FRINGE was able to complete its story with what has to be one of the most satisfying conclusions to a TV series.  Its serialized storytelling pays off and even rewards on repeat viewings.  It brings to the center that FRINGE is about family and Joshua Jackson even summarizes part of the basic story (during the 2012 Comic Con featurette).   The season starts with trying to reunite Etta and Peter with Olivia (who is still missing).  Then things get heartbreaking when at least one of the main characters meet a tragic fate during the season.   Season five has high stakes and the serialized storyline is solid and well thought out.   Early episode even has some BLADE RUNNER references (a character named Holden in THE BULLET THAT SAVED THE WORLD and Peter performing his own version of a Voight-Kampf test on an Observer in AN ORIGIN STORY).

 

I watched FRINGE from the beginning.  The show started with promise and the strongest episodes focused on the story arc for the show and the character development that focused on Walter, Peter, and Olivia.  As the show became more serialized and relied less on the monster of the week plot, FRINGE became a stronger show.   I loved that FOX stuck with the series for five years and let the writers finish the show on their terms.   The fifth season picks up from where season four episode LETTERS OF TRANSIT left off in the year 2036.   The search for Olivia kicks off the start of the final season and it turns into a mystery to recover parts of the plan (to defeat the Observers) that Walter forgot.  The Observers have come from the future and invaded.  They turning Earth into the same atmosphere the future has.   Each episodes fills in another piece to the puzzle as hearts will break as the series races to the conclusion which is definitely better than any other show J.J. Abrams has been involved with (I am looking at LOST which lost its way before the series ender).   John Noble played my favorite character Walter Bishop with such craziness and sometimes even a fragile humanity.   The relationship between Peter and Olivia is the heart of the show along with the feeling of family.  It is interesting to see how FRINGE goes back and forth in developing the supporting characters and the Observers themselves as the storyline plays out.   I already miss FRINGE and I miss the show not having any more episodes, but it is better than the show ending without a conclusion or running out of steam for being on the air too long (the prime example is THE X-FILES).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The set has two deleted scenes (one for TRANSILENCE THOUGHT UNIFIER MODEL-11 and one for THE BOY MUST LIVE).

 

The gag reel (on disc Three) is funny, but most of it consists of flubbed lines, laughing, and some swearing.

The set has only one audio commentary (Disc Two) for BLACK BLOTTER with Executive Producer J.H. Wyman and Editor Jon Dudlowski

 

Disc Three has two featurettes:

A FAREWELL TO FRINGE- a look back at the beginnings of FRINGE in addition to cast and crew reflecting on the end of the show (and the series finale).

FRINGE SEASON 5 2012 COMIC CON PANEL- It has to be the best extra of the set as the cast of Fringe and J.H. Wyman answer questions (what are their favorite scenes that they aren’t in), talk about Fringe, and even be funny in this panel moderated by TV Guide’s Damian Holbrook

 

Also included with the set is a four page episode guide booklet including a code for Ultraviolet digital copies of the episodes.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  FRINGE season five provides a fitting conclusion for the series which focused on family as an integral part to the show.   The set has good extras, but I wish they had a little bit more behind-the-scenes material.

 

This review is (c)5-15-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com