'Pilot' - Fringe, Season One

Fringe

Season One

Episode One

‘Pilot’ - 7.0

Kinda looks like a creepy halloween jelly. Great, now I'm hungry. 

Fringe begins with a cold open that is as memorable as Lost's - a normal flight is reduced to disgusting, skin-melting hell over the space of about two minutes, and not a single main or recurring character appears. It is truly gross, and nearly unforgettable. Nearly four years after it first aired, I can still remember the first time that I saw it, and how that I knew there was something attractive about Fringe.

I will admit that when I saw this pilot for the first time, it was the only episode of the show I saw that year. It wasn't a conscious decision of mine to stop watching, rather I would continuously forget that it was on at the same point every week. Is this indicative of the quality of the episode? I wouldn't say so, although it has convinced me that this lacked the pulling power of Lost's magical first episode. Possibly this is due to the distant way the show is made; we don't really get a good look into any of the characters, and it is quite cold and aloof - at least until Walter turns up.

The first main character we meet is Olivia Dunham, played by Australian actress Anna Torv. In future seasons her abilities will be praised, though in the pilot there is little to distinguish her from other protagonists, other than that she is a strong, intelligent woman. Before this gets all feminist-y, you should note that Dunham's motivation is her man, so she isn't a completely perfect model for the modern woman, not yet anyway. Other than her love for fellow FBI Agent John Scott (real original name there), little more is delved into in regards to her personality or her history. All we know is that she is focused, stubborn, smart and emotionally stunted, all of which are pretty standard traits for any main character.

No, in this episode at least, the character who appears the most is not the character that stands out. Here, that role goes to former scientist Walter Bishop, acted with ferocious enthusiasm by another Australian, John Noble. Noble brings Bishop's insanity away from over-the-top, managing to ground his non sequiturs and occasional psychotic breaks in a plausible way, while still allowing the audience to find hilarity in the unfortunate man's suffering. It is indeed a nice break to have the comic relief be possibly the most important main character, and that is exactly what happens in Fringe.

There are obviously actors who aren't Aussies taking part in this uber-expensive production. Canadian Joshua Jackson plays the young Peter Bishop with subtlety - you never really notice the acting at all, which cannot be a bad thing. Blair Brown from Altered States gives a rousing and immaculately-delivered monologue about cancer and the rise of technology in one of her two scenes in the pilot.

In this episode, however, it is not the actors who steal the show. In Fringe, it is all about the visuals. The camera is constantly moving, never remaining static. The cinematographer plays with light and colour, he alternates wildly between close-ups and wide-angle shots. Len’s flare, though used far too much in some shows and films, is used to perfection here, and gives it a modern, fresh look without compromising a scene. The effects must have taken endless days to render so perfectly, and though you often can tell what is and isn't CGI, it is inarguably fantastic stuff for television, especially considering this was made a couple of years ago. The director's skill is apparent in many of the riskier scenes - Olivia's dazed and confused awakening after the bomb blast is spectacular, and we feel right there with her, experiencing the after-effects of a near-lethal explosion. There are two chase scenes, the first being the better, on-foot, it tracks over roof tops and down fire-escapes, jumping from the top of a building to a garbage disposal. The shots which follow Olivia as she dives over the alley to the stairwell on the other side was breath-taking and endlessly re-watchable. The second chase was vehicular, and was also pretty damn good for television, with the final crash the perfect end to the tense, emotionally draining pursuit.

There are issues, as nearly every episode has. As stated, Olivia's character is barely touched on, despite her being in nearly every scene. Similarly, Astrid Farnsworth stands in the background in many pivotal moments, only coming forth to do something for someone else. It's an odd addition to the cast, since she doesn't really do anything. Agent Scott is not particularly well portrayed, nor well explored, though it looks like his role in the show will be expanded upon later, despite his death at the conclusion of the episode.

On that note, the twist. It seems that all pilots need a twist at their end, and in this we learn Olivia's beloved has his hands dirty with the mess on the plane, and was involved in some way with the terrorist. I don't know about any of you, but I did not expect it. Sure, it wasn't that big a deal - we hadn't gotten to know the guy at all - but it was moving only because Olivia had just spent eighty minutes trying to save the man. Still, there are clearly going to be repercussions later on, and they will no doubt be worth the pain.

I don't know what the deal is; Fringe is an amazing show. Yet, I find myself having issues getting back into the early stories. Is it the dramatic increase in quality that the show goes through in the second season? Who knows, but the pilot is still a great piece of work. Sure, it looks like JJ Abrams attempted to recreate the feel of Lost, but that doesn't overly detract from the experience. In my opinion, it is a must see show as a whole, and thus, the pilot itself should be watched by anyone who likes a good sci-fi with an overarching mystery.