FRINGE
Fringe is one of the best shows out
there.
& this is my feeble attempt @
trying to persuade you to watch.
http://fuckyeahfringefox.tumblr.com/tags is a great resource to start with. That & Wikipedia. But the tumblr site is fine when you want to
visually browse @ your leisure. Also the
information is straight from the superfans.
& superfans give great intel.
The superfans give you all the info & pics you could ever want, in
addition to lovely little easter eggs about the main characters, the
relationships of those characters [romantic or otherwise], comic con things,
& other Fringe-isms about the mythology of the show. It’s a
fabulous resource.
Here is an example of some of the
“graphics” they’ll post [it’s a bit spoiler-y because it’s all the funerals, so
maybe if you want to stay spoiler free, don’t click]:
Fringe is one of those shows that
likes to link everything together. In
fact that tumblr site posts a lot of parallels between the shows & seasons,
& also the other creations J.J. Abrams & his staff have been associated
with – like Alias & Star Trek. Lens
flares are a common aesthetic, too.
Here is another resource that
consists of me pulling my hair out / wailing on the floor / my liveblogging
experience of the show: http://tealrallythong.tumblr.com/tagged/fringe. Again that is my personal tumblr
that I use much more often. You may
breeze thru that on your own time.
But the show…
Fringe is very near & dear to my
heart. Because it’s more than just a
Sci-Fi show. It’s more than just a tv
show. It’s an experience. It’s a labor of
love [much like what this post is going to be.]
It’s a short story about love just as much as it is a series about
science. Hell, even one of the titles is
named “A Short Story About Love.”
Fringe has anything you could ever
be interested in: a thick plot that feeds you multiple layers of intricate
details that you can discuss with your friends & obsess over; smokin’ leads
for you to fawn over; a badass heroine that won’t take no shit from no one
[more about her later]; a mad scientist who provides sassy one-liners as much
as he provides the smarts to solve the cases; an attractive every-man that
serves as the glue that holds the show together; an alternate universe full of
the alt versions of all the characters we love; Leonard Nemoy; a WOC in a more than
supporting role; memorable horror scenes; endearing romance scenes; breath-taking
cinematography; completely flawless acting that is never appreciated but is
nonetheless a professional course in Acting 101; & more.
Fringe is a science show, yes, &
that’s very important. Walter Bishop
& William Bell have created so many things that are integral to the show’s
existence: the shape-shifters; all of the whatevers gone wrong some way or
another in the 1st season; universe-hopping; Cortexiphan & the
CortexiChildren; & more. & those
things are so very important & so very interesting & so very morally
compromising, but it’s really the human
emotions & breath-taking character development that make Fringe so very
dear to me. Everything about this show
hooked me since the Pilot – since the small little teasers for the Pilot. The first time I watched SOMETHING about
Fringe… I was a goner.
Olivia
Dunham, FBI
is one of the best written characters of all time. All 12 or so versions of her. Anna Torv, her actress, is masterful @ her
craft, but still has no Emmys to show for it.
But neither do Hugh Laurie or Jon Hamm & countless other actors
& actresses who have been snubbed & will continue to be snubbed. But luckily she doesn’t act just to get golden
statues; she acts because she’s good
@ it. Anna is one of the best background
character actors of all time, too. Just
the little nuances she does in the back while the camera is focusing on another
character is flawless. & the fact that she has had to do 12 variations of her character – all
being the “same” character yet entirely different – all has to deal with those
little nuances. William Bell!Olivia /
Bellivia has Anna taking on Leonard Nemoy’s mannerisms. Fauxlivia is different from Our!Olivia
because Fauxlivia is fluid, while Olivia is static; Fauxlivia flows from room
to room & is always in constant fidgeting motion, while Olivia is very
stiff, very solid, very much grounded & in control. Plus the little flashes of her eyes in each character;
the little lick of the lips or a little raise of the eyebrow… she’s a master @
that. But yet no recognition.
But getting back to Olivia the
character. She is one of the strongest
females… & also one of the most vulnerable.
Since Olivia has known abuse for most of her life, it’s hard for her to
trust people – to let them in after so many have hurt her time & time
again. & that’s very relatable to so
many people who push others they care about away because they’re afraid, afraid
to be loved because they’re afraid to be
hurt again. & she is hurt in the
show. Continually. & you suffer along with Olivia in ways
that you have suffered yourself. &
when you see her start to cry, you start to wail. Because it’s so hard to see this strong woman
so vulnerable.
Because Olivia Dunham, on the
outside, is tough. Tough as nails. Nothing can ever phase her, it seems
like. She can shoot you without
blinking. She can handle her own even in
the face of death. But in the face of
love & trust… that’s another story.
Olivia was experimented on as a
child. She’s repressed it, but the show
unfolds to showcase just how powerful “Olive” really is. As early as the 1st season, we’re
teased with “Olive – you were always the strong one” & “You were always the
strongest, Olivia,” but finally in the 4th do we truly realize just
how terrifying Olivia’s
strength can truly be.
But strength is just one facet of
Olivia. So, too, is that vulnerability –
the fragile side of her that her strength must so fiercely protect. But Peter is able to reach her. & so is Walter.
Walter & Peter Bishop have a
difficult relationship - & the relationships between the 3 of them are the
key to this show. Without one, the rest
collapse.
But Peter is not as he seems. Peter is another version of himself, taken
from the Other Side. Walter took him, but by doing so, meddled
with the laws of the universe & eventually brought upon countless deaths in
both universes, all for his son. In
Fringe, an important aspect is the hubris of humanity. With science comes great power – the power to
become godlike. Time & time again,
the hubris of scientists bring about destruction. & they must be punished. Or they must seek forgiveness. & Walter must especially suffer through
the choices that he has made & the weight of those choices on his
soul. The White Tulip becomes a symbol of forgiveness – his longing of
forgiveness from God, from his son, from Olivia, from everyone he has or will
ever hurt.
Peter must also struggle with this
realization that he is not who he thought he was. This struggle is one of an existential level
& it is felt by all of the characters as he struggles. But even though Peter is shaken, he is still
unshakable. He is special. He is a rock; he is the glue that holds
together the show – especially his father.
For without Peter, Walter is just a shadow of a man. & without Peter, Olivia is just a shadow
of a woman. One is plagued with madness,
paranoia, & regret; while the other is plagued with emptiness, numbness,
& bitterness. They NEED Peter on
near cellular levels, just as much as Peter needs them. For without Walter, Peter loses his
humanity. Without Walter, he is just a
faceless man doing anything he can to survive.
Peter’s morals are very loose before Fringe. He is mixed up in all sorts of illegal,
morally compromising activities. &
without Olivia… the best of Peter is never seen.
One of the biggest joys is seeing
Peter & Olivia / Polivia start to blossom.
You can see their chemistry as soon as they spot each other; not love @
first sight, but definitely a connection – because it takes many episodes
before “love” blooms. & even when it
blooms, it takes a while for Olivia to finally admit it to herself, for
one, & then admit it to him. Because
it’s so hard for her to surrender herself to someone. But Peter is patient. Peter is willing. Peter is driven to be a better man – for Olivia. & it’s kind of ironic that a joke Astrid
tells [that kickass amazing WOC] Olivia is actually true: the man Olivia needs
doesn’t exist because he DOESN’T in their universe. She needs a man from Other There.
Plus so many TV relationships are
built on clichés & bullshit & so many lovey-dovey scenes of the “rom
com” variety. But Polivia is one of the realest pairings I have ever seen on
television. It was never love @ first site.
It was never a love / hate or opposites attract bullshit thing. It was always real emotions & real people
finding each other - & sometimes that’s painful. & sometimes that’s hard. & sometimes there are intense moments
that challenge your love & make you re-assess & self-assess your love
& who you are as a person when you are with that other person. Their love is beautiful, but it’s not perfect
– but what the fuck IS? & they KNOW
that, damnit. Peter KNOWS Olivia is a
wounded thing; he KNOWS that she has her moments where she has to push him
away, that she has to deal with things herself. He KNOWS how complicated her past is &
forever will be, but he accepts
her. Even if it’s hard for him, he
does. & Olivia accepts Peter’s
mistakes – even the biggest one of his life.
When he fell in love with a woman who wasn’t her. & even when Olivia’s trust felt
completely shattered – for how could he not see that that WASN’T HER?! – she
still forgives him & lets him back in.
Because she’ll never be able to quit him. Because she’ll always love him & hold on
to that love no matter what. & she will cross over universes for
him. & she will die for him. & he will do the same for her. He will
wipe himself out of existence just for her. & he will do everything in his power never
to see her die again. Their love is the
strongest in the universe – only matched for the love that Walter has for
Peter, refusing to let anything get in the way of having his son life, or any
version of his son.
Even the villains are complex. No one’s goals are purely for world
domination. They’re all so very
complicated & so very interesting & intriguing to watch. Again many are fueled by hubris… but for so
many, just like Walter, can you BLAME them?
So many people would do anything
to save a loved one; these people just have the intellectual means to do
so. If you were Walter, or anyone, would
YOU do the same? Would you value your
love above others? How can you decide
that decision? Is it an easy or a tough
decision? Do you feel those people are
justified or completely in the wrong?
These are all difficult questions in themselves, but Fringe asks them
time & time again. & the
characters ask themselves those questions – especially Walter & his White
Tulip.
Man I want to name my daughter after
Olivia Dunham. Because she truly is a
character of so many levels. Even her
Alt / Faux self. It was hard for me to
trust her – the same for the Fringe team.
But in time, you learn to love the alternate universe just as much, if
not sometimes even more so, than the
one over HERE. Some of their lives have
been drastically different. For one,
Fauxlivia has not known abuse. Her life
has been so much easier, thus she can trust.
She has not been tested on as a child.
Her mother still lives. Her
boyfriend is perfect. She has the
perfect shot with perfect accuracy. She’s
free from a lot of emotional baggage holding her back. She’s a perfect killing machine. She can be even more beautiful than
Olivia. But she is not free from imperfection. She, too, has her vulnerable side. & she, too, has greatness – even without Cortexiphan.
It seems so painfully clear, but it
actually isn’t: Fauxlivia is the same as
Olivia, even thru their differences; & it takes a while for the 2
Olivias to see that in each other. For a
while, their exchanges were bitter.
Olivia didn’t trust Fauxlivia & her team because of the torture they
submitted her to; Fauxlivia doesn’t trust Olivia & her team because they
are responsible for the destruction of her world. But then, as they grow as people, they
realize just how similar they are. They
respect each other’s strengths because they are the same. They both would gladly take a bullet for
someone they loved because they both love so fiercely. They both have a drive to protect, be it
someone they love or someone just walking down the street in danger. They both have so much compassion in
general. Fauxlivia & Olivia just
want to save as many people as possible.
Unfortunately they couldn’t save
their partners. & that grief is
something that hurts them dearly [& is shown in that above tumblr
post.] Grief is a big part of the show
because it fuels the actions of so many: scientists chasing after the deceased;
scientists chasing after lost dreams; civilians just trying to feel happiness; Olivia
finally bonding with Fauxlivia after her loss [telling her to “keep looking up
after it rains” – something I’m considering getting tattoo’d on me because of
their powerful scene together, finally, seeing eye to eye; also I need that
every once & a while]; even Observers finally understanding the emotion of
love. The Observers are a huge part of
the mythology of Fringe. & I’m not
sure I can do them justice without giving too much away. But then again I already have. But the show does a good enough job, I
think. If not, you can look on your own.
Here are 2 videos that will also
help you. One is a fan video dealing
with the emotions of Fringe. This is the
human emotion aspect of Fringe. This is
what will keep you hooked, even if you aren’t into science; this is what will
keep you hooked, even if you ARE into science.
The video also finally gives Walter & Peter some justice [because
I’ll be real… Olivia is my favorite & is my bias & sometimes I get a
little carried away when I write about her] because I can’t begin to stress HOW IMPORTANT THEY BOTH ARE TO THE
SHOW. IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT ALL 3 OF
THEM TOGETHER. & the next is a
remixed version of the new season 5 trailer.
This looks into the plot: the whirlwind of a thing to keep track of that
will infuriate you with its twists & turns.
But it’s so rewarding. Even if
you hate it for killing off your favorite character. Even if it makes your favorite character
suffer in Supernatural-like ways. Even
if it moves you to tears because it’s so gorgeous… & so fleeting.
Tho I must stress that Season 5’s trailer is VERY CONFUSING if this is your first Fringe experience. For one, the Observers play the role of the villains now, not just of observing neutral figures. They are a force that must be opposed – that must be resisted. Also there’s the time jump from the present to the future. & with that jump, you see Peter & Olivia’s daughter – Etta – as a grown woman, not just a baby or even a little girl. Then there’s the additional stresses that have affected the characters because of all of these things & more things. Lots of things. Lots of feels.
Fringe is starting again on Friday. This is the last season. Watch it. I beg you. It’s the little show that could. It’s the best thing on television. It’s an underappreciated little labor of love. It’s a short story about love. It’s a short story about everything you could ever imagine.
I would like to also stress how lovely this show is made, not just in acting, but in writing & in shooting. It’s gorgeous in all 3 of these aspects. All 3. Some shows barely even have 1 aspect that is great. But everything is great. & I implore you to watch & browse the interwebs for more.
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