Season 2 of Fringe is more of a mixed bag than the first. Whereas Season 1 felt carefully constructed even in its slow moments, Season 2 felt like it was treading water until that plot-heavy final third, but what a phenomenal final third that ended up being anyway.
The first two-thirds of Fringe's second season were a bit of a mess. It started off fine with the solid "gun arc", which resolved a lot of the mysteries of Season 1's finale and introduced the season's stakes, and there were even some neat episodes after that as well. Of Human Action was an entertaining and twisty standalone, August was a sweet Observer episode, and Grey Matters raised the stakes even higher. However, after episode 4, Season 2 slowed to a crawl, with an incredibly long sequence of standalone episodes that didn't even progress the plot or character dynamics like Season 1's did. The worst part was midway through the season, as episodes 11-14 were all weak and dull standalones. Season 2 didn't feel as confident as the first, and Fringe was getting dangerously close to losing me.
And then Jacksonville happened. Olivia found out that Peter is from the alternate universe and the season suddenly goes from meh to utterly amazing in every conceivable way. From this point on, pretty much every episode dealt with the personal drama of that moment, meaning that even the more standalone ones had some sort of emotional heft to it. The mythology episodes also became more frequent, as the conflict about the AU rapidly built towards the season finale. And what a finale that was, an episode that paid off pretty much every element of the series up until that point, with the exception of the shapeshifters. It's shocking just how this otherwise shaky season suddenly ended on one of the best stretches of episodes I've seen in quite a while (with the exception of that weird musical one). This is the best Fringe has ever been, and I think it's fair to say that it managed to make all of that waiting worth it.
As expected, most of the notable episodes were near the end of Season 2, but here they are anyway:
Momentum Deferred: A strong episode that resolved Season 2's solid starting arc really well. The final battle with Charlie was as intense and it was heart-breaking, and the conversation with William Bell does a great job at laying out the stakes for the rest of the season.
Grey Matters: In the middle of a fairly weak stretch of episodes, Grey Matters' retconning about Walter's insanity manages to increase the season's stakes even more while making Newton into a more interesting villain and offering a lot of interesting new explanations.
Peter: Easily one of the best flashback episodes out there, Peter is an emotional and intense episode that outlines just how exactly Walter stole Peter's alternate. John Noble's acting here was amazing, and the episode does a great job of making the situation so morally grey to think about. Walter may have saved Peter's life, but he also stole him from Walternate. You can't help but feel bad for both of them at this point.
White Tulip: Given how weak Fringe's standalone episodes usually are, White Tulip absolutely blew me away. The time travel premise was utilized very well, the acting from John Noble and Peter Weller was phenomenal, and the absolute gut-punch of an ending left me stunned. I even liked the "God Is Science" talk, which dealt with the religion/science debate far more gracefully than Lost ever could. White Tulip may not have been super eventful, but it said what it needed to say, and left its mark on the entire TV landscape.
Over There: Everything has led up to this insane double-length finale. The alternate universe, Bell's sacrifice, the Cortexiphan children, and especially that horrifying cliffhanger, this episode really did have it all. Over There is a brilliantly tense season finale that left me desperate to see what will happen in Season 3.
Overall, Season 2 had a very bumpy first two-thirds with a lack of plot progression and weak standalone episodes, but once Jacksonville happens, the season takes a massive jump in quality, with a final third that packs some of the finest drama, twists, and emotional beats in the series so far.
First two-thirds: 2/5
Final third: 5/5
3/5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment