Fringe
Episode 12: Liberty
Episode 13: An Enemy
of Fate
By: Carlos Uribe
Fringe
is a show about a small team of people who are trying to save our
world from the Observers.
Spoilers
Ahoy!
One
of the most difficult aspect about writing a television series is
actually ending it. This is because of what makes television a
unique medium. A film or a novel are able to tell stories from
beginning to end with more control over how long they can dedicate to
the narrative. A movie, even those belonging to a series, will often
be self-contained. The only time they end in cliff-hangers or build
up a plot is when the film producers know that there's going to be
another film. In some specific cases, they generally have an idea of
how many films there's going to be and arc the plot as necessary.
It's the same with a novel. Literary authors and filmmakers have an
advantage in that they know how much time they have to develop a
story. They can develop each chapter and scene so that it adds up to
the ending they have in mind. A television series is different. The
writers don't know when, or even if, they'll have to wrap up their
plots and they have to keep making them until the network tells them
to stop. The closest certainty a writer has is that specific season
they have. This leads them to develop seasonal arcs where the
characters grow. This explains the existence of filler
episodes-something you'd shouldn't find in a movie or novel. These
seasonal arcs have to tell a story but they can only end if the
writers know that the show isn't coming back. They often aren't told
until after it's too late that the series has been canceled. It is
very rare for a series to know when it's going to end and to allow
the writers to develop a season towards wrapping everything up. I
bring this up because Fringe did it.
This
can lead to it's own challenges. Now the writer has to look back at
each season and find a way to wrap it all together for a satisfying
conclusion that rewards long-term viewers. A series finale has to
find a way to close a show with an ending that is thematically
appropriate while having those final scenes mean something to the
audience and the characters. There's a reason why so many series
finales simply haven't been able to keep fans happy. A finale might
try to force a happy ending which doesn't fit the tone of the rest of
the show. It might not have been able to tie up the plot properly,
leaving too many questions unanswered. It might not have given the
fans an ending that they think the characters deserve. Why do I bring
this up? These last two episodes acted as the series finale of Fringe
and they both did a wonderful job. The two episodes manage to take
the plot from the five seasons and wrap them up successfully. It
managed to have an ending that fit the theme from the series. It
managed to have the final shots that made it all mean something to
the audience while giving the two main characters the ending that
they deserve. It might not have been the perfect ending as it's
filled with plot holes but it does provide a satisfying finish to the
journey that began so long ago when Olivia was brought on her first
Fringe case. You truly get the sense that this was the ending that
was intended from the very beginning.
The
first season of Fringe had weekly missions as it slowly drew the
viewer into the show. It was a good start to the show but it merely
hinted at the greatness that was to come. It was the season that
introduced the Observer kid, which has become crucial this season in
defeating the Observers. Considering how that episode had hinted at
this role in that first season episode, there is a chance this might
have been the plan from the beginning. At the same time, we're slowly
learning about Olivia's powers that are used in future seasons and in
the finale's climax. The second season was more about exploring the
idea of a parallel universe before actually developing it. The third
season explored the alternative universe before bridging it with our
universe in the finale. The fourth season dealt with Peter being
erased from the timeline while dealing with a bridged universe. It
seemed for a while that's what the show was really about. Then the
fifth season came and it became all about the Observers-which was a
brilliant stroke by the writers. Using the mysterious characters that
had been there from the very beginning as the final villains once
again gave the impression that the show had a plan all along. The
alternative universe itself played a role in this episode when Olivia
had to go to the other side in order to breach a fortress. The show
managed to use the elements from the previous seasons and wrap them
up in a satisfying conclusion. It's unknown how much was planned and
how much was put together this season by the writers but it was all pretty good
writing.
The
series itself is able to end on a theme that remains true to the
show. The sacrifice necessary to defeat the Observers meant that
Walter had to go to the future. This meant that from the day of the
invasion onward, Walter wouldn't exist in the present. He has to live
the rest of his life in the future even in this new timeline. It's
brilliant and fits the show perfectly in it's demand of sacrifice.
This leaves a tinge of sadness in the happy ending. Peter and Olivia
might be happy parents to Etta but they will no longer be able to be
with Walter. The ending with the White Tulip is not only a reminder
that he's gone but it's a symbol of hope. That's what Walter had
given Peter and Olivia: a bright and hopeful future as a family and
for their daughter. The tulip had also represented forgiveness and
Walter was able to finally achieve redemption when he took the boy
into the future with him. In sacrificing himself from his family, he
was able to achieve forgiveness. That's all he's been seeking for
this whole time we've known him. It might not be the perfect ending
for the characters but it fit them all perfectly. In the end, they
all got at least most of what they wanted. It's all explained by one
simple white tulip.
Fringe
is now over. This is a show that I've fallen in love with and now
I'll miss it. It was a fun show that explored the fringe science. It
is a science fiction that took it's characters seriously and wove a
beautiful tale that just happened to involve alternative timelines
and now time travel. Fringe is over now but it has done what very few
series have accomplished: have an end that completely satisfies every
aspect: character, plot, and thematically. In crafting this final
season, Fringe has been able to deliver the perfect ending with it's
white tulip.
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