Fringe: Review of Episode One

This is s spoiler free review.
I'll give a little detail to help you understand the premise of the show, but I won't reveal any plot twist.
Fringe begins amid the chaos of a rocky plane flight with all the passengers in panic. It' not the humor of Airplane, rather akin to the drama of Lost (another J.J. Abrams creation). Within the span of two minutes, the series introduces the first elements of science fiction. And horror.

Why you should watch? Creator J.J. Abrams resume includes Felicity, Lost, Alias, Mission Impossible 3, Cloverfield, and next summer's reboot of Star Trek. Now enough of his resume, what about the influences. Abrams admits this show is spawned fro his love of David Cronenberg films. Such as Altered States. He's a diehard fan of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. And then there are the obvious comparisons of The X-Files and its predecessor The Night Stalker. Okay, enough name dropping, to the review!

Olivia Dunham, played by Anna Torv, is our tour guide through this mad world crafted by Abrams. She is an F.B.I. Agent that's called in to investigate the mysterious death of the passengers on a plane.

The pilot episode creates a fellowship, while easing along to a solid premise for the show. Olivia is a good character, but her supporting cast is exceptional.

First, there is Lance Reddick as Phillip Broyles. He's one of the superiors Olivia must answer too. We've seen him play the authoritarian to perfection of The Wire and Oz. Here, he's at his acting best.

Next, we meet the father and son team. Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson from Dawson's Creek) is believable. He's a wayward son running to keep distance from his past and his family. He's pivotal, because Olivia needs him to get to his father, Dr. Walter Bishop.

Dr. Walter Bishop is an actual mad scientist. The scene stealer of the show. He's expertly played by John Noble (from Lord of the Rings 2 & 3). In the premiere, he has at least 3 quotable, unforgettable lines of dialogue.

Peter was of the belief that his dad worked on developing... toothpaste. Olivia informs him what his father actually worked on. Fringe sciences. "Mind control, teleportation, astral projection, invisibility, genetic mutation, reanimation." We also learned that his father's former lab partner is now a billionaire through advances in science.

That very science, and the billionaire organization behind the science, provides the backdrop of conspiracy and paranoia. The larger plot develops, that compels one to watch the show for an entire season. Now, on Tuesday's on Fox, explore the edge of science. Explore Fringe.