How to get hooked on Fringe in about 10 hours
I've made it my mission lately to get as many people watching Fringe as I can. This is, of course, selfish, because the more people know how amazing it is, the greater the likelihood that there will be more fanworks, more people to squee with, and more eyes on the show live, for great glory of future seasons. But, say many, it is a show nearing the end of its third season. How can I possibly catch up now?
It is actually quite easy. I have been honing a list of episodes that I can show people over the course of a weekend, to give them the very best of the mytharc while getting them to fall in love with the characters in an effective, gut-punchy way. Given the two sets of friends I've tried it out on, I'd say it's a great success!
First, though: Some things you need to know about Fringe.
1) Everything they say about the first season is true. The show begins as an X-Files knockoff (quite unashamedly, really), and it is fun but not good until the middle. Do not let this hold you back if you started at the beginning and were turned off. I mean, yeah, the man-baby episode was weird and not great. (IT IS IMPORTANT LATER, THOUGH.) The show didn't have its dynamics down yet. Believe me, you will love Philip Broyles by the time you're through.
2) The first half of the first season is a red herring. There are a handful of other shows that Fringe is while it gets to the meat of its own. The first few are the "Olivia and John Scott Show," wherein Olivia tries to cope with a dead partner who lives in her head. (This show has the Tank, and some uncommonly gorgeous set pieces near the end, but it is not necessary for the larger arc.) Then, in the second season, we have the "Shapeshifters, Holy Shit!" show, which establishes some themes present in the third season, but which is also optional in a strictly getting-the-mytharc sense. Throughout, there are Monster of the Week episodes, which can be either fun or dreadful, but which almost always have a few moments of incredible character awesomeness that make them worth watching when you have a chance. (You will forgive the awful, for the most part, when you know what kind of magnificence is coming.)
3) Don't get spoiled if you can help it. Fringe is the most risk-taking, emotionally driven show I've seen in recent memory. Sometimes you see twists coming several episodes down the line, but they're executed so satisfyingly you don't care; sometimes you realize that the showrunners have been laying down clues and important lies since the pilot, and all of sudden throwaway remarks or weird plot points become HUGELY IMPORTANT and it is the most awesome thing ever. Sometimes the script is so elegant, you'll never see the next thing coming and it will floor you. Going in unspoiled is an amazing experience.
4) Fringe can get really gross. Look, you just have to go in knowing that. Be ready for some squicks in every episode. You will get through it. The characters are worth it.
Okay, that said: Season 1, the quick, mytharc-y way
Start with 1.11, "Bound." This is the episode that came on after the midseason hiatus, and it's structured to bring new viewers up to speed in a really compelling, heart-pounding way. They do an excellent job of establishing the story and the players without any previouslies, so just watch this one and take it in.
Then go to 1.14, "Ability." This is truly the start of the greater mytharc, and the catalyst for the remainder of the season. After that, do 1.17, "Bad Dreams," which furthers the mystery of Olivia's background; 1.19, "The Road Not Taken," which reveals some of the central world-building tensions (and which up the ante on, well, every relationship and plot delivered so far); and 1.20, "There's More Than One of Everything," the S1 finale.
Note: You will probably want to find out what happens immediately after the finale, and be tempted to head right into S2. The beginning of S2 is a different show, or at least is diverting you from the main mytharc for a bit. There are excellent, amazing, heartwrenching things that happen, and one of my favorite characters in the series is introduced, but: you don't necessarily need it. (If you choose, though, there is a specific arc you'll want to do, which is 2.01, "A New Day in the Old Town," largely for the new villains and for the end; 2.04, "Momentum Deferred," which resolves the end of 2.01; and 2.05, "Dream Logic," which is necessary for both you and Olivia, given what happens in 2.01 and 2.04. The other episodes in that sequence are fine, but not as plot-necessary, given that the previouslies are very helpful.)
Note #2: If you do want to see the John Scott arc, which is not so much Fringe as a prequel to Fringe, in a way, watch the following: 1.01, "Pilot"; 1.09, "The Dreamscape"; and 1.13, "The Transformation," which is one of the more out-there MotWs, but it provides a resolution to the arc, which is actually quite moving.
Moving on to Season 2: Or, Holy shit, this shit is getting real
Fringe really comes into its own in the last quarter of S2. When there is time, I just show everything from 2.15 to the finale, but that's not always necessary, especially if there are time constraints. So.
Start off with 2.15, "Jacksonville." This is to S2 what "Ability" is to S1: it sets everything in motion, and it elevates the stakes, personal and plotly, to ohholyfuck levels. Next you will want to watch 2.16, "Peter," not just for the awesome '80s-style opening sequence, but for learning how and why, exactly, Walter Bishop broke the universe. The next two episodes are great, particularly the beautiful 2.18, "White Tulip," as a structure/character study, but really, what you want next is 2.19, "The Man from the Other Side." All the lies and truths people have been hiding come out in this one, and it's devastating and elegant and ohmygod, the escalation.
Next is 2.20, "Brown Betty," which is required. It is a '40s noir detective musical told while Walter is extremely high, and it's gorgeous and hilarious and incredible and heartbreaking. It also contains a zillion Easter eggs from previous episodes, so finding all those is a great game in and of itself. Do not miss "Brown Betty": it is everything you hoped it would be and more.
The next episode after that, 2.21, "Northwest Passage," is a great character exploration, and also a wonderful look at how working in Fringe Division messes up the way you operate within the ordinary world. You can skip most of the episode if you're pressed for time, even though that means missing the incomparable Martha Plimpton as an awesome rural Washington sheriff, but you need to watch the final minute or so, because they drop one hell of a bomb that's related to "The Man from the Other Side" and which will drive the rest of the season. The final two episodes, 2.22 and 2.23, "Over There" (Parts I and II) are astonishing. Actual canon alternate universe. And when you get to the end, you will see that, holy fuck, they went there.
I have not yet done the dissection viewing of S3, but I am convinced that you will not actually want to miss any of the S3 episodes. They are all magnificent. Characters you loathe at the beginning of the season will become incomparably wonderful by 3.18, the most recent episode aired. You will fall in love with absolutely everyone and everything, and be incredibly creeped out and invested and horrified, and you will not be able to let go. It is, bar none, one of the bravest, best shows out there. You will see how lucky we are to have gotten a S4. New episodes begin next Friday, April 15, so there's definitely time to catch up, especially if, like me, you find you're unable to stop mainlining this puppy.
In review: The episodes that will get you caught up and hooked are:
1.11, "Bound"
1.14, "Ability"
1.17, "Bad Dreams"
1.19, "The Road Not Taken"
1.20, "There's More Than One of Everything"
2.15, "Jacksonville"
2.16, "Peter"
2.19, "The Man from the Other Side"
2.20, "Brown Betty"
2.22 and 2.23, "Over There (Parts I and II)"
Happy watching, Cortexifans!
This was originally posted on Dreamwidth, where it has
comments. Feel free to drop in using OpenID (how to do that).
It is actually quite easy. I have been honing a list of episodes that I can show people over the course of a weekend, to give them the very best of the mytharc while getting them to fall in love with the characters in an effective, gut-punchy way. Given the two sets of friends I've tried it out on, I'd say it's a great success!
First, though: Some things you need to know about Fringe.
1) Everything they say about the first season is true. The show begins as an X-Files knockoff (quite unashamedly, really), and it is fun but not good until the middle. Do not let this hold you back if you started at the beginning and were turned off. I mean, yeah, the man-baby episode was weird and not great. (IT IS IMPORTANT LATER, THOUGH.) The show didn't have its dynamics down yet. Believe me, you will love Philip Broyles by the time you're through.
2) The first half of the first season is a red herring. There are a handful of other shows that Fringe is while it gets to the meat of its own. The first few are the "Olivia and John Scott Show," wherein Olivia tries to cope with a dead partner who lives in her head. (This show has the Tank, and some uncommonly gorgeous set pieces near the end, but it is not necessary for the larger arc.) Then, in the second season, we have the "Shapeshifters, Holy Shit!" show, which establishes some themes present in the third season, but which is also optional in a strictly getting-the-mytharc sense. Throughout, there are Monster of the Week episodes, which can be either fun or dreadful, but which almost always have a few moments of incredible character awesomeness that make them worth watching when you have a chance. (You will forgive the awful, for the most part, when you know what kind of magnificence is coming.)
3) Don't get spoiled if you can help it. Fringe is the most risk-taking, emotionally driven show I've seen in recent memory. Sometimes you see twists coming several episodes down the line, but they're executed so satisfyingly you don't care; sometimes you realize that the showrunners have been laying down clues and important lies since the pilot, and all of sudden throwaway remarks or weird plot points become HUGELY IMPORTANT and it is the most awesome thing ever. Sometimes the script is so elegant, you'll never see the next thing coming and it will floor you. Going in unspoiled is an amazing experience.
4) Fringe can get really gross. Look, you just have to go in knowing that. Be ready for some squicks in every episode. You will get through it. The characters are worth it.
Okay, that said: Season 1, the quick, mytharc-y way
Start with 1.11, "Bound." This is the episode that came on after the midseason hiatus, and it's structured to bring new viewers up to speed in a really compelling, heart-pounding way. They do an excellent job of establishing the story and the players without any previouslies, so just watch this one and take it in.
Then go to 1.14, "Ability." This is truly the start of the greater mytharc, and the catalyst for the remainder of the season. After that, do 1.17, "Bad Dreams," which furthers the mystery of Olivia's background; 1.19, "The Road Not Taken," which reveals some of the central world-building tensions (and which up the ante on, well, every relationship and plot delivered so far); and 1.20, "There's More Than One of Everything," the S1 finale.
Note: You will probably want to find out what happens immediately after the finale, and be tempted to head right into S2. The beginning of S2 is a different show, or at least is diverting you from the main mytharc for a bit. There are excellent, amazing, heartwrenching things that happen, and one of my favorite characters in the series is introduced, but: you don't necessarily need it. (If you choose, though, there is a specific arc you'll want to do, which is 2.01, "A New Day in the Old Town," largely for the new villains and for the end; 2.04, "Momentum Deferred," which resolves the end of 2.01; and 2.05, "Dream Logic," which is necessary for both you and Olivia, given what happens in 2.01 and 2.04. The other episodes in that sequence are fine, but not as plot-necessary, given that the previouslies are very helpful.)
Note #2: If you do want to see the John Scott arc, which is not so much Fringe as a prequel to Fringe, in a way, watch the following: 1.01, "Pilot"; 1.09, "The Dreamscape"; and 1.13, "The Transformation," which is one of the more out-there MotWs, but it provides a resolution to the arc, which is actually quite moving.
Moving on to Season 2: Or, Holy shit, this shit is getting real
Fringe really comes into its own in the last quarter of S2. When there is time, I just show everything from 2.15 to the finale, but that's not always necessary, especially if there are time constraints. So.
Start off with 2.15, "Jacksonville." This is to S2 what "Ability" is to S1: it sets everything in motion, and it elevates the stakes, personal and plotly, to ohholyfuck levels. Next you will want to watch 2.16, "Peter," not just for the awesome '80s-style opening sequence, but for learning how and why, exactly, Walter Bishop broke the universe. The next two episodes are great, particularly the beautiful 2.18, "White Tulip," as a structure/character study, but really, what you want next is 2.19, "The Man from the Other Side." All the lies and truths people have been hiding come out in this one, and it's devastating and elegant and ohmygod, the escalation.
Next is 2.20, "Brown Betty," which is required. It is a '40s noir detective musical told while Walter is extremely high, and it's gorgeous and hilarious and incredible and heartbreaking. It also contains a zillion Easter eggs from previous episodes, so finding all those is a great game in and of itself. Do not miss "Brown Betty": it is everything you hoped it would be and more.
The next episode after that, 2.21, "Northwest Passage," is a great character exploration, and also a wonderful look at how working in Fringe Division messes up the way you operate within the ordinary world. You can skip most of the episode if you're pressed for time, even though that means missing the incomparable Martha Plimpton as an awesome rural Washington sheriff, but you need to watch the final minute or so, because they drop one hell of a bomb that's related to "The Man from the Other Side" and which will drive the rest of the season. The final two episodes, 2.22 and 2.23, "Over There" (Parts I and II) are astonishing. Actual canon alternate universe. And when you get to the end, you will see that, holy fuck, they went there.
I have not yet done the dissection viewing of S3, but I am convinced that you will not actually want to miss any of the S3 episodes. They are all magnificent. Characters you loathe at the beginning of the season will become incomparably wonderful by 3.18, the most recent episode aired. You will fall in love with absolutely everyone and everything, and be incredibly creeped out and invested and horrified, and you will not be able to let go. It is, bar none, one of the bravest, best shows out there. You will see how lucky we are to have gotten a S4. New episodes begin next Friday, April 15, so there's definitely time to catch up, especially if, like me, you find you're unable to stop mainlining this puppy.
In review: The episodes that will get you caught up and hooked are:
Happy watching, Cortexifans!
This was originally posted on Dreamwidth, where it has
comments. Feel free to drop in using OpenID (how to do that).