On Wednesday night I attended Fringe Benefits, a special screening, panel, reception, and gallery exhibit hosted by the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. The event celebrated the cult sci-fi series Fringe which airs its third-to-last episode tonight (the final two episodes air back-to-back next Friday). As a fan of the show from the day the pilot aired in 2008, this was a very special occasion for me to attend. What better way to celebrate five phenomenal seasons of such a memorable, mind-bending show than with an intimate group of similarly passionate fans. Entertainment Weekly senior writer Jeff Jensen was on hand to introduce the screening of episode 511 “The Boy Must Live” and afterwards he moderated a Q&A panel that included star Lance Reddick (Phillip Broyles) and showrunner Joel “J.H.” Wyman.
“The Boy Must Live” airs tonight at 9PM on FOX, so I certainly won’t spoil anything for you. I will say, however, that this episode is one of the most revelatory in the show’s history as it answers many Observer-related questions. Walter (played by the talented John Noble) volunteers to take a plunge into the famous water tank to relive the memories transfered to him by the child Observer in an attempt to locate September (played by a touching Michael Cerveris). In many ways the episode is humorous; dialogue from Walter and Olivia forced the audience (and myself included) to erupt in laughter more than once during the screening. And at the same time the installment is incredibly touching; Walter and Peter share a tear-inducing moment early on in the episode. Questions are answers, emotional connections are made, and the ball is officially rolling toward next week’s big finale.
After the screening Jensen moderated a candid Q&A session with Reddick and Wyman. Below I share with you my attempt at scrupulous note-taking that took place during the entertaining back-and-forth.
Wyman started things off lightly by saying, “Every viewer we’ve ever had is here!” Laughter ensued, naturally. He described shooting the very last scene in Walter’s lab as “sad and beautiful” and he admitted that “a show like this is not likely to happen again.” … “I wanted viewers to go through everything these characters went though at the ground level, and at the end of this experience to think ‘I know these people and I will never forget these people.'” …”We want people to go through the devastation of losing a daughter and think ‘I have to get through it.'” … “Life is valued by the human connections we make,” and at its core this is what Fringe is all about. The show examines the human condition (“Olivia found strength in vulnerability”), the value of family, and it follows disparate people connecting in the world, he shared. “The best science fiction explores what it means to be human,” he argued. “Removing our humanity is what I’m terrified about. [Fringe is] a morality tale.” … “There was always a plan,” he admitted. “I always tell story from a place of theme. We would start every season deciding on a theme and a plan. We would stray a little along the way, and find new things, but we would always return to the plan.” He discussed the process of making Fringe work in season 1. “The show evolved from the first season because we were finding what worked.” Thankfully “the network & studio were incredibly supportive,” he said. Fans will remember the show used to switch from standalone “case of the week” episodes to more mythology heavy ones. During this time Wyman was thinking, “Do we offend people finding Fringe, or offend people watching Fringe?” Eventually they figured out what worked best in episode 218 “White Tulip,” an installment Wyman refers to as a “myth-alone” or a hybrid of standalone and mythology. He also discussed the rationale behind introducing the alternate universe early on rather than later in the run of the series. He said Bad Robot’s Bryan Burke told him, “You have to show the hatch.” (The hatch, mind you, refers to another J.J. Abrams show Lost and it was a big reveal that perhaps producers took too long to explore.) Burke advised Wyman to introduce the alt. universe because “it’s really compelling.” “Let’s just do it now,” Burke said and all of a sudden Fringe transformed into this must-see mind trip in season 2 and it helped season 3 become arguably the best season made. “Fringe has always been a living, breathing, organic experience,” Wyman said. Later, Wyman through out a fun fact: If the show never made it to season 5, Wyman had plans to wrap up the story with 5-7 graphic novels.
Reddick got tearful a couple of times during the session. The first time was when he told a story about saying goodbye to some of the crew. “It always takes me a couple hours to get thru wardrobe & makeup. And when I said goodbye to my wardrobe person, I lost it.” Cue the tears and “awws” from the crowd. “I had the same experience as when The Wire ended. I didn’t expect to get emotional.” Later: “I always thought that Fringe lived best in its serialized form, so I was glad that’s how the last season played out.” He also touched on the evolution of his character Broyles. “Thematically he changed.” Early on he was this mysterious figure and quickly he became this gentler, kinder force on the show.
Jensen then allowed the guests to take questions from the audience. When asked about where Walter came from Wyman replied, “Walter represents an unfiltered presence. Walter has seen behind the curtain and once you have, you can’t go back.” How much knowledge is too much knowledge is a question he proposed regarding the mad scientist he created. When asked about the plan for the Observer takeover Wyman said “The Observers being evil has always been there…Every single thing was for a reason.” If you go back in the series you’ll see the seeds being planted. What are the Observers up to in the parallel universe? Wyman hinted we might find out with a “maybe.”
Before things could wrap up Wyman and Reddick talked about the fans and the important role they played in keeping the show alive. “The fans saved the program. We would not be here,” he said. He called his fans an “intelligent resourceful group of people.” Reddick added, “It is my perception that the fans kept us on the air. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna cry. I’ve only got two words: Thank you.” He considers the fans to be part of the show’s family.
And with that, the screening and panel wrapped up and the audience was invited to attend a reception that served drinks and Walter’s favorite licorice Red Vines. Fringe inspired posters lined the walls, and some of them were up for sale. These are the same posters I reported about in December; Gallery 1988 is selling a limited quantity of them to benefit the charity The Mission Continues.
In addition to the reception, people were invited to check out an exhibit featuring props from the show. The typewriter used by Fauxlivia to communicate with the other side, the stock certificate for Massive Dynamic, William Bell’s special bell, Walter’s white tulip, the glass heart, and costumes worn by Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, and John Noble were all up for display. Check out the full collection of Fringe related items in the gallery below. The exhibit is part of the Paley Center’s “TV Out of the Box” initiative; you can see some of these items and props from other popular shows for yourself. For more details click here.
All in all, like the series itself this was a night to remember with excitement and emotion in the air. From the excellent episode screening to the informative Q&A to the reception and prop exhibit, the night was defined by Fringe and it is one I will never forget.
