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Episode Reviews

Liberty – An Enemy of Fate (Series Finale)

Fringe Season 5 After five wonderful years, Fringe finishes its outstanding and improbable run with a gripping conclusion that leaves fans in the typical Fringe fashion of satisfying confusion.

In the first part of the finale “Liberty,” we get one last look at the Alternate universe as Olivia crosses over one final time in an effort to bypass Liberty Island security and rescue Michael. I think the writers cleverly used this motif to give long time fans a glimpse to the future of Fringe after their victory over the forces that work against them.

The Fringe cast we see today in 2036 is really the same cast we see in 2015, but frozen in time for 20 years to reawaken in a dystopian new world. On the other hand, in the alternate universe, the invaders never came. The sealing of the bridge healed both worlds, and presumably, the alternate Fringe division turns more to dealing with local mad scientists than mending holes in reality. As such, we can see aged Fringe team members Faux-livia and Agent Lee happily married together, greying together, and still working together after all these years. Perhaps this is a glimpse of what Peter and Olivia will see 20 years from now once they defeat the Observers and reset the timelines.

As for “An Enemy of Fate,” the final episode of Fringe proved to be a near non stop action hour with a final payoff that plays completely fast and loose with the concepts of reality, time travel, and continuity. I won’t get into the debate of the logic in the final scenes of the series, but rather just know that in the end, I was satisfied and unsurprised at the conclusion of the matter.

The end of Fringe marks a sad note though for network television. It marks the last of the deep hard core science fiction dramas on network television. While there continues to be a few more series on the cable networks, Fringe now vacates a genre once filled by the greats such as The Twilight Zone, X-Files, and even Star-Trek.

I will miss our little science team and family. Olivia (Anna Torv) kept the team headed in the right direction to help meet their goals. Peter (Joshua Jackson) was the workhorse of the team, getting things done that none else in the world could do. Astrid (Jasika Nicole), the emotional core and conscience of the group, though not having much field time, was the one to keep Walter and the rest in check. Finally, there was Walter (John Noble), the brilliantly mad scientist who kept us all laughing and kept us in wonder for 5 years and his childlike wonder reminds us that the universe has infinite amazement if only we look though it with childlike eyes.

Fringe while having heavy influence on those that came before it, had its own quirky voice. Mixing deep story with light hearted humor from the wonderful Walter Bishop (John Noble), Fringe was a show that true fans of sci-fi could and did wrap their heads around. Fringe was never about the unbelievable things that science can do, but rather, it was about the extremes of what we as a society could and would accomplish given enough motivation, emotion, and determination, the lengths we as individuals could change our fates, and the atonement we endure to correct the mistakes we made.

Final Observations

  • Walter finally non-admits to knowing Astrid’s name all these years, merely getting it wrong to mess with her.
  • “What I wouldn’t do for a cancer inducing cell phone!”
  • Chelsea Clinton leads the polls in presidential race in alternate 2036.
  • Fau-livia and Lee have a son
  • In the end, the machine September builds is practically useless.
  • “You can stop checking out my young ass.”
  • Not really sure why Michael let himself get captured forcing this whole Olivia goes to the other side mission.
  • “Destiny can change, but you just have to have the will to change it.*
  • Observer August fell in love with a 21st century human, saving her from a plane crash. In the end, he died to save her.
  • “If we shoot them they’re dead, why do we want them to float away?” “Because it’s cool!”
  • Jean the cow makes a cameo..sorta.
  • “I too feel something. I believe you call it..hate.” “The feeling is mutual.”
  • The final raid is a fun walkthrough though all the really crazy and gross things that happened on the series.
  • The mail can go though time.

By Kien Tran

Based in Dallas, Texas, Kien Tran is an avid television enthusiast. After spending hundreds of hours wasting away on a couch, he decided to actually do something creative with his hobby and created this very blog.

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