Comic-Con 2012: ‘Fringe’ Panel

Good morning, ‘Fringe’ Fans!  It’s awful that we might have to wait all the way until October for our first look the final season of ‘Fringe,’ but we were on hand at the show’s panel during Comic-Con 2012!  We were treated to a special teaser for the show’s final year as well as a teary discussion of ‘Fringe’ from the cast and crew in Hall H.

So, what did we see of ‘Fringe’ season 5, which we know to take place mostly in the Observer-dominated future first seen in “Letters of Transit?”  Here’s what we saw:

• The new teaser mostly comprised clips from the series, past, as well as moments from “Letters of Transit,” but there were at least a few original scenes.  They didn’t seem very much like actual bits from an episode, perhaps material specifically shot for the teaser, but intriguing nonetheless.  For one, Olivia is most certainly back, and doesn’t seem to have been aged up at all!  Peter comes up with a plan to distract the Observers by making a few “Fringe events” of their own, while Walter seems to come up with a way to get rid of them entirely.
• With people in fedoras, and white tulips everywhere, the cast took the stage for their finale ‘Fringe’ panel, to thunderous applause.
• “It’s going to pick up exactly where we left in 419,” says show-runner Joel Wyman, meaning that the show won’t initially time-jump straight to 2036.
• While the ending of the show isn’t necessarily what Wyman envisioned from the beginning, the story is mapped out and the cast have all been informed of the direction it’ll take.  "Because it's 13, we want to write the scripts early to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect and the way we want it.”
• Did someone say ‘Fringe’ book?  The crew are going to put together ‘Fringe: September’s Notebook,’ which will highlight the Observers’ well, observations about humanity through the eyes of September.  There will be a contest where if you sign up early to receive it, your name could be mentioned in the book as a person of interest.
• Will Peter and Olivia ever get their happy ending?  "I think that these two will get the final chapter of their story," Joshua  Jackson says. "I concur," says Anna Torv.
• In between half the cast’s blubbering  about the final year (aww!), the show screened a second clip thanking all of the fans for their support throughout the years, by way of recapping the series’ events “across time” and “across universes.”
• Will ‘LOST’ star Henry Ian Cusick be back?  “Henry was an astounding performer last season, let’s see if he makes his way into this season,” says Wyman, not wanting to spoil anything for fans.
• Uh-oh.  Is there any hope of a ‘Fringe’ movie in the works?  John Noble says, “I would think a film is very possible down the track.”  Joshua Jackson points out that it would most likely be shot on a cell phone, before adding “Don’t discount yourself.  Fan-fiction is part of this universe as well.”
• While we’ll also find out why there are no female observers this year, Joshua Jackson says of the beings in season5, “They’re much, much worse.”
• Jasika Nicole says the season’s first episode will deal with finding Olivia, who will be integral to the plot to rid the world of Observers.

Keep it here for all the latest ‘Fringe’ season 5 news, and tell us what you want to see from the final season in the comments!