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Blu-Ray : Rent it First
Ranking:
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Release Date: September 14th, 2010 Movie Release Year: 2009
OVERALL:
Rent it First
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
4-Disc Set
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/VC-1
Length:
1012
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.78:1
Audio Formats:
Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Special Features:
The Unearthed Episode starring Kirk Acevedo as Charlie
Release Date:
September 14th, 2010

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

In the final moments of season one, 'Fringe,' J.J. Abrams and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci's whacked-out television series about freaky goings-on investigated by an uptight FBI agent (Anna Torv), a mad scientist (John Noble) and a roguish conman (Joshua Jackson), took on another, grander dimension – literally. In the scene, Agent Olivia Dunham (Torv) is seen standing inside one of the World Trade Center towers, still standing, in an alternate universe very much like our own.

Add to that the double-whammy revelation that Peter Bishop (Jackson), an integral member of the Fringe Division team, is actually his alternate world doppelganger stolen from the other side by his crazy scientist father (Noble).

That's a lot of junky emotional baggage to be dealt with on the outset of 'Fringe's' second season, and one of the problems of this season is that it took whole chunks of episodes to get through the pair of crises: Olivia coming back from the other side and Peter learning of his improbable background. Those of us wanting more conclusions or answers of any kind were left hanging for large swaths of the season.

When revelations were presented, they came out in large, clunky gobs; whole episodes were devoted to flashbacks.

Part of the reason why the second season of 'Fringe' was so much less fun than the first is because it was now permanently wed to this intricate and overarching mythology that was largely absent from season one. Whereas we had the suggestion of a larger mystery, dubbed "The Pattern," here we know what the mystery is – it's an upcoming war with the other universe – so much of that goose-fleshy thrill is gone. Instead, we're given confusing stuff like shape-shifting semi-robots (although, admittedly, the magic typewriter is one of my favorite things on TV last season).

Also gone is the first season's stylish veneer; that season was shot in New York City which stood in for much of the East Coast. It gave the episodes a lived-in, tactile feel, especially when you could recognize where they were filming. "Holy shit a mutant came out of there?" etc. The show was relocated to Vancouver this season, and everything is presented with the same drab, pallid lack-of-enthusiasm.

With show creators Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci sitting this season out, it was left to a bunch of second-string creative talent like Akiva Goldsman, the rancid screenwriter behind 'Batman & Robin' who mystifyingly took home an Oscar for 'A Beautiful Mind,' coming to the forefront. The non-mythology episodes, a kind of satellite array of goofy, gooey side-stories, lacked the kicky pulse of the earlier season, and the entire enterprise left me feeling dejected and disappointed, knowing that no matter how hard it tries, 'Fringe' lacks the emotional depth, character complexity, and all-out fun of J.J. Abrams' paradigm-shifting series 'Lost.'

All that said, 'Fringe's' second season is not without its pleasures – there are some nifty gadgets (the robo-shape shifters stick this thing to the roof of their mouths), ace stunt casting (Kevin Corrigan as Olivia's mentor), and some killer Leonard Nimoy appearances, as the nefarious series godhead William Bell, a kind of Steve Jobs-gone-mental. Oh, and a lot of the alternate universe is fun, especially the "quarantined areas" (if you haven't seen the season yet, I'll say no more).

While 'Fringe' never jumped the alternate universe shark in its second season, it did frustrate and disappoint with its continuous narrative loop-de-loops and dogged adherence to its own cracked mythology. No matter how much "heart" the season wanted to convey, I was always too worried about all the sci-fi nonsense to care about much else. But the finale, oh the finale, even if I might have met the season proper with the see-sawing hand of indifference, the final few moments of the season have me hooked with an even bigger, better cliffhanger (even if you saw it coming a mile away). 'Fringe' may have faltered in its second season, but I'll be back for more, and I'm sure you will be too.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Fringe's' second season is housed on four 50GB Blu-ray discs that are packaged inside a sturdy plastic case that isn't much bulkier than a regular Blu-ray case. The discs are BD-Live ready (without any additional content as of this writing) and region free. The discs auto-play but halt on the main menu, where you can decide whether you want to watch individual episodes, all of the episodes on the disc, or navigate over to the special features, which are very well defined.

Video Review

Ranking:
p> 'Fringe' may have lost its atmospheric Manhattan-area locations, but the show still looks good; even better thanks to the VC-1 encoded 1080p transfers on these discs (maintaining its broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1).

The handsomely atmospheric series looks good from episode to episode – skin tones are dead-on; shadows (of which there are many) are deep and bottomless (look to the episode on the first disc about the underground mutants); detail is nice (especially on the gizmos from the alternate universe); visual effects are sharp without ever betraying their inherent phoniness; and overall things look stellar, even if Vancouver subbing for Manhattan is no kind of swap.

And the high definition transfer also showcases some subtlety that I had previously overlooked – on the flashback-heavy episode "Peter" (on disc three), the periods of the episode set in the past have a slightly fuzzy glow, which goes along with the wonderful period reproduction. Even the famous "floating" title cards get an era-specific makeover (ditto the opening title sequence, with a tinny electronic score). I didn't notice the change in photographic style watching it on television, but this time I did, and it's absolutely brilliant.

The downside to the presentations is some occasional interference on a technical level; probably because so many episodes are crammed on so few discs, but noise and compression issues abound. Artifacts pop up here and there, and while there are quite a few, you have to be looking for them to find them (this is what I get paid for – to look for digital bogeymen) and I'm not sure that it would upset the casual viewer. A half-point deduction, for sure, but not a game breaker by any stretch of the imagination.

Otherwise, this is a very strong, atmospheric transfer that remains true to the show and also reveals some new, hidden secrets (like the subtle change in photography in the "Peter" episode – plus others!)

Audio Review

Ranking:

Ah, Warner Bros. You know there are still some of us (myself included) smarting over your boneheaded decision to keep lossless DTS-HD from some of their Blu-ray releases, like, say, 'Speed Racer.' And yet you continue to make this decision, for reasons somewhat beyond me. All that said, 'Fringe's' second season comes equipped with a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 track and not a lossless DTS-HD shebang. Oh well.

On the other side of the argument: it is only a television series. And the Dolby Digital track does equip itself nobly. The score (co-authored by 'Star Trek' and 'Lost's' Michael Giacchino) sounds moody and deep, the sound effects do a good job of maximizing their squeamish squishiness, and elements take on a bigger scale and scope thanks to the mix, which often adds a lush, multi-channel element.

Dialogue is crisp and clear, no matter how calamitous the events going on in the episode are, and a mix this good (not great) does do much in terms of creating a believably tactile world, or in the case of 'Fringe,' worlds.

So, yes, bemoan the lack of a lossless DTS-HD mix all you want. I agree that it would have probably been to the set's benefit had the mix been on here, especially in the action packed finale. But that said, this is a very good, very solid presentation, so I can't hold much of a grudge.

Additionally, there is a Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0 track and subtitles in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Special Features

Ranking:

According to the series' packaging, none of these are exclusive to the Blu-ray, although more than a few of them are in high-definition, and the discs are BD-Live ready, if not offering any additional content at this time.

  • Commentary Tracks There are four commentary tracks on four episodes, all with different participants. Why don't we run them down? On "Momentum Deferred" (disc 1, episode 4) you get a nice commentary by a bunch of oddballs – executive producer/showrunner Jeff Pinker's assistant Jill Risk, writers' assisstants Matthew Pitts and Danielle Disaltro, script coordinator Justin Doble and music supervisor Charles Scott, IV. While this may seem like a strange bunch to contribute a commentary (it is), the results are actually pretty entertaining and you've got to give mad props to anybody who gave these guys the spotlight, if only on a commentary for a middling episode, especially since they're so open and honest about how many of them are still "learning". Also they're interrupted by a special guest star (who I won't mention here). Nice. Next up, we get main cast members Blair Brown (the mysterious, possibly villainous Nina Sharp) and John Noble doing commentary (moderated by TV Guide's enthusiastic Damian Holbrook) on season two standout "Peter" (disc 3, episode 15). This is a fun, if not terribly informative commentary, although it is funny to hear that Blair Brown considered donating some of her 80s gear for the flashback heavy episode (the items proved too sentimental to part with). Another very good commentary accompanies "Brown Betty" (disc 4, episode 19), with co-producer Tanya Swerling, co-music supervisor Bill Gottlieb, composter Chris Tilton (aka the guy that's not Michael Giacchino) and effects supervisor Jay Worth. They're on hand to discuss the "musical" episode of the series, which was a network-wide mandate by Fox to cash in on the twin successes of 'Glee' and 'American Idol.' I didn't think the episode worked particularly well, but this is probably the best commentary in the lot. Finally, there's a track on "Over There, Part 2" (disc 4, episode 22), the season finale. For this track you get Pinker, co-showrunner J.H. Wyman (previously of underseen Fox gem 'Keen Eddie') and scum-of-the-earth material Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman is, predictably, a cocky ass and his jokes are so painfully bad that you are never, once, in doubt that the same man gave us 'Batman & Robin.' This last track is the most star-studded, creatively, but the least essential.
  • The 'Unearthed' Episode (HD, 43:57) At some point in the second season airing schedule, an unaired episode from the season popped up, which meant that dead characters were now alive again and things were made generally confusing by all. Fox never gave the warning that it was a first season holdover, and the episode didn't appear on last year's season one Blu-ray set. Thankfully, this is lumped in with the special features on the fourth disc, and the episode isn't all that great (it involves ghosts) and can easily be skipped.
  • Analyzing the Scene (HD, approximately 21 minutes) These are the tiny documentary bits that accompany a handful of episodes – "A New Day in the Old Town," "Momentum Deferred," "Of Human Action," "What Lies Below," "Brown Betty," and "Over There, Part 2." These are more or less worthless, due to their brevity (a little over twenty minutes for six episodes) and lack of substantial content.
  • Dissected Files (SD, approximately 9 minutes) These are deleted bits and bobs from several episodes – "Night of Desirable Objects," "Grey Matters," "Olivia, in the Lab, with the Revolver," "Northwest Passage," and "Over There, Part 2." Some of them are kind of interesting (including an alternate ending to one episode) but if you never looked at these, you wouldn't be missing much.
  • Beyond the Patter: The Mythology of 'Fringe' (HD, 26:49) This is a nice little documentary that analyzes the season as a whole, with a bunch of input for the creative higher-ups on the show (including a few words from J.J. Abrams). While it never really acknowledges the missteps of the second season, it does explain some of the overarching mythology in an easily digestible way and should satisfy those of you looking for more meat after watching those slim "analyzing the scene" things.
  • In the Lab (HD, 6:36) This is John Noble and prop master Rob Smith walking around Walter's lab while Smith talks about all the crazy doo-dads that the prop department has to come up with, week in, week out. Two striking things: one, how sparingly these things are described in the actual scripts (and how they can spin pure magic out of these descriptions) and two, there's some object on the table that's blurred out, and I'm not sure why! Product placement? Why was it blurred? Someone tell me!
  • Unusual Side Effects (SD, 3:22) Bloopers. Next.

If you were a fan of 'Fringe's' wobbly second season, then you can't go wrong with this Blu-ray set. Despite the lack of a lossless audio mix, some glitchy video issues, and some insubstantial special features, the show is handsomely presented and some of the features are sort of fun. If you didn't like the second season, or felt hesitant, I don't think this set is going to change your mind. I'd give it a rental before you make that commitment to give it a place in your library. Otherwise, if you loved it, go for it. Cross the dimensional rift!