Fringe Is Back - And It's Now the Best Show on TV

I’ll start this off simply, and without spoilers: damn, it's good to have Fringe back.

After suffering through endless boring pilots, no new LOST to look forward to, and a rough start to J.J. Abrams’ newest baby, Undercovers, I was beginning to worry there was nothing good left on TV.

Holy cow I was wrong, because Fringe picked up right where it left us last season and I’ll say it’s better than ever. If you’ve been missing out, and want something to plug your genre fix, you must start watching Fringe. The first episode does a fantastic job of bringing new viewers up to speed, while still pushing everything that’s good about the show, and providing a gangbusters, edge of your seat episode, to boot.

So, spoilers on, then?

Olivia is trapped on the “other side,” the alternate universe where she was captured by Walternate last season. She’s been thrown into a mental asylum (shades of first season Walter, natch), and is being both psychologically, and since it’s Fringe, through some crazy mad science, physically made to believe she is, in fact, the other Olivia. That would be the one who went over to our universe, and is smoochin’ it up with Peter.

We spend pretty much the entire episode following Olivia as she races around Earth-2, trying to prove she’s not crazy... While slowly being overtaken by the personality of Olivinot. Along the way, she hooks up with friendly ethnic cabdriver #362, played by The Wire’s Andre Royo (and what a bummer that he doesn’t get to play any scenes with Broyles), and we find out a lot more about the conflict between the two universes, as well as why Fringe Division “over there” may not be so bad, after all.

What’s good about the episode? Nearly everything. Anna Torv has grown so much as an actor... I can’t imagine seeing her hold an entire episode like this in season one, but she is spectacular throughout this, from long shots of her internally struggling, to playing two (sometimes almost three characters), to kicking a ton of ass. The direction, as usual, is rock solid. And when we finally get to see our Walter, and Peter, and Olivinot at the end of the episode, it’s with giddy excitement that we get to see them, gone for an entire Summer – and an episode – and also a kick in the gut, because the friendly, happy shenanigans are undercut by, what we know, is a huge kick in the gut: they are basically doomed.

Their Olivia is not who she says she is, but more than that, Walternate is coming for them, with all the future technology at his disposal. They promised that last season’s finale would, once again, change the show completely. With Two universes Fringe Divisions running at the same time, and an army of alternate future-cops about to invade our universe... I’ll say they did.

Right now, right here – and I guess we’ll see where the rest of the season goes, but... Fringe is the best show currently on TV. So why aren’t you watching?

Random Notes:

• Was that photo of Olivinot with the gun and American flag a Sarah Palin shout-out?
• Jesus crap that opening scene was awesome. Seriously, edge of the seat the entire time.
• Dogs! The Smash Hit Musical
• Glatterflug is offering daily flights to the moon! I'm sure that's not a viral site or anything.
• Hey! Other Olivia lives off my subway stop!
• Those ridiculous olde-timey bicycles are still popular in the other universe. Fingers crossed we see a kid with that hoop/stick game next episode.
• Bzz! Bzz! My name is Astridnate, I am a computing robot! What is love? Bzz. Bzz.