WATCH FRINGE

[Magus]

Any Fringe fans? Even lapsed fans? Even people maybe marginally interested in the show?

I command you all (and by "you all", I mean everyone on the internets) to watch Fringe in order to inflate its ratings so it might get renewed! It is, at the moment, on the knife's edge. According to the show creators, there are two alternate endings for this season finale, one that attempts to "wrap things up", and another that opens up the show for a fifth season.

And what a fifth season it would be. I don't want to spoil too much, so if you haven't been following the show this season, BE WARNED! The parallel worlds plot-line seems to be coming to a head through a final confrontation with the villain, David Robert Jones, in the next few episodes, but now they have really shook up the series starting with last night's episode:

SPOILERS
So last night they introduced a new storyline where both parallel worlds are ruled by a dystopian government headed by Observers from the future. Etta, the daughter of Peter and Olivia, is a key member of the resistance, as are future Nina and possibly future Broyles, and busts Walter, Peter, and Astrid out of amber they have been kept in stasis in.
END SPOILERS

This would be an amazing fifth season if the show were renewed.

Thus, I command you all to watch the show! Taping it via your DVR might be enough, or perhaps even watching it on Hulu/Hulu Plus or the FOX website, as supposedly because the show is on Friday nights the people in charge of such things actually look at "secondary ratings", since the first run is always so abysmally low.

Anyway, general Fringe discussion for anyone who is interested in the show?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I still haven't seen most of season 3, I really need to catch up at some point.

[Magus]

I still haven't seen most of season 3, I really need to catch up at some point.

You are in for a treat.

I urge you to catch up post-haste!

[Archbio]

Give Fringe a fifth season, allow Chaltlie Francis back!

[Seil]

Isn't 'Fringe' that crime show with that psychic?

[Archbio]

Isn't every television series, in this day and age?

[Seil]

Sorry, that was 'Medium.' I got my prime-time/on-word titled crime shows/paranormal shows confused.

[Magus]

Medium's premise simply allowed her to solve basic murders and other crimes, whereas Fringe is more like the X-Files, with an overarching storyline involving parallel universes, shapeshifters, genetic experiments, etc.

EDIT: Wasn't Medium on CBS and also really crappy, too? Fringe is a FOX show.

[Azisien]

I watched a big chunk of the first season and found it cool but inevitably irritating. Interest dropped off cliff resulting in termination of said watching.

Like, the main plot seemed to go out of it's way to never resolve or evolve. Some crazy cool shit would happen within each episode, they'd maybe kinda figure it out, and then they'd all look seriously at each other and be like, THE PATTERN DUH DUH DUUUUUUUUUUH.

[RickZarber]

Fringe renewed for 13-episode final season! (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fringe-renewed-fifth-season-317063)
Fox has renewed the cult drama for a fifth and final season, giving the go-ahead on 13 more episodes. The renewal will bring the sci-fi series to an end after 100 episodes, a critical syndication threshold for the series' studio, Warner Bros. TV.

“Fringe is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas,” said Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly. “Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve. The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”

[Satan's Onion]

...
EDIT: Wasn't Medium on CBS and also really crappy, too? Fringe is a FOX show.

It started out as a crappy NBC show, which was never one of my favorites (her psychic power was basically a spell of Dispense Plot, with side effects of whatever the fuck the writers wanted it to do at the moment). Just as it was about to finally die, CBS picked it up for a season or two.

Anyways, I've heard quite a few good things about Fringe, for the most part (I hear the first part of the first season was kind of dire, but that it picked right up after that). I wouldn't mind getting into it, but how how continuity-heavy is it? How much homework would I have to do in order to jump on board this fucker?

[Archbio]

As a result of in-story events, the first episode of Season Four has some elements of a series premiere. I remember it as having plenty of exposition about the basics of the Fringe, which felt like a bit of a recap as I was watching it.

Now I don't know how intelligible it's going to be to a new viewer (I think a lot that's just merely being set aside will just plain go over your head,) but it's the latest natural jumping in point I can think of. I figured it was designed that way a bit, in order to allow new viewers in.

I'd think that jumping in at the next upcoming episode would be pretty unrewarding: there's only three episodes left in the season, and that includes a two parter finale.

[Magus]

Fringe renewed for 13-episode final season! (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fringe-renewed-fifth-season-317063)

OH MAN HELL YES

Anyways, I've heard quite a few good things about Fringe, for the most part (I hear the first part of the first season was kind of dire, but that it picked right up after that). I wouldn't mind getting into it, but how how continuity-heavy is it? How much homework would I have to do in order to jump on board this fucker?

I'm going to come out and admit I started watching it at the beginning of Season 3, although I had earlier watched quite a bit of season 1. Season 4 is not necessarily a good jumping on point--way too much stuff to do with the parallel universe would be incredibly confusing. Now, there is a villain named David Robert Jones who was in one of the earlier seasons who has kind of been made into the main antagonist of Season 4, but they do a good job of explaining who he is and what he is. But Season 4 just kind of assumes you know what led up to the world as it is--what happened in Season 3 and at the end of Season 3. So if you can I'd go on Hulu and jump in on Season 3 if you absolutely don't want to go back and watch the first two seasons (which would be well worth your time in my opinion, but as someone who watched the first two seasons in retrospect I'd say you could easily jump in there).