… The pilot is a slam dunk … prepare to be immensely entertained. …The Associated Press says:
… As Olivia, newcomer Anna Torv is suitably authoritative or vulnerable, as the situation requires. Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek") establishes Peter as cocky but caring. And John Noble ("The Lord of the Rings") is perfect as Dr. Bishop, the not-so-mad but scattered genius. Meanwhile, viewers are treated to a couple of sly twists that should bring them back for the second episode. Based on its opener, "Fringe" does action, intrigue, mind-blowing science and horror-film ick. It even does humor and romance. What DOESN'T it do?USA Today gives it three and a half stars (out of four) and says:
… What Abrams brings to Fringe is a director's eye for plot and pace, a fan's love of sci-fi excitement, and a story-teller's gift for investing absurd events with real emotions and relatable characters. But more than anything, he's an entertainer; what permeates his shows is the joy he takes in the medium, in contorting conventions and genres into something new.…The New York Times says:
… as pilots go, this one is sensational, an artful, suspenseful mix of horror, science fiction, layered conspiracies and extended car chases. “Fringe” sets out to stretch the boundaries of conventional network series. …The Los Angeles Times says:
… an uneven but promising jumble of horror, thriller and comedy …The Chicago Tribune says:
… frequently overwrought but occasionally interesting … I'm willing to give "Fringe" a few more chances to convince me that anything is possible.The Washington Post says:
… apart from the opening sequence -- think gooey, taffy-pull flesh and projectile viscera -- there's not all that much that's freaky or creepy about "Fringe." … The good news here is the pilot often has the look of a feature film, as, with a reported budget of $10 million, it should. … merely throws together a lot of ingredients in a not-very-satisfying salad.The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… Though the pilot has some flaws in it - mostly from a clash of tones - it still overdelivers on creativity, creepiness, fine acting and burgeoning character development. Nobody should need a free pass after giving that much to viewers, but a lot is expected of Abrams and Co., and "Fringe," with its "X-Files" and "Altered States" influences, is boundlessly ambitious. …The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
There may be a good show buried deep within "Fringe," but the 90-minute premiere episode is a mess -- and an overstuffed, head-scratching bore, too.… At the end of the "Fringe" premiere, viewers get intriguing information about Sharp and what goes on in the Massive Dynamic labs. That closing scene gives me some hope that "Fringe" may be able to pull itself into something more coherent in future episodes.The Boston Globe says:
… Abrams grabs us straight away with a "Twilight Zone"-ish mystery that promises to push us to the brink of the imagination. Of storytelling ambition, it must be said, J.J. Abrams has no dearth. But after the electrifying start, "Fringe" unfolds as an uneven, unwieldy piece of work that provides very few chills and thrills. There is potential here, and if anyone can pull a good series out of a slack, meandering premiere, Abrams can. Still, this eagerly awaited show is a disappointment, one that unsuccessfully strains to evoke the paranoid spirit of "The X-Files." As it skips - at times nonsensically - from twist to turn, "Fringe" never truly got me to care. …Variety says:
… given the auspices and hype, "Fringe" disappoints … the show is handsomely produced, and the premise provides access to a potentially fertile vein of modern paranoia; still, for a series that will need to tap into an avid core of viewers to succeed, the formula appears lacking in the necessary chemistry to conjure a fanatical "Fringe" element.The Hollywood Reporter says:
… What really makes "Fringe" so promising is that it is potentially reminiscent, in a small way, of the battle-of-the-sexes charm that once made "Moonlighting" the best hour of TV of its time. …8 p.m. Tuesday. Fox.