Why Fringe is the Greatest Show on TV

It's Thursday night, almost 8pm. If I had a time machine, or some type of wormhole-creating device that I could transport myself into the future with, I know what time I would choose. Exactly two weeks from this moment. Thursday September 17, 2009 at 8pm Central Time. (That's 9pm for all you East Coasters.) You may ask why I would choose such an obscure and precise moment in the future. When you asked me that question, I would merely scoff at your lack of understanding in matters of science and technology. I'm kidding. I would probably say, "Dude! Fringe is back on, yo!" Or some such profound accolade for my favorite television series... OF ALL TIME! It's been nearly four months since we've seen Olivia Dunham investigating strange incidents all involving "Fringe Science." Basically that's theoretical science in our boring, real world, but reality in Fox's world of supernatural wonders.

FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) acquires the help of brilliant, eccentric scientist, Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson.) The father and son pair makes up the most entertaining portions of the film, and both Mr. Noble and Mr. Jackson do an outstanding job. One plays a mad scientist, grasping to hold shreds of his sanity; and the other is a brilliant, conning, smooth-talking, yet somehow loyal and good, wanderer. The dialogue, is great, (something I miss in most television programs) the plot devices original and mind-gripping, and the characters are people you want to get to know.

The creators are J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. These are the guys who brought you Mission Impossible III (the best of the series), Alias, and the latest Star Trek film. The writers follow similarities found in Alias, mainly the grand over plot spanning entire seasons which slowly unravels throughout. This show is not, however, Alias. If I were to compare it to any other show it would have to be The X-Files. The difference is the characters. I loved The X-Files, but I like the people in Fringe better! Walter Bishop may be my favorite television personality of all time. Also, in The X-files government plots with aliens and supernatural occurrences reigned, while the masters in Fringe are scientists disregarding the established rules of physics and morality. So far all of the elements in Fringe have been based off of Walter's earlier studies and advancements in science.

Season One's finale left me with my jaw unhinged and my mind racing for possibilities. I won't give even a hint of what lies in store for you if you have not seen the first season, but you know it's good when Leonard Nimoy shows up.I don't watch much television. I don't even know who's in American Idol. I do plan on allotting an hour a week to this program. I love it. Get the first season on DVD now so you can be ready in two weeks. Fox, if you're listening. If you cancel this show, I will devote my life to science and transport myself to an alternate reality where television executives don't cancel great shows like this or Firefly or Futurama or Millennium. What a wonderful world that would be.