Fringe 3rd season finale - spoiler-free praise

Impossible not to address the third season finale of Fringe that aired on Friday. Yet I have several friends who have been late to the party, so I don’t want to blow anything too major, for those not already into the mad world of season three. But it must be said that Fringe continues to break new ground each season. Faced with an uncertain future of there being a fourth season, Fringe dared to focus the story on…an uncertain future. This season has seen enormous changes to all the characters on the show, “in this life, and the next,” as Gladiator’s Maximus might have put it. Both sides of the fence have had their worlds rocked, to be sure. These last few episodes of the season have been spectacularly inventive and unusual.

One suspects that the writer’s room on Fringe may resemble Walter’s own lab, as a willingness to experiment seems to exist in both places. Most shows that find themselves moved to a new night with the prospect of non-renewal looming would play it safe. Not Fringe. Week after week they gave us a reason to come back and more reasons to care about these characters, so it must be particularly gratifying to have taken those risks and then actually get renewed for a fourth season. Way to go Fox!

Fringe manages to stay unpredictable and reinvent itself a bit each season. The core concept is the same, but each season flips the coin anew, revealing a side we never considered. When you take it for granted you’ll get heads or tails, the appearance of a third option is jarring – and intriguing.

The cast just gets deeper and more invested in these characters and consistently delivers the goods. Here’s hoping we see more of Seth Gable as Lincoln Lee next year. He’s made the character seem like an indispensable part of this ensemble and makes you want to know more about him. It’s also high time to give Jasika Nicole’s Astrid Farnsworth more front-and-center time. She’s risked sinking into Lieutenant Uhura abandonment at times – let’s get her into the plot more and find out what makes her tick.

Fringe delivered some superb guest stars this year, including Paula Malcomson, Andre Royo, Christopher Lloyd and most recently Brad Dourif in the finale.

While Fringe never skimps on the action, it remains foremost a series about ideas and characters. Friday’s finale played out the endgame of the season then promptly knocked over the chessboard. I don’t know where we’re going next September or who’s going to be there, but I can’t wait to find out. Fringe is a series that keeps on rewarding the faithful then continues to ask if you’re ready to climb on up to the next level of the game.