Rating: Not Rated
Starring:
Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham
Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop
Lance Reddick as Agent Phillip Broyles
Blair Brown as Nina Sharp
Jasika Nicole as Astrid Farnsworth
John Noble as Dr. Walter Bishop
Kirk Acevedo as Agent Charlie Francis
Kaaren de Zilva as Attendant
Leonard Nimoy as William Bell
Special Features:
The Unearthed Episode
The Mythology of “Fringe”
“Fringe”: Analyzing the Scene Sidebars on 6 Key Episodes
In the Lab with John Noble and Prop Master Rob Smith
Commentary on 4 Episodes by Series Stars and Creative Team
Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.78:1)
5.1 Dolby Digital Sound
Spanish and French Subtitles
Running Time: 968 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Return to explore the boundaries of a mysterious mythology that holds millions of viewers in its hypnotic grasp. Season 2 of ‘Fringe’ contains worlds (and alternate worlds) of excitement complete with shape shifters, cryonic heads, belly-dwelling beasts and people who turn to ashes before our eyes. But the overarching narrative takes three clandestine FBI agents – Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop and Walter Bishop – through a mind-bending investigation of a parallel reality that threatens to destroy ours.”
“Fringe: The Complete Second Season” is not rated.
Mini-Review:
“Fringe” continues with its second season which is released on Blu-ray just in time for the third season. After the bombshell revelation about the parallel world from the end of the first season, I was very much interested in seeing what would happen in the second season. I was ready to learn more about that world, what it was like, why it was creating weird stuff in our world, and more. But “Fringe” wasn’t quite ready to show its hand. We were quickly dumped back into ‘the real world’ and the show fell back into the ‘X-Files’ formula of a bizarre event each week. It wasn’t entirely satisfying, but the creators did start spoon-feeding more revelations before leading up to yet another big finale.
For me, highlights of the season include the episode “Peter” which revealed Walter and Peter’s connection to the alternate world. It was really emotional and any parent could both sympathize and condemn Walter for his actions. Another highlight was, of course, the two part finale entitled “Over There.” It’s centered in the alternate world and sets up an incredible cliffhanger for season three to continue with. I can’t say more without spoiling it, but needless to say I was impressed.
The alternate world offers a lot of interesting opportunities for the actors. We get to see John Noble play alternate versions of Dr. Walter Bishop. We see his usual crazy, eccentric self and his calm, cool, and ruthless alternate self. Noble perfectly portrays both versions. The same can be said for Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham. It’s amazing what some bangs and hair coloring can do! But when the Olivia twins meet each other, it’s an impressive payoff. And, of course, we see the return of Leonard Nimoy as William Bell which is always a treat.
If you’re a “Lost” fan looking for something new to be addicted to, I suggest you pick up the first and second seasons of “Fringe.” You won’t be disappointed.
“Fringe” fans will want to add this Blu-ray to their collections. First and foremost, you get a bonus unaired episode. It’s entitled “Unearthed” and features a teenage girl who has Russian sub nuclear launch codes in her mind. Also included are a few commentaries, a half-hour long ‘making of’ featurette discussing the series with the cast and crew, a few brief ‘making of’ featurettes highlighting specific scenes in episodes, a tour of the lab with John Noble, and more. Also look for the required deleted scenes and blooper reel.
