Tonight concludes one of the best television series to ever grace the set...FRINGE. There will truly never be another show like it-- It is a miracle that the show lasted 5 seasons given that it goes against what is popular. It mixed science, with wit and cinema quality handling--but at it's core it was a family drama in dire circumstances. There is Walter, the broken genius who tore the very fabric of the universe to save a son that wasn't his and spent the rest of his days paying the price. Peter, his estranged conman son, who never has had roots to tie himself down, nor anyone he could really be close too, a tetherless soul. And Olivia, a driven FBI agent, betrayed by her partner and lover, mentally and physically abused as a child, she has spent her life building an impervious exterior to not let fear and connection keep her from doing her job. Three seemingly disparate people find that they form a unique family unit that will last through the worst of circumstances. This show taught me many things, a lot has happened in their lives over the last 5 years and a lot has happened in mine. These characters and unusual phenomena have taught me the value of perception and seeing things from both points of view, the lengths that parents will go for the love of their children, the importance of sacrifice, that doing what is right at all costs is more important that being the best or winning, and that we all have a purpose and we can't even begin to know how much the choices we make affect the lives of those around us.
This show also handled faith in a way that I had never seen done, they handled it with respect. Walter, after being humbled by all of his life's betrayals knew he had betrayed God, by trying to be God and write the universe as he saw fit and defying the laws of nature to save a son that wasn't his. He asked for forgiveness, from his son who had been fed a house of lies and God. He asked for a sign, a white tulip. The last scene ended with a white tulip, a symbol of redemption.
I will miss them, I will miss Walter's latest food obsessions, Astrid's frustration that Walter never gets her name right, Peter's dry humor, Olivia's kindness to Ella and Etta, Nina's latest fashion choice, Broyles' gruffness, and all of the alternate universe characters especially Lincoln Lee, you tall drink of water you. I will miss the way the show made me think, it didn't force me to turn my brain off, it forced me to solve problems and invest my time into fully developed characters.
My night ended sharing a pack of Red Vines with my dad, and it made me so grateful for my parents and all that they sacrificed for me over the years, I owe them far more than I can ever repay. Thank you Fringe for helping me to realize that.
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