When I was in grade school, science was boring. Now it’s entertainment.
Science seems to be the new launch-off point for a lot of successful TV shows that have premiered in the last few years. Shows like C.S.I. (forensics), Dexter (blood spatter), House (medicine) and to an extent, Heroes (genetics) have all tapped the yawning well of science to produce TV series that aren’t only smart, but also very entertaining. So much so that these great shows have spawned a number of inferior ones trying to ride its scientific coattails. Since science as a genre seems to be saturated, what comes next?
JJ Abrams, creator of shows like Lost and Alias, has taken a bold step in the creation of science-inspired TV shows. Fringe, his latest offering, does not deal with science exactly, it takes science to a different level. Fringe deals with pseudo-science (or “fringe science”). Specifically, Fringe revolves around pseudo-scientific concepts like telekinesis, dark matter, teleportation, reanimation, levitation and the like. Fringe is a daring new show that tickles both the brain and the imagination with its use of core scientific theories and its out-of-this world treatment of them. Think C.S.I. except Grissom is a mad scientist and the weapon held as evidence is an alien space pod.
Fringe is the story of an FBI agent who suddenly finds herself in the loop of bizarre events that are happening around her — things like randomly exploding heads, mysterious earthquakes and instant pregnancies. To help make sense out of the madness, Anna Torv’s character, Agent Olivia Dunham, seeks the counsel of certified mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble). Only Bishop won’t cooperate unless his son baby-sits him. Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) is a misguided but talented MIT dropout who has a habit of getting into trouble with unsavory people (basically a combination of Joshua Jackson characters from the last decade).
The gripping thing about this show is the tension between the plausibility and absurdity of what’s taking place. Sure, you may think it’s impossible for heads to spontaneously combust. But when you hear Walter Bishop explain that it is merely sound waves transmitted so that it makes the atoms in your head shake ridiculously fast, you start to think twice, even just for a second. The success of this show will probably fall on whether or not its audience can buy into the idea that fringe science is actually something they can relate to real life. Personally, I find the idea of human heads being able to combust interesting. To others, maybe not so much. Fringe is bold and daring and it shows the kind of creativity that a show needs in order to get some attention.
Fringe stars a relative unknown in Anna Torv, John Noble (most known to me as Faramir and Boromir’s dad in The Lord of the Rings), ’90s poster boy Joshua Jackson (probably most famous for The Mighty Ducks and Dawson’s Creek) and Lance Reddick, the creepy tall black man from The Wire and Lost. The cast is nothing spectacular on paper, but they pull it off. Reddick and Noble in particular are convincing and create good foils for each other’s character. Even Torv, who I have never seen before this, is surprising; she can carry the entire show as its lead character.
It’s too early to tell whether Fringe will have the lasting power of its predecessors. Part of the appeal of science-based TV shows is that it made what was real more interesting. With Fringe, it’s the reverse. It makes what’s interesting more real. Pseudo-science is a rich and fascinating topic, but it isn’t for everyone. Nonetheless, whether it captures a large audience or not, Fringe should be lauded for taking bold steps in creativity and concept that is rarely seen in an industry of copycats.
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