New Television: Fringe

Fringe is one of the few shows of the new season that I was eagerly awaiting. It’s a concept from JJ Abrahms so it’s automatically got some buzz, but it also sees the return of another JJ – Joshua Jackson- to TV. Jackson played Pacey in Dawson’s Creek with such charm and wit it turned the whole dynamic of the show on its head. It’s been too long, welcome back Pacey. But was it worth the wait?

Despite my initial research on the show, I was unable to find a satisfactory blurb to describe what the hell it was about. It’s not easy to sum up in a sound bite so, having finally seen episode 1, here goes. A female FBI liaison officer (whatever that is) associates with a criminally insane scientist and his estranged maverick of son, who happens to have an off-the-chart IQ. She enlists them to help solve freakish cases concerning what is called fringe science, meaning paranormal activities. Clear?

The first episode sets the scene and although we would expect a swift course of action to get things moving along, the break-neck speed at which our heroine Olivia investigates and partners with the young genius and his loopy Dad, is quite unsettling. It is not clear as to what status Olivia has within the FBI, but she seems to have a lot of resources at her disposal for someone playing the overlooked female card. Within the first 40 minutes she has chartered a plane to Iraq, interviewed and discharged an isolated criminal psych patient, fitted out an extensive laboratory and moved a dying comatose man to aforementioned makeshift lab – along with a jersey cow. Olivia’s blind faith in the ramblings of a convicted felon who hasn’t so much as fondled a test tube in 15 years is the show’s biggest implausibility. Science fiction fans can suspend disbelief for tele-transportation, time travel and psychic phenomena quicker than a Republican candidate can forget who was in power for the last 8 years, but one thing we cannot excuse is weakness of character. And a Sci Fi show will live or die by the warmth, courage and the intelligence of its heroes.

Fringe is a big disappointment. I was bored. The Olivia character is cast well. The actress, unknown to me, plays the role with a balance strength and vulnerability. But she needs an injection of wit to save us from her misplaced tenacity. The minor characters are less participants, more lurkers. And as for Joshua Jackson, he does nothing but begrudgingly babysit his eccentric father. For someone who has an IQ of 190, he contributed nothing to the mystery at hand. Not even a cheeky glint of his eye. What a waste! Fringe has been compared to The X-Files - one advocate, one sceptic of paranormal events. Unfortunately Pacey Witter cannot compensate for the lack of pace and wit so prevalent in its predecessor.