice touch.

P.S. Look out for a mysterious bald man in each episode. Buy this DVD and you'll know what I mean ;)