10 Things You Need To Know About Fringe

If you're new to the world of Fringe, this video will tell you what you need to know:

1. The pattern is a series of disturbing unexplained events happening around the world which is being investigated by the fringe division of the FBI.
2. The main fringe division consists of Phillip Broyles, Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop, Dr. Walter Bishop and Astrid Farnsworth.
3. Walter spent seventeen years in a mental institution.
4. Walter's former lab partner, William Bell, founded Massive Dynamic: a multi-billion dollar global corporation and the military's largest contractor. Nina Sharp is the chief operating officer of massive dynamic.
5. The Observer is a mysterious figure who has been seen at events connected to the pattern throughout history.
6. The Observer saved Walter and Peter's life years ago when they were in a car accident.
7. Walter and William Bell have in the past opened a hole into an alternate universe, which may have inadvertently started the pattern.
8. Peter died when he was seven. He doesn't know this and Walter holds a secret as to whom Peter really is.
9. As a child, Olivia was tested on by Walter & Bell with a drug called Cortexiphan. Since then she has had special abilities that allow her to see into the other side.
10. Olivia was pulled into the alternate universe by William Bell, who is apparently stuck there. He warned that a war is coming between the two realities.

 For a more in-depth answers, check out our Season1 recap.

Anything you think is missing from the list?

Observer Sighting Videos

Fox has released four Observer sighting videos to promote "Observer Week" on Fringe:

Fringe Sneak Peek 208: August

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive look at the first scene of the upcoming Fringe episode August.

Fringe Commercial 208: August

Here is the full commercial for the next Fringe episode August, which airs November 19 on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in full HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Observers Spotted At NFL Packers/Cowboys Game

TWO observers were spotted at Sunday's Greenbay vs. Dallas NFL game on FOX, officially marking the start of Observer Week for Fringe.

The local Wisconsin Fox affiliate WLUK even ran a news piece on the sighting:

Fringe Observer Week

Variety is reporting that Fox has launched a major campaign this week to promote the Observer-centric Fringe episode "August":

"Observer Week," as the campaign is dubbed internally, includes placing multiple actors playing "observers" in the crowd at live Fox telecasts -- Sunday's NFL game, as well as an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance."

Fox did something similar last year on programs such as "American Idol" and NASCAR.

Fox will also send out street teams dressed as the observer (dark suits, bald heads, carrying briefcases) to various spots in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Boston and Chicago. The characters will pass out Tabasco sauce (a nod to the fact that "Fringe's" observers like spicy food).

Fast-pausing DVR users may also notice subliminal shots of "Fringe's" observers popping up in primetime via hidden images in the net's night opens, as well as via seven-frame graphics flashed throughout the evening.

"The hope is we get a few more viewers watching the show live," Earley said. "Or at least watching it within three days of air. The show is too good, and we want to continue to support it."

The Easter-egg approach of the campaign also plays well with the fans of mythology-based shows like "Fringe," he said.

If you live in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Boston and Chicago, Be sure to keep your eye out (and your camera ready.) Please send us an email if you live in any of these areas and would like to see the Observer in person, or to report any Observer sightings you may find.

So you can also join The Observer Trackers facebook group to see any official updates.

Fringe Preview 208: August

Here is the preview for the next Fringe episode - "August" - which airs November 19 on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in full HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Fringe Sneak Peeks 207: Of Human Action

Four clips from the upcoming Fringe episode "Of Human Action".

Secrets of Fringe: Episode 204

Fringe executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman discuss: The "first wave", hybrids, William Bell telling the truth, what William Bell is inhaling, Walter's journey, religion, and the hybrid leader.

Fringe and Twilight Mashup

The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes out in theaters next week, and someone named FringeMoonFan created this Fringe / Twilight mashup. What do you think?

Fringe Preview 207: Of Human Action

Here is the preview for the next Fringe episode - "Of Human Action" - which airs November 12 on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in full HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

New Promo For Fringe 206 "Earthling"

Here is the new promo for Fringe episode 206: "Earthling", which returns November 5th (if the World Series doesn't go to a game 7)

Screenshots for this Fringe commercial can been seen at FringeFiles.com

New Fringe Commercial With Trent Reznor

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look at the new Fringe commercial featuring music from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The commercial will be shown tonight during American League Champion Series game. EW reports that Reznor was excited to collaborate with J.J. Abrams:

So, how did the freaky drama series secure the services of Reznor? After Fox’s marketing department showed the Fringe producers a version of the promo that used “Zero-Sum,” series exec producer Jeff Pinkner simply asked a nearby Reznor acquaintance—that’d be co-creator J.J. Abrams—if the NIN musician might be interested in a collaboration. One email later, Reznor was on the case. “We offered him compensation, and he said, ‘No, no, I just want to have fun and be part of something cool,’” says Pinkner, adding: “How often do you get the chance to work with somebody like that?”

Reznor revamped his Nine Inch Nails song “Zero-Sum” in his mobile studio while on tour, adding lines of dialogue from Fringe’s William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) over the music. He even came up with the idea of “embedding” one of the show’s glyphs in the music (see below).

Pinkner also suggested that Reznor may end up on the show at some point:

“If he wants to come act on the show, that’s not tit for tat—that’s an open invitation, and we made that known to him,” says Pinkner. Any ideas on what he may play? “Well, his head would probably end up exploding,” deadpans Pinkner. “There’d be some uncomfortable biology in there one way or another.”

Here is an exclusive look at the hidden Fringe butterfly glyph, which can be seen by analyzing the audio using a spectrogram:

Secrets Of Fringe: Episodes 201 - 203

Fringe executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman discuss: Olivia's super hearing, Sam Weiss, Communicating with the other side, colonel Gordon, the Observer, Nina & Broyles (Shoyles), and Peter & Olivia.

* Thanks to fringeobsessed for finding this!

Fringe Preview 206: Earthling

Here is the preview for the next Fringe episode - "Earthling" - which should air November 5. However, if the World Series goes to seven games, then Fringe will be postponed one more week. Fingers crossed for a Dodgers sweep!

For more information about the next three upcoming episodes, check out the Fringe Spoilers section.

Fringe Preview 205: Dream Logic

Here is the preview for Dream Logic, the fifth episode of Fringe season two, which airs October 15th, 2009 on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in full HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Fringe: A Covert Kiss with Nina and Broyles

Lance Reddick (Philip Broyles) and Blair Brown (Nina Sharp) discuss "the kiss" seen in A New Day In The Old Town.

BTW, anyone "shipping" for Broyles and Nina... what is their "shipper" name? Brina? Noyles?

William Bell: Perhaps You've Heard Of Him?

A montage video of all the William Bell references in Fringe Season 1. I don't know how to put this but he's kind of a big deal.

Fringe Preview 204: Momentum Deferred

Here is the preview for Momentum Deferred, the fourth episode of Fringe season two, which airs October 8th, 2009 on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in full HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Fringe Theory: Alternate Realities, Parallel Universes, and Mutliverses

The use of alternate realities in Fringe could potentially open up a Pandora's box of infinite universes. This could lead to the "Heroes" problem where, among other things, no one really dies because you can always go back in time and rescue them (or in Fringe - another multiverse.)

"Lost" potentially had similar problem with its healing island and time travel, but they were prescient enough to create two paradox busting rules: when you die on Lost you are dead, and you can't change what happens in the past because the time-line will self correct.

Fortunately, similar "rules" have been established for Fringe to keep the show easier to follow and solve some of the side effects of inter-dimensional travel.

#1 - "In string theory, there are infinite alternate universes, but we've treated it as two, trying not to bite off more than we can chew."

Fringe executive producer and "showrunner" Jeff Pinkner has stated this in many interviews - There are only TWO alternate realities in Fringe: Shape-shifting soldiers, and alive Peter come from the Alternate Reality, and as far as we know Olivia, Walter, dead Peter, etc come form Our Reality. William Bell is from our reality, but is living (hiding out?) in the alternate reality.

#2 - "There is a one-to-one time correlation, and also geography. If you are in NY in the alternate reality, you are in NY here."

We have seen this several times - in Broyles' office, the burning Boston, the two charred bodies. It only became confusing when Olivia teleported to the Twin Towers, which was initially though to be her crossing over and changing location at the same time. It turns out the elevator must have been just a teleportation device, because Olivia was already in the alternate universe.

#3 - "Have we been secretively 'over there' when there weren't clues? No. When Olivia crosses over, she will be aware and the audience will be aware. We're not trying to trick anybody."

Pinker explained this in a recent TV Guide quote. However, last season may have been a little bit of a trick - even though we knew eventually that Olivia crossed over, it was only recently revealed that it happened during the car crash, and not in the elevator.

BTW, If you need a refresher course on Multiverse theory, here's a funny explanation from Stewie of Family Guy: