Fringe is a sci-fi series created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci that premiered on Fox in 2008 and ended in 2013, after five seasons and 100 episodes. The series follows FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), who teams up with a former mad scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson) to investigate paranormal and unexplained occurrences.
Influenced by shows like The X-Files, Lost and Altered State, Fringe's first season initially received lukewarm reviews, but subsequent seasons were met with critical success, and the show received numerous awards and developed a passionate fan base. Unfortunately, these elements didn't guarantee Fringe's longevity, and the series was renewed for a final, shortened fifth season in late 2012. Let's look at what Fringe was and why the series ended after five seasons.
What Was Fringe About?
Fringe follows the trio of Olivia, Walter and Peter as they form the Fringe Division and investigate mysterious phenomena, such as parallel worlds, time travel, precognition and human experimentation. While early episodes took on a monster-of-the-week type format, later seasons focused on the show's own mythology and fictional universe. After Walter and an old friend William Bell (Leonard Nimoy), discovered the means to cross dimensions, they inadvertently set their universe on a cosmic collision with a parallel universe.
By Season 3, Fringe focused mainly on the plot involving the parallel universe (with the opening title sequence changing to reflect whatever universe an episode was set in) created by Walter. Later seasons also introduced evolved humans known as Observers, who use time travel to initiate "the Purge," an event meant to wipe out humanity and modify Earth's environment to better suit themselves. The team is able to reset the timeline, thanks to a sacrifice from Walter, preventing the creation of the Observers in the first place and saving Earth from invasion. Fringe ends with Olivia and Peter living their lives peacefully with their daughter, Etta.
Why Was Fringe Canceled?
Falling ratings and an expensive production are to blame for Fringe's end after Season 5. Due to declining viewership by Season 3, the Fox Network moved Fringe to the "Friday Night death slot," which is often attributed to the failure of shows. While series like The X-Files flourished in this spot, critics were worried Fringe couldn't replicate that success, even though a high number of viewers were catching the show through their DVRs.
By Season 4, viewership continued to slip, and the series was only airing a limited number of commercials during its air-time. That made it somewhat of a surprise when the series was renewed, though the Fox Network attributed this to the show's passionate fan base. Unfortunately, come Season 5, the series' long-term future looked to be in jeopardy, with Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly noting that the show was especially expensive to produce. Dealing with diminishing returns, Fox pulled the plug on Fringe, leaving Abrams, Kurtzman and Co. to set their sights on new projects.