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Fringe: The greatest show on TV no one was watching[/h]
Posted: Monday, January 21, 2013 12:00 am By Samantha Kiesel | Editor-in-chief |
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There are very few shows I have watched since the pilot originally aired and continually watched it until the series finale.
“Lost,” for the past three years, was the only one I have watched start to finish, every episode, live. Well, despite the occasional recording. But I actually watched the show in real time. There are many that come close: “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Game of Thrones,” “Glee” and “Modern Family” are a few I started after I heard how good they were.
There are a few on air right now that I watched from the beginning, like “Revenge” or “The Good Wife,” but that’s because I paid closer attention during the pilot season.
For me, it means double the amount when I have started and finished the show while the actors did, while the critics did. And this past Friday, I said goodbye to a show that has now joins the ranks with “Lost.”
You probably haven’t heard of it. Just 3.1 million people watched the series finale, compared with the 16.3 million who watched 12th-season premiere of “American Idol.” It’s never been up for the top Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, despite having one of the best ensembles on TV.
But for me, “Fringe” was my favorite show on television. Network or cable, comedy or sitcom, “Fringe” had me at every moment. It was one of those shows that made you think. They made you think for five seasons and 100 episodes. They didn’t assume the audience was stupid but challenged them to a point of frustration but at the same time enjoyment.
It had similarities to “Lost,” it was created by the same guru, J.J. Abrams, but “Fringe” was different. Both shows were character-driven. Both shows had incredibly weird aspects. Both had hints of comedy. “Fringe,” however, did something to me. It was a smaller cast, with deeper connections. It reinvented the same characters over and over again. It was a show that made me want to be in their world, made me wish I were Olivia Dunham or Astrid.
There is no doubt in my mind, “Fringe” is one of a kind. I will never watch something that had me so invested in the outcome of the characters I loved, the weirdness they encountered, and the comedy that was so subtle yet timed perfectly.
Every show on TV has something to learn from it. It wasn’t a show driven by ratings or awards, but it was a show that was for the fans and nothing else. That’s what TV should be.
I’m not saying it is the only show that has been able to do that, but it was one that resonated with me every week. Filled with pop culture references, filled with continuing storylines that rewarded loyal fans, filled with superb acting, “Fringe” was the greatest show no one was watching.
And now that it’s over, I can only hope it will find TV lovers who didn’t have the chance to experience it the first time. Because after all, the only thing that matters is connecting with the overarching themes, whether it’s during the night it aired or five years later.
“Fringe” will forever be timeless to me.
