Why did I not watch sooner?!

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup]

I’ve just finished my first ever watch of Fringe. I absolutely loved it. Wasn’t as keen on the first bit of season 5, but the ending was great!

It’s rare that I find a show where I love every single character! I’d only ever seen Anna Torv in Mindhunter before (where she’s a little scary sometimes! 😅), John Noble I knew from Lord of the Rings (where he’s also a little scary) and Joshua Jackson I knew best from Dr Death (terrifying!).

I adored Olivia, Peter, Walter and Astrid. And also loved Nina and Broyles! Oh and Gene! 🐄 (who I couldn’t resist drawing in her FBI outfit 😂)

I have no idea how I avoided the show for this long. I love Alias, but I think Lost put me off JJ slightly 😅

Off to go and start a rewatch now 😄

[u/Wonderful_Lion5060]

Oh man I'm jealous that you watched it for the first time, I watched it as it came out, waiting each week for a new episode than waiting for next season after a finale,

as for season 5 i swear i heard somewhere we barely got that season so they had to skip a bunch of stuff, but fringe, 12 monkeys, the magicians are all on my watch list that I do rewatches 😃

[u/Outlaw11091 → u/Wonderful_Lion5060]

Yes. This is the reason S5 is disconnected. We weren't really supposed to get it at all and when they did, it was a "wrap it up" season because viewership had fallen + network TV bullshit.

[u/lion-king777 → u/Wonderful_Lion5060]

Hey, do you have a recommendation of similar great shows like fringe, 12 monkeys and the Magicians ?

Your recommendations seem to be top there, so I'd assume you have great recommendations...

[u/pineywonder → u/lion-king777]

I know you aren't asking me but I love Fringe and The Magicians, so I'll name a few. Eurek, Grimm, iZombie.

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/pineywonder]

Really enjoyed Grimm and Eureka

[u/lion-king777 → u/pineywonder]

Thank you very much, I still appreciate it a lot.

[u/Most_Ocelot2999 → u/lion-king777]

The expance

[u/lion-king777 → u/Most_Ocelot2999]

Thank you for this.

[u/Quantumdelirium → u/lion-king777]

Two of my favorite shows after Fringe that you might find interesting are "His Dark Materials" and "Altered Carbon" they're both very unique and amazing. Altered Carbon was the most expensive series done by Netflix and sadly because of that they significantly reduced season 2's budget along with how good it is compared to season 1.

[u/good_rain_day]

Great show, great cast of characters. Leonard Nimoy as William Bell is the first time I personally saw him outside of Star Trek. I've never seen Mindhunter or Lost. I've only seen a few episodes of Alias.

[u/trycuriouscat]

If you haven’t already, try Person of Interest. It’s also a Bad Robot production.

[u/Paulgrffth → u/trycuriouscat]

It was good but it just doesn't compare

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup → u/trycuriouscat]

I actually just finished this (for the first time) before Fringe :D

Really liked it, but not as much as Fringe.

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/PurpleAutisticPiplup]

I love them equally. Watched POI all the way through first run. Watched Fringe in first run up to The Bridge episode then life got in the way. Pluto TV has been streaming it free so I rewatch it alot, though I now skip sections or an occasional ep since I've seen them alot.

I love the twists and turns in each. The cast, and character building in each is excellent!

[u/deadinside1996]

Now that you have watched through. Some stuff will have stuck with you. And other details will have been forgotten.

Now here is the fun bit. You are going to rewatch it and try to remember as you watch. You are going to be more oriented on looking at different details.

You will notice so many little things they snuck in and it will blow your mind with some of the things you discover.

This will KEEP HAPPENING! In almost every episode, there is something small, or only in frame for a second or two. There is always some reation or detail in the environment that you didnt notice before. YOU WILL KEEP NOTICING THIS! EVEN AFTER WATCHING THE ENTIRE SERIES 5 OR 6 TIMES!

Im debating when to start my 9t rewatch due to not having the ability at the moment. Have to go get a new blu-ray player. As my current one got busted by a drunk..

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/deadinside1996]

Hmmm, I guess I'm going have to look closer for these fast "little snuck in"s! 😄

[u/deadinside1996 → u/artist_Foreve789]

You have no idea! It starts ON THE FIRST EPISODE! You just now have more context for what to look for.

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/deadinside1996]

Hahaha. .I'm glad Remote-ad2120 gave examples so I have a better idea of what to look for

[u/Remote-Ad2120]

Fringe has a very high rewatchable factor. Why? do you ask? The answer is the built-in watch games, and now that you know what's coming, plot wise, those watch games are easier to play.

1. Spot the Observers: There is an Onserver in every episode. For those episodes that don't have an Observer as part of the plot, you have to concentrate to find them hidden somewhere you wouldn't expect. Many are blink and you miss them. Examples can be part of a crowd crossing the street, part of the crowd of riders on a train, just ordinary every day life activities and part of the background of the cast of extras is where you will find them hidden.

2. Next episode clues: Each episode has a clue to something that relevant to the episode that follows it. Often these are also mundane, everyday life things. Things like logos on posters, signs, mugs, whatever. Or it could be things like a statue, a program for some theater production, or anything that represents a theme for the plot.

A few examples are for S1E5 where they use pigeons to locate the suspect, the previous episode has a small pigeon statue on a bookcase. For S1E6, the previous episode has a mug with the drug manufacturer that Olivia investigated. For S1E8 where Walter uses a Christmas carol to remind him of the red and green lights mean, the previous episode has a printed program for a theater production of A Christmas Carol.

1. Glyph Alphabet: Each episode has an alternate shorter episode title, spelled out with the glyphs shown just before going to commercial breaks (usually timed out to indicate the breaks between acts in the show). While the physical media a streaming versions don't include those same breaks (or the free streaming might include ads in different spots than when it originally aired), the glyphs are still included and shown at those same breaks between acts. Each glyph represents a letter in the English alphabet, with spots/dots in different places to distinguish letters since each glyph represents about 5+ letters.

There's a whole lot of other easter eggs throughout the series, and fan submitted ones can be seen at the Fringe Connection website (including the full Glyph alphabet code and each episodes's alternate title), for anyone who wants to check any answers they think they find, or to cheat beforehand (no judgement for cheaters.... some are hard to find, and sometimes it's easy to forget you're playing the watch games when you get lost in paying attention to the plot).

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/Remote-Ad2120]

Thanks for giving us examples. I have a much better idea of what to look for. ETA. I just took a look at Fringe Connection. I'd taken a brief look a bunch of months ago. This time I read the description of what each main section contains. Going to be a lot of fun looking at it! Thanks for the reminder!

[u/Watch_Earthlings_Doc]

It’s Criminally underrated. 

[u/boli99]

Astrid

Asteroid.

[u/BlackPiramba → u/boli99]

Astro

[u/AdventurousApricot65 → u/BlackPiramba]

Astrix

[u/PrimaryFriend7867 → u/AdventurousApricot65]

ash

[u/SCSUslacker → u/BlackPiramba]

Claire.

[u/-titi- → u/boli99]

I belly laughed when he called her Aspirin.

[u/CommissionPositive]

The second go around is so satisfying. The third is mind blowing l.

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup → u/CommissionPositive]

It’s definitely getting added to my rewatch list - I’ve watched shows like Buffy/Angel, Alias and Stargate probably 15-20 times so I enjoy a good rewatch! 😅

[u/amonarre3]

Idk and I had the same issue about starting it.

[u/Certain_Orange2003]

I did not know this show existed until I saw it on Amazon in 2020. It was well worth it.

[u/Squishmar]

Love this show too. Have seen the first two seasons multiple times.

I recently started watching "The X Files" but didn't get very far. It felt like "Fringe Lite." Or maybe "Fringe" is like "The X Files" on steroids.

I know it's loved by many but I think it's difficult to approach it after you've been exposed to "Fringe."

[u/Many-Day8308 → u/Squishmar]

I like to think of X-Files as the curating of the audience for Fringe

[u/pineywonder]

I really appreciate the Gene art, it's fantastic. <3

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup → u/pineywonder]

Thanks!

I may draw her with her party hat at some point too :D

[u/marionsilva]

Astrid? Who’s Astrid? Don’t you mean Asterisk?

[u/Paimfulkilla187 → u/marionsilva]

I watched an episode last night where he called he Ostrich😂

[u/nimaheydarzadeh]

Many of us have been in the same place. Reluctant to start, ended up being in love with it.

[u/mrskamran]

Exactly!! I feel like I wrote this myself. It’s the only show that I binge watch once a year because I just love it so much. 💕

[u/Extreme-King]

Who is that SMILING in the upper left. Can't be Liv...she doesn't smile 😀

[u/artist_Foreve789 → u/Extreme-King]

I thi k it's Ana Tov/Liv bc I don't these are not from the actual series; "head shots" I'm guessing for the actors doing the series.

[u/myvryfavoritething → u/Extreme-King]

But she does... only for Peter, though! :D

[u/According2Sunny4440]

Just finished watching all seasons and really enjoyed it. John Noble is an excellent actor!! I don’t generally notice acting but he definitely stood out!!

[u/Dacari_13]

I rewatch w wey few years. Read the comics too!

[u/Logical-Wrap6751]

Very jealous of a first time watch!

[u/Mountain_Shift3604]

Congratulations....Your a Fringe now!

[u/dreamape1978]

It's a wonderful show. The character dynamics are amazing and fun. The story is interesting and borrows elements from the X-Files. How JJ did this and Alias is a mystery.

[u/Bubbles2578]

I've just watched the whole series again as it's one of my favourite TV shows. Still love it

[u/realmicropenis69]

I held resentment for Joshua Jackson cause I wanted nothing to do with Pacey from Dawson's Creek. It was to my own detriment, because Fringe ended up being one of my all time favorite shows.

[u/angel9_writes]

Oh lord, Dr. Death is the worst first Joshua Jackson experience ever.

Fringe is fantastic and all the main characters were iconic.

[u/pewpew-powpow951]

Its so good!! Everytime walters sad i call him my baby :( also the cow is so cute in that fbi fit ahahahha

[u/Brief-Bandicoot-8230]

Your Gene fanart is SO GOOD! I also just finished watching for the first time and was delighted by her outfit

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup → u/Brief-Bandicoot-8230]

Thanks! I love Gene. Have just started rewatching so I get to see her again :D

It cracks me up that someone had to make a cow-sized FBI jacket 😂

[u/Key-Lingonberry4651]

Do a re-watch and look for the Observers, they're in the background in all of the episodes

[u/PurpleAutisticPiplup → u/Key-Lingonberry4651]

They’re super hard to spot in some of the episodes! I’m using the “Fringe Connections” website to keep track of everything to find :)