What makes people tune into a new show in the fall? Is it the track record of the show's producers? Is it the interesting nature of the series' content? Is it the recognition of one of the show's main stars? Whichever of the previous statements suits your television viewing purposes, there is one place this fall where all of the reasons converge: Fringe, which will soon debut on FOX.
When I heard that J.J. Abrams (the mastermind behind shows such as Alias and Lost) was creating another television show, I was intrigued to say the least. So you can only imagine how excited I was to find an advanced copy of the two-hour season premiere in my office mailbox. It took everything I had not to run right back to my freshly inhabited dorm room and stick the disc in my ancient VHS/DVD combo.
With the list of previously mentioned shows, Abrams has proven himself to be a mastermind of science fiction television. Lost has changed the way people view TV in ways that I couldn't explain in this space. The first few minutes of Fringe seem to copy the Lost phenomenon, portraying an airplane experiencing turbulence among other things, but the series soon separates itself from the obvious comparison when the plane lands successfully, although every single person on board is dead.
FBI agent Olivia Dunham is sent to investigate the situation, thereby putting our main character on the path of the exploration of the unexplainable. The title Fringe refers to a pseudo-science that examines the stuff science fiction is made of. Agent Dunham (played by Cate Blanchett look alike Anna Torv) is thrown into this world along with an institutionalized mad scientist named Walter Bishop, and his genius son Pete, played by the resurrected Joshua Jackson. Torv stuns as the headstrong female agent who is trying to prove herself in a man's world, evoking memories of Jodi Foster's Clarice Starling. Jackson shows off his mature acting chops as the deeply troubled son who wants to find his own identity.
I refuse to give you anymore information, since the beauty of the pilot is making your way through its murky scientific waters. But rest assured, unlike its Abrams counterpart Lost, Fringe not only raises questions that should serve as an overarching theme, but answers the central conundrum of the pilot. Anyone would be a fool to bet against this show making it past the usual three-episode expiration date of a fall premiere.
Be the first to comment on this article!