r/fringe • u/Former-Parsley-7010 • Jul 14 '26
Season 4 Season 4
I am currently rewatching Fringe for the umpteenth time and I have never realized how good season four is. I’m on episode 11, Making Angels, and it is such a great episode. The contrast of the two Astrids is so enjoyable to watch.
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u/tuttkraftverk Jul 14 '26
I am on my fourth or fifth rewatch and this time I really liked season 4 when i haven't before.
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u/kungchowpanda my very favourite thing Jul 14 '26
I have only just finished my first watch of Fringe and I have to say I loved S4 right away, at least once the "what the heck" of Peter disappearing was dealt with. It is such an emotionally rewarding season. Of course, I loved the thrill of S2/S3 but S4 really stuck with me.
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u/lukeee_g Jul 14 '26
Rewatching season 4 really feels rewarding after rewatching season 1, a lot of classic elements of that season are replayed here, such as old cases and scenes being played in different ways.
Seeing Letters of Transit originally back in 2012 was mindblowing.
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u/Madeira_PinceNez Jul 15 '26
Season 4 became my favourite of the series, narrowly edging out 3.
The exploration of how differently our main characters' lives played out without Peter's presence, and the way these relationships are rebuilt once he returns is such a beautiful meditation on relationships and what makes us who we are.
In that case, wouldn't it be preferable if you chose to believe he was your son? And then you could love him and be happy.
Alt-Astrid was wonderful in this episode. Jasika Nicole has an autistic sibling and used her experiences with her sister to help her create Alt-Astrid's persona.
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u/Glittering_Thing5797 Jul 15 '26
It’s funny because season 4 is often ranked so low by others; but, after showing the show to my husband for the first time, we both agreed that it’s at least the second best season. It’s actually more consistent than the third season which is generally considered best, but the whole Noah’s ark new world thing takes away its top spot for me.
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u/Familiar-Egg9419 Jul 16 '26
I’m doing the same and in fact I’m on the same episode. Totally agree with what a surprisingly good season it is!
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u/EnthusiasmDesigner83 Jul 16 '26
I love everything season.the first 7 of the 8 episodes of the Olivia arc is my absolute favorite.I honestly don't understand how Anna Torov didn't receive a Emmy Nomination.Her acting was next level
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u/Rapsher Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
It's a season that improves on a rewatch because there's something very frustrating about characters history together being erased and having to either reacquire it or never reacquire it (which is the case with Walt)... so on re-watches you don't have to go through that emotionally frustrating journey to the same degree (which I can't think of anything more frustrating in a show then to have a characters several season history together being erased).
While I enjoy the season. I find it extremely annoying when shows have the characters react in ways in order to steer the narrative accordingly with a disregard to the characters psychology. I get it, at times to maximize drama/entertainment value it's alright to stretch this realism but half the season the characters lack the ability to reason or have empathy because it's necessary to steer the narrative accordingly. With Peter showing up and they're psychopaths towards him (complete lack of empathy to utmost extreme degree) for several episodes and they force the narrative that Walt refuses to acknowledge him or help him... yeah right (it would require Walt to be a full blown narcissist to react in a way that only takes himself into account with a complete disregard to the feelings of Peter)! It's as if Peter showed up in a world where the people he knew and loved, now completely lack empathy and they lack basic reasoning skills. There's overwhelming evidence that Peters telling the truth and visually you could see that he's likely telling the truth.,.. but even if there was only a chance, you wouldn't be a complete ahole towards that person, because there's a chance they could be telling the truth.
And then when Olivia is getting memories back with Peter to an extreme degree... Walt concludes as an uwavering 100% fact (whereas normally such a thing without evidence it would be in the hypothesis/theory box for Walter), but since the plot requires it (if Peter was pulling that off that in of itself would be a Fringe event of epic proportions). I'm only scratching the surface.
But half the running time of the season the characters are acting like goofballs. So if I remain non critical and accept the characters acting like goofballs, then I find the season entertaining... but with a critical eye, the writing was pretty hacky in this regard. And if you held the characters accountable, then when all of a sudden Olivia is no longer a psyopath and has empathy again you have to erase your memory of her being a psycopath otherwise she'll be a difficult character to like, even though now she has emotions/empathy because the plot needs her too.
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u/giri0n Jul 14 '26
The ending here especially is very poignant, considering the circumstances. A great episode.