Fringe : Season 5
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 9, 2008
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 125 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 105 out of 125
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 125
  3. Negative: 10 out of 125

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  1. MarcDoyle
    Sep 30, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The premiere episode is outstanding. I was particularly blown away by the scene in which Walter finds the CD and plays "Only You" by Yaz. Such a powerful moment after he had been tortured and deprived of music for so long. Etta is a terrific addition to the series as Peter and Olivia's daughter. I can't wait to see where they take this season.… Expand
  2. Acriminal
    Oct 13, 2012
    0
    This show has gotten SO bad. The writing is absurd. I'm forced to watch because I've followed it thus far and don't like to leave anything unfinished in a state of limbo. John Noble is this show's only redeeming quality. I can't wait until this last season is done.
  3. alex95
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    A Show that has explored everything that has to be explored, Fringe continues to surprise me at the highest level continuing to be one of the best dramas on TV right now and one the sci-fi thrillers to be remembered for a long long time.
  4. attackturnip
    Sep 30, 2012
    9
    From what I can tell from the premiere, Season 5 of Fringe will be a nonstop action-packed adrenaline rush. With a shortened 13-episode order, the Fringe showrunners have promised this season will have no filler episodes, and I'm looking forward to what's to come.
  5. tantram
    Dec 29, 2012
    5
    *sigh* why did they have to break a winning horse. What started as a strong modern rendition of the X-Files with some great characters has now become something completely different.

    We suddenly find our beloved characters 20 years in the future fighting off an alien invasion... Mkay
  6. goodterling
    Jan 23, 2013
    2
    This show REALLY needs to be called out on its over-the-top melodrama. It can't go five minutes without somebody having a breakdown or teary epiphany all dragged out way too long with the camera pushed right up close. Everything about Fringe makes me miss The X-Files with all its unstated emotions churning under the surface. Remember subtlety? Fringe doesn't. It's sad that when we finally get some good sci-fi concepts on network TV, but with emotional content straight out of a middle school drama class.… Expand
  7. AdamTheDullBoy
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    I was initially skeptical about watching another science fiction series launched by J.J. Abrams and co. after the lackluster (to put it mildly) conclusions of Alias and LOST where the creators completely failed to deal with the questions they posed and decided to take the easy way out instead, abandoning the core themes that made both shows intriguing in the first place. Nevertheless, I started to watch Fringe after the last season was announced and I was pleasantly surprised by the effort that was put into answering the mysteries throughout the series. The 5th and final season of the show is probably its weakest, especially in terms of production values - the brilliant cinematography seen throughout the first three seasons (and somewhat less frequently in season 4 as well which was already shot with digital cameras) is largely gone. This is most likely due to the significantly reduced budget that the creators had at their disposal. It is important to note, however, that Fringe still manages to provide quite a few visual spectacles that can easily remind viewers of the show's heydays (the lighting and deep colors they opted for this season are especially atmospheric). Luckily, the convincing performance of the cast remains unchanged from previous seasons and John Noble proves yet again that he is the true heart and soul of the series, stealing every single scene he appears in, never in shortage of quirky one-liners. Since season 5 deals heavily with time travel, during its last episodes Fringe runs into paradoxes more often than ever before, and one can find just as many arguments debunking the internal logic of the show's mythology and the outcome of the final episode as the countless theories reaffirming it. Essentially, the whole season is only a postscript allowing to tie in loose ends regarding the Observers. Still, it is obvious from the final episodes (or the whole season, for that matter) that the creators are doing their best to provide closure to all plot lines and characters, and even when the resolutions end up being somewhat convoluted, requiring more suspension of disbelief than previously, the conclusion feels like a sincere bow towards the fans and the show's core themes alike. This is especially obvious in the re-occurrence of motifs from episodes that are widely considered to be among the favorites of the audiences and (most likely) creators alike, and the fact that they play a pivotal part in the ending. To me, this consistency makes Fringe a success where Alias and LOST have failed miserably. The show was undeniably at its height during the first three seasons with some great story lines during the fourth, but J.H. Wyman and co. still managed to deliver a final 13 episodes that ended it with dignity. As it has been remarked, being an expensive and (relatively speaking) barely watched science fiction show dealing with outlandish concepts, Fringe itself was "An Enemy of Fate" throughout the years; but for the most part, it won the battle. Season 5: 7/10… Expand
  8. BKM
    Jan 10, 2013
    10
    Fringe has gotten better with each passing season as the characters have become more developed and the mythology more complex. The fifth and final season is a complete reinvention of the series--switching from the more conventional X-Files like case of the week to a more Lostesque season long story arc. The cast has been superb and all signs point to an emotional powerhouse of a finale.
  9. Mithrandir
    Dec 25, 2012
    10
    This is one one of the best shows ever.Definitely recommended this to anyone.Season 5 may be a little disappointing but still good.Still the first season was the best
  10. Mello-Vieira
    Nov 28, 2012
    3
    I agree with Acriminal, I only watch the show to get some kind of closure on the Bishop family. After a horrible ending to the 4th season, the 5th season is being a huge disappointment.
    Instead of a freak-of-the-week show, Fringe is turning into a gadget-of-the-week show. Yes, the gadgets are pretty cool and Walter and the Olivia are still great characters (Anna Torv and John Noble are     terrific actors). But apart from the acting, I cannot forgive the numerous plot holes which completely ruin the show for me. The plot became too ambitious after they killed/erased Peter...… Expand
  11. Stabs_with_Pudz
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overrall its a pretty good season, a massive improvement from the disaster that was Season 4. It is action packed and full of adrenaline. It is also full of nostalgia for the Fringe fans who were there since the beginning.It turns out that Walter has kept a lot of the technology and chemicals from Fringe events that they have fought in the past, at first they used the skin growth toxin that was last seen in Season 1 then later Peter uses the chemical weapon used on Flight 627 but the Season Finale was when they pulled out the big guns: Skin Growth toxin from Season 1, Giant parasitic worms from Season 2, The mutated common cold from Season 1, the deadly razor blade butterflies hallucinations just about every Fringe case that they've done, I was hanging onto every moment during that scene, just wondering what fringe event they would use next. Another form of nostalgia for fans is when Walter is haunted by Doctor Warren - Walter's dead assistant and he reflects on how he travelled to the other universe to save Peter and what not, another event that is touched on is the White tulip Walter received from the Time traveller in Season 2 and the next and the most heart warming is during the Season Finale when Astrid finds Gene the Cow alive and well sealed inside amber and yet another MASSIVE piece of nostalgia is when we get to see the alternate universe once again and we get to see Lincoln and Alternate Olivia once again.
    It may not be the best season but it touches and flashes back to the past a lot which can make any Fringe fan smile and jump with excitement.    … Expand
  12. maisie
    Oct 9, 2013
    9
    The fifth and final season. For five years of my life, I was dedicated and so hopelessly in love with Fringe. Each season I intently watched, patiently waited for the next episode and was sad during winter hiatuses. This show meant so much to me, and it still does. I'll never forget the fantastic ride we had, how we traveled through time and between universes. Season five is not as good as its predecessors but it still has some redeeming qualities to it. The final season felt a little messy, presumably because it was going to be cancelled. I think, however, the thirteen episode order worked. No filler episodes (which was a common occurrence in season four) this time. It was certainly an ambitious shot and it was a little (only a little) disappointing, but we got a little closure and at least we can say that season two and three were excellent seasons we will never forget.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Sep 28, 2012
    91
    Fringe seems to be going out as alt-world fantasy/sci-fi at its most tough-minded yet humanistic. [5 Oct 2012, p.73]
  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Sep 28, 2012
    80
    On the evidence of Friday's season opener, Fringe will continue to be the best show of its kind since "The X-Files" at the grace notes, intimate or humorous instances like Olivia's Crate & Barrel moment (which won't be further spoiled here). When you get the small things right, it's less crucial that your universes and time shifts exactly line up.
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  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 28, 2012
    90
    For Fringe's small but loyal following, resistance is truly futile. We'll stick with this remarkable series to the end.
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