• Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 9, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    91
    Unlike The X-Files, Fringe has a sense of humor that cuts through its gloom. Credit Jackson for his raised-eyebrow dubiousness whenever things threaten to turn absurdly weird, and Noble for making his brilliant acid casualty a poignant, eager-to-please man, constantly sifting through his prodigious brain to locate the truth from fragmented memories.
  2. 88
    Not every shift works; a newly added agent seems just as expendable as poor, underused Charlie (Kirk Acevedo). But there's a great final twist that more than compensates, and it solidifies the overall impression that a series that was once too far on the conspiracy fringe has settled into an enjoyable weekly sci-fi adventure.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 154 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. Hard to believe it is possible, but the second season of Fringe was even better than the first. I loved "Northwest Passage" and "Brown Betty." The show is fun, playful, and serious all at the same time -- It is the only show worth watching on television. Full Review »
  2. The increasingly strained "science" canon and obvious continuity errors aren't the problem. The problem is that the characters just never get beyond being caricatures. All of them can be quickly and easily summed up into a short sentence; certainly not interesting enough to want to watch for more than a season. None of them, not even the heroes, are especially likable. Weirdly enough the alternate versions of most of the characters are more interesting and engaging, unfortunately the show needs to artificially remind us every so often that the other side is evil, so we shouldn't really attempt to empathize with someone from the "other" side. In any event, as a big JJ. Abrams fan, I was hoping for a lot more and I really wanted to like this show. I ended up just barely finishing season 2 and abandoning it after 2 episodes of Season 3. Full Review »
  3. DannyS.
    9
    Fantastic concept, great writing, good acting, gripping story, the only thing that's needed is to perfect the concept that's already been laid down. It's a great idea, but it's still young and fresh. Over time it will build and Fringe will become something truly amazing. (Also, Metacritic, please block people from re-voting under different aliases. Block multiple submissions from the same IP. Thank you). Full Review »