New season: Fringe

For the first time, Fringe has begun a season with an episode set in the alternate universe (it has been revealed that, for at least half of the third season, the episodes will switch between universes each week) and it spends the premiere, which is titled ‘Olivia’, focusing on, as you can probably guess, Olivia (played by Anna Torv). It’s a beautifully well-constructed opener that goes some way towards providing some clarity on the direction this season will take.

When the finale of the second season saw Olivia trapped in the alternate universe, I imagine that most of Fringe’s fanbase correctly predicted that she'd attempt to escape from the facility on Liberty Island - the events of the remainder of this episode, however, I doubt anyone could have really anticipated. The biggest reveals hint at the real agenda of Walternate (played by John Noble). I initially expected that he was simply keeping Olivia captive to stop her from going back to her own universe, but by episode’s end it’s obvious there’s a bigger plan at work here. He succeeds in imprinting the memories of Faux-livia (Oliva’s double from “over there”) into her brain - whether this means that Olivia is basically Faux-livia now... or if she has become “twice-the-Olivia-she-was-before” is yet to be discovered.

In the past, some reviewers have questioned Anna Torv’s ability to carry such an important leading role. I sincerely hope that all those naysayers will have been silenced by her outstanding performance in Tuesdays episode. Olivia is struck by a quick succession of deep and conflicting emotions and Torv portrays how truly lost her character feels within the alternate reality perfectly. Talking of superb acting, this episode also features Andre Royo as Henry, the driver of a taxi that Olivia hijacks. In such a role he could have easily been anonymous, but he’s such an excellent actor that his character soon becomes surprisingly relevant (it would be a missed opportunity if we don’t see him again later in the season) - moreover, he gets to speak a memorable line that defines both the episode and one of the most significant concepts of Fringe - emphasising the fact that, “sometimes, you’ve just gotta believe in what you can’t see.”

Credit must go to the way that episodes in the alternate universe have been edited and directed so far. Somehow, Fringe has a very different feel when it’s set in the other universe beyond the mere fact that certain details have changed (for example, the World Trade Centre wasn’t destroyed on 9/11 “over there”, the White House was). “Over there” has got a just-so-slightly “weird” colour palette and the scenes are shot in a clearly different style and often from bizarre perspectives. As always, Michael Giacchino’s chilling score is real success - musically, Fringe and Lost have a lot in common - and it’s wonderful to hear his truly exceptional music on TV once again.

The episode ends with a short scene back in “our” universe, as Peter (played by Joshua Jackson) gives a statement about the events that he experienced whilst in the alternate world. Intriguingly, he appears to be now romantically involved with Faux-livia (although totally unaware that she isn’t actually Olivia). I must say, it really is a shame that Peter doesn’t have a double in the alternate universe as it means we’ll be seeing a lot less of one of the most interesting characters that the show has to offer.

Thankfully, instead of fulfilling the audiences expectations, the Fringe premiere aimed to surpass them. With this episode, it has proved that the show is prepared to embark on an utterly unpredictable journey for its third season. It’s full of genuine surprises and I certainly can’t wait to see what’s up ahead.

Fringe airs on Tuesday nights at 10pm on Sky1

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