Fringe Season 1: 6 Reasons It Was Awesome

Last Friday I was reading some of TheTVReferee’s tweets about Fringe and asked myself “Why again am I not watching that show?” So now seven days and 20 episodes later, I have completed Season One and I am as hooked as a “Trouty Mouth’s” lips. So below you will discover 6 things that I feel make this wacky, crazy, sci-fi, paranormal, amazing show so awesome.

1) What Dharma Could Have Been: After two episodes of this show I just kept thinking to myself, wow this is what Lost could have been like if we knew the shit Dharma was actually doing. I mean, aren't the experiments and paranormal and wacky shit that happens on Fringe what you imagined the Dharma initiative did as well, or at least the island. I mean time travel, random guys showing up everywhere (comparing Jacob to the Observer), mad sexual tension between the two leads. Okay, okay, the last one has nothing to do with the Dharma Initiative but anytime I can bring up Kate and Jack as a couple I will.

2)Gene: At first the cows presence was for practical reasons. This specific cow was the closest thing to humans and therefore it would be more ethical to do these experiments on the cow than on a human. I am pretty sure that no experiments have been conducted on Gene. Instead they order mice and rats to treat as, well, actual lab rats. Gene just looks over from his humble abode and laughs at them. Gene gets the royal treatment in the Bishop Laboratory. Walter takes the time out of his busy day to milk Gene and gets Astrid to help him with brushing Gene’s hair. My favorite part about Gene though, by far, is the reaction people have when they see Gene in the lab. Priceless.

3)Olivia Duham’s Outfits: If you want to know the reason that women should not be required to wear a tie just look at Anna Torv’s top on this show.

Seriously, Anna Torv in her button down shirts with the top two buttons unbuttoned; so hot. Here are some more examples.

It is a tragedy when she has a winter jacket covering it up while outside.

4)Astrid and Everything She Does: I love Astrid. No she does not have the most depth, no she’s not given the best lines, and no she is not the best actress but man do I love her. First of all she is the most random character on the show. She was a linguistic major which you should know actually can come of use if you need to translate Latin. She was a computer science minor so she is able to hack some computers and program stuff. On top of that she knows all the underground clubs in Beantown and also has some miraculous innate laboratory skills because she helps Walter in all of his crazy science experiments. She is a natural at everything man. I think my favorite line is when she says “I am not brushing a cow’s teeth Walter, you know I have real work to do, right?” I wish I believed that statement Astrid, but unfortunately brushing a cows teeth is what the FBI is paying you for.

I have only seen the first season of the show so far but I want to ship Walter and Astrid SO BADLY. I think that would be so freaking awesome. These two spend so much time together and I love those rare moments when Astrid reveals her admiration for Walter. Also it was super sweet when Walter apologized to Astrid for drugging her in “The Arrival” (1x04). It is a coupling made in heaven.

5)Walter’s Food Obsession: I love food and I love to eat. Like I seriously love food. That said, I began watching Fringe last Friday during dinner; a decision I regretted 4 minutes into the show. I am able to eat through pretty gruesome things on screen, but seeing those passangers body basically MELT off of them was too much for me. I paused the episode, finished dinner, and then continued watching the show. Because of this, Walters’s constant obsession with food, even when he is dissecting a body is fascinating to me. He just thinks of something that he wants a taste that he craves, and asks for it. He is not fazed by whatever task he is doing; his taste buds and stomach are more important which I think is fascinating. One scene that will forever be etched in my brain is when he places a cookie ON THE BUTT OF A DEAD BODY and then picks it back up and continues eating it. Not one person in the room seems to mind.

Not to sound all nerdy and nitpicky but seriously this is the least sterile lab I have ever seen. First they are eating food literally on top of dead bodies. Also I have counted at least 10 times in season 1 when an experiment was being conducted and either Walter or Peter were not wearing gloves or goggles. You are dealing with some pretty dangerous materials here guys, PROTECT YOURSELVES! Before you make love, put on a glove!

6)Nina Sharp and Agent Broyles: I think these two are so interesting every time they interact. At first I thought she was the Voldemort of Fringe and she was trying to recruit Olivia to be a death eater. As the season progressed though I found her more and more likeable. I want these two to be in a relationship so badly. Part of me just wants this because it reminds me of Lt. Daniels and Rhonda Pearlman’s relationship on The Wire. And yes it might just be that Pearlman and Sharp are both redheads but everyone’s allowed an opinion.


So that are just some of my takeaways from Season 1 of Fringe. Thanks TVReferee for making me a Pattern Believer I am super excited to dive into Season 2. Let me know your thoughts.

APB