Freaky Friday: Fringe

Today's Freaky Friday is an extension of Tuesday's Top 10. It is more of a plea than anything and really to no avail since the show won't be continuing past this season anyway. It's about this open letter to the general public that I got:

Dear American Audiences,

Why don't you love me?

Sincerely,
Fringe

Of course I jest, but it really rings true to me. Sure it has a rabid core fan base, but why did it never catch on? This is one of two shows that I cannot let go 24 hours without seeing (the other being Game Of Thrones) and I think if most people gave it a chance instead of dismissing it as "weird" they would love it too. Let's see if we can break it down a little and see what the major complaints can be.

1. Olivia is too cold as a character. No, she's an FBI agent that acts like an FBI agent. You have plenty of emotion in other characters and it's not that she isn't emotional, she just tries not to let her emotions interfere with her work. Why is it that a woman who doesn't let her emotions get the best of her and thinks in a logical manner considered cold when a man does the same thing he's just doing his job? Bah. Double standards.

2. Stuff like this could never happen. Besides this being the most idiotic statement ever about a SCIENCE-FICTION show (and I've really heard this complaint) it just isn't quite true. The best Sci-Fi is based in reality and where science is headed. This show is no different. Every time they come across something wholly unbelievable and then Walter starts to come up with an explanation, it actually makes alot of sense. Sure, this stuff is highly unlikely and sometimes far-fetched, but at least the "why" is grounded in real science.

3. I've never heard of it. Bullshit. I call you on it. Bullshit. Fox did a remarkable job in pumping this show the first season and really every season after that. They even strategically placed an "Observer" (the bald guys in hats) in live events that they aired during the first year. Magazines like "Entertainment Weekly" repeatedly do stories on the show to get you to try and watch. It's been everywhere so if you say you don't know of it, you're either oblivious or you really just don't care.

4. It's too convoluted. This one I will give you, but only so far. It had a rough first season where they overhauled it during the winter break and ditched a bunch of main story lines, shaking up some of the story that had been continuous in favor of a more "procedural" FBI show where each episode really didn't lead into the next much. By the mid-point of season 2, they had started to develop a real mythos (a show's distinct set of rules and terminology that is really important in Sci-Fi) that built on some things that were said and done in the first season and a half. So they didn't really dismiss much (other than Mark Valley's character), they just finally had an endgame they were working towards. Once they had this, the show made much more sense and was much easier to follow. I started watching the show from the beginning again and I'm noticing way more stuff that was said even in the first episode that made it into that over-arching mythos than I first believed.

5. It's too intellectual or "geeky". This is the only complaint that I will grant you depending on who you are. This show requires a level of intelligence because of the way things are explained. Not in a "Big Bang Theory" kind of way either. That show has some standard sitcom tropes that will keep almost anyone entertained, but "Fringe" is just not that way. You have to pay attention to everything. Hell, even those weird glyphs like the ones on the right here are actually representative of letters that spell out a word every episode. In true geek style, the show gives nods and shout-outs to many Sci-Fi staples like Star Trek (William Bell is played by Leonard Nimoy!), Phillip K. Dick (the Observers are basically the Adjustment Bureau), DC Comics' "Crisis On Infinite Earths" (the alternate reality and it's impact on this reality), and "Altered States" (the sensory deprivation tank used numerous times) just to name a few. Still, it's fun, engaging, and most of all never dry like some Sci-Fi can get.

So if you've ever said one of the above about this show, I'm hoping to have at least slightly changed your mind and that you'll seek out this show and try it. I know it is going to be sold into syndication after this season because it will hit the 100 episode mark, so when it does, try it out. I'm kinda hoping this is one of those shows that people will pick up on for years to come so that it becomes cult. Hey, Star Trek was only on for 3 seasons...it could happen...