Speaking of returning shows for the fall, I am happy that Fox is starting the new episodes of Fringe on September 17th, instead of the making us wait until October or November. When Fringe debuted last season, it was a pleasure to watch a show that got progressively better with each episode. I think the one element that make show entertaining, is that the science fiction used is not that all far fetched. The weird or fringe science technology is shown in a way that leave you thinking it is plausible.
For those of you that were hiding under a rock when the show debuted last year, I will list a brief synopsis from Wikipedia to help you get a better understanding of the show and hopefully you will consider watching Fringe this fall.
” Wikipedia’s synopsis ”
Fringe follows the exploits of FBI special agent Olivia Dunham, mad scientist Walter Bishop, and his son “jack of all trades” Peter Bishop as they investigate aspects of fringe science (rare diseases, chimeras, transhumans with psychic abilities, teleportation, and so forth). All over the world, a series of apparent experiments collectively referred to as “the Pattern” (e.g., a newborn baby who rapidly ages and dies within a few minutes, a bus full of passengers trapped in a strange resin like mosquitoes in amber) are occurring for reasons unknown. Olivia, Peter, and Walter are in charge of investigating these strange events to determine their source. Connected to the Pattern is Massive Dynamic, a leading global technology company that holds the patents for a number of new and important technologies. Their enemy is ZFT, a bioterrorist organization which is orchestrating all of the strange occurrences in order to prepare for a destructive technological singularity. Tying both sides together is a nootropic drug, called Cortexiphan, that was developed by Walter and his partner, William Bell (now chairman of Massive Dynamic), which Olivia and a number of others were treated with as children. The first season closes with Olivia meeting William in a parallel universe where, among other differences, the World Trade Center was not destroyed by the September 11 attacks.
Unlike his other series, Lost, J.J. Abrams promises the series’ story arc will be easier to follow and more accessible for those who skip the odd show. In an interview first published in September 2008, Abrams said: “Lost has garnered a certain reputation for being a very complicated show and one that you have to watch every episode. Fringe is in many ways an experiment for us, which is, we believe it is possible to do a show that does have an overall story and end game, which Fringe absolutely does… We can do a show that has that, so that there’s a direction the show is going and there’s an ultimate story that’s being told, but also a show that you don’t have to watch episodes one, two and three to tune into episode four.”
