What I'm Streaming: Fringe, The Complete Series (2008-2013)

Momma Told Me: Challenge definition.

As someone who watched all 6 seasons of LOST ('04-'10), and was severely disappointed by the seemingly rushed dealing of the series multiple mysteries and questions, I was hesitant to dive into yet another situation when beginning Fringe. While I had watched the Fox network series when it first began in 2008, and for a season and a half after, the complicated plot and characters soon found themselves with little time in my schedule to follow along. It's not exactly the sort of series where you can skip an episode without missing something. While the majority of the first three seasons feature independent cases that wrap by episode's end, the character development and larger story is constantly being developed through subliminal reveals and subtle side-tracks.

There are, however, a few good things about having a series like J.J. Abrams' Fringe available as a complete series, today. For those, like Jay and I, who no longer subscribe to live-stream cable service, we look forward to watching a series where we will not have to wait several weeks, or even months to watch the next episode. Fringe offers 100, yes, 100, hour long episodes over it's 6 seasons. While the show itself is a strange hybrid of X-Files and (crime investigation style) Bones, it is put together quite masterfully by J.J. Abrams and Fox. With a generous budget, and wonderfully complex characters portrayed by amazing actors, some of the shows more 'unbelievable' aspects suddenly seem entirely possible.

The show's title, Fringe, is highly appropriate in that the show's main characters work for a highly classified government agency that deals exclusively with Fringe science; the classification of research and theory which lies on the outer 'fringe' of orthodox and mainstream concepts. Need some examples? Teleportation, rapid aging, sonic weaponry, mutation, and alternate universes are just a small cross-section of the cases and topics covered by the Fringe team. But, unlike most 'case and crime' style shows, there is a much bigger storyline wrapped around the core characters, their own cases have yet to unravel. One thing is clear, the world, as we know it, is ending, but who caused this, and how can it be stopped- that will remain a question until the very last episode!

Fringe is most certainly not a series than can be watched as background noise, which also makes it a good candidate for 're-watching.' As you are drawn into the lovable characters, each arguably with their own flaws, you sometimes miss the ingenious nods to the series themes of humanity, fate vs. free will, and even the human compulsion to play God. Fan of the series will also appreciate the several recurring 'gems' of special characters, Sci-Fi cameos, and multi-part mini-series events within the larger series as a whole. While the plot may be hard to follow at times, the show never gets dull with changes in creative styling, dramatic character re-imagining, and the show's quirky but lovable main character, Walter. If you're bored with the current prime-time lineup, or started the series back in 2008, and never had a chance to finish, I highly suggest Fringe!

What Daughter Says: Fringe may not convince you anything is possible, but it just might make you question what is.