Customer Reviews

Fringe: The Complete Second Season [HD]

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review covers my sentiments for SEASON 1 and SEASON 2. Its a good series in season 1 from pilot to episode 6 or 7......and then STRAP YOURSELF IN cuz its going to get way way way better from that point on.

Think LOST in SEASON 1. Thats Fringe. nothing to do with the story lines But with the excitement and anticipation each episode brings. Well mostly each episode. Yes sometimes they'll do an episode that doesnt advance the story line of the SERIES - which drives me nuts btw - but even in those few episodes, the story you will see in that episode will be greatly entertaining and leave you wanting more.

DO NOT start watching this at 11pm if you have an early morning. There is no way you will start and not watch at least three episodes. maybe if you are strong willed you might be able to just watch one or two among the first 6 episodes of season 1. But DO NOT TRY it with starting your viewing late in the evening with an episode that is after 6 of season 1. If you do that, I promise You WILL BE WATCHING 5 episodes back to back before you know it.

You have been warned...........

For many avid TV watches, the series finale of LOST in May of 2010 tore a hole in their silver-screen world that one could drive a truck through. Shows like "V" and "Flashforward" have been heavily advertised as ABC's "new alternatives" to LOST, but neither has even remotely captured the imagination of the viewing audience. Fortunately, FOX has found a gem (once again from mastermind creator JJ Abrams) with "Fringe", the only network-TV show on the airwaves right now that can be deemed a worthy successor to "the Island".

Though the first half of "Fringe: Season One" was quite slow (almost to the point of boring), it really picked up the pace down the home stretch and, by the season one finale, was absolutely incredible. This second season doesn't backpedal whatsoever, continuing to provide entertaining, mind-bending fiction week after week.

For a basic season summary, all three of the primary characters have their own unique storylines that play out in tangent as the season progresses:

-Walter Bishop, the mad scientist turned mental patient turned eccentric scientist, grapples with the horrible things he did as a young man, and how he can ever begin to rectify himself for those actions.

-Peter Bishop, Walter's son, begins to realize the reason why large portions of his youth are unremembered, as he starts to piece together the fact that his familial roots may not exactly be from "around here".

-Olivia Dunham, lead FBI agent, also deals with the demons of Dr. Bishop's past, as she finds out that, as a child, she took part in one of his more large-scale experiments, which left her with strange abilities that she debates the merit of developing.

Of course, while each character goes through those personal battles, they still continue to investigate the mind-bending "fringe science" phenomena that the show is known for. I look at the show as a combination of The X-Files (for its investigative setting) and LOST (extremely ambitious plot angles that never fail to give you an emotional payoff).

Thus, if you are a bit "lost" after your favorite island castaways departed, give this JJ Abrams effort a look-see. It just may give you something to look forward to again next fall.

Have been playing catchup for the past week and half having just discovered this show. Just as well, I couldnt keep the suspense from kiling me episode to episode so a two seasons in a row dose has done me good.

The Grass is not always greener on the other side. That is because John Nobles Prof.Walter Bishop has put the other side, in this case an alternate Earth Universe populated by, well us, living out our lives in a mirror image of our own, though with some major or minor differences, in danger when his grief at loosing his son caused him to break the laws of physics to save his sons alternate also dying of a seemingly incurable disease, when his doppelganger failed to notice that he had found the cure and our Walter Bishop, watching thru what you might call Universe-ision, a device that allowed him to look in on events on the other side nailed the cure and then he opened a portal to that side and took his doubles son and brought him back to our side and saved his life, but couldn't bare to take him back.
This action caused a rift in the wall between our Universes and all the horrible X-files/Outer Limits plague of horrible phenomena that have been occurring. At the core of the matter, only one Universe will survive in the end. Ours or theirs. They are more advanced Technologically speaking then us. There is the ZFT manual, written by ? that outlines a coming Alien holocaust not unlike the one envisioned by Alien Conspirators assisted by Cancer Man, but this time the enemy is our own selves but in another dimension.

I cant and dont have the room or time to rant and rave about this show and give it the full accolades it deserves, suffice it to say that John Noble is the heart and soul of this show and is the catalyst that makes the other characters he interacts with more then just two dimensional sidekicks or colleagues. He brings a smile a laugh and often a tear to ones face when he delivers his lines. His casting here was sheer brilliance and whoever in the studio thought of him for the part deserved a raise and hearty well done.

So who will win out? Their world is dying and they are getting desperate. Will Walter Bishop be able to regain his equilibrium and steadfastness after 17 years in the Mental Institution to face this challenge without his nerves unraveling in the face of what his brilliant mind brought about. Will Peter Bishop, whose life he saved and who is the only person Walter cares for and deeply loves and would gives his life for for, ever be able to come to terms and find peace about his whole past and realize that who you are born to dosent always determine who loves you the most as parent? Can nothing be done to avoid the collision of the Universes? Which food will Walter remember next as being a favorite of his? Who are the Observers, why what and where are they all about, and whats with the spicy food obsession.

Season 3 is here and some answers are forthcoming. Season 1, Episode 1, and you are hook line and sinker gonna become a fan and being of the old school Sci-fi movies and kind set in my ways, it says a lot about a series like this to hold my attention, oh and the wifes, Mrs Hallmark Channel, adores this show and John Noble as well. I just hope that they dont make the same mistake as X-Files. A brilliant series, wonderful performances by Ducovney and Gillian, for which we have as of yet to get a closure on Alien Invasion theme. I hope this series dosent fall into that trap and realize more is not always better. 3 or 4 good seasons beats 7 meandering seasons anytime.

As a huge fan of J.J. Abrams, I bought Season 1 and was whisked away into the world of Fringe. A trip. Had to rewind several times to get it! I love that about a multi tiered story. Now I have Season 2, and it just keeps getting better. As other reviewers have commented, we get more of a peek into character's personal lives and past.

I find echos of Lost and Alias in Fringe. Strong female lead, intelligent and athletic. Until the end of season, no change of appearance...but then. The cliffhanger is a dilly!

Buy it. It is entertaining on so many levels. The features enhance viewing enjoyment. I am going back to Season 1 to refresh memory of how characters came together. The Walter Bishop character is my favorite: brilliant acting, especially when those alternate world are revealed!!!

My set arrived ahead of schedule and in perfect condition. Thanks Amazon. DVDs are my life. No TV ...by choice. Keep 'em coming.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU-RAY EDITION-AMAZON HAS A HABIT OF COMBINING REVIEWS SO IF YOU'RE READING THIS UNDER THE DVD EDITION YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS REVIEW. THERE ARE ALSO MINOR SPOILERS.

Hardly a show on the fringe of popularity, J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" managed to seduce fans of "The X-Files" that were looking for a complex, layered narrative with the fantastic elements of that show while maintaining quirky, weird plots and characters. The only show that consistently beats "Fringe" at its own game (and it is strictly a horror/fantasy series with elements of science fiction thrown in from time-to-time) is Eric Kripke's "Supernatural". Some older fans couldn't relate to the twenty-something characters of "Supernatural" so "Fringe" became a perfect escape from fans looking for the same mystery/science fiction/suspense elements with characters that skew from the young to the old.

The Blu-ray transfers look extremely good although there are some minor issues with image quality due to the number of episodes per disc and there isn't a lossless soundtrack included (why Warner hasn't done this with their newer TV shows I'm not sure). Extras are terrific with six commentary tracks as well as assorted other extras (more details below).

"Fringe" Co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams learned the lesson of carrying on a convoluted story arc too long and making up the story as they went along with Chris Carter's "The X-Files" unsatisfying conclusion after 9 seasons. Abrams sets up season long b-story arcs that are usually resolved within the season and has (so far) given answers to the A story elements over the course of a season as well (something that began with "Lost" even though that show also had for me an unsatisfying and somewhat predictable conclusion).

The second season built on the momentum of the first--the outbreaks related to "fringe" science continue such as a virus that causes the skin to cover all orifices smothering the victim or buildings from an alternate universe colliding with those of our own. We discovered during season two (SPOILERS FOLLOW)

that the war between the our universe and the alternate universe was spurred by Walter going to the other side to save Walternate's son after Walter's son had died. Walter brought back Peter from the other dimension and raised him as his own. Walternate who became the scientific thought leader in his universe began the war with us and also the Secretary (of Defense one can only assume) allowing him to develop and sent shape shifting terrorists to our side to wreck havoc. Walter also wants Peter back for his own insidious purposes outside of the fact that Peter is his son.


Although there are often lapses of logic (and really very little "real" science not that it matters since "Fringe" is really a horror/science fiction hybrid much as "The X-Files" was)in the story telling department (most viewers don't notice simply because they get caught up in the action of the episode), "Fringe" is to be applauded for its strong performances, direction, production values and, yes, writing taking chances that few other TV shows will do (the only other series that is better than "Fringe" in that department is the horror TV show "Supernatural" where creator/producer Eric Kripke rarely leaves illogical ideas left dangling) and does it well.

**END OF SPOILERS**
As with the first season the performances are uniformly strong (although I did miss the character of Charlie who was sacrificed as a series regular due to budget/narrative issues--the writers didn't really know what to do with his character after the first season (fear not Charlie fans he "returns" sort of). The season cliffhanger for "Fringe" was a dozy (and if you haven't seen it avoid reading any spoilers) although it might have been predictable it was executed fairly well even if, again, there was a gaping plot hole in the final episode that wasn't adequately addressed but, again, the show managed to slide past it due to deft direction, action and performances. Like "The X-Files" the stand-alone episodes are usually as strong as the alternate universe war driven episodes and while it helps to have seen the first season most viewers could comfortably watch the second season episodes without missing too much.

As with the first season Warner has done an exceptionally good job of translating "Fringe" to Blu-ray. Blacks are nice throughout--inky, deep and rich and the Blu-ray doesn't suffer from the crushed blacks that plague other TV shows that are transferred to DVD or Blu-ray. Detail is remarkably crisp throughout and the slightly bleached color scheme that is a hallmark of the series arrives intact without anyone boosting the color or contrast.


There is occasional noticeable video noise that appears which does muddy up the episodes scenes that might consume a higher bit rate due to the darkness, action, grain etc. It's not a huge issue but given how great season one looked and was delivered, it is a little bit of a letdown marring what otherwise is a good looking show. It's particularly noticeable on larger monitors but those watching it on their computer or a plasma (or LCD) smaller than 35 inches probably won't notice it all that much. Still, the presentation IS exceptionally good and it's a minor criticism.


Audio sounds remarkably good throughout with a nice sounding presentation in 5.1 although it ISN'T presented in the lossless format. Although surround speakers aren't quite as active as, say, a theatrical action movie they are darn close with plenty of detail measured out among speakers particularly during action sequences but there is still subtle elements you can hear in the surround channels even during the quieter, dialog driven scenes of the show.


The first Blu-ray and DVD set was loaded with special features including mini-featurettes focusing on visual effects and other elements that were important to key episodes. The second season carries that over."Analyzing the Scene" provides us with good, brief insights into the production of six key episodes from the second season. "A New Day in the Old Town", "Momentum Deferred", "Of Human Action", "What Lies Below", "Brown Betty" and "Over There" are highlighted.

We also get four audio commentaries all of which are pretty informative even if the heavy hitting stars are absent for most of them. It is nice though to get a different practical perspective on the production of the episodes so kudos to Warner for trying something a bit different.


Actors John Noble and Blair Brown appear on one commentary track and they are engaging, entertaining and have lots of trivia about shooting the episode. "Over There, Part 2" which features the producers/writers Jeff Pinkner, Akiva Goldsman and J.H. Wyman clearly are having a good time watching the episode but it doesn't result in a very informative commentary track.


We also get the "Unearthed Episode" that was originally from season one but was curiously aired during season two. This stand alone episode was deemed to be somewhat pedestrian compare to other episodes during season one and was held back for that reason. When it ran it was during the middle of the second season luckily here it is presented out of the aired order as a special feature on disc four.


We also get six deleted scenes from six key episodes. We also get a gag reel.


"Beyond the Pattern" is nearly a half hour and gives us background on the developing mythology of the series and "In the Lab" lets us see a number of the props onset with actor John Noble and prop master Rob Smith acting as our guides.


The second season of "Fringe" was even more engaging than the first and while there were still some episodes that weren't quite up to snuff the quality is consistently high for the most part. The extras are quite good for the show although I do lament Warner taking the cheap route and putting the entire season run and extras on four discs instead five like the first season. It would also be nice to see Warner give the audio on this series the lossless audio presentation they deserve but, I suspect, they think most folks are going to watch this on their PC using a smaller audio system that wouldn't benefit from it. Despite some minor flaws, I'd recommend the second season of "Fringe".

This past year as the ending of Lost was approaching I found myself trying to find a show that would be able to help fill the void that Lost ending would create, and I admit that I had initially hoped that FlashForward would be that show, especially since ABC was promoting it as the next Lost. I enjoyed it, but as we all know, FlashForward was canceled so obviously it can't be a replacement for Lost. I myself have to admit that it's taken me quite a while to get truly into Fringe, but after seeing the final ten episodes of the second season Fringe I would definitely say that Fringe is a suitable and worthy replacement for Lost. Fringe may not always have the same level mind-blowing awesome moments and mind-blowing twists that Lost frequently had, but Fringe is definitely an excellent show.

One thing that I love about Fringe is that it's not heavily serialized show like Lost where you have to see every single episode in order to understand what's going on. It's definitely a lot more accessible to people who might only be a casual viewer of Fringe than Lost ever was for casual viewers. This is a very good thing for me because when I saw the series premiere of Fringe, I have to say I absolutely hated it. The pilot episode was barely able to hold my interest for the full two hours, and after that I didn't watch Fringe again for several months after I had read online that people felt like the quality of Fringe had improved so I watched it again for a few more episodes. It was definitely better, but I still didn't like it enough to commit to watching it every week. I was very busy with school at the time so I didn't even put it on my DVR it and watch later list. After that I didn't watch again until the season finale, which I thought was the best season one episode that I had seen at that point. Since I enjoyed the season finale so much that I bought season one on DVD. Season one was definitely full of hit and miss episodes in terms of the quality, but I still watched season two when it first started.

Personally, I feel like season two started out slowly and was inconsistent again in terms of quality so I quit watching after watching the first seven episodes of season two. For a while I was even strongly considering selling my Fringe season one DVDs, but after FlashForward returned from its long hiatus with dismal ratings and it's impending cancelation becoming increasingly obvious, I decided to give Fringe another chance and watched all of the episodes that were posted on Hulu at the time was blown away by how good Fringe had become. I feel like the overall quality of Fringe is much more consistent starting with the last ten episodes of the second season. I am so glad that I didn't end up trying to sell my season one DVDs now, because I am finally truly and completely hooked on Fringe.

In my opinion, Fringe finally truly hit its stride and found its grove starting with episode 14, "The Bishop Revival". After watching that episode I have never given the idea of giving up on watching Fringe another thought. To me, "The Bishop Revival" was the start of Fringe finally having an excellent sense of consistency to it in terms of quality because the last ten episodes of the second season were mind-blowingly awesome in my opinion. Three of my other favorite Fringe episodes from season two are "August", "Peter", and "Olivia. In the Lab. With the Revolver". Those were three truly amazing episodes of Fringe in my opinion. Fringe still isn't on the same level of mind-blowingly awesomeness as Lost, but it's definitely mind-blowingly awesome in its unique way and a worthy replacement for Lost now. Watching the last ten episodes of season two completely changed the way I view Fringe as a whole. Now whenever I go back and watch all of the season one episodes that I had initially thought of as being mediocre at best, I enjoy watching them a 100X more than I did the first time I watched them.

I still haven't seen episodes 2.09 to 2.13, so I'm really looking forward to the release of the season two DVD set so I can watch them. Even if I don't enjoy episodes 2.09 to 2.13 as much as I've enjoyed all of the other season two episodes, I'm sure that they will all be great to a certain degree because I am a much more faithful fan of Fringe now. Again, that's all because of the last ten episodes of season two.

What I've come to love the most about Fringe is the relationship between Walter and Peter and the dynamic of their relationship. That's what makes the show for me personally. Another one of my favorite things about Fringe is the relationship between Walter and his lab assistant Astrid. I love the dynamic between those two.

I was one of the people who was very disappointed by the Lost series finale, and I can honestly say that I loved the two-part season two finale of Fringe, "Over There: parts one and two" a 100X more than I liked the Lost finale. With the cliffhanger that the season two finale left the audience with and the season three spoilers that are slowly coming out, I can't wait for season three of Fringe to start because it sounds like season three is going to be amazing.

I don't know what kind of bonus features the season two DVD set of Fringe is going to have, but I'm really hoping that it will have a few audio commentaries because I for one love DVD commentaries.

All in all, Fringe may not be the best show ever or might not always have the best consistency, but it's still an amazing show. It's definitely worth watching now, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen the show yet and is interested in it. It definitely took a while, but Fringe has definitely blossomed into a truly amazing, must-watch show.

After the surprising ending to Season 1 (I'll leave a lot of details out to avoid spoilers), we find ourselves with revelations to what has been happening, about things that Walter was up to in the good old days, and about the things that could happen if things continue on their strange - interesting - path. It all begins with a car and it all ends with a startling revelation coming to a head and forgiveness being asked for by someone that this viewer has come to love. The oddity, the bizarre people and the reasons behind everything: sometimes you think you are going to be doused with filler, only to find out you've actually unlocked a piece to the puzzle.

When you look at J.J.'s work, you notice how things are brought together for a reason. I like that, and I like the way that the mind can boggle at some of the twists and the turns that happen right under your nose. From Peter and the past that Walter did not ever want revealed to the Olivia that we did not know about so clearly in the past but have now come to understand, the show plays connect-the-dots well. It also delves into other subjects, addressing spirituality, the concept of love, forgiveness, and a drove of other items. These are things you don't expect from shows but find yourself handling, exploring, and needing in DVD form. Otherwise, you might miss out on something - and that would be a travesty.

Aside from the storytelling aspect of Fringe, there are the great actors that are evolving on the set. We have our four main cast members, a boss we have come to explore, a lady with secrets that seem bigger than the company she has, and even the scientist that works for her. all of these little cogs play their parts and play them well - otherwise the show wouldn't be what it is. There is a dynamic at play here, sometimes funny in the most bleak situations, and I have to say that I really love that. I also love the progressive idea moving through the show and the things that could happen if certain factions manage undo what people know as reality.

If only we could know what the Watchers know.

If you have not seen the show, stop and go get Season 1 now. If you thought Season 1 was anything but grand, continue here and find yourself inspired. I loved the show when it first came out and now, with the signing of two more seasons at least, we know it will have time to develop. so, get the episodes, the parts you missed out on because of cuts, the commentary, and everything else this DVD offers. It is well worth obtaining and a sad thing to leave behind.

Second seasons veer into one of two categories, the first is the season that takes the best elements of the first season, enhances that, and does away with what didn't work. The other is the second season that fails to live up to the expectations of the first season, failing to see what went right and what went wrong with the first season. Luckily, Fringe season 2 falls into the first category. First, the shows enhancement of the mythology was great, the characters evolved, the story had a forward progression, and I never felt a twist was out of place or forced just for purposes of having a twist ending. I also like how the more the show progresses, the less black and white the good guys and bad guys are (don't want to put any spoilers, but when you watch, you'll see) As to the non-mythology episodes, they are just as good, and sometimes better than the mythology episodes, again as they address the characterization you don't find in most shows. Which is what makes fringe so compelling. There are a number of procedural dramas on tv (you know, opens with a mystery, and a large majority of the episode is solving that mystery), but none really emphasize characters like this one does, nor has such an interesting mythology. I look forward to every episode of fringe, and highly recomend it to...well pretty much everyone. Give it a try!

Fringe is more about supernatural, which somehow is a very dangerous thing that the writers might be find it too easy to conceive a story without thinking too much of everything else, so for me, these supernatural thing are all about the overall feeling, especially the characters, and fringe is one of the best, the other being x-files, of course

Unlike the huge cast team of Lost, Fringe keeps the main cast to 4-5 people in the first two seasons and (now doubled, in season 3, as they have their alternate version), which allows them to develop fully and naturally without being compromised by others, (however I do worry as they enters season 3, there're too many people need to be taken care of)

Personally I really like the team of Olivia, Peter and Walter in the first two seasons, there're so much chemistry inside and the interaction is so brilliant, and the supporting team of Broyles and Astrid are top notch as well

Being the most difficult part of this show is too keep it within the frame of fringe while talking about the big picture, the parallel universe, in the first two seasons, I think Fringe did a great job using the pattern to lead the development, there's really nothing to dislike for me in this show for the first 2 seasons, so 5 stars

(I just wish they will still focus on fringe when they tell the return of Olivia in season 3, do not turn her into a superwoman capable of everything, please)

The sleeve that all the discs are in isn't exactly like the one if you bought this in a store for 50$. The paper part under the plastic cover is just a bit wrinkley/wavey. Really doesn't make much of a difference, though. All the discs worked great on my DVD player. For some reason the first and last disc didn't work all the time on my laptop. My laptop is new, so I'm not sure where the problem was there. I think my laptop just didn't like those discs because they worked on other playback devices. Other than that, can't beat the price!