The first season of Fringe was amazing. You got to know all the characters and you got to go into a world that is a cross between CSI and The X-Files. Basically, you were introduced to the weird and wacky world that our favorite characters (Agent Dunham, Walter and Peter Bishoff) reside in.
Main story
As the first left off on a cliffhanger, the second begins with a weird resolution. Agent Dunham comes crashing through the windshield of her vehicle hours after it collided with another vehicle is a strange, but good, way to start the second show off right. When you learn about the ‘alternate’ universe through Dunham’s own experience the show becomes particularly creepy. The two-universe idea that the show introduces is amazingly shaped.
Coming straight out of a sci-fi novel you would think that such a concept would not be as specifically put together. The writers and producers of Fringe have done an amazing job with setting up the real world for viewers. The stories have always given solid scientific explanations for the weird phenomenons; it is as if they actually did research. Why is this important? If you can explain everything then viewers tend to give ‘trust’ in your material, thus buy into the fact that something like this can happen in the real world. It’s very important to wrangle that type of ‘trust into a show because when you spring the idea that two universes are somehow connecting with each other then your viewers will stay with you for the duration of the ride; I know I did.
Anyway, back on track, the main story does revolve around the connection between two universes and what that means for mankind. Along the way, Dunham discovers her role in this story, as a child she was experimented on by Walter because she had the ability to see into the next universe. You’ll also find out later in this season why that is of importance (on many occasions). Related to that, you will find out a deep dark secret about Peter’s life and how Walter did an unthinkable act in relation to his son. Of course, all of this is related to the connection between the two universes.
The main story for this season is very strong, although very outrageous in a sense. You won’t care as you’ll be dying to learn a bit more about the other side and ultimately the fate of the two universes. This storyline is a lot more riveting than the first season and a lot more consistent in terms of keeping it confined with characters and plot points. Shows like this can easily fall off track with this type of storytelling (see Dark Angel for details). It all works though, as you’ll be thrilled with the end results and be dying for more in the third season.
Side Stories
What I found remarkable about this show is the ability for it to maintain side stories really well while somehow connecting them to the main storyline. For example, in episode 16 (Olivia. In the Lab. With the Revolver.) you have a fascinating story of a man who can touch people and instantly give them cancer. It’s a strange story that is both terrifying and suspenseful. By the end of the episode they end up connecting this man to the main story (not in a sloppy way either). The writers just do a helluva job with this sort of split personality for the show. You get a nice standalone mystery that fits perfectly with the main puzzle.
On the side, you also get a great set of stories with their own unique ‘universes’. For example, there is an oddly weird, but well-done, story called Brown Betty. While Walter awaits the return of Peter from the big secret reveal, he creates a dark story for Dunham’s niece that is set in the 1940s. Of course, it involves all the players from the show dressed up and acting in a mixture of the 40s with some present technology. Really good stuff and something that fits well into the overall scheme of things.
This is the type of storytelling you get with the second season and it’s nothing short of impressive. It’s tough enough writing a really good first season and it’s nearly impossible some days to trump it. Well, Fringe: The Complete Second Season trumps the first by miles.
Now the important question, “Should you go Blu-ray or DVD?” For me, I’m all about the Blu-ray. The picture quality is already top-notch (as it was shot in HD to begin with) and the audio quality is unrivaled, especially if you have the system for it. The show fit perfectly (full screen) on all my HD televisions, so it was difficult not adoring that, as you would probably get lovely widescreen bars from the DVD. It all comes down to what you can afford and what you want out of the HD. The quality is far superior on this format, which gets you into the action of the show a bit more. You get more details, the grotesque stuff gets more grotesque and you get a bit more into the show itself; which is always a great thing. I would probably pay $69.97 for this if I loved the show and I wanted the best way to watch it.
As for features, here’s what you’re getting:
• The Unearthed Episode
• The Mythology of Fringe
• Fringe: Analyzing the Scene Sidebars on 6 Key Episodes
• In the Lab with John Noble and Prop Master Rob Smith
• Commentary on 4 Episodes by Series Stars and Creative Team
• Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
• Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
These features are damn good, as well as the extra episode you get. The commentary is the only downer to this list because I wish they had done commentary for all the episodes. Call me jaded and starving, but I want to know everything about every episode available. There has to be some interesting stories and some specific details on their intentions for each episode. Again, I would have loved to hear something about each one.
The featurettes on here are solid as well, but the real kicker here starts with the gag reel. I’m a sucker for gag reels and this one doesn’t disappoint. As a whole you’ll be happy/impressed with the features on an already great season.