8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Fringe revolves around three unlikely colleagues – a beautiful, young and determined FBI agent (Anna Torv), a brilliant but off-the-wall scientist (John Noble), and his sardonic, roguish son (Joshua Jackson) – who team up to investigate a series of peculiar deaths and disasters.
Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole, Lance ReddickSci-Fi | 100% |
Mystery | 48% |
Thriller | 34% |
Supernatural | 29% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
UV digital copy
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I think it's time we, the insatiable, network-bashing citizens of geekdom, start asking ourselves a few tough questions, even
though it calls for a bit of devil's advocating and a willingness to risk being branded a heretic in the Fringe forum
thread. So brace yourselves accordingly, dear readers. In a survival-of-the-fittest television ecosystem, is mid-series
cancellation always the worst fate that can befall a struggling show? How often does the final season of a beloved classic
utterly or even partially fail to deliver? How often does a finale disappoint? How often is the destination of a multi-season
journey less satisfying than the one imagined in a diehard fan's mind? Could it be that Fringe -- despite being spared
an earlier cancellation and given the rare opportunity to tie up loose ends and grant a proper ending to its twisty,
Cortexiphan'd existence -- would have come to a more fitting, more rewarding conclusion in our collective imaginations?
For some, the answer will undoubtedly be, "absolutely not!" They are the small but tenacious band of Fringe freedom
fighters who adore showrunner J.H. Wyman's fifth and final season; apologists who shrug off any and every criticism,
reminding the critical that Wyman and his writers were afforded too few episodes to wrap up a saga that needed, nay,
deserved at least four more seasons; dutiful viewers who trembled, wept and cheered as the story came to its all too
abrupt but emotional close. For others, the most honest answer will land somewhere closer to, "it wasn't what I hoped for."
They are the betrayed Fringe fanatics; betrayed by a ratings-hungry network that made it increasingly difficult for the
series to operate at full creative capacity; betrayed by a writers' room that didn't seem to know quite what to do with the
show's final season or, at the least, how to overcome the burden Fox placed on their shoulders; betrayed by one of their
favorite series, which might have been more accurately dubbed Season 4.5.
Fringe Division, 2036
Much like its predecessors, Fringe: The Complete Fifth and Final Season arrives on Blu-ray with a strong but less-than-
ideal video presentation with a few notable flaws. Crush is rampant, delineation is quite uncompromising and noise spikes
somewhat erratically on occasion. None of it amounts to a significant distraction -- especially since the series' hyper-exposed
palette and stark contrast leveling is the chief culprit in each instance -- but clarity still takes a hit as darkness rises or night
descends. The only real encoding issue? Brief bursts of macroblocking (seen in the bright skies here) that disappear as quickly as they
appear and, for the most part, will go unnoticed by most viewers anyway.
Otherwise, everything looks exactly as it should. Colors and fleshtones have been stripped down and washed away to visually
striking, thematically relevant ends, replaced by grim dystopian grays, blues and browns, bloodless primaries, and deep, inky
blacks, punctuated only by the warm, rich amber hues of Walter's makeshift lab. Wherever the series' heavy shadows fall,
detail is consumed without prejudice. However, wherever light strikes, detail flourishes; so much so that Fringe once
again delivers one of the crispest, most revealing television presentations out there. Closeups are outstanding, fine textures are
often masterfully resolved, and edges are typically razor sharp, without too much in the way of ringing. It has its trials by
softness, particularly whenever the team switches on flashlights and goes spelunking in a murky, grimy abandoned building,
but that again is an eyesore that traces back to the source. In all, artifacting, banding and aliasing are kept to a reasonable,
altogether negligible minimum, and fans of the series will find the fifth season's presentation to be every bit as satisfying as
those of previous seasons.
Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is easily the series' best audio mix to date; fierce and aggressive when called upon, attentive and diligent at all times, and delicate whenever subtlety and a gentle touch is required. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible at all times, regardless of how intense or violent our heroes' predicament becomes, and effects are presented with style. Wet, fleshy gore increases the ick factor of key scenes dramatically, rippling implosions and hearty LFE-boosted explosions show off plenty of low-end kick, and the rear speakers grab hold of anything that might make the soundfield more immersive or unsettling and use it to its full potential. Directionality is convincing, almost to the point of having a wicked sense of humor. Pans are perfectly transparent and dynamics are impressive as well, as is prioritization, which takes everything from the quietest whisper to the most pulse-pounding beat in the fifth season's score and strikes a fantastic balance. Yes, Fringe's sound design is a bit too on the nose -- a bit too loud and pulpy for the sake of the next organized shock -- but it's also presented here with first-rate proficiency and power. I was thoroughly pleased, especially since I didn't feel the urge to use the words "well, at least for a TV show" at all.
Fringe's fifth and final season left me a bit too cold, and Olivia, Peter, Walter and Astrid were my only solace. The story was too one-dimensional for the series, the setups too repetitive, the payoffs too predictable and the mysteries too contrived. Even so, the character beats stand as some of the show's finest, and I shed a tear or two by series end. On the whole, Wyman and company brought things to a decent close. Just not a great one. Warner's Blu-ray release is much better, so long as you ignore The Complete Fifth and Final Season's much too short and underwhelming supplemental package. With an able- bodied video presentation and a first-class DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, Fringe's Blu-rays go out on a high note. I wish I could only say the same for the series itself. Ah well, love it or loathe it, it's been quite a ride, and I'm glad I stayed on board.
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2010-2011
2011-2012
with Comic Book
2011-2012
2010
1997
2016
2009-2010
Special Edition
1951
2008
2014
2008
2010
2011
2017
2011
2009
2009
The George Lucas Director's Cut
1971
1996
2017
2007
1984
2015