FRINGE: What is the appeal?

[megamania]

I have heard good reviews from friends and members here about the TV show Fringe.

So when I saw season one on sale I placed on my X-mas list. The wife got me Season One & Two.

I'm about 1/2 way thru season one and well... I seem to be missing something.

It's not grabbing my imagination as of yet. I know its susposed to be about alternate realities and the such but I'm not even seeing that.

Does it start slow or is this the way it generally runs?

 

[Ahnehnois]

In a way it was mistitled. The cases about "fringe science" I initially expected to be legitimate fringe science. In fact, most of them have a kernel of truth somewhere but aren't even close to reality. It's often compared to the X-Files, but that show was much closer to real-life accounts of alien abduction, psychic phenomena, et cetera. "Fringe science" is very interesting, and while most of it goes nowhere, you have to figure that there are a few bits of enlightening truth in it (as many currently accepted scientific truths were once in this category). But that's not what this show is about. Once you accept (as the writers did) that the show is a science-flavored fantasy, not science fiction, it gets much better.

The alternate universe stuff introduced later on makes this distinction clear, and also places some interesting challenges on the characters. That's really the reason to watch; the characters. The central three are very entertaining and very well acted. There's also the offbeat humor, and the superior production values as the show gleefully depicts more and more bizarrely absurd scenarios.

Bottom line, the show builds on itself and becomes much more watchable. The current season has been uniquely dramatic and wildly entertaining. I see what you're saying as I was on the fence about it too, but I'd advise sticking with it because the show will get better.

 

[Klaus]

Plus, y'know, Anna Torv.

 

[fba827]

when i first started watching it, i too thought i didn't have much appeal.

but then i kept it in my recording schedule and ended up watching them "in the background" while I did other things.
As the series progressed, I got more and more in to it.

Bottom line: It is a very slow start and picks up later in the series. Having said that, the early season stuff is actually important in that it lays the foundation that explains other things that are going to happen (not that you need to memorize it all or anything, but the info gives a better perspective on the later stuff: aka why walter is the way he is, why oliva is a special individual, and why/how everything talked about in the series is related)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I like it as a current X-Files. Some episodes are part of the core mythos; some are excursions into weird science explanations.

It does take some getting used to -- my spouse, who normally like sci-fi and loved X-files, can't stand Fringe.

 

[Herschel]

You won't have to worry about it much longer. It's been moved the the 9:00 pm Friday FOX slot where good sci-fi shows go to die.

Brimstone
Dark Angel
Firefly

 

[fba827]

You won't have to worry about it much longer. It's been moved the the 9:00 pm Friday FOX slot where good sci-fi shows go to die.

Yeah, when I noticed the time slot shift, it was as if the writing was put on the wall as to what is to come next in its future ...

Brimstone
Dark Angel
Firefly

While I never watched Dark Angel, your mentioning of Brimstone and Firefly makes me want to cry for their loss again. *sigh*.

 

[Klaus]

Dark Angel was very good, and made even better by the tag team of Jessica Alba and Jensen Ackles.

 

[Welverin]

Dark Angel was very good, and made even better by the tag team of Jessica Alba and Jensen Ackles.

Season two was quite a bit different than season one so you have to be open major shake-ups other wise you'll really hate season two.

 

[frankthedm]

Too far on the fringe of sci fi for my tastes. As an example, that expanded consciousness chamber might have been tolerable in a single, never speak of that again episode, but instead it became a plot point in future eps.