Every time a new show launches, we try to find ways to describe it within the framework of shows we already know. With Fringe there were lots of reviews comparing it to The X-Files because of the unexplained cases and underlying conspiracy theory (referred to as “The Pattern”). Hopefully X-Philes (X-Files devotees) who tune in for Fringe won’t be too disappointed that the similarities end there… at least for now. It’s more of a character-driven crime drama along the lines of Crossing Jordan than a paranormal thriller. As far as conspiracies go, they are keeping us guessing. Who should she trust? Who’s good, who’s evil? Who’s involved? Under these circumstances, who is “truthful” would be a very wrong question to ask. The very nature of their work requires deception.
While it’s hard to define Agent Olivia Dunham (played by Australian actress Anna Torv), I can very clearly say she is no Agent Scully. We see a lack of Scully-ish skepticism in the first episode when longtime mad scientist and mental hospital patient Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) suggests some drug-induced experimental procedure and she dives at the chance to take it (no pun intended; okay, well, maybe a little). Olivia is likeable, competent, smart, quick, and lacking the dark past normally built into a lead — at least, it appears that way. Her demons are introduced to us after we meet her, thus getting us, as viewers, invested in her finding resolutions.
The “Mad Scientist” Walter is immensely entertaining. Every time he speaks I see Vincent Price cast as H. G. Well’s Dr. Moreau, cutting and splicing together flesh to create his visions of a new world, operating with a different moral compass than the rest of us. He’s horrifying and fascinating in a Hannibal Lecter kind of way, and the moment you laugh at something he says, you catch yourself, conflicted over whether or not you should allow yourself to like him. He’s a bad man, right?
As he unwillingly babysits his father, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) reminds me of Charlie Babbit from Rain Man with a dash of Will Zimmerman from the Web series Sanctuary. Mystery surrounds him just as surely as trouble does. This genius is seething with angst, sarcasm, and cynicism, all perhaps formed by the knowledge from childhood that his father was a monster. Now he’s learning just what kind of a monster his father truly is. Is it better or worse than he dreamed?
There is a great supporting cast of characters (Agents Astrid Farnsworth and Phillip Broyles, Nina Sharp, and John Scott) but above all, I must confess that I love Agent Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo)! I have always enjoyed deadpan humor and he delivers such an understated performance that every time he speaks, I like him even more. He’s a gem and I hope we see more of him. He seems to be the only person in Olivia’s life who is who he is with no illusions or deceptions.
Fringe is better then I expected. I usually only give a new show two episodes to win me over, but I made up my mind by the end of the first episode that this is going to stay on my short list of new shows to watch. J.J. Abrams has delivered a layered and intriguing world to us (giving me hope that the new Star Trek movie will be one of the best). It is very well done and has tried to establish a unique visual appearance, which I believe it succeeds in. It’s definitely a visual feast, from the sets and backgrounds to visual emotional responses on the characters’ faces. The story is well-written with a nice balance of suspense and humor, without going overboard. They have laid the foundation for what could be a successful long-running show. The performances are even keel, and tuning in for the first episode felt more like tuning in later in the season. With many shows, the actors are still feeling out who their characters are for much of the first season, but this cast seemed to wear their characters like a favorite old shirt.
On a personal note, it was nice to finally understand why, at San Diego Comic-Con, on our way to see the X-Files movie downtown, we were handed sneak peak tickets by a group of people minding a herd of cattle in a parking lot. If we hadn’t already bought tickets online, we would have been whisked off to a secret location to see the sneak peek premiere of Fringe. Honestly, I think we all would have enjoyed it more.