New show review: Fringe
September 12th, 2008 by screenwriterguy
I never did get around, some while back, to completing a top-ten list of best television pilots of all time. However, I’ve no doubt Lost would have made the list, and Alias would have been in strong contention. So the level of expectation I bring to a J.J. Abrams pilot likely isn’t fair. Then there’s the inevitable recall of The X-Files when one consideres a show about FBI agents handling cases of pseudoscience.
Fringe is not The X-Files, Alias, or Lost. All of those are better shows, or at least better pilots. Still, Fringe holds one’s interest. The pilot offered a distinct style, and a small array of characters that promise intriguing relationships to come.
Fringe centers around Agent Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv, and her effort to save the life of her lover. (When a protagonist confesses her love, if I point at the object of her confession and say, “You’re doomed,” is that a testimony to my developing sense of story, or does it mean I’m jaded?) Agent Dunham enlists the help of a mad scientist –not the archetype, but literally a scientist who is mad—and his enigmatic and ridiculously gifted son. Her efforts scratch the surface of a world-wide conspiracy, and she gets the invite to join the super-secret U.S. Government agency. Whether she will join seems to be a matter for episode two.
Overall, Fringe gets a little heavy-handed with it’s post-9/11-ness, the sci-fi elements require more suspension of disbelief than I would care for, and the way in which the main characters wind up working together is a bit too pat. However, the world of the show is well constructed. Meanwhile, the plot of this episode twists well, giving the viewer just enough of the who-can-we-trust mystique that made the first seasons of Alias so good, so Fringe is probably worth another week’s investment.
Best aspect: Torv seems potentially capable of following Jennifer Garner’s footsteps as a leading lady whose charisma must drive everything about her show.
Worst aspect: Several ridiculous leaps of faith contriving to get everybody in the same room.
Verdict: It gets another viewing.
Odds of success: FOX is quick with an axe, even with brilliant showrunners. (See Drive or Firefly.) Still, for now Fringe follows House, which consistently scored mid-20 million audiences last year. Keeping in mind Abrams’ oft-(over)used technique of hooking audiences with action from ¾ of the way into a story, then winding back and unraveling, there’s a decent chance he can keep half of that House crowd from flipping over to the inexplicably popular Dancing with the Stars. (If I were FOX, i would arrange the commercial breaks so that there’s zero gap between the two shows.) I’m guessing Fringe at least makes it to mid-season, giving it a chance to see whether or not it finds its feet.
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