Last week I caught the first two episodes of JJ Abrams new paranormal thriller Fringe. And I have to say, what took me so long?
The natural comparison with a show like Fringe is the X-Files, and it is a very apt comparison. Not only is the show’s subject matter the same, they are also structured similarly. Fringe employs the traditional X-Files opening of some inexplicable, and often grusome, event taking place that the main cast will then investiagte. There is also a touch of the old Mulder/Scully dynamic…though not in quite the same fashion. Neither of the two leads fit the Mulder role of believer at all, so while I’m sure we’ll see the old unresolved sexual tension sooner or later, there will be none of that push and pull between the pair. If there is a believer/nonbeliever dynamic it is clearly between Pacey and Denethor.
In fact it’s John (Denethor) Noble’s Walter that gives Fringe its extra kick. Noble plays the mad scientist to the hilt. It’s a delicate balancing act that could very easily crash into camp that Noble pulls off. Now it could eventually grate that every single out there phenominom they encounter is something Walter and the Massive Dynamics guy researched in the Seventies, but for now he remains a quirky figure that is both amusing and sinister at the same time.
The other main thematic difference between Fringe and the X-Files is in the nature of the shadowy conspiracy a the heart of the show’s premise. Where the X-Files represented our paranoia regarding the government, Fringe delves into our communal fear of mega corporations seeking to control us. Even the company’s name, the wonderfully generic yet menacing Massive Dynamic, reflects this. Hopefully Abrams and his brain trust have a more cohesive mytharc planned out than Carter and 1013 did with the Syndicate. To wit, if bees ever play a major role in Fringe’s mythology I’m going home.
In short, Fringe is exactly the sort if TV show I enjoy watching. It tickles my fancy in a way no show has since X-Files went bad. I need to get my hands on the third episode, and I will definitely add it to my regular TV viewing rotation. Sadly since it’s on Fox I’m sure it will be going away next month in favor of baseball playoffs, but after the Red Sox repeat be sure to check out Fringe.