Blu-ray Review: Final Season of FOX Hit ‘Fringe’

CHICAGO – I find it fascinating that “Fringe,” the show that always seemed to be on the bubble for renewal and was always included in articles about low-rated programming, appears to be one of the most influential on the Fall 2013 season. FOX has two new dramas in the Fall and they’re both from “Fringe” alum — J.J. Abrams’ “Almost Human” and Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman’s “Sleepy Hollow”. They’re clearly looking for, believe it or not, the next “Fringe.” For while the smart sci-fi drama never found a huge audience on TV, it found an incredibly loyal one on Blu-ray, On Demand, iTunes, etc. and those fans can now complete their collection with a bittersweet but complete fifth and final season release.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Fans will likely have seen and loved the final season of “Fringe” and so Warner Bros. wisely includes a few nice bells and whistles to please those who stayed loyal to their Blu-ray hit series. Not only will you find a digital script of the final episode, “An Enemy of Fate,” and a commentary track on 5.9, “Black Blotter,” but the real draw will be “A Farewell to Fringe,” an exclusive special that features reflections from the cast, J.J. Abrams, Executive Producer J.H. Wyman, and more.

I am absolutely certain that “Fringe” will be considered one of the most influential shows of the current era. It has been the best example of the changing diversity of the market. In the early ’90s, it wouldn’t have gotten a second-season renewal. But FOX and Warner Bros. saw the downloadable potential and the raging DVD and BD sales and kept it going. It made it five seasons largely because of people who will buy this release. And the only disappointment will be that there isn’t a sixth season next Summer.

Fringe: The Fifth and Final Season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 7, 2013
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Synopsis:
The year is 2036. The Observers have become ruthless rulers, limiting free will and speech, and are slowly poisoning Earth’s atmosphere so that their own kind can survive. All is not lost, however. A series of videotapes, preserved in amber, hold detailed plans for overthrowing the Observers and restoring the planet and its people. The Fringe team will undertake the most important mission of all time: retrieve the tapes, follow their clues, decipher the code, and prepare for the battle to save humanity. Join Fringe scientist Walter Bishop, FBI agent Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop, and Olivia and Peter’s now grown daughter, Henrietta, for 13 episodes filled with struggles, surprises and sacrifices in this explosive and emotional final season.

Special Features:
o A Farewell To Fringe
o Fringe: Season 5 2012 Comic Con Panel
o Digital Script Of Final Episode
o Episode Commentary
o Gag Reel
o Unaired Scenes

[14]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [15] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [14]