Fringe (Season 5)

Just like Season 4, Fringe's fifth season took a massive risk by completely changing the storyline to that of a science-fiction war, along with removing all standalone episodes whatsoever. I think it worked well enough, especially as a final season, though it also feels disconnected from the rest of Fringe.

"Letters Of Transit" was probably the best episode of Season 4, an intriguing flashforward that set-up the events of what seemed like an ambitious Season 5 where the Fringe Division is tasked with preventing an Observer takeover after being encased in amber until 2036. Generally, I think it's a cool concept and executed well here. The Observers are imposing villains (especially Captain Whidmark, who terrifies me every time he comes on screen), and the conflict never feels overwhelmingly against the heroes, but I also feel like the season falls into repetitious cliche at times with its resistance storyline. Having a final season take place after such a massive time jump is always a risky choice as it could potentially feel disconnected from the rest of the show, and it's probably this season's biggest problem. There are tons of moments where I felt like this just wasn't the Fringe I was used to, and the lack of cases of the week definitely compounds that fact. Thankfully, the dramatic elements of the season are still compelling enough on their own right, and the season as a whole feels fast-paced, action-packed, and intense throughout despite how different it is from the rest of the show.

The character work was also mixed, as on one hand, I did really like how the season focused on the core quartet, and the last few episodes ended all of their storylines on a strong note. However, I wasn't a fan of plot decisions like Walter's failing memory and especially Observer Peter. I also feel like Etta and Simon's early deaths were wastes of likable and fresh characters, and the lack of alternate universe appearances was a shame given that it was my favorite aspect of the show. One thing I did really like about the season was the visuals. The observer world was just as unique and fleshed-out as in "Letters Of Transit", and the show experimented with some really trippy effects, especially in the MC Escher and LSD episodes. Speaking of which, the quality of "Black Blotter" onwards was pretty top-notch, probably because of all that buildup finally paying off. I'm not a massive fan of the Reset Button ending that mostly invalidated the whole season, but I think it was the best way to end this storyline, and the sheer amount of fanservice in the final two episodes made it more than worth it. It also felt more like a "series finale" than Season 4's attempt.

Despite my gripes with Season 5, however, it did have a lot of strong and dramatic episodes, especially near the end:

Black Blotter: This season's heavy serialization and shorter length meant that it rarely had the time to experiment like in Seasons 3 & 4. Thankfully, Black Blotter was a breath of fresh air in this regard, depicting Walter's LSD trip with effects, bizarre imagery, and a goofy Monty Python segment. This was also the episode where the Inner Child finally reappears after his name-dropping a few episodes ago.

Anomoly XB-6783746: This episode is a heart-breaking farewell to one of Fringe's most enigmatic and intriguing characters. Nina's final confrontation with Whidmark is incredibly intense, and its amazing that she managed to hold out as well as she did. There's also the great reveal that Donald is actually September.

Liberty: The second half of this episode is easily the high point of the whole season. Finally, we get to catch up with the characters in the alternate universe, who were greatly missed this season. Even more, the universe-swapping third act is some of the most exciting action Fringe has ever had. 

An Enemy Of Fate: I never like Reset Buttons in TV, but An Enemy Of Fate did it fairly well. The Observer future was so bleak that this was the best way to resolve it, and I'm glad it came at the cost of Walter and Michael. The emotional impact of this episode was definitely there through all of its references to the series past, and the final battle with Whidmark was incredibly fun and tense. I especially love the scene where the Observers suffer from all the Fringe events we've seen these past few seasons.

Overall, I have mixed opinions on Fringe's fifth season. It stayed compelling and tense throughout and stuck the landing pretty well, but it felt disconnected from the rest of the show and had some iffy character decisions.

4/5 Stars

My ranking of the Fringe seasons is:

1 < 2 < 5 < 3 < 4

My ranking of Fringe's season finales is:

3 < 4 < 5 < 1 < 2