Fringe:Relationship Guide

Any avid Fringe viewer can tell people about the unique personality of the characters on the show. Out of all TV shows, some of the most lively and interesting personalities are on Fringe.There are five main characters on Fringe, with recurring cast members from time to time. If we include the cow, that's six!

Five main cast members are:
-- Walter Bishop:The quintessential mad scientist with an underlying soft spot and a penchant for tangential thinking. Walter's IQ is said to be over 190.
-- Peter Bishop: Peter is the son who takes care of Walter, as he calls him. Peter has a very high IQ too. He is the Peter from the other realm, and if any character on the show seems undeveloped, it is him.
-- Olivia Dunham: The Fringe agent, who is very independent, but also has lapses of memory from her childhood due to scientific experiments preformed on her as a child by none other than Walter.
-- Astrid Farnsworth: A trusty lab assistant. Astrid originally worked for Olivia, but now helps Walter in the lab. She is a very agreeable person, bent on keeping the peace. One can't overlook her intelligence.
-- Phillip Broyles: The very military like head of the Fringe division. Broyles rules with an iron hand, but in a hidden way, cares deeply about his agents. He is a very secretive man.
-- Gene, the Cow: This is Walter's love interest in the lab. Gene is just a typical cow, but one gets the idea he is involved in various lab experiments. There is more to this cow than meets the eye.

Few people stop to think about how the interaction of characters adds to a shows development. After all, there are just so many plots On the other hand, relationships can take different turns. There are many interesting dynamics with personal interactions on Fringe. These are the top five.

1. Walter and Gene. Gene is of course Walter's trusty lab cow. Gene is tethered in the lab and lives there full time. Gene's presence is always there, although Walter interacts rarely with Gene. One gets the idea that Walter relates little with most living creatures, so why would Gene by the exception? Walter seems to use Gene for scientific experiments and has been seen milking Gene from time to time. Gene seems to tolerate Walter well, and there is some sort of odd bonding between the two.

2. Astrid and Walter. Astrid was originally Dunham's assistant, but since Walter has episodes of mild insanity, she helps with the lab. It seems she serves as Walter's work babysitter. Astrid is also Walter's emotional balance and stability. She seems to be the peacekeeper. She often is Watler's sounding block, and with her insight helps him solve his lab dilemmas. Walter depends on her, and when he has his emotional moments or lapses, Astrid is always there. In a way, she reminds viewers of a supportive wife;
always there, always supportive, and always loving.

3. Walter and Peter. Walter is hiding so many secrets about Peter, and cares more deeply about Peter than any living being. Walter however isn't great about showing love. He carries burdens about Peter that his son isn't even aware of, until later episodes. Peter calls his Father Walter. This is probably due to the fact that Walter had a habit of experimenting on his son when he was younger and some of Peter's childhood memories are not so wonderful. Peter serves as Walter's keeper, living with him to take care of him. It is not a traditional father/ son relationship in any sense of the word.

4. Olivia and Peter. There is a definite relationship between these two that goes beyond work related. The two seem to take care of each other, worrying about the well being of each. Also, there are moments when you are sure the two will kiss. Now that our world Olivia is in the other dimension, but doesn't have memories , the spirit Peter is there from our dimension. This plot leads viewers to sense a deep emotional relationship between these two , that can not be hemmed in by one dimension. It goes beyond!

5. Phillip Broyles and Olivia. Broyles never lets down his professional guard. One gets the sense he has a strong military background. On one episode, he said he had been known as the Colonel. Olivia is held to the same strict standards of professionalism as everyone else, but Philip seems to have moments of lightening up on Olivia. He protects her and guards her more than the other agents. Olivia rarely confides in anyone, but has had moments of sharing with Broyles. The relationship between the two reassembles a reserved parental relationship.

There is more to Fringe than just science and other dimensions. Who knows where these relationships will go. They surely aren't limited by normal parameters!