DVD Review: Fringe Season 2

Fringe is another TV series from the mastermind of J.J. Abrams, the man who brought us the greatest TV series of all time (in my opinion) Lost.

The series got a slow start in Season 1 as everything was set up for us, but from about episode 6 or 7 onwards – things picked up quite quickly. Season 2 is much more compelling than the first, and much stronger in my opinion. With that being said, the series is one continuous story, so if you’re going to thoroughly enjoy Season 2, you need to see Season 1 first.

The formula with Season 2 is much the same, each episode starts out with a rather gross and seemingly unexplainable death that Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) must investigate while Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) have to do the dirty work. This season delves a bit more into the parallel universe where Peter was taken, and dangerous repercussions soon unfold as the team ventures into the alternate reality.

I’d recommend Fringe to anyone who has been a fan of Abrams’ previous work or honestly any sci-fi show in general. It reminds me a lot X-Files (With some of the same Mulder/Scully sexual tension alongside some pretty satisfying sci-fi plots). And unlike Abrams’ Lost, we’re actually getting some answers to some large questions before the final season. So if you’re worried about being strung along until the very end, that needn’t be a concern here. Fringe is a well-developed, creative and thought-provoking series with solid acting, fantastic special effects, and enough mystery and suspense to appeal to mainstream fans.

Special features include commentary, gag reel, unaired scenes, and a number of featurettes including ‘The Mythology of Fringe’.

Official Description:
Return to explore the boundaries of a mysterious mythology that holds millions of viewers in its hypnotic grasp. Season 2 of Fringe contains worlds (and alternate worlds) of excitement complete with shape shifters, cryonic heads, belly-dwelling beasts and people who turn to ashes before our eyes. But the overarching narrative takes three clandestine FBI agents – Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop and Walter Bishop – through a mind-bending investigation of a parallel reality that threatens to destroy ours. The impossible is here in a series that offers “the most satisfying, coherent story arc of any science-fiction-flavored primetime drama” (Mike Hale, The New York Times).

Grade: A-
Official Website: www.fringethedvd.com

Review By: Emma Loggins