FYI: This post isn’t simply another excuse to share our photo with J.J. Abrams from September’s FRINGE premiere party in New York City!
A Ph.D in FRINGE-ology is NOT a prerequisite for enjoying this show
Now we know what you’re thinking: Does not having a name like J.J. Abrams above the title virtually mean that if you haven’t watched every single frame of every single episode (twice!) you will be well, lost. Well, think of FRINGE as the anti-LOST, with virtually every episode featuring a self-contained mystery that will almost always be solved by episodes end courtesy of a brilliant (and some might say crazy) team of FBI investigators lead by Olivia Dunham, the father-son duo of Walter and Peter Bishop and the painfully underutilized Astrid Farnsworth.
Oh and on the off chance you do happen to be confused by the mythology sprinkled in (or as J.J. Abrams likes to call it, “the icing on the cake”) that mentions a “pattern,” an “observer” and the mysterious “William Bell.” Please take solace in the fact that like all good series’ —you’re not alone. We’ve been watching from day one and remain just as confused as the next observer.
Where’s the Observer?
And speaking of which, for those uninitiated, the Observer is Fringe’s Waldo equivalent and a big part of the FRINGE fun. Not only can said Observer be spotted in every single episode and major sporting events around the world (see last week’s Nascar race, and The SuperBowl), TVGuide let it slip that tonight’s episode titled “Inner Child” will feature an observer like we’ve never seen before (think Mini-Me).
Anna Torv is excited, really excited
“We shot an episode a little while ago, one of the last ones directed by Akiva Goldsman [Oscar-winning screenwriter of A Beautiful Mind who wrote and directed the episode “Bad Dreams,” airing Tuesday, April 21 at 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT], and I think that kind of pushes the show into a different direction but not into a different world.” explained Anna Torv on a recent conference call touting the final string of FRINGE episodes. “It sort of pushes us a little bit deeper into some of the things that we’ve been touching on, and we’re shooting the season finale at the moment, and I’m really excited. I’m excited at the prospect of where the show could go. If we’re lucky enough to shoot a second season, I think it’s going to be really great.”
Walter Thinks He Can Dance
As evidence by tonight’s preview clip which has, much to Peter’s chagrin, Walter doing a jig in an effort to make a child smile. A child that we should probably mention may-or-may-not hold the key to stopping a creepy serial killer who has a unpleasant penchant for leaving his/her/its victims splayed out in public squares.
The Harsh Reality
Even though FRINGE is in our humble opinion, a shoe-in for a second season pickup. It never hurts to be reminded of the fact that the trigger happy FOX network always has a deluge of low coast reality TV train-wrecks waiting in the wings. Reality TV like THE MOTHER LOAD, a newly announced unscripted series that follows a single average guy with a big waist and an even bigger heart as he romances several confident and secure plus-size women. A reality I think we can all agree is far more harsher than anything the twisted minds of J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman can dream up. 
