In the mid-2000s, a television series was taking the world by storm. Produced by J.J. Abrams, the puzzle-box mystery Lost was a singular story about 42 plane crash survivors who land on a dangerous and possibly supernatural island. The series was anchored by a large ensemble cast and a level of character-driven storytelling not previously attempted. Lost deserved the attention it received because of its focus on character, but Abrams' follow-up was less celebrated.
In 2008, Fox premiered another mysterious series, this time in the world of fringe science. Aptly titled Fringe, the show was criminally underwatched but far more focused. Anna Torv stars as Olivia Dunham, an FBI agent thrown into a secret initiative that investigates strange anomalies in the world. Teaming up with the disgraced and mentally fragile Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his genius jack-of-all-trades son, Peter (Joshua Jackson), they discover a world of time travel, parallel dimensions, and supernatural abilities in one of the best examples of sci-fi television. Fringe delivers on the mysteries presented, but the heart of the series is resoundingly around the relationships.
It is rare to experience a television series that seamlessly alternates between plot developments and character moments, but Fringe accomplished this tenfold. The series could have become a by-the-numbers procedural, but it did away with these clichés thanks to the relationships at the center of the show. Olivia gets recruited into investigating The Pattern, a series of anomalies that seem to largely trace back to one man: Walter Bishop.
In his prime, Walter never compromised on his work and made remarkable advancements, but at the expense of the people around him. Years later, these events have come back and need to be dealt with. The only people able to do this are Walter and Peter, whose intellect surpasses everyone around them.
Most major plot turns stem from the relationship between Peter and Walter, such as the devastating reveal that the latter stole the former from another dimension. These twists aren’t just fascinating; they impact the emotional connections between the characters for better and for worse. Throughout the series, fans watch as the broken relationship between Peter and Walter is healed, though at great personal cost.
The high stakes of Fringe make the relationships even more compelling, including the romantic subplots. The series takes the well-trodden territory of a will-they-won’t-they partnership and turns it on its head. Peter and Olivia admit their feelings early on in the series, but their trials only just begin. The couple is thrown for a loop thanks to interdimensional travel, which often separates them. Their dynamic resonates just as much as Walter and Peter's.
When it comes to destiny, nothing is set in stone.
As often as Olivia and Peter are separated, they also prove that they are the love of each other’s lives. Even through brainwashing and getting erased from an entire timeline, they still remember each other and find a way to a happy ending. Fringe redefined what a subversive show could look like and delivered a gratifying finale that ultimately satisfied fans.
