Fringe (season 3)

Fringe season 3

Region 1 Season 3 DVD cover
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 22
Broadcast
Original channel Fox
Original run September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23) – May 6, 2011 (2011-05-06)
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1 September 6, 2011 (2011-09-06)[1]
Region 2 September 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)[2]
Region 4 October 26, 2011 (2011-10-26)[3]
Blu-ray Disc release
Region A September 6, 2011 (2011-09-06)
Region B September 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 2		 Next →
Season 4
List of Fringe episodes

The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

During the first part of the season, odd-numbered episodes mostly take place in the parallel universe and have a red title sequence, while even-numbered episodes mostly take place in the prime universe and have the original blue title sequence.[4] In episode eight, "Entrada", the title sequence is a mixture of blue and red, and since have been either blue or red or both to signify the universal focus of the episode. In the rest of the season, however, the episodes focus on the prime universe with brief shifts to the parallel universe. Episode 15, "Subject 13" features a same retro title sequence from "Peter", with Asimov font and an 80s rendition of the theme song, in addition to listing already realized technologies as the fringe sciences of the 80s. The season finale, "The Day We Died", has a grey title sequence to indicate the future setting of the episode.

Contents


Episodes

See also: List of Fringe episodes
№ # Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code		 U.S. viewers
(million)
44 1 "Olivia" Joe Chappelle J. H. Wyman & Jeff Pinkner September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23) 3X6101 5.83[5]
In the parallel universe, Walternate uses an experimental treatment on Olivia involving blood transfusion. However, Olivia manages to escape and takes taxi driver Henry (Andre Royo) hostage to get around New York. She tries to return to her universe by going to the same opera theater she used in "Over There", but arrives just in time to see it ambered. Throughout Olivia's attempted escape, it is revealed that the experiment was an attempt to replace her memories with her alternate counterpart. "Walternate" realizes that it is slowly succeeding thanks to adrenaline Olivia produced while trying to escape the alternate Fringe Division. Olivia remembers a safe house and decides to go there. It turns out to be the home of her counterpart's mother, Marilyn, (Amy Madigan); Olivia's real mother died years ago. Marylin convinces Olivia that she suffered a mental breakdown as the treatment takes full effect. Now that the experiment has succeeded, she “returns” to Fringe Division. Broyles questions Secretary Walternate about replacing his agent with an imposter, but the Secretary tells Broyles not to worry about it right now. Meanwhile in the prime universe, Walter and Peter prepare to move on with their lives, with neither seeming to suspect that the Olivia with them is in fact her alternate counterpart in disguise.  
45 2 "The Box" Jeffrey Hunt Josh Singer & Graham Roland September 30, 2010 (2010-09-30) 3X6102 5.24[6]
In the prime universe, Thomas Jerome Newton sends men to recover a box buried in the basement of a residence, which is part of Walternate's doomsday device. However, when the men open the box, everyone in the house except a deaf man in the group dies. Walter discovers they were killed by ultrasonic sound waves, putting those in the vicinity into a trance before it fatally "cooks" their brain. Walter and Nina attend the reading of the last will and testament of William Bell. Walter receives a note urging him "Don't be afraid to cross the line" along with a key to a safety deposit box. Meanwhile, the deaf person finds and gives the box to "Fauxlivia", who promptly kills him and gives the box to Newton, who deploys it at a subway station. Peter disables the device by disrupting his hearing using loud gunfire, but is nearly killed by an oncoming train, saved at the last second by Fauxlivia. In the safety deposit box, Walter finds certificate of stock of Massive Dynamic, making him the sole shareholder. At the end of the episode, Peter tinkers with the disarmed box while Fauxlivia communicates with the parallel universe, saying "Peter is engaged" and receiving instructions to work on Walter. 
46 3 "The Plateau" Brad Anderson Alison Schapker & Monica Owusu-Breen October 7, 2010 (2010-10-07) 3X6103 5.19[7]
Back in the parallel universe, a man uses a single ballpoint pen to set off a chain reaction that kills a woman in a bus accident. At Fringe Division, it is Olivia's first day back. Secretary Walternate updates Broyles on why he needs Olivia: to discover how she can cross over. Olivia starts to experience hallucinations of Peter. Meanwhile, Olivia investigates her first case with Charlie and Lincoln: an unlikely bus accident. They soon find after multiple accidents that the cause is Milo Stanfield (Michael Eklund), a man who suffered from low-functioning autism, but since underwent treatment with nootropic drugs, developing an incredible ability to calculate cause and effect to set off chain reactions that he uses to precipitate statistically impossible deaths. However, Milo is already planning his escape and concocts a plan to kill Olivia. When a chase between him and Olivia continues through a contaminated air quality area, he predicts Olivia will stop for an oxygen dispenser and will then be crushed by toppling bricks. However, his plan fails because a single unknown variable is present—Olivia is from a parallel universe—and when Olivia chases him she keeps running. She dodges the bricks and catches Milo. She almost dies of lack of oxygen, but Charlie comes around the corner at the last moment, stopping Milo with a shot to the leg and saving Olivia. As Walternate perfects an experiment to determine how Olivia crosses universes, a Peter hallucination appears and informs her that she is not "from this world” and kisses her to remind her of who she is, leaving her anxious and worried. 
47 4 "Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?" Ken Fink David Wilcox & Matthew Pitts October 14, 2010 (2010-10-14) 3X6104 5.22[8]
In the prime universe, U.S. senator James Van Horn (Gerard Plunkett) is hospitalised following a car accident. After Newton arrives and shoots him in the face, Broyles discovers Van Horn was in fact a shapeshifter, who collected data on Fringe Division. Walter discovers that Van Horn is still alive at some degree and has another "brain" in his back. Before Walter can get to it, Newton activates a sleeper agent, Ray Duffy (Marcus Giamatti) to extract it. When his mission is complete, Newton learns that Ray has grown attached to his family and kills him. Then, Fauxlivia and Peter capture Newton following a car chase. Knowing it may blow her cover, Fauxlivia visits him and gives him a suicide pill that causes him to bleed out mercury. In the end, Fauxlivia invites Peter to her home and sleeps with him in an attempt to draw his attention away from his growing suspicion that something is not right with her. 
48 5 "Amber 31422" David Straiton Josh Singer & Ethan Gross November 4, 2010 (2010-11-04) 3X6105 4.80[9]
In the parallel universe, a twin frees his brother (guest stars Shawn and Aaron Ashmore) from amber. Walternate reveals that those who are trapped in amber aren't dead, but in suspended animation and those who are released will compromise its structural integrity. However, if someone was to reveal this, it could be damaging, so the Fringe Department is tasked to capture those responsible. Throughout the episode, it is revealed that one of the twins is a serial bank robber, and when the innocent brother was ambered, he posed as him. In the end, the bank robbing twin gets ambered. Meanwhile, Walternate experiments on Olivia by taking her to a sensory deprivation tank . Olivia succeeds in traversing universes temporarily. In the end, a hallucination of Peter convinces her who she really is. 
49 6 "6955 kHz" Joe Chappelle Robert Chiappetta & Glen Whitman November 11, 2010 (2010-11-11) 3X6106 4.82[10]
In the prime universe, Walter is dismayed to learn that Peter is continuing to study the blueprints from the doomsday device. Meanwhile, fifteen people suffer retrograde amnesia after listening to number stations. The team discovers that there is a hidden signal buried in the radio transmission, leading them to a strange cube-like device which is assumed to be the cause; the device is revealed to be from the parallel universe, and the shapeshifter controlling them is using them to wipe the memories should the listeners solve the numbers in the station. Walter and Astrid solve the numbers; they are a series of coordinates throughout the world. When they arrive at a location in New Jersey, the team discover the coordinates lead to parts of the doomsday device. In the parallel universe, Olivia attempts to arrange another test, but a hallucination of Peter tells her she has to return home. 
50 7 "The Abducted" Chuck Russell David Wilcox & Graham Roland November 18, 2010 (2010-11-18) 3X6107 4.85[11]
In the parallel universe, Olivia has to deal with a serial kidnapper known as the "Candyman", who kidnaps children then releases them a few days later, but released with severe health problems after draining the hormones from their pituitary glands, which the Candyman uses to maintain his youth. With the help of Broyles' son, who was a victim, Olivia ultimately finds a kidnapped child and kills the Candyman, while Broyles kills a former physician-turned-priest who is in league with the Candyman, after he returns to kill his son. Broyles later discovers that Olivia has recovered her identity, but lets her go after realizing Walternate intends to kill her. Olivia enlists the help of Henry to send her to Liberty Island then break into the facility. Olivia is able to return back to her universe, but is later pulled back by Walternate. However, Olivia returned long enough to tell a cleaning lady to warn Peter she is trapped in the parallel universe. 
51 8 "Entrada" Brad Anderson Jeff Pinkner & J. H. Wyman December 2, 2010 (2010-12-02) 3X6108 5.13[12]
Realising she has been exposed, Fauxlivia drugs Peter and escapes. The next morning, the team find the typewriter (a "quantum entanglement" device) used to contact the parallel universe in a typewriter store in the Bronx. Peter discovers the location where Fauxlivia is going to return to her universe. The team arrive at the station to find Fauxlivia holding a hostage, which is revealed to be a shapeshifter who earlier injected her with resonating rods; Peter kills the shapeshifter and Fauxlivia is arrested. Meanwhile in the parallel universe, doctors prepare to kill Olivia and use her to help Fauxlivia return (it would require a body with the same mass as Olivia to achieve it). Broyles manages to break her out. Olivia finds Walternate's tank empty, so the two go to Walternate's old lab in Harvard. She lies in the isolation in time before Broyles is arrested. Olivia successfully crosses over back to the Prime universe, while Fauxlivia returns to hers, leaving behind the mutilated body of "Alternate-Broyles" to make up for her mass. While Peter and Olivia reunite at a hospital, the typewriter store owner trades a man a piece of the doomsday device in exchange for the restoration of his paralyzed legs. 
52 9 "Marionette" Joe Chappelle Monica Owusu-Breen & Alison Schapker December 9, 2010 (2010-12-09) 3X6109 4.74[13]
The Fringe team tracks down cases of people having had donated organs removed. One particular man had his heart removed, yet remained alive for several minutes afterwards. They come to learn the organs all belong to the same person, Amanda, a young ballerina that had committed suicide. Walter recognizes evidence that suggests the culprit is following on previous work he and William Bell had done on restoring life to dead bodies, that he has been injecting his victims with a serum that virtually halts cellular decay, in order to assuage his conscience, and then calling paramedics to help them, as there is a possibility that they could be saved by modern medicine with the help of the serum. They trace the culprit to Roland Barrett, a man that had met Amanda at a suicide counseling clinic and became enraptured with her. Having reassembled her body from the corpse and donated organs, Barrett is able to bring her back to life but, when he looked at her, realized that it wasn't really Amanda he brought back. The resurrected girl later dies again. Meanwhile, Olivia attempts to adjust to life back in her world, and finds it emotionally difficult to cope with how Fauxlivia integrated herself into Olivia's life, particularly her relationship with Peter. She breaks down at the end of the episode, reprimanding Peter for how he couldn't tell it wasn't Olivia that he had been sleeping with. Peter is unable to answer her. As Walter and Peter later go out for a milkshake, the Observer is seen watching them, and he reports on his phone that "He is still alive". 
53 10 "The Firefly" Charles Beeson J. H. Wyman & Jeff Pinkner January 21, 2011 (2011-01-21) 3X6110 4.87[14]
A series of events leads Walter to befriending musical icon Roscoe Joyce (Christopher Lloyd), keyboardist of Walter's favorite band, Violet Sedan Chair. Walter learns through the Observer September that bringing Peter from the parallel universe ultimately, though a long chain of events, led to the end of the band due to death of Joyce's son. The Fringe team is unaware that September has engineered events in the present to test Walter's resolve to let go of Peter when the time is right. 
54 11 "Reciprocity" Jeannot Szwarc Josh Singer January 28, 2011 (2011-01-28) 3X6111 4.53[15]
The Fringe team and Massive Dynamic have assembled the buried components of the doomsday device, speculated to be an artifact of the "First People", a lost civilization that supposedly existed until the "mother of all mass extinctions". The device reacts to Peter's presence, but they are unable to identify what triggered this. When several shapeshifters are assassinated, Fringe and Massive Dynamic attempt to locate a mole from the parallel universe using Fauxlivia's computer files to identify the shapeshifters. Walter happens across the same files in Peter's room, and finds that Peter has been the assassin. Though Peter claims he killed the shapeshifters as he refuses to remain reactive to the events, Walter fears that the device has "weaponized" him for some purpose. 
55 12 "Concentrate and Ask Again" Dennis Smith Graham Roland & Matthew Pitts February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04) 3X6112 4.26[16]
A biological attack leaves a man dead, with no bones in his body. Fearing the start of a larger incident, they track one culprit but he is hit by a car and falls into a coma. Walter suggests using Simon (Omid Abtahi), an undocumented Cortexiphan patient with uncontrollable telepathic abilities, to read his mind to identify other targets. Olivia is able to coax Simon to help when he discovers he cannot read her mind as a fellow Cortexiphan patient. Simon helps to track down and stop two other ex-enlisted men who were part of "Project Jellyfish", a biological agent that would disintegrate skeletons; though the men were immune, their children were stillborn due to the agent, and are seeking revenge. After completing the case, Simon gives Olivia a note, revealing Peter's thoughts are still with Fauxlivia. Meanwhile, Nina Sharp has discovered that Sam Weiss is the author of several books of the First People. Sam tells Nina that Peter's deposition towards Olivia or Fauxlivia will determine which universe will survive when the machine is activated. 
56 13 "Immortality" Brad Anderson David Wilcox & Ethan Gross February 11, 2011 (2011-02-11) 3X6113 3.74[17]
In the parallel universe, the Fringe team investigates the deaths of two people, killed by the apparently extinct "skelter beetle". With Fauxlivia's boyfriend Frank's help, they track the cases to Dr. Silva (Alon Aboutboul) who had been trying to develop a cure for the avian flu prior to the extinction of the sheep, the only known hosts for the skelter beetles. Fauxlivia is caught by Dr. Silva when she and Lincoln locate him, and believes Dr. Silva has selected her for the final host to gestate the queen beetle sustaining the species. When the rest of the Fringe team arrives, Dr. Silva reveals he was the final host, and dies after extracting the queen. Frank finds that Fauxlivia was exhibiting early pains due to being pregnant, but realizes it cannot be his child, and leaves her. Walternate, knowing that Peter is the father, provides Fauxlivia with his full support, believing that this is another way for Peter to voluntarily return to the parallel universe. 
57 14 "6B" Thomas Yatsko Glen Whitman & Robert Chiappetta February 18, 2011 (2011-02-18) 3X6114 4.02[18]
Strange physical behavior, including the deaths of six partygoers, in an apartment building leads Walter to believe that the same damage to the fabric of space-time occurring in the parallel universe is occurring in the prime one, and with Massive Dynamic's help, prepare a means to encase the building and surrounding area in the amber-like substance they had previously encountered. Olivia discovers that a widow, Alice (Phyllis Somerville), has an emotional quantum entanglement with the doppelganger of her deceased husband, Derek (Ken Pogue), that is keeping a crack between the universes open. With Olivia and Peter's help, Alice is able to recognize that the man she is seeing is not her husband, severing the ties between them and closing the crack just before a singularity developed. Olivia and Peter finally work through their relationship and spend the night together, while Walter worries that he was moments away from performing the same actions that Walternate had to do in the parallel universe to save it. 
58 15 "Subject 13" Frederick E. O. Toye Jeff Pinkner & J. H. Wyman & Akiva Goldsman February 25, 2011 (2011-02-25) 3X6115 4.02[19]
Following from the second-season episode "Peter", this episode returns to 1985 to recount events after Peter's abduction. Elizabeth (Orla Brady), worried that Peter (Chandler Canterbury) will attempt to kill himself trying to return to what he believes is his home, takes him to Jacksonville where Walter is conducting Cortexiphan trials on children. Walter finds young Olivia (Karley Scott Collins) has been able to cross to the parallel universe, believed to be a result of fear of her abusive stepfather, and sees it as a way to return Peter. When one of Walter's test causes Olivia to set the room ablaze from pyrokinesis, she runs away. Peter finds and meets her, and gives her confidence to trust Walter and face the fears of her stepfather. Olivia tearfully returns to Walter's office, giving him her sketchbook that shows her pictures of the parallel universe, her stepfather, and her and Peter together, but she soon finds that she inadvertently crossed to the parallel universe again. Walter warns off Olivia's stepfather, while Peter returns with Elizabeth to Reiden Lake and comes to call her "mom", a lie that eventually leads to her suicide. In the parallel universe, Walternate, having previously lost his resolve, gains new confidence, knowing through Olivia's sketchbook that Peter is in the prime universe. 
59 16 "Os" Brad Anderson Josh Singer & Graham Roland March 11, 2011 (2011-03-11) 3X6116 3.64[20]
The Fringe team investigates a case of thieves stealing rare metals that appear to float from the ground. Walter identifies traces of the elements osmium and lutetium in their blood, the alloy inexplicably creating a material lighter than air. They discover the culprit, Dr. Crick (Alan Ruck) an aerospace engineer who discovered the alloy and saw to try to detoxify it as a means to allow his paraplegic son to walk again. Walter realizes the strange properties of the alloy are due to further weakening of the prime universe as a result of his crossing in 1985, and determines that he must seek advice from William Bell. Believing that Bell had prepared to be returned through the use of "soul magnets", he strikes the bell that Bell bequeathed to Nina Sharp in his will. Simultaneously, as Peter is showing Olivia the five data disks he collected from the dead shapeshifters, Olivia is possessed by the spirit of Bell. 
60 17 "Stowaway" Charles Beeson Story by: J. H. Wyman & Jeff Pinkner & Akiva Goldsman
Teleplay by: Danielle Dispaltro		 March 18, 2011 (2011-03-18) 3X6117 3.80[21]
Bell, in possession of Olivia's body, promises that no harm will come to her and will leave it after finding a suitable host. The Fringe team tracks down an apparently immortal woman, Dana (Paula Malcomson) with the help of an FBI agent, Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel). Walter and Bell believe the immortality may be due to Dana having been struck by lightning twice before. They find that Dana is attempting to connect to the souls of suicidal people, hoping that she can die with them and "stowaway" with their soul to heaven to rejoin those of her family that were killed in a burglary attempt. They are able to prevent Dana from using a bomb set to destroy a commuter train. Instead, when she leaves the train with the bomb, the bomb explodes and she finally dies. As Bell discusses the potential theological implications with Peter, a church bell ringing nearby brings about Olivia's personality temporarily, and Bell realizes his possession of her body may be more difficult than he thought. 
61 18 "Bloodline" Dennis Smith Alison Schapker & Monica Owusu-Breen March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25) 3X6118 3.84[22]
In the parallel universe, Fauxlivia is kidnapped and given a procedure to accelerate the birth of her child. As the Fringe division searches for her captors, Lincoln and Charlie learn that Fauxlivia and Olivia of the prime universe had recently temporarily swapped places, and become distrustful of Walternate. Ultimately, Fauxlivia escapes, and the Fringe division finds her in time to safely give birth to her son. It is revealed the process was all initiated by Walternate who obtains a sample of the child's blood after Fauxlivia is brought back safely. 
62 19 "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" Joe Chappelle Story by: Jeff Pinkner & J. H. Wyman & Akiva Goldsman
Teleplay by: J. H. Wyman & Jeff Pinkner		 April 15, 2011 (2011-04-15) 3X6119 3.65[23]
The team battles frantically to extract Bell's consciousness from Olivia's body before her soul is lost forever. 
63 20 "6:02 AM EST" Jeannot Szwarc David Wilcox & Josh Singer & Graham Roland April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22) 3X6120 3.33[24]
In the parallel universe, Walternate activates his doomsday machine, triggering devastation in the prime universe. Peter realizes he has no choice but to enter the machine and try and break the circuit. Meanwhile, Fauxlivia resolves to save both worlds by trying to bring Peter back to convince the Secretary to stop the machine. 
64 21 "The Last Sam Weiss" Thomas Yatsko Monica Owusu-Breen & Alison Schapker April 29, 2011 (2011-04-29) 3X6121 3.52[25]
Olivia joins forces with the mysterious Sam Weiss in a desperate race against time. 
65 22 "The Day We Died" Joe Chappelle Story by: Akiva Goldsman & J. H. Wyman & Jeff Pinkner
Teleplay by: Jeff Pinkner & J. H. Wyman		 May 6, 2011 (2011-05-06) 3X6122 3.29[26]
Peter, with Olivia's help, enters the prime version of the machine, and experiences a vision of the future where the parallel universe has been destroyed and the same threatens the prime one. He opts instead to merge the two machine rooms, creating a bridge where inhabitants of both universes can solve their dilemma, before disappearing and being forgotten by both Walters and Olivias. 

Production

"So what we're doing, and it's something procedurals rarely do, is we're both advancing our characters' journey while we're telling a case of the week, all of which is set against the backdrop of this fairly insane mythological story about this father and a son, which also involves Olivia. All of our characters are interconnected against a much larger background which now entails two universes, while still maintaining story of the week storytelling."

– Jeff Pinkner[27]

Crew

Fringe is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.[28][29] Co-creator J.J. Abrams continued to work as executive producer along with fellow co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who returned as consulting producers. Bryan Burk and Joe Chappelle also returned as executive producers, while Akiva Goldsman worked as consulting producer.[29] Executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman continued to work as showrunners for the third season.[30]

Writing and filming

Fringe began its third season by alternating between episodes, with each depicting one universe.[31][32] The Fox network was initially resistant to this design, as executives were "really concerned that if the episodes didn't have ['over here'] Walter or Peter in them, it wouldn’t feel like our show anymore."[33] Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman explained that the series had to constantly evolve, "otherwise we’ll get bored, the cast will get bored, the audience will get bored"; after the first several episodes of the season, Fox agreed it was a positive change.[33]

The producers saw the season as "two shows"; Wyman noted, "It's on us to make the mythology over there just as compelling as the mythology here, so we will enjoy both of them. We have our characters going back and forth, there or here, but there's a whole set of nice characters that you'll become very interested in very quickly. It's interesting because it gives you that gearshift."[32] Wyman later added, "The alternate world storyline really allowed us to explore the characters deeper via their doppelgängers, to illuminate characters we already know. It’s been a real gas for all of us involved in making the show."[33] "Entrada", the eighth episode, was the first of the season to divide its time between both universes.[34]

Cast

Most of the series' main cast returned for the third season. Anna Torv portrayed two versions of Olivia Dunham, each from their own universe, while Joshua Jackson returned as her love interest, Peter Bishop, and John Noble played Peter's father, Dr. Walter Bishop. Lance Reddick starred as FBI agent Phillip Broyles, and Jasika Nicole played junior FBI agent/Walter's lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth. Lastly, Blair Brown returned as Massive Dynamic executive Nina Sharp.

Michael Cerveris depicted September/The Observer in every episode of the season, while Eugene Lipinski played another Observer, December, for two episodes. Seth Gabel and Kirk Acevedo returned as parallel universe Fringe agents Lincoln Lee (10 episodes) and Charlie Francis (6 episodes), respectively. The parallel universe also featured Andre Royo as Henry Higgins, Amy Madigan as Marilyn Dunham, and Philip Winchester as Frank Stanton, all for three episodes. Ryan McDonald played two versions of Brandon Fayette for twelve episodes, and Orla Brady guest starred as Elizabeth Bishop for one episode. Sebastian Roché returned from the second season to play one of the season's antagonists Thomas Jerome Newton for two episodes, along with Gerard Plunkett as Senator Van Horn. Kevin Corrigan depicted Samuel Weiss for three episodes, Karen Holness played Diane Broyles for two, Clark Middleton played Edward Markham and J. R. Bourne played Agent Edwards, each for one episode.

The season featured single episodes with special guest appearances by Christopher Lloyd as Roscoe Joyce,[35] Jorge Garcia as Massive Dynamic security guard Kevin,[36] Paula Malcomson as Dana Gray,[37] Emily Meade as "Ella Dunham",[38] Brad Dourif as Moreau,[39] and Leonard Nimoy as William Bell.[40]

Reception

Reviews

Film aggregate review site Metacritic gave the third season 77/100 based on six critical reviews, indicating the critical reception was "generally favorable".[41] Critic Josh Wigler, writing for Comic Book Resources, lauded the season's first two episodes, explaining "For the third season of the critically acclaimed Fox series, executive producers and co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman have responded to their audience's demands by creating a new kind of episode: the mythalone, designed to propel the story and characters forward while still keeping the show accessible to new viewers on a weekly basis... it's nothing short of amazing that the new mythalone approach to Fringe works wonders, if only in the first two episodes of the new season."[42]

After watching the first three episodes, Aaron Riccio of Slant Magazine also praised the new season, writing "The plots have generally been the "fringe" of Fringe; the meat has been in the characters' developing feelings for one another. Now the two are not only on equal footing, but they're both firing on full cylinders... Afraid, perhaps, to toy with viewers the way that Lost did, Fringe keeps the action moving, rapidly unspooling its mysteries, and that decision proves to be a wise one. Rather than waiting for a future payoff, Fringe is cashing in with every episode, showing us the escalating war between worlds—and with likeable characters and compelling cases to boot. Ironically, it's by branching out in two different directions that the show has become, more than ever, the centerpiece of a hypercompetitive Thursday night lineup."[43]

In December 2010, the New York Times wrote Fringe "has kept its plates spinning entertainingly well into its third season" and called it "the best major-network show that no one is watching".[44] Because of its "ultra-daring" and "bold" storylines, IGN gave Fringe their award for "Best Sci-Fi Series" in 2010, in particular highlighting "Peter" and "Over There".[45]

Awards and nominations

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Fringe

For the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards, it was nominated for Best Drama Series and Anna Torv was nominated for Best Actress in Drama Series.[46] John Noble won for Best Supporting Actor in Drama Series.[47] At Entertainment Weekly's annual viewer-voted EWwy awards, Fringe won for Best Drama, while Torv won for Best Actress in a Drama.[48] Fringe won accolades at the 37th Saturn Awards for Best Network Television Series, Best Actress in Television for Torv, and Best Supporting Actor in Television for Noble.[49]

Home video releases

The third season of Fringe was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on September 6, 2011,[1] and will be released in region 2 on September 26, 2011[2] and in region 4 on October 26, 2011.[3] The sets includes all 22 episodes of season three on a 4-disc Blu-ray set set and a 6-disc DVD presented in anamorphic widescreen. Special features include two commentary tracks—"The Plateau" with Monica Owusu-Breen, Jeff Pinkner and Timothy Good, and "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" with Jay Worth, Luyen Vu, and Tanya Swerling. Behind-the-scenes featurettes include "Duality of Worlds", a four-part featurette, exploring The Other You, Visualizing an Alternate World, A Machine of Destiny and The Psychology of Duality. Other featurettes include "Animating the 'Lysergic Acid Diethylamide' Episode", "Constructing an Extrasensory Soundscape" and "Experience 'Os' (Episode 316) in Selectable Maximum Episode Mode with Pop-Up Experience-Enhancing Commentaries and Featurettes. Also included are a gag reel and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a featurette titled "Glimmer to the Other Side".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lambert, David (June 15, 2011). "Fringe - Street Date, Pricing, Specs and Bonus Material for 'Season 3' on DVD and Blu-ray". TV Shows on DVD. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Fringe-Season-3/15523. Retrieved June 16, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "Fringe - Season 3 (DVD)". Amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004N622D0. Retrieved May 22, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b "Fringe - The Complete 3rd Season (6 Disc Set)". EzyDVD. http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/819714. Retrieved May 22, 2011. 
  4. ^ Ausiello, Michael (August 3, 2010). "Exclusive 'Fringe' video: Scoop on this season's mind-blowing twist!". Entertainment Weekly. http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/08/03/fringe-video-scoop-big-twist/. Retrieved May 22, 2011. 
  5. ^ Seidman, Robert (September 24, 2010). "TV Ratings Thursday: ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Scores at 8pm; ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Tops Night With Young Adults; ‘My Generation’ Premiere Stalls". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/09/24/tv-ratings-thursday-the-big-bang-theory-scores-at-8pm-greys-anatomy-tops-night-with-young-adults-my-generation-premiere-stalls/64978/. Retrieved September 25, 2010. 
  6. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 1, 2010). "Thursday Finals: Grey’s Anatomy, Big Bang Theory, $#*! My Dad Says, CSI Adjusted Up; Vampire Diaries, Private Practice, Apprentice Down". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/01/thursday-finals-greys-anatomy-big-bang-theory-my-dad-says-csi-adjusted-up-vampire-diaries-private-practice-apprentice-down/66070/. Retrieved October 1, 2010. 
  7. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 8, 2010). "Thursday Finals: Bones, Community, Grey’s Anatomy, Big Bang Theory, $#*! My Dad Says, The Office Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/08/thursday-finals-bones-community-grey%E2%80%99s-anatomy-big-bang-theory-my-dad-says-the-office-adjusted-up/67290/. Retrieved October 8, 2010. 
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External links

Episodes
Characters
Creators
See also
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
"Neither Here Nor There" · "One Night in October" · "Alone in the World" · "Subject 9" · "Novation" · "And Those We've Left Behind" · "Wallflower" · "Back to Where You've Never Been" · "Enemy of My Enemy"