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| The tides of time catch up with our heroes from the FRINGE division, in the series fifth and final season, out now on DVD and Blu-ray. Images: WARNER BROTHERS. |
FRINGE: THE COMPLETE FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON (Blu-ray set)
Starring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble
Created by JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Available on Blu-ray and DVD from May 13th, 2013 from WARNER BROTHERS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Reviewed by Scott Weller
Back for one final encore season, our alliance of science heroes from the time travelling, technology using team of FRINGE find themselves being the only hope for humanity against a strange invasion from the far future – the once seemingly benign Observers, travelling the timelines and quietly pushing things in the direction they see fit, now ruling Earth with a totalitarian grip, determined to rob our planets of its resources and suck it dry all over again.
Writers/producers J. H. Wyman and David Fury have the main creative reins this year, making the most of their final opportunities in wrapping up the entire storyline in a crowd pleasing way and bringing five years of massive continuity and character relationships to a close. For the most part they succeed.
Each season of FRINGE has seen our core characters develop, even un-develop at times, across their various enthralling story arcs. And Season Five is no exception. Prior to the Observer invasion and several years after their battle to stop billionaire scientist William Bell from turning Earth into a new Jurassic Park, happy newlyweds Olivia Dunham and Peter Bishop (the spirited Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson) have become a family with the birth of their daughter, Etta. But when the alien takeover begins, their lives are forced into a future fate, taking the fight to the enemy twenty years into the future. With the past efforts to stop the invasion having brought little tangible success, Peter’s not always quite there but totally lovable scientist father, now granddad, Walter (John Noble- who should have been given an acting award for his work on this series ages ago!) becomes ever more focused and determined to stop the baldy men after his “resurrection” by the Earth’s continuing resistance movement, though this time he worries desperately that the terrible aspects of his prior pre-lobotomy personality are returning to consume him- the hidden away aspects of his brain power linked to previous ambition and hubris. Our Walter struggles against his emerging dark persona, of which only the reassuring presence of loyal son Peter can keep him in check.
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| A future Earth in the grip of the Observers. |
A clever new title sequence mixing the series classic elements with early Russian art style prisoners and humanity enslaved helps deliver the visual wallop needed to send us into the future. And a bleak future it is, too, for our resistance heroes against such a powerful enemy, one of our world’s greatest protectors, grown up, gutsy and thirsty for revenge against the future enslavers being young resistance fighter Etta, played by another fine young Aussie actress, Georgina Haig, who takes main supporting star limelight now that previous series guest star, LOST’s Henry Ian Cusick, is sadly not available for the new season (his character handily killed off-screen).
Having to get quickly acclimatized to their world at war, our heroes are shocked to discover that Etta and her group often prove just as ruthless in battle as their Observer nemesis- the harsh realities of life under the enslavers, their police state armies and facially bar coded loyalists, necessitating harsh choices and action. Thankfully, during the early part of the season, Etta (masquerading as one of the Observers faithful human agents) regains her humanity whilst in her mothers company- thanks to this small group from the past, humanity may now have a fighting chance to live.
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| Etta (Georgina Haig) fights back! |
Once separated from their daughter, Peter and Olivia regain their parental responsibilities as they rediscover their love for her Etta, whose help and experience from their prior days as part of the FRINGE division she desperately needs, and especially Walter and his long-term plan prior concocted to fight back against the invaders.
Once again bearing some of the most incredible and baffling episode titles since THE X-FILES, season five’s opening episode - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11 - has the audience racing to catch up with the past and future cataclysmic events unfolding. It’s a solid continuance from the events witnessed in the previous tantalizing season four episode Letters of Transit, with the self-imposed amber unthawing of our heroes in 2036, at first separated, now complete, against the threat of the Observers-their grip deep into our planet and its way of life, despoiling it with their Nazi-istic ways.
The main standout of the first episode, as ever, John Noble gives a super performance as Walter: captured by the Observers, he bravely defies them in the midst of increased mind-bending, eyeball bleeding torture by the series new Observer villain, the cruel Captain Windmark (a coolly logical performance of simmering hate by Michael Kopsa), then manages to escape. Reunited with his family, the episodes final moments sees him ending up in his night clothes inside in a ruined taxi listening to Alison Moyet, seeing hope beyond the grim reality around him- a yellow weed flower growing through the grey sidewalk. It’s a truly beautiful and haunting moment, to be remembered in the series final episode, given further credibility and believability by a great actor.
After a lot of further scene setting, the series begins to gather momentum by episode three, with lots of action for our FRINGE team (including the lovely Jasika Nicole as Walter’s perky assistant Astrid) and the Resistance. A new weapon conjured in the past by Walter quickly becomes the focus point for the series- a race to find its varied pieces and assemble it before the Observers, and their considerable mental and psycho and telekinetic abilities, can find and stop them.
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| The evil Windmark (Michael Kopsa) makes his presence felt in the series. |
Unfortunately, despite Walters destined memory, the plan worked out by him with the mysterious Observer known as September, is seemingly thwarted by his inability to fully remember it-though key items that will bring his cognitive memory back are discovered locked in amber within his abandoned and forgotten laboratory at Harvard University- the scientist finding a clever way of making good use of old but handy technology (a moral here: keep hold of your Betamax tapes and laser disc players! They may come in handy if Earth ever gets invaded for real!). Even the loyal Gene the cow makes an appearance by the final episode in his orange amber hue!
As well as weaving and exploring four previous seasons of continuity and filling in the blanks, the series writers have fun bringing back guest star characters with links to the past and the future, with some very enjoyable selective cameos that would please the fans – a highlight being the appearance of the impish book collector, Ed Markham (Clark Middleton), from way back in series one- his lust for Olivia showing through then and now, having collected her in her amber hibernation state - dirty devil!
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| Astrid (Jasika Nicole), Walter (John Noble), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) make an unusual discovery in Five Twenty - Ten. |
Relevantly airing in the eventful week that Britain’s real-life ash trees populace was revealed as being infected by a deadly disease, episode three sees the team on the hunt for a rare mineral source capable of being harnessed to fight the baldies, and an encounter with a group of refugees infected with an unusual kind of tree spore virus. Its an interesting if not totally successful episode from Graham Roland which gives us the first mention of a mysterious new figure from the past, linked to the future, helping Walter and now disappeared: the enigmatic Donald. We also find out what happened to the Yoda-like bowling court manager Sam Weiss from Seasons Two and Three, and it isn’t good news…
Episode four goes back to Walter’s Harvard basement and his archive of previous FRINGE case technologies, in order to retrieve an important segment of information, whilst Etta makes her sadly last stand against the baddies- savagely and unexpectedly murdered at the hands of Windmark. The aftermath of Etta’s demise is well played by our family of actors, especially Joshua Jackson, sending a swift sea change in Peter that makes him ever more dedicated in destroying the Observers, even if it costs him his life!
Seemingly helping the Observers, but actually a key resistance sympathizer known as The Dove, the always great Lance Reddick returns as former FBI Director Philip Broyles for several key episodes from this episode onwards-and its great to have him back as we find out what happened to the FRINGE division once the Observers took over the planet.
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| A smile between tears for Peter and Olivia. |
With the next episode, An Origin Story, the series starts to get a lot darker, as episodes five and six see Peter’s intensified need for revenge continue apace. By far, these middle episodes are the best of the season until the finale, as Peter tortures and kills a captured scientist Observer in order to decipher their technology and use it against them, after a prior attempt to destabilize a wormhole carrying enemy technology that will affect the planets atmosphere fails dismally. Peter’s enhanced abilities come in handy, but at a cost to his physical self as he becomes a mixture of super-powered Neo from THE MATRIX, with a possible fall of grace that wouldn’t be out of step with STAR WARS’s Anakin Skywalker.
Joshua Jackson has strong character driven script material from J.H. Wyman during episode five- the finale scene of the organic technology entering the back of his neck being one of the series most memorable and frightening moments.
Meanwhile, episode six’s plotline proves intriguing: a destroyed apartment block holds the key to a distinctive pocket universe safe house- the next stage in Walters pre-conceived plan against the Observers, as the mysterious Donald- a past and future helper- is blink and you miss it introduced, alongside a boy with unique talents, in a stylish debut full of atmosphere and solid action from the always reliable 24 series veteran Jon Cassar.
By episode seven, Peter’s one-man-war against the Observers using timeline predicting abilities and FRINGE acquired technology threatens to totally consume him into the cold and logical persona of the very enemy he’s fighting against- his humanity only just recovered by a worried Olivia, now the emotional rock for our main trio as they try to come to terms with Etta’s death.
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| Peter wants revenge against the Observers. |
Meanwhile, the legacy of William Bell and his severed hand (handled (excuse the pun!) by Astrid in case of need by Walter) continues, as we find out what Bell was really doing in the Amber seen last season: basically sealed up by his old friend because he was too corrupted by power and technology to be trusted, and to prevent his joining forces with the Observers. It’s a neat way of writing out Leonard Nimoy who, though missed in this final series, had obviously decided not to come out of retirement (again).
We had Broyles back, now its time for one more key supporting player to make a memorable and impactful guest appearance for the last few episodes: Blair Brown as an older version of MASSIVE DYNAMIC scientist Nina Sharp, seen in her future-self as silver haired and wheelchair bound (So nifty in it, I expected her to have rocket launchers embedded in its metal frames!), reunited with her friends, and her prior love for William Bell finally uncovered by Walter.
Five Twenty –Ten has further nice referencing to many first and second season episodes with the return of the Observers burrowing technology capable of going in and out of timelines- which proves vital for the final episodes once its reacquired by the Resistance.
Episode eight, The Human Kind, sees Peter becoming even more of a detached figure from his loved ones, as the biological technology within him takes further hold, his cerebellum greatly expanded as he continues his nifty MATRIX fighting and pursues his equally intense future timeline predictions to kill Windmark. Meanwhile, Olivia secures further weaponry against the invaders when she meets Simone: a modern day oracle who helps her discover a personal revelation that saves both her and the on- the-brink Peter, and their relationship, from a coldly inhuman implosion. The writers, having so bravely experimented with Peter’s plotline, decide to end it, and that’s a bit of a shame. Perhaps they felt things were getting too dark as the series approached its final episodes.
Into episode nine, Black Blotter, has Peter on the mend, in an episode of retrospection and moral guilt- part of another bizarre storyline turn that could only have been made for Walter. On an LSD trip, he attempts to reawaken his missing memories in creating the weapon against the Observers. In this cleverly done, colourful LSD trip that Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python animation would be proud of, Walter’s memories containing happy and negative sides are positively helped in a visitation by the flying Tinkerbell but hindered by the disturbing presence of his late laboratory assistant, Doctor Carla Warren (Jenni Blong), as the last clues in his mind gather clarity. In the midst of this, our gang’s search for the elusive Donald continues via a mysterious signal, triangulated firstly through Connecticut and then onto a mysterious little island and a family shielding the mysterious Observer boy, Michael (Rowan Longworth).
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| The mysterious Michael (Rowan Longworth) is examined. |
The final quarter momentum begins with episode ten, Anomaly XB- 6783746, as the team continues its communications efforts with the mute Michael and discover his rare abilities, whilst Nina pays the ultimate price for aiding him and the Resistance. Blair Brown’s role in the new series may have been all too brief but her character does at least come to a memorable and worthwhile end with her-self sacrificing choice to save Michael-one of the most unique and powerful Observers ever genetically achieved- from his pursuers.
It also ends with a not unexpected revelation: that September is indeed, as hoped, alive and well - the mysterious Donald they’ve been searching for all along!
Michael Cerveris’s next episode return as September adds the last few pieces to the puzzle and the rallying call in the final battle for humanities destiny- an outcast from the rest of the Observers for having previously warned Walter and co. of the impeding invasion at the end of Season Four. Still as innocent and vulnerable as we remember him, perhaps even more so in his new exiled status, September is almost the Mister Data of the series in his attempts to understand the human condition, with his revised characterization giving the actor a chance to develop new sides to his child-like persona. Linked to September, with the full strategy to stop the Observers revealed, a warm-hearted Walter also renews his father-son bonding with Peter, though the signposts are looming that our favourite hippy scientist is likely not going to escape this final battle-his fate sealed- and that we’re going to need a warehouse stock of Kleenex to cope with the final episodes.
The role of Michael, and the revelation that he is September’s future offspring, soon proves its importance to the overall timeline. His anomalous presence proving a true threat to the observers, as baddie Windmark, who we have been booing and hissing all season long (and has the knack of surviving so many assassination attempts!), discovers the truth during his own unique time jump into the Observer’s far-future home turf.
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| Dr. Nina Sharp (Blair Brown) makes a spirited departure. |
And so the time has come: the final two episodes- so much to end after five seasons. It's intriguing to see how FRINGE has changed its identity and format over the years, but it's warm ensemble cast and some great writing have kept die-hard fans coming back for more.
Liberty sees in a swift paced return to New York’s Liberty Island to rescue the now captured Michael and launch the decisive battle against the Observers- all about to get some deserved and fatal nosebleeds. There’s also the surprise guest return of old favourites from the alternate universe in the process, including Seth Gabel as Agent Lincoln Lee and the faux Olivia, both happy and expecting a child together. Plus, the welcome return of Lance Reddick, now finally exposed as an on the run rebel, still helping his friends where he can.
The further reuse of weird and wonderful FRINGE weaponry adds to the nostalgia menu as Walter’s device is finally ready-resetting time yet sending him and young Michael into the 22nd century outside of the restructuring – the only way to safely guarantee Earth’s true course of destiny- and a real journey where no man has gone before…
Olivia gets the action spotlight for the most part of episode twelve, An Enemy of Fate, as her Cortexiphaned persona rescues Michael in a handy bit of alternate universe hopping. Whilst a slightly rushed feeling Episode Thirteen (also featuring the return of Eugene Lipinsky as the Observer December) ultimately completes this epic tale of fathers and sons: the bonds between September with Michael, and those of Walter and Peter: the former discovering true love for his child but sadly losing his life in the final battle, whilst the latter’s devotion and self-sacrifice to the future, in order to save his son and granddaughter (who will live again in the past timeline), is beautifully and hauntingly played by John Noble and Joshua Jackson. Oh, you’ll be streaming tears into buckets, I guarantee it, and genuinely touched by the series very last scene-the pencil-drawn picture of a flower that will linger in the mind for a long while to come…
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| Goodbye to our FRINGE family... |
A satisfying wrap-up of involving characters, exciting action and unique but mostly followable time travel technobabble conundrums, this two-parter proves a fitting and successful end to the pioneering series, taking it beyond what was originally created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
FRINGE has now cemented itself as a major achievement for modern sci-fi television- a show that beat the odds thanks to rare support from die-hard fans on both the regular weekly audience side and from the quality committed network bosses behind the scenes.
It may not have totally had the visceral impact of the love it or hate it finale of LOST, but FRINGE’s final season stayed consistently strong and on storytelling purpose throughout-there was no slightly disappointing purgatory subplot here. The writers decision not to kill Walter or Peter ultimately proves the right one- but their goodbye scenes nonetheless grip the heartstrings, as all well-written and played character drama should, whilst the final scenes of Peter and Olivia reunited back to their original timeline with Etta become the perfect alternate and uplifting bookend to this season opener’s eerie invasion build-up. Ultimately, FRINGE was a five-year storytelling journey well worth undertaking.
On stunning Blu-ray the outstanding picture and sound quality of this season matches that of previous years, continuing to stretch the best HD TV’s and subwoofer systems out there, whilst the final batch of extras linked to the series are of good quality.
FRINGE’s devoted, often rabid fan base can be seen in all its glory in a lovely series finale panel of cast and crew filmed during the American Comic-Con event of 2012 (alongside an appropriately sizzling “”season sizzle reel”). Plus, a concluding but all-too brief featurette looking back on the show and its place as a must-see event of bold storytelling and character drama in modern TV history. Rounding things off is a fun gag reel that really does see our cast, on-screen tormented with emotion and drama, truly letting their hair down and having a blast in front of the camera lens. Closure has never been more fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npeZ4BKikuw
KOOL TV RATING (Episodes and extras- overall package): Worlds have collided and been invaded, but heroism and love of family never die, even in the realms of sci-fi. 4 out of 5
