I was thrilled to receive the Fringe: The Complete First Season on DVD since I enjoyed the first half of the season but was too busy to finish watching the second half of the season. Not only did I get to catch up on all that I had missed, I also enjoyed watching over 6 hours of special features! There was so much to enjoy, you must own it on DVD!
Season 1 Original Air Date: 2008 – 2009
Season 1 DVD Release Date: September 8, 2009
7 Discs/20 Episodes/1272 minutes Run time/Not Rated
From J.J. Abrams (Lost), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (the team behind Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III and Alias) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and Bryan Burk (both of Lost and Alias), 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 known as “The Pattern.” The trio suspects that someone is using the world as a laboratory. And many of the clues lead them to Massive Dynamic, a shadowy global corporation that may be more powerful than any nation. Season 1 also starred Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and Mark Valley. Fringe is from Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Fringe had me hooked before it even aired since J.J. Abrams was part of creating this project. I was able to attend the latter half of the Fringe panel at San Diego Comic Con in 2008 and was thrilled with what the everyone on the panel had to say about the show. Once trailers and teasers began to come out, the sci fi and mystery aspects of the show grabbed me immediately. After attending a screening/panel at The Paley Center, I knew for sure that there was an abundant amount of potential for this show. This show having such an innovative plot would be a hit! Once the season started... the first few episodes were mildly entertaining and with that came an end to myself watching the show religiously. However, once you watch this show, you just can't stop watching it. There is something about the plot that sucks you back in. After coming back to watch the entire season, I can now say that each episode is better than the last. The show has vastly improved from the Pilot episode to the season finale. Fringe is well scripted and well very produced and this is only the beginning.
As for the special features...there is so much to enjoy! Everyone will enjoy
Roberto Orci’s Production Diary as he takes viewers on a behind the scenes look at filming the Pilot episode day by day. Roberto did a fabulous job showing insight on the day to day schedule of filming. One of my favorite special features is
Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe where Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and J.J. Abrams discuss how the idea for the show and characters came together.
The Casting of Fringe tells the story straight from the actors themselves and producers how the main cast members were cast into their roles. Viewers will see a bit of the audition tapes for 4 main cast members. I was disappointed that Joshua Jackson’s casting story was not shared but overall, I enjoyed every bit of this special feature. The
Gene the Cow Montage was short, simple, and fun to watch. That is all there is to that. The
Behind the Real Science of Fringe feature is very intriguing, as it brings more reality than one ever thought before to Fringe. The Gag Reel is titled
Unusual Side Effects and it is hilarious! There is so much packed into this short reel, it does not disappoint and I cannot wait to see what goofs Season 2 will bring.
Fringe Visual Effects does a fabulous job at taking an in depth look at the creation of the special effects in 6 episodes. There are 3
Full-Length Commentaries, for the Pilot, The Ghost Network, and Bad Dreams. I was disappointed that there was no commentary for the season finale and none of the cast members were in any of the 3 commentaries. Aside from that, these commentaries provided great insight into these episodes and Fringe as a whole.
A Massive Undertaking is supposed to take you on an in depth inside look of the making of select episodes. Actually, the massive undertaking only received an in depth exploration on how the Pilot came together. All of the others seem to be extended versions of the "Deciphering the Scene" special feature, as it really only focuses on one scene. Hopefully this feature is taken out or modified in Season 2.
Dissected Files shows viewers about 6 unaired scenes for 5 episodes and when you watch all of the other unaired scenes, you will understand why they were cut. Lastly,
Deciphering the Scene is created for every single episode of Fringe, which I find to be brilliant. Viewers will get a better understanding of how certain scenes came together. It is a fun feature that I hope to see again and hopefully will be a bit longer next time around. A more in depth review of all of the above special features is below.
Overall, the picture is amazing and whether or not you have surround sound, you will feel engrossed in every single episode. The set comes in a a collectible lenticular slipcase which I absolutely love! The booklet is thin and very resourceful when looking at what special features are on what disc.
Special Features:On various discs in the Special Features Menu, this note is at the bottom of the screen, so that whenever you see [!] next to a feature you know what this means:[!] Warning: Spoiler Alert! This piece contains crucial elements. Be sure to watch all of this season’s episodes of Fringe before accessing this piece.Roberto Orci Production Diary: (13:05 Run Time)
Everyone will enjoy Roberto's production diary as he takes viewers on a behind the scenes look at filming the
Pilot episode day by day. The Pilot had 418 cast and crew members film over a period of 31 days and Bob shows viewers what it was like filming for a few of those days. He shows viewers what it is like filming in the extreme cold weather in Toronto, Canada, how certain special effects come together, the steps included in editing, a close up of the "sides" also known as the production notes for the day (which I find to be very interesting), and more. There are a few fun laugh out loud moments in this diary and there is a lot of insight on the day to day schedule of filming. It is astounding to see how much work is put into one episode and Bob did a fabulous job showing this in the diary.
[!]Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe: (9:06 Run Time)
One of my favorite special features is this feature where Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and J.J. Abrams discuss how the idea for the show and characters came together. It is made a point that much of the show is grounded in reality yet the show is incredibly unique in its scientific plots. There is a substantial amount of time dedicated to the executive producers discussing what makes the main characters so compelling. Lastly, staff writer, Zack Whedon talks about how the symbols (apple, butterfly, frog, flower, and hand) and the yellow light next to each of these images connect to an alphabet which I did not know about, so that was a very relevant piece of information to gather. Each episode spells a word based on the images shown…very interesting! Who already knew that and figured out the words? Now I’m going to have to watch the entire season over again and figure this out! Fringe keeps fans addicted that is for sure.
[!] The Casting of Fringe: (9:23 Run Time)
In this special feature, producers and the main cast discuss how those in the series came to be cast. Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Jasika Nicole, Blair Brown, and John Noble are featured in this special feature in that exact order. Casting Director, April Webster also explains what her job entails and what the crew was looking for in the actors during casting. You see a bit of the audition tapes for Lance Reddick (who originally read for Agent Charlie Francis), Kirk Acedvedo (who originally read for Peter Bisop), Blair Brown, and John Noble. Now while I was disappointed that Joshua Jackson’s casting story was not shared, overall, I enjoyed every bit of this special feature. I was thrilled to see bits of the audition tapes because you get a sense of how much the characters have grown since then.
Gene the Cow Montage: (2:47 Run Time)
This was a cute, fun special feature! You'll find out just how many cows are used, the cast discuss what it was like working with a cow, and the animal handler talks about the cow a bit. Some people might wonder why there is a special feature about the cow...you won't find your answer in this special feature but it is a fun, short special feature so just go ahead and watch it.
[!] Behind the Real Science of Fringe: (10:28 Run Time)
Robert Chiappetta & Glen Whitman are the New Media Consultants used for Fringe and we are introduced to them in the beginning of this feature. It is made a point that everything we see in Fringe is based from some degree of reality. Various episodes are broken down scientifically, so we understand the origins of these stories from rapid aging and teleportation to re-animation. This feature is very intriguing, as it brings more reality than one ever thought before to Fringe. If you weren’t thinking about what you saw in Fringe before, this will make you want to do research on what has been shown in this season and think about what is to come in future seasons.
Unusual Side Effects: (4:32 Run Time)
The Gag Reel is hilarious! There is so much packed into this short reel, from tripping, to sounds interrupting scenes (including Joshua Jackson’s cell phone ringing), to messing up lines of course, a little bit of singing from Anna Torv, and of course lots of laughs. This gag reel does not disappoint and I cannot wait to see what goofs Season 2 will bring.
Fringe Visual Effects: (15:16 Run Time)
This special feature runs for just over 15 minutes and takes a look at the creation of the special effects in 6 episodes. It features some of the biggest VFX shots of the show. In the very beginning of the feature, we are reminded that there are visual effects that people don’t even realize are visual effects. It’s quite obvious that green screen is very heavily used but in this feature we see every single step of the creation from the original plate to the final shot. J.J. Abrams had a few things to say about each episode that was featured and highly praised Visual Effects Supervisor, Jay Worth for his incredible work throughout the season. It was very interesting to see Executive Producer/Director, Alex Graves, Visual Effects Supervisor, Kevin Blank and Co-Stars Anna Torv and Mark Valley discuss a scene from the
Pilot. Co-executive producer, David H. Goodman talked a bit about the visual effects of the terrifying heart worm in the episode,
In Which We Meet Mr. Jones. More interesting though was Lead 3D Artist, Michael Kirylo walking viewers through attaching the parasite to the heart and creating the pumping actions of the heart. Michael also had a bit to say about the episode,
The No – Brainer, which was one of the episodes I thought really stood out this season. It was fun to find out that there was an actor who had a green screen glove for when the virus comes out of the computer and there was a hand sculpted as a model for the motions that it would make in the final result. In the episode,
The Dreamscape, everyone from Co-Creator/Executive Producer, Rob Orci to Actor, Ptolemy Slocum who plays Mark Young in the episode talk about the opening scene with Ptolemy, the butterflies, and the window stunt. As this was one of my favorite episodes, it was very interesting to get a sense of everything that was involved in putting this episode together – from the prosthetics and makeup to the stunt double, etc… If you are interested to find out not only what the influences were for the monster in the episode,
Unleashed but see the original artwork and how the monster evolved, this is the special feature to watch. Also, the crane is the main focus in showcasing the special effects for the episode,
The Arrival.
Three Full-Length Commentaries:I was disappointed that there was no commentary for the season finale and none of the cast members were in any of the 3 commentaries. Aside from that, these commentaries provided great insight into these episodes and Fringe as a whole...
Pilot - The commentary was done by Alex Kurtman, J.R. Orci, and J.J. Abrams. I really enjoyed this commentary, as I found so much more about not only the Pilot, but Fringe as a whole, and more about the cast and crew. What Alec, J.R., and J.J. were going to say was not planned ahead of time and as the episode began, they formed an outline of everything that they would discuss…but after talking about casting, they completely forgot about their list. First off, I found out that the opening scene with the plane was not done in homage to Lost. Then, I learned that the title sequence was created by 23 year old, Andrew Cramer. Viewers will find out the inspiration for the 3D logos that show locations all throughout the show. The three talked about casting the main characters and compared Anna Torv to Jennifer Garner in Alias. In fact, there are a ton of comparisons to Alias throughout the commentary. I really enjoyed the guys talking about combing makeup with CGI for the special effects. It was quite interesting to hear that the creators were paying CIA consultants and yet they were not of help since nothing could be disclosed, so then they went ahead and did their own research. What was also interesting was the discussion of how to justify when those in the Fringe world that are everyday people find out about what is going on and how they react. It will be interesting to see how they continue to do this in future seasons. Overall, there was a lot discussed, with a significant chunk of Alias comparisons, and it was very informative and enjoyable commentary.
The Ghost Network - The commentary was done by David Goodman, J.R. Orci, and Bryan Burk. Right away the writers talk about when they wrote this episode and figuring out the teaser for the rest of the episode and got into talking about the episode at hand as opposed to the series as a whole. I found out so much more about how this episode came together with this commentary. There is talk of an unaired scene that was cut (and is not featured on the DVD). The three talk about imagery, rewrites, how certain ideas were conceived, and so much more! I felt like David, J.R., and Bryan utilized their commentary time very well and kept me engaged throughout the entire episode. Jay Worth is praised by all of them and Alias is mentioned a few times, though not nearly as much as in the Pilot commentary. The Wire is also given a plug. Favorite quotes and moments of the show are shared. There was a funny point made that the show is set in Boston, MA and not one person had a Boston accent this season. Quite funny! This was my favorite commentary of all three commentaries and when you watch it, you will see why.
Bad Dreams - The commentary was done by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner. This commentary seemed a bit dry to me. I watched it 3 times and still missed a majority of what was said. I believe that one reason why I found myself tuning out was the fact that this seemed more like a recap and explaining what is happening with these characters in each scene as opposed to the usual commentary discussion. There are a few fun facts shared along the way about what it was like filming, but not nearly enough to stay interested throughout the entire episode.
A Massive Undertaking: This special feature is supposed to take you on an in depth inside look of the making of select episodes. Actually, the massive undertaking only received an in depth exploration on how the Pilot came together. All of the others seem to be extended versions of the "Deciphering the Scene" special feature, as it really only focuses on one scene. In this feature, cast & crew discuss what is happening in a certain scene, and often there is insight given to why certain characters are the way they are. For example, for the season finale,
There’s More Than One of Everything Production Designer, Steven Jordan showed William Bell’s personality through what is in his office. Aside from that, talk began to dwelve into how challenging the work was when the show first began production but how now the show can grow because of its success. It was very interesting to see Special Effects Makeup Artist, Stephen Kelley show us all of the molds and creations for the monster that was created for the episode,
The Transformation. For
The Ghost Network, the show closed down a tunnel on the East side of Manhattan! That’s not the only new fact you will find out about this episode. The episode that had the most in depth inside look of the making of an episode was the
Pilot. Viewers get to see the crew filming inside the “plane,” the special effects for the virus, the choreography of stunts, filming in extreme cold weather in Toronto, Canada, and both the cast and crew talking about all of the above. Overall, the only massive undertaking I would really watch again is the Pilot. What would have been really enjoyable to see would have been hearing the writers and producers discuss how the script came together and evolved for such incredible episodes as these. Here’s to hoping that will happen in next season’s DVD.
Dissected Files:This special feature shows viewers the unaired scenes for the episodes,
Ability, The Equation, The Ghost Network, The Arrival, and
Power Hungry. There were about 6 unaired scenes in total and the first of the two in The Equation I was very glad did not make the cut. The one unaired scene for The Arrival I am wondering why that was cut. Aside from that, when you watch all of the other unaired scenes, you will understand why they were cut.
Deciphering the Scene:This special feature is created for every single episode of Fringe, which I find to be brilliant. This feature does exactly what it is titled and nothing more…for anyone who didn’t understand a certain scene the first time around, the cast & crew are here to explain it to you as an extremely short behind the scenes look at everything from the sets, lighting, wardrobe, props, shooting in NY, choreography for fight scenes, etc... is shown throughout. Viewers will get a better understanding of how certain scenes came together. The scenes that are chosen to be featured tend to be the most riveting scenes, so perfect choices. It is a fun feature that I hope to see again and hopefully will be a bit longer next time around.
Fringe will premiere its 2nd Season on Fox on September 17, 2009 at 9/8c.
Enter a chance to win a trip to the set of Fringe in Vancouver, BC! The grand prize winner will win a trip to Vancouver, BC. The first prize winner will get a hi-def home entertainment system and five second prize winners will receive a copy of the Complete First Season on DVD.
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