Fringe (Season 2)
Encyclopedia
The second season of the American science fiction
television series Fringe
commenced airing on the Fox network
on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Bad Robot Productions
in association with Warner Bros. Television
, and its showrunners were Jeff Pinkner
and J.H. Wyman. Actors Anna Torv
, John Noble
, and Joshua Jackson
reprised their roles as FBI agent Olivia Dunham
and father-son duo Peter
and Walter Bishop
. Previous series regulars Lance Reddick
, Jasika Nicole
, Blair Brown
, and Kirk Acevedo
also returned, though with Acevedo in a limited capacity.
The season followed the continuation of a war between two universes, the prime and the parallel
. It was set in the former, until the last several episodes when Peter Bishop
(Jackson) journeyed back to the parallel universe after being lured there by his real father, "Walternate"
(Noble). While co-creator J.J. Abrams described the first season as "identifying that there is an enemy", he referred to season two as "getting to know the enemy" as it "build[s] to a very specific type of confrontation" between the two universes. The writers focused on their characters' development, in particular making them more comfortable with each other while solving cases for Fringe Division. By inventing the "mythalone" style of episode, the producers sought to create the perfect episode that mixed standalone episode qualities for casual viewers with the further development of the series' mythology for regular viewers.
In a departure from the previous season
, the second season aired in a new competitive timeslot at 9:00 pm on Thursdays. It contained 22 episodes, plus an unaired episode that was produced during the first season; "Unearthed
" aired as a special as episode 11 of season two, days prior to "Johari Window
", the first new episode of 2010. Also part of the season was the series' only musical episode, "Brown Betty
", which was produced at the request of the network. The season finale, "Over There
", fully introduced the parallel universe and laid the groundwork for the third season
.
Fringe ended its second season with a per episode average of 6.252 million total viewers and a 2.3 ratings share in the 18–49 demographic. The season was generally well-received by critics, though most agreed that the second half was a considerable improvement over the first. The series was chosen for a number of 2010 "best of television" lists, including The New York Times
, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, and Entertainment Weekly
. Despite its critical acclaim, Fringe failed to earn any major category nominations at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
, but did receive nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Golden Reel Award
s, and Satellite Awards; at the Saturn Award
s, Torv and guest actor Leonard Nimoy
won in their respective categories. The second season was released on DVD
and Blu-ray
in region 1 on September 14, 2010, in region 2 on September 27, and in region 4 on November 10.
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in association with Warner Bros. Television
. Though still set in Boston
, the show's production for the second season moved from New York City
to Vancouver
out of financial necessity, as it lost access to New York's TV production tax incentive program
. Fringe consequently got a mostly new writing staff and production team, though co-creators J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci
, and Alex Kurtzman
, and producer Bryan Burk
remained involved with the series. Jeff Pinkner
and J.H. Wyman returned as executive producers and showrunners. Jeff Vlaming
and previous episode director Akiva Goldsman
joined the crew as consulting producers. While Abrams had six episode writing credits for the first season he remained much more hands-off for the second, instead focusing on other commitments like the film Star Trek. He explained, "Sometimes we'll talk every day. Then there will be a period of a couple weeks where we don't speak. But we're emailing a lot. There's a lot of stuff that happens that way." Eden FX and Zoic Studios
stayed as vendors for the series' visual effects, effectively giving Fringe a sense of continuity. Jay Worth, the overall visual effects supervisor, commented that having these two companies "helped the show not feel as a big of a bump from one season to the next, particularly with different crews and a different vibe a little bit." Despite his decreased involvement, Abrams was sent all of the visual effects for the series during production, and responded back with notes and tweaks.
Pinkner, Abrams, Orci, Burk, Kurtzman, Wyman, and Goldsman developed the second season's storyline together. Goldsman explained that they "mapped" out the season "in a way that we remained fundamentally faithful to". Though they changed certain aspects, they knew where Olivia and Peter were going to start and end up but "got there at different paces than what [they] originally planned". While the first season both focused on Olivia and dealt with discovering the existence of an enemy, the second was designed to "[build] to a very specific type of confrontation" between the two universes. Explained Pinkner, "Season 2 is about the people from 'over there' putting the final pieces of the invasion into play, and explaining why". At the same time, the producers approached the second season as a "journey of self-actualization" and "maturation for our characters." They wanted to make the three main cast members become more comfortable as a team in Fringe Division; Peter thus was written to be more heroic and to go from reluctance to a desire to help his father, while Walter became gradually more independent and "grounded as a human being". They made the secret of Peter's origins one of the main story focuses of the season. While the audience had been made aware of Walter's secret in the season one finale, the producers wanted to "acknowledge it to our characters". All the while Walter was "suffering... and desperately trying to keep it all quiet", Olivia and Peter grew closer to the truth. By "giv[ing] these things time" to develop, Pinkner strove to avoid focusing just on "event, event, event", instead concentrating on the real consequences of Peter and Olivia's eventual discovery.
The second season's mythology was intended to be revealed in small parcels. Throughout the season, Pinkner and Wyman tried to create an episode that best bridged "standalone" traits—needed for casual viewers—with the further advancement of the show's mythology for those who watched regularly. At the start of the season Pinkner believed they had found a "good rhythm" between the two, as the mythology "really [started to] affect the characters, to the point where even the standalone [episodes] advance mythology". After the season ended, Wyman commented at San Diego Comic-Con International, "We learned that the fan fans love mythology but there are needs from the networks. We started experimenting with a thing we called 'mythalones', not standalone or myth." Wyman cited the season's 18th episode, "White Tulip
" as a prime example, noting "You can see that you're following Walter's journey, it's the right mix." The Fringe producers strove to avoid becoming bogged down in mythology, an issue that they perceived happened in Alias
, another J.J. Abrams television series. Pinkner explained, "What's fun for us is we're world building and fleshing out a universe, but at the same time the mythology is not that complicated at all. It's an abduction, an adoption [...] And anybody can relate. We're just telling it through this unique set of circumstances". In a joint statement released midway through the season, Abrams, Pinkner, and Wyman noted that their "only internal rule is that we make every effort to not raise mythological questions merely to string viewers along, but rather to provide answers that generate consequences."
At Fox's request, the writers developed a musical episode, "Brown Betty
" to fit into the network's "Fox rocks" campaign in the same vein as its series Glee
. While the episode already had most of the necessary elements in place before Fox's request, the producers were able to add the musical theme as a "narrative device" to "explore Walter's feelings" in the aftermath of Peter's discovery and flight. To prepare for the season finale, the producers began developing characteristics of the parallel universe relatively early on. Relating to the two universes' idiosyncrasies, Pinkner and Wyman were both interested in world building and "the concept of choices", such as the differing events that led to the Other Side possessing a still-standing World Trade Center
but destroyed White House
. Other historical idiosyncrasies included the oxidation of the Statue of Liberty
and the use of zeppelin
s as transportation. They believed that all of their additions were "the texture that actually makes it a world. The richness of detail is what makes it feel real".
As the series began filming in Vancouver, the University of British Columbia
campus served as a substitute for Harvard University
. Because of its heritage buildings and antique storefronts, many of the scenes set in the alternate universe were shot in New Westminster, an area outside Vancouver. Consulting producer and previous Fringe director Akiva Goldsman returned to direct several episodes, as did producer Brad Anderson, executive producer Joe Chappelle
, and producer Paul A. Edwards. One time guest directors for the season included Bryan Spicer
, Jon Cassar
, Dennis Smith
, Paul Holahan
, Jeannot Szwarc
, Frederick E. O. Toye, Deran Sarafian
, Adam Davidson, Charles Beeson
, David Straiton
, Thomas Yatsko, Jeffrey Hunt
, and Seith Mann
.
played determined FBI agent Olivia Dunham
, who is able to travel between universes as a result of childhood experiments performed on her with the nootropic drug, Cortexiphan. The man responsible for these experiments, Dr. Walter Bishop
, was played by John Noble
. Walter's son Peter Bishop
, whom he stole from the parallel universe, was portrayed by Joshua Jackson
. Other members of the main cast included Jasika Nicole
as Junior FBI Agent and Walter's lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth, Lance Reddick
as Agent Phillip Broyles, Blair Brown
as Massive Dynamic executive Nina Sharp, and Kirk Acevedo
as Agent Charlie Francis. Acevedo's character was killed off in the season's fourth episode
, though at the time Pinkner and Wyman hinted of the actor's possible return later in the season. Acevedo returned to guest star in the season finale
as the parallel universe version of Charlie Francis. Acevedo was also featured in "Unearthed
", a special episode that was filmed during the first season, but aired as the eleventh episode of the second season.
The second season marked a large number of recurring guest appearances. Michael Cerveris
played September/The Observer, a mysterious man that observes important events and appeared in every episode of the season, often merely in brief glimpses. Further Observers were revealed, including August (Peter Woodward
) and December (Eugene Lipinski). Ryan McDonald
portrayed Massive Dynamic scientist Brandon Fayette, while its founder, Dr. William Bell was played by Leonard Nimoy
, despite the actor's recent retirement. Thomas Jerome Newton, one of the season's main villains, was played by Sebastian Roché
. Kevin Corrigan
portrayed Samuel Weiss, a mysterious man who helps Olivia recover from her injuries. Ari Graynor
appeared as Olivia's sister Rachel Dunham, while Lily Pilblad played Rachel's daughter and Olivia's niece Ella Blake. Orla Brady
played Walter's wife Elizabeth Bishop. A new FBI agent, Amy Jessup, was portrayed by Meghan Markle
. Roger Cross
appeared as a shapeshifter
. Former Cortexiphan subjects James Heath and Nick Lane were played by Omar Metwally
and David Call
, respectively. Karen Holness appeared as Broyles' ex-wife Diane, and Clark Middleton
played rare book seller Edward Markham. Philip Winchester
appeared as Fauxlivia's boyfriend Frank Stanton, while Seth Gabel
played Agent Lincoln Lee from the parallel universe, both in the finale. J. R. Bourne
played Agent Edwards, and Gerard Plunkett appeared as Senator James Van Horn.
Further notable guest stars included Andrew Airlie
, Stefan Arngrim
, Demore Barnes
, Jenni Blong, Pascale Hutton
, Ravil Isyanov, Ravi Kapoor
, Alice Kremelberg, Diane Kruger
, Quinn Lord
, Tzi Ma
, Stephen McHattie
, Jennifer Missoni, Cameron Monaghan
, Michael O'Neill
, Geoff Pierson
, Martha Plimpton
, Paul Rae
, John Savage
, Peter Weller
, and Craig Robert Young
.
, Fox renewed Fringe for a second season, giving it a full season pick-up of 22 episodes. The network's president of entertainment, Kevin Reilly, explained "Fringe proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale."
Later in May, Fox announced Fringe would be moving from Tuesdays to Thursdays for the second season, to be aired in the competitive 9:00 pm timeslot. Kevin Reilly explained the move, "The door is more open on this night than it has been in a long time. Fringe is a real alternative to both [Grey's
and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
]." However, after a perceived "healthy" first season, the second season premiere was watched by an estimated 7.817 million viewers. Ratings for the season continued to decline, culminating in 5.68 million viewers watching the finale. Fringes second season ended with an average of 6.252 million viewers per episode and a 2.3 ratings share for adults 18–49, causing the series to finish in 79th place out of all the season's network television shows. However, Fringe and its lead-in, Bones
, did help the network increase 52% among adults aged 18–49 and 65 percent among total viewers from the same night the previous year. Despite its middling ratings, Fringe received a full-season renewal on March 6, 2010.
, which promised to give readers a "deep dive into the gory, witty world of Fox's Fringe. Metacritic
, a film review aggregate website, gave the second season 75/100 based upon ten reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" reception. After viewing the first eight episodes, Entertainment Weekly
columnist Ken Tucker gave the series an A-, calling it "one of the fastest, smartest, wittiest shows on television now... Fringe successfully mixes the crime genre with sci-fi, and cold conspiracies with heartfelt emotion." Peter Swanson from Slant Magazine
gave Fringe two and a half stars after watching the first six episodes. He believed the second season had "floundered a little, stuck in that creative hinterland between the desire to grab new viewers and the need to build on the mythology of the show's universe." While Swanson understood the need to attract a larger audience, he thought the standalone episodes to be "less than stellar", as "they've yet to get scary, or even vaguely unsettling". Swanson did however find the war between two universes to be "particularly compelling", and expressed hope that "Fringe [would] find its footing."
In a review of the entire second season, IGN
believed that despite the premiere's "great start", the first half contained "some rather lackluster episodes" that "made a lot of fans worried and got the rumors of cancellation circulating"; the second half however "showed that Fringe is still one of the best sci-fi series on TV". The A.V. Club
agreed, and called the first half "entertaining" but "never essential" while noting a great improvement mid-way through the season, as "the show finally grounded its freak-of-the-week weirdness in deep sadness". The A.V. Club continued, "...The season-two episode "Peter
" finally dramatized the moment that changed [Peter's] life, giving the series' overarching storyline a devastating emotional core, based in a father's love instead of in theoretical concepts. It only got better from there, as the series expanded its world by further making those concepts concrete. Fringe is that rare blend of inventive ideas, wild ambition, and unexpected soulfulness." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
believed that by the end of the season "Fringe had truly found its footing, doing daring, experimental episodes like the musical "Brown Betty
"... and heartbreaking stand alone episodes, like "White Tulip
", (which might be my favorite hour of television this year that wasn't Lost-related)."
In particular, critics highlighted the season premiere "A New Day in the Old Town
" as well as regular episodes "Peter" and "White Tulip", and the season finale "Over There
". The main three cast members' performances were praised, and various critics noted the series continued the sense of humor seen in the first season. Fringes second season was chosen for a number of 2010 "best of television" lists, including The New York Times
, Entertainment Weekly, Digital Spy
, the New York Post
, The Daily Beast
, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, AOL
's TV Squad, as well as IGN, which named Fringe the best sci-fi series of 2010, beating fellow nominees Lost, Caprica
, and Stargate Universe
.
, actor Joshua Jackson
and actress Anna Torv
submitted their work in the second season for consideration in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series categories, respectively. Actors John Noble
, Lance Reddick
, Kirk Acevedo
, and actress Blair Brown
submitted their work for consideration in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series categories, respectively. The second season of Fringe was submitted for consideration in the Outstanding Drama Series
category but failed to garner a nomination. The failure of the series to garner any major category nominations at the Emmys was perceived as a notable snub by many media outlets.
The second season received nominations for Sound Editing at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and at the Golden Reel Awards
. The season's sole musical episode, "Brown Betty
", received a nomination for Short Form Musical In Television at the Golden Reel Awards. Noble, Torv, and guest actor Leonard Nimoy
were nominated at the 2010 Saturn Award
s, with Torv and Nimoy winning in their respective categories. Noble also received a nomination at the 2010 Satellite Awards, but lost to Dexter
s John Lithgow
.
, Danielle Dispaltro, Justin Doble and Charles Scott IV; "Peter" with John Noble
, Blair Brown
and Damian Holbrook; "Brown Betty" with Tanya Swerling, Billy Gottlieb, Chris Tilton
and Jay Worth; and "Over There, Part 2" with Jeff Pinkner
, J. H. Wyman and Akiva Goldsman
. Episodic behind-the-scene featurettes include "Analyzing the Scene" on six episodes, "Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes" on select episodes and "Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel". Other featurettes include "In the Lab with John Noble and Prop Master Rob Smith" and "Beyond the Pattern: The Mythology of Fringe". The unaired episode from season one, "Unearthed
", is presented as a special feature, separate from the other episodes.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
commenced airing on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
in association with Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
, and its showrunners were Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Pikesville High School in Baltimore Maryland in 1983. He is known for his work on Alias where he served as executive producer. In 2006 and 2007, he worked as an executive producer and writer for the mystery series Lost...
and J.H. Wyman. Actors Anna Torv
Anna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
, John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
, and Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
reprised their roles as FBI agent Olivia Dunham
Olivia Dunham
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series Fringe . Olivia first appeared in the pilot episode on September 9, 2008. She is portrayed by actress Anna Torv....
and father-son duo Peter
Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
and Walter Bishop
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
. Previous series regulars Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
, Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
, Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
, and Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
also returned, though with Acevedo in a limited capacity.
The season followed the continuation of a war between two universes, the prime and the parallel
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. It was set in the former, until the last several episodes when Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
(Jackson) journeyed back to the parallel universe after being lured there by his real father, "Walternate"
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
(Noble). While co-creator J.J. Abrams described the first season as "identifying that there is an enemy", he referred to season two as "getting to know the enemy" as it "build[s] to a very specific type of confrontation" between the two universes. The writers focused on their characters' development, in particular making them more comfortable with each other while solving cases for Fringe Division. By inventing the "mythalone" style of episode, the producers sought to create the perfect episode that mixed standalone episode qualities for casual viewers with the further development of the series' mythology for regular viewers.
In a departure from the previous season
Fringe (Season 1)
The first season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on September 9, 2008, and concluded on May 12, 2009. The season contained 21 episodes, although only 20 of them aired as part of the first season...
, the second season aired in a new competitive timeslot at 9:00 pm on Thursdays. It contained 22 episodes, plus an unaired episode that was produced during the first season; "Unearthed
Unearthed (Fringe)
"Unearthed" is the 11th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. While the body of a young, recently deceased girl is being harvested of its organs, she suddenly comes back to life yelling classified naval launch codes and Russian phrases, leading...
" aired as a special as episode 11 of season two, days prior to "Johari Window
Johari Window (Fringe)
"Johari Window" is the 12th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by co-executive producer Josh Singer, and directed by filmmaker Joe Chappelle. The episode is set in a fictional upstate New York town, and begins with...
", the first new episode of 2010. Also part of the season was the series' only musical episode, "Brown Betty
Brown Betty (Fringe)
"Brown Betty" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and is the only one of the series performed as a musical. The episode was written by co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman, and consulting producer Akiva Goldsman. It was...
", which was produced at the request of the network. The season finale, "Over There
Over There (Fringe)
"Over There" is the two-part second-season finale of the Fox science fiction drama series Fringe. They are the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the season, and the 42nd and 43rd episodes of the series overall. Both parts were written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, together with...
", fully introduced the parallel universe and laid the groundwork for the third season
Fringe (season 3)
The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros...
.
Fringe ended its second season with a per episode average of 6.252 million total viewers and a 2.3 ratings share in the 18–49 demographic. The season was generally well-received by critics, though most agreed that the second half was a considerable improvement over the first. The series was chosen for a number of 2010 "best of television" lists, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. Despite its critical acclaim, Fringe failed to earn any major category nominations at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT...
, but did receive nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award may refer to:* Golden Reel Award , presented by the Genie Awards to high-grossing Canadian films...
s, and Satellite Awards; at the Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s, Torv and guest actor Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
won in their respective categories. The second season was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in region 1 on September 14, 2010, in region 2 on September 27, and in region 4 on November 10.
Episodes
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Development
Crew
The season was produced by Bad Robot ProductionsBad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. It is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, What About Brian, Fringe, Six Degrees, Undercovers, Person of Interest and the feature length films Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol , ...
in association with Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. Though still set in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the show's production for the second season moved from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
out of financial necessity, as it lost access to New York's TV production tax incentive program
Movie production incentives in the United States
Movie production incentives are offered on a state-by-state basis throughout the United States to encourage in-state film production. These incentives came about in the 1990s in response to the flight of movie productions to other countries such as Canada. Since then, states have offered...
. Fringe consequently got a mostly new writing staff and production team, though co-creators J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
, and Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman is an American film and television screenwriter and producer.Kurtzman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he met his high school friend and long time collaborator Roberto Orci...
, and producer Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk
Bryan Burk is an American film and television producer, as well as an occasional screenwriter.A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Bryan Burk began his career working with producers Brad Weston at Columbia Pictures, Ned Tanen at Sony Pictures and John Davis at FOX...
remained involved with the series. Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Pikesville High School in Baltimore Maryland in 1983. He is known for his work on Alias where he served as executive producer. In 2006 and 2007, he worked as an executive producer and writer for the mystery series Lost...
and J.H. Wyman returned as executive producers and showrunners. Jeff Vlaming
Jeff Vlaming
Jeff Vlaming is an American television Writer and Producer. He has worked on numerous series throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s...
and previous episode director Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
joined the crew as consulting producers. While Abrams had six episode writing credits for the first season he remained much more hands-off for the second, instead focusing on other commitments like the film Star Trek. He explained, "Sometimes we'll talk every day. Then there will be a period of a couple weeks where we don't speak. But we're emailing a lot. There's a lot of stuff that happens that way." Eden FX and Zoic Studios
Zoic Studios
Zoic Studios is a visual effects company based in Culver City, California. They specialize in visual effects for feature films, episodic television, commercials, video games, advertising design, and interactive online media...
stayed as vendors for the series' visual effects, effectively giving Fringe a sense of continuity. Jay Worth, the overall visual effects supervisor, commented that having these two companies "helped the show not feel as a big of a bump from one season to the next, particularly with different crews and a different vibe a little bit." Despite his decreased involvement, Abrams was sent all of the visual effects for the series during production, and responded back with notes and tweaks.
Writing and filming
Responding to criticism that some first season episodes were too neatly wrapped and solved, Jeff Pinkner commented towards the end of that season, "We found that, absolutely, early on, we were falling into the trap of—the tease would be fantastic. And then we would too quickly answer it and [reduce] the tension. And we've tried to course-correct and have the tease promise" questions that don't get answered right away. He further elaborated that the goal now is to "have the energy of the show get bigger as [an episode] goes along... We're learning how to tell this version of a detective story. It's not really a police procedural. There are elements of that. But it's an incredible mish-mash of genres. I think we're getting better at finding our way through these stories." In striving to explore the "human condition", Pinkner and Wyman thought the science fiction genre allowed them "fantastic stor[y]" opportunities "that no one else can touch", specifically with storylines touching upon morality, right and wrong, the limits and dangers of knowledge, religion, science versus human actions, as well as the question "where are we going as a people and a society?" Wyman called the series "the quintessential kidnapping story", while Pinker believed it to be "a family drama masquerading as a sort of quasi-science fiction procedural show".Pinkner, Abrams, Orci, Burk, Kurtzman, Wyman, and Goldsman developed the second season's storyline together. Goldsman explained that they "mapped" out the season "in a way that we remained fundamentally faithful to". Though they changed certain aspects, they knew where Olivia and Peter were going to start and end up but "got there at different paces than what [they] originally planned". While the first season both focused on Olivia and dealt with discovering the existence of an enemy, the second was designed to "[build] to a very specific type of confrontation" between the two universes. Explained Pinkner, "Season 2 is about the people from 'over there' putting the final pieces of the invasion into play, and explaining why". At the same time, the producers approached the second season as a "journey of self-actualization" and "maturation for our characters." They wanted to make the three main cast members become more comfortable as a team in Fringe Division; Peter thus was written to be more heroic and to go from reluctance to a desire to help his father, while Walter became gradually more independent and "grounded as a human being". They made the secret of Peter's origins one of the main story focuses of the season. While the audience had been made aware of Walter's secret in the season one finale, the producers wanted to "acknowledge it to our characters". All the while Walter was "suffering... and desperately trying to keep it all quiet", Olivia and Peter grew closer to the truth. By "giv[ing] these things time" to develop, Pinkner strove to avoid focusing just on "event, event, event", instead concentrating on the real consequences of Peter and Olivia's eventual discovery.
The second season's mythology was intended to be revealed in small parcels. Throughout the season, Pinkner and Wyman tried to create an episode that best bridged "standalone" traits—needed for casual viewers—with the further advancement of the show's mythology for those who watched regularly. At the start of the season Pinkner believed they had found a "good rhythm" between the two, as the mythology "really [started to] affect the characters, to the point where even the standalone [episodes] advance mythology". After the season ended, Wyman commented at San Diego Comic-Con International, "We learned that the fan fans love mythology but there are needs from the networks. We started experimenting with a thing we called 'mythalones', not standalone or myth." Wyman cited the season's 18th episode, "White Tulip
White Tulip
"White Tulip" is the 18th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It followed a scientist in his quest to time travel back and save his fiancée, while the Fringe team investigates the consequences of his actions, and Walter struggles to tell his...
" as a prime example, noting "You can see that you're following Walter's journey, it's the right mix." The Fringe producers strove to avoid becoming bogged down in mythology, an issue that they perceived happened in Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, another J.J. Abrams television series. Pinkner explained, "What's fun for us is we're world building and fleshing out a universe, but at the same time the mythology is not that complicated at all. It's an abduction, an adoption [...] And anybody can relate. We're just telling it through this unique set of circumstances". In a joint statement released midway through the season, Abrams, Pinkner, and Wyman noted that their "only internal rule is that we make every effort to not raise mythological questions merely to string viewers along, but rather to provide answers that generate consequences."
At Fox's request, the writers developed a musical episode, "Brown Betty
Brown Betty (Fringe)
"Brown Betty" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and is the only one of the series performed as a musical. The episode was written by co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman, and consulting producer Akiva Goldsman. It was...
" to fit into the network's "Fox rocks" campaign in the same vein as its series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. While the episode already had most of the necessary elements in place before Fox's request, the producers were able to add the musical theme as a "narrative device" to "explore Walter's feelings" in the aftermath of Peter's discovery and flight. To prepare for the season finale, the producers began developing characteristics of the parallel universe relatively early on. Relating to the two universes' idiosyncrasies, Pinkner and Wyman were both interested in world building and "the concept of choices", such as the differing events that led to the Other Side possessing a still-standing World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
but destroyed White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Other historical idiosyncrasies included the oxidation of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
and the use of zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s as transportation. They believed that all of their additions were "the texture that actually makes it a world. The richness of detail is what makes it feel real".
As the series began filming in Vancouver, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
campus served as a substitute for Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Because of its heritage buildings and antique storefronts, many of the scenes set in the alternate universe were shot in New Westminster, an area outside Vancouver. Consulting producer and previous Fringe director Akiva Goldsman returned to direct several episodes, as did producer Brad Anderson, executive producer Joe Chappelle
Joe Chappelle
Joe Chappelle is an American film and television director and producer. Chappelle was a Co-executive producer and regular Director for the HBO crime drama The Wire...
, and producer Paul A. Edwards. One time guest directors for the season included Bryan Spicer
Bryan Spicer
Bryan Spicer is an American director of film and television.As a television director some his credits include Castle, 24, Day Break, Bones, House, Heroes, Killer Instinct, Vanished, Prison Break, Invasion, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, In Plain Sight, Eureka and...
, Jon Cassar
Jon Cassar
Jon Cassar , is a Canadian director and producer of seasons 1 to 7 of the television series 24, as well as a number of other film-related works. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for his directing work on 24...
, Dennis Smith
Dennis Smith (director)
Dennis L. Smith is American television cinematographer, director and former motion picture camera operator.As a camera operator he worked on such films as Stir Crazy , Revenge of the Nerds , License to Drive and Home Alone . He continued his career as a cinematographer/director of photography on...
, Paul Holahan
Paul Holahan
Paul Holahan is an American film/television director, cinematographer, producer, and photographer.He has directed episodes of Witchblade, Numb3rs, Las Vegas, Shark, Ugly Betty, Burn Notice, The Mentalist, and Fringe. As well as producing and directing episodes of Without a Trace, The Ex List and...
, Jeannot Szwarc
Jeannot Szwarc
Jeannot Szwarc is a French Film/TV Director.Szwarc was born in Paris. He began working as a director in American television during the 1960s, in particular on Ironside...
, Frederick E. O. Toye, Deran Sarafian
Deran Sarafian
Deran Sarafian is an Armenian-American Actor, film and television Director.Sarafian has directed several episodes of the FOX series House and was made a Co-executive producer of the show for the 2007/08 season...
, Adam Davidson, Charles Beeson
Charles Beeson (director)
Charles Beeson is a British television director.Some of his credits include the films: Second Sight, Four Minutes, Stranded, Cider With Rosie, Thursday 12th, and episodes of EastEnders, Spooks, Inspector Morse, and Casualty...
, David Straiton
David Straiton
David Straiton is an American television director.Since the 1990s he has amassed large a number of notable television credits, first making his directorial debut directing an episode of the Disney Channel series Flash Forward...
, Thomas Yatsko, Jeffrey Hunt
Jeffrey Hunt
Jeffrey Glen Hunt is an American television director, former steadicam and camera operator of film and television....
, and Seith Mann
Seith Mann
Seith Mann is an American Film and Television Director. He directed the award-winning Five Deep Breaths and has gone on to direct for The Wire, Grey's Anatomy, and Fringe.-Biography:...
.
Cast
As with the previous season, the second season featured three main characters all working together to solve various Fringe cases. Anna TorvAnna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
played determined FBI agent Olivia Dunham
Olivia Dunham
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series Fringe . Olivia first appeared in the pilot episode on September 9, 2008. She is portrayed by actress Anna Torv....
, who is able to travel between universes as a result of childhood experiments performed on her with the nootropic drug, Cortexiphan. The man responsible for these experiments, Dr. Walter Bishop
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
, was played by John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
. Walter's son Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
, whom he stole from the parallel universe, was portrayed by Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
. Other members of the main cast included Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole
Jasika Nicole is an American actress and illustrator from Birmingham, Alabama. She is most famous for portraying the character of Astrid Farnsworth in the TV series Fringe....
as Junior FBI Agent and Walter's lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth, Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
as Agent Phillip Broyles, Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
as Massive Dynamic executive Nina Sharp, and Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
as Agent Charlie Francis. Acevedo's character was killed off in the season's fourth episode
Momentum Deferred
"Momentum Deferred" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. Screenwriters Zack Stentz and Ashley Edward Miller wrote the episode, and co-executive producer Joe Chappelle directed it...
, though at the time Pinkner and Wyman hinted of the actor's possible return later in the season. Acevedo returned to guest star in the season finale
Over There (Fringe)
"Over There" is the two-part second-season finale of the Fox science fiction drama series Fringe. They are the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the season, and the 42nd and 43rd episodes of the series overall. Both parts were written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, together with...
as the parallel universe version of Charlie Francis. Acevedo was also featured in "Unearthed
Unearthed (Fringe)
"Unearthed" is the 11th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. While the body of a young, recently deceased girl is being harvested of its organs, she suddenly comes back to life yelling classified naval launch codes and Russian phrases, leading...
", a special episode that was filmed during the first season, but aired as the eleventh episode of the second season.
The second season marked a large number of recurring guest appearances. Michael Cerveris
Michael Cerveris
Michael Cerveris is an American singer, guitarist and actor. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including in several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Road Show, and Passion...
played September/The Observer, a mysterious man that observes important events and appeared in every episode of the season, often merely in brief glimpses. Further Observers were revealed, including August (Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward
Peter Woodward is an English actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He is probably best known for his role as Galen in the Babylon 5 spin-offs Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, Crusade and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales....
) and December (Eugene Lipinski). Ryan McDonald
Ryan McDonald
Ryan James McDonald is a Canadian actor born 5 August 1984 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. He is sometimes mistakenly credited as Ryan MacDonald.-Filmography:* "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" * "Terry"...
portrayed Massive Dynamic scientist Brandon Fayette, while its founder, Dr. William Bell was played by Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, despite the actor's recent retirement. Thomas Jerome Newton, one of the season's main villains, was played by Sebastian Roché
Sebastian Roché
- Early life :Roché was born in Paris, France, on August 4, 1964; he is of Scottish and French ancestry. He is also fluent in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian. On General Hospital, he spoke in Russian, Spanish and French, and on the pilot episode of Odyssey 5, he spoke in French...
. Kevin Corrigan
Kevin Corrigan
Kevin Fitzgerald Corrigan is an American actor who has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s.-Life and career:Corrigan was born in The Bronx, New York to an Irish-American father and a Puerto Rican mother...
portrayed Samuel Weiss, a mysterious man who helps Olivia recover from her injuries. Ari Graynor
Ari Graynor
Ariel Geltman Graynor, better known as Ari Graynor, is an American actress.-Life and career:Graynor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was raised in a Jewish family and attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Trinity College, in Hartford,...
appeared as Olivia's sister Rachel Dunham, while Lily Pilblad played Rachel's daughter and Olivia's niece Ella Blake. Orla Brady
Orla Brady
-Early life and career:The second of four children born to Dublin publican Patrick Brady and his wife Catherine who had appeared in amateur productions at the Gate Theatre, Brady first became interested in an acting career after reading works by Germaine Greer and Simone de Beauvoir.Brady drifted...
played Walter's wife Elizabeth Bishop. A new FBI agent, Amy Jessup, was portrayed by Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle is an American fashion model, spokesmodel, and actress. She is formerly the model who held case #24 on the hit US television game show Deal or No Deal...
. Roger Cross
Roger Cross
Roger Cross is a Canadian contemporary actor who has made numerous appearances in several movies and TV series, mostly on productions shot in Canada...
appeared as a shapeshifter
ShapeShifter
ShapeShifter is an Application Enhancer plugin for Mac OS X developed by Unsanity that allows the user to make system-wide modifications to the appearance of the operating system's graphical interface by applying GUI skins through “injection” into running code and without modifying system files,...
. Former Cortexiphan subjects James Heath and Nick Lane were played by Omar Metwally
Omar Metwally
Omar Metwally is an American actor.Metwally was born in Queens, New York to an Egyptian father and a Dutch mother, and moved with the family to Orange County, California at age three where he was raised...
and David Call
David Call
David Steven Call , is an American film and television actor- Personal life :He is a graduate student of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School.- Acting career :...
, respectively. Karen Holness appeared as Broyles' ex-wife Diane, and Clark Middleton
Clark Middleton
Clark Middleton is an American actor. He may be best known for his supporting roles in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Sin City, and Fringe.-Career:Middleton began acting at a California junior college when he signed up with an acting class with friends...
played rare book seller Edward Markham. Philip Winchester
Philip Winchester
Philip C. Winchester is an American actor. He is known for his roles in The Patriot, The Hi-Line, LD 50 Lethal Dose, Thunderbirds, CSI: Miami, King Lear, Flyboys, In My Sleep, The Heart of the Earth, and Shaking Dream Land.- Early life and career :Philip C...
appeared as Fauxlivia's boyfriend Frank Stanton, while Seth Gabel
Seth Gabel
Seth Gabel is an American actor. Gabel plays the role of agent Lincoln Lee on Fox's television series Fringe.-Career:...
played Agent Lincoln Lee from the parallel universe, both in the finale. J. R. Bourne
J. R. Bourne
David J.R. Bourne is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known in Canada for his appearance in a Molson I Am Canadian television commercial...
played Agent Edwards, and Gerard Plunkett appeared as Senator James Van Horn.
Further notable guest stars included Andrew Airlie
Andrew Airlie
Andrew Airlie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor.He has starred in television series including Breaker High and his TV credits include guest starring in popular television shows such as Monk, Smallville, Stargate SG-1 and The X-Files. He had television regular roles as Mr...
, Stefan Arngrim
Stefan Arngrim
Stefan Arngrim , sometimes credited as Stephan Arngrim, is a Canadian actor and former child actor.Arngrim was born in Canada, the son of actress Norma MacMillan and Thor Arngrim. He is the brother of actress Alison Arngrim...
, Demore Barnes
Demore Barnes
Demore Barnes is a Canadian film and television actor who is best known for his role in the American television show, The Unit as Hector Williams aka Hammerhead....
, Jenni Blong, Pascale Hutton
Pascale Hutton
Pascale Hutton is a Canadian actress. She was born in Creston, British Columbia. Hutton attended the conservatory acting program at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.- Filmography :- Television :...
, Ravil Isyanov, Ravi Kapoor
Ravi Kapoor
Ravi Kapoor is an actor of Indian heritage best known for his roles on Gideon's Crossing and Crossing Jordan. Before relocating to Los Angeles, Kapoor worked for ten years as an actor in England. He trained at East 15 Acting School...
, Alice Kremelberg, Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger is a German actress and former fashion model. She is known for roles such as Helen in Troy, Dr. Abigail Chase in National Treasure and its sequel, Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, Anna in Mr...
, Quinn Lord
Quinn Lord
Quinn Edmond Julian Lord is a Canadian child actor probably best known for playing Sam in Trick 'r Treat. His career started in 2004.-Films:-Television:-External links:**...
, Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
, Stephen McHattie
Stephen McHattie
Stephen McHattie is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:McHattie was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia....
, Jennifer Missoni, Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Riley Monaghan is an American actor. He first appeared as Winthrop Paroo in the 2003 TV movie, The Music Man and appeared opposite Adam Sandler in the 2006 movie Click as Kevin O'Doyle. He made a few guest appearances on Malcolm in the Middle as Dewey's classmate Chad...
, Michael O'Neill
Michael O'Neill (actor)
Michael O'Neill is an American actor.With a career stretching through three decades, he usually portrays senior law enforcement or military officers. He is perhaps best known for his role as Special Agent Ron Butterfield, the head of President Josiah Bartlet's Secret Service detail, on The West Wing...
, Geoff Pierson
Geoff Pierson
Geoff Pierson is an American actor known for his role on The WB series Unhappily Ever After as Jack Malloy, the father of a dysfunctional family whose best friend is a stuffed animal rabbit named Mr. Floppy...
, Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton
Martha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
, Paul Rae
Paul Rae
Paul Rae is an American film and television actor.Rae was born Paul Rae Stuart in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Jean Rushing and Norman Stuart, and was raised in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana...
, John Savage
John Savage (actor)
John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
, Peter Weller
Peter Weller
Peter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
, and Craig Robert Young
Craig Robert Young
Craig Robert Young is a British actor who began his acting career at age ten, starring in the stage production of The Price of Coal. By the time he was 17, he moved to London to attend the Central School of Speech and Drama, whereupon he was chosen to become a member of the pop band Deuce, scoring...
.
Ratings and broadcast
Fringe first season ended with an average of 9.96 million viewers, and among the season's new series, it was the first rated show for adults 18–49. On May 4, 2009, a week before the season one finaleThere's More Than One of Everything
"There's More Than One of Everything" is the finale of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The finale followed David Robert Jones' attempts to open a doorway to the parallel universe, while the Fringe team tries to stop him.The episode's story was...
, Fox renewed Fringe for a second season, giving it a full season pick-up of 22 episodes. The network's president of entertainment, Kevin Reilly, explained "Fringe proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale."
Later in May, Fox announced Fringe would be moving from Tuesdays to Thursdays for the second season, to be aired in the competitive 9:00 pm timeslot. Kevin Reilly explained the move, "The door is more open on this night than it has been in a long time. Fringe is a real alternative to both [Grey's
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
]." However, after a perceived "healthy" first season, the second season premiere was watched by an estimated 7.817 million viewers. Ratings for the season continued to decline, culminating in 5.68 million viewers watching the finale. Fringes second season ended with an average of 6.252 million viewers per episode and a 2.3 ratings share for adults 18–49, causing the series to finish in 79th place out of all the season's network television shows. However, Fringe and its lead-in, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, did help the network increase 52% among adults aged 18–49 and 65 percent among total viewers from the same night the previous year. Despite its middling ratings, Fringe received a full-season renewal on March 6, 2010.
Reviews
The second season of Fringe received mixed to positive reviews. At the beginning of the season, the series was featured on the September 18 cover of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, which promised to give readers a "deep dive into the gory, witty world of Fox's Fringe. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, a film review aggregate website, gave the second season 75/100 based upon ten reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" reception. After viewing the first eight episodes, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
columnist Ken Tucker gave the series an A-, calling it "one of the fastest, smartest, wittiest shows on television now... Fringe successfully mixes the crime genre with sci-fi, and cold conspiracies with heartfelt emotion." Peter Swanson from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
gave Fringe two and a half stars after watching the first six episodes. He believed the second season had "floundered a little, stuck in that creative hinterland between the desire to grab new viewers and the need to build on the mythology of the show's universe." While Swanson understood the need to attract a larger audience, he thought the standalone episodes to be "less than stellar", as "they've yet to get scary, or even vaguely unsettling". Swanson did however find the war between two universes to be "particularly compelling", and expressed hope that "Fringe [would] find its footing."
In a review of the entire second season, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
believed that despite the premiere's "great start", the first half contained "some rather lackluster episodes" that "made a lot of fans worried and got the rumors of cancellation circulating"; the second half however "showed that Fringe is still one of the best sci-fi series on TV". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
agreed, and called the first half "entertaining" but "never essential" while noting a great improvement mid-way through the season, as "the show finally grounded its freak-of-the-week weirdness in deep sadness". The A.V. Club continued, "...The season-two episode "Peter
Peter (Fringe)
"Peter" is the 16th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 36th episode overall. Considered a keystone episode of the series, "Peter" is a flashback episode, told as Walter Bishop reveals to Olivia Dunham that his son Peter is really the...
" finally dramatized the moment that changed [Peter's] life, giving the series' overarching storyline a devastating emotional core, based in a father's love instead of in theoretical concepts. It only got better from there, as the series expanded its world by further making those concepts concrete. Fringe is that rare blend of inventive ideas, wild ambition, and unexpected soulfulness." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
believed that by the end of the season "Fringe had truly found its footing, doing daring, experimental episodes like the musical "Brown Betty
Brown Betty (Fringe)
"Brown Betty" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and is the only one of the series performed as a musical. The episode was written by co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman, and consulting producer Akiva Goldsman. It was...
"... and heartbreaking stand alone episodes, like "White Tulip
White Tulip
"White Tulip" is the 18th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It followed a scientist in his quest to time travel back and save his fiancée, while the Fringe team investigates the consequences of his actions, and Walter struggles to tell his...
", (which might be my favorite hour of television this year that wasn't Lost-related)."
In particular, critics highlighted the season premiere "A New Day in the Old Town
A New Day in the Old Town
"A New Day in the Old Town" is the season premiere and first episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 21st episode overall. It was written by co-creator J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, with Goldsman also directing...
" as well as regular episodes "Peter" and "White Tulip", and the season finale "Over There
Over There (Fringe)
"Over There" is the two-part second-season finale of the Fox science fiction drama series Fringe. They are the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the season, and the 42nd and 43rd episodes of the series overall. Both parts were written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, together with...
". The main three cast members' performances were praised, and various critics noted the series continued the sense of humor seen in the first season. Fringes second season was chosen for a number of 2010 "best of television" lists, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Entertainment Weekly, Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad, as well as IGN, which named Fringe the best sci-fi series of 2010, beating fellow nominees Lost, Caprica
Caprica (TV series)
Caprica is a science fiction drama television series. It is a spin-off prequel of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, taking place about 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica. Caprica shows how humanity first created the robotic Cylons who would later plot to destroy humans in...
, and Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
.
Awards and nominations
At the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT...
, actor Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
and actress Anna Torv
Anna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
submitted their work in the second season for consideration in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series categories, respectively. Actors John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
, Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
, Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
, and actress Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
submitted their work for consideration in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series categories, respectively. The second season of Fringe was submitted for consideration in the Outstanding Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show...
category but failed to garner a nomination. The failure of the series to garner any major category nominations at the Emmys was perceived as a notable snub by many media outlets.
The second season received nominations for Sound Editing at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and at the Golden Reel Awards
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its...
. The season's sole musical episode, "Brown Betty
Brown Betty (Fringe)
"Brown Betty" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and is the only one of the series performed as a musical. The episode was written by co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman, and consulting producer Akiva Goldsman. It was...
", received a nomination for Short Form Musical In Television at the Golden Reel Awards. Noble, Torv, and guest actor Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
were nominated at the 2010 Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s, with Torv and Nimoy winning in their respective categories. Noble also received a nomination at the 2010 Satellite Awards, but lost to Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
s John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
.
Home video releases
The second season of Fringe was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 14, 2010, in region 2 on September 27, 2010 and in region 4 on November 10, 2010. The sets includes all 22 episodes (plus an unaired episode) of season two on a 6-disc DVD set and a 4-disc Blu-ray set presented in anamorphic widescreen. Special features on the sets include four commentary tracks—"Momentum Deferred" with Jill Risk, Matthew PittsMatthew Pitts
Matthew Pitts is an American television writer. He is best known for his work on the FOX science-fiction series Fringe.- Career :Pitts began his career working as J. J...
, Danielle Dispaltro, Justin Doble and Charles Scott IV; "Peter" with John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
, Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
and Damian Holbrook; "Brown Betty" with Tanya Swerling, Billy Gottlieb, Chris Tilton
Chris Tilton
Chris Tilton, born 9 June 1979 in New Orleans, U.S. is an American soundtrack composer and has helped compose several television, film and video game scores. He collaborates with Michael Giacchino and J.J. Abrams on several of his projects. His projects include the video games Mercenaries:...
and Jay Worth; and "Over There, Part 2" with Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Pikesville High School in Baltimore Maryland in 1983. He is known for his work on Alias where he served as executive producer. In 2006 and 2007, he worked as an executive producer and writer for the mystery series Lost...
, J. H. Wyman and Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman from Walker Valley, New York is an American screenwriter and film producer. He received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2001 film, A Beautiful Mind, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture....
. Episodic behind-the-scene featurettes include "Analyzing the Scene" on six episodes, "Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes" on select episodes and "Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel". Other featurettes include "In the Lab with John Noble and Prop Master Rob Smith" and "Beyond the Pattern: The Mythology of Fringe". The unaired episode from season one, "Unearthed
Unearthed (Fringe)
"Unearthed" is the 11th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. While the body of a young, recently deceased girl is being harvested of its organs, she suddenly comes back to life yelling classified naval launch codes and Russian phrases, leading...
", is presented as a special feature, separate from the other episodes.