Fringe: Saying Goodbye

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

On Friday 18th January 2013, one of the most inventive and interesting shows broadcast its last show. After five seasons, the American sci fi show Fringe ended. Many of you who are reading this may never have heard, let alone watched this innovative series. If you haven't...get the DVDs and watch it right now!

Fringe holds a special place in my heart, as it is one of the only series that I have watched from the broadcast of the very first episode to the very last. Over five years, I grew to love the characters and become engrossed in the universe (or universes).

Fringe, created by Lost and Star Trek man J.J. Abrams started as a fun 'monster of the week' type show.  Back in series 1, it could quite easily be described as a modern version of X Files, complete with  weekly monster murder mysteries and sexual tension between the two leads. However, Fringe did have the ace card of an awesome mad scientist (played by John Noble) and your friendly neighbourhood team mascot - Gene the cow. The more the show progressed, the deeper the story became. The world of Fringe became more complicated, and in many ways more sophisticated. I can confess, I am slightly geeky in my love for sci fi and video games, but I can not resist a good romance and Fringe does not fail to deliver on that front. The love story between Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) is tense, fresh and at many times beautiful. I was often on the edge of my seat, screaming for the next episode to see how their relationship would develop. Thanks to the aforementioned mad scientist, Walter, the show was never short of laughs either.

So, the finale. It was a two hour special (a three hour epic as I hadn't yet watched the week before's) and it was an ending better than anything I thought. I found that my worries were unfounded. The finale brought closure to many of the story lines and called back to some of the best episodes from the early seasons. We got a glimpse of the alternate universe and I was happy to see Lincoln and Fauxlivia again. The long running themes of family, sacrifice and redemption were addressed and were brought to a close wonderfully. Tear-jerking moments were scattered throughout, most notably between Walter and Astrid (Jasika Nicole), and of course, Peter and Walter.

Personally I was happy with the conclusion of one of my favourite shows and I will sorely miss my Wednesday night Fringe-fix. There is talk of a possible film, but for me, I could not have asked for a rounder conclusion and I can not imagine how they can carry on the story with all members of our favourite team. Like anything we love, it is hard to say goodbye....but I do always have my boxsets!

Hasta luego,

S. x