Fringe (Allen)

Introduction
We live in a wired world. Widespread Internet access and technological developments have fostered overwhelming levels of online communication and have encouraged the spread of ideas. The Internet provides instant access to an incalculable amount of information and an endless list of resources, while social media sites and other web communities connect authors, readers and viewers to foster conversation and collaborative interpretation. Technology has also shifted the way we consume information. Instead of checking a book out from the local library, we’re much more likely to consult a search engine for resources and information. And this shift has made a profound impact on both the roles of the author and reader as well as the interaction that exists between readers. Robert Coover cites hypertext, a software system that links related information in a non-linear format, as an example of such changes in that the author no longer holds complete control over the reader’s experience. “With its webs of linked lexias, its networks of alternate routes (as opposed to print's fixed unidirectional page-turning) hypertext presents a radically divergent technology, interactive and polyvocal, favoring a plurality of discourses over definitive utterance and freeing the reader from domination by the author,” he says. New forms of electronic literature offer the reader more control over an author’s work than ever before. For instance, the CAVE, which is a virtual reality projection room that displays content based on the viewer’s motions, gives the reader almost complete control over the viewing/reading experience.

Technologies like Web 2.0 and Wikis, which promote information sharing and collaborative authoring of content, have also distorted the traditional role of the author. Instead of a single author determining the precise information that will be conveyed to the reader, there are thousands of authors who serve to revise and contribute to one another’s work. Online communities have empowered readers and viewers to work together to analyze information and make conclusions. In Henry Jenkins’ Spoiling Survivor, he describes how the Survivor Sucks online community functions as a collaborative effort to decipher clues and reveal spoilers. Such communities “make available to the collective intellect all of the pertinent knowledge available to it at a given moment." This is achieved through "collective discussion, negotiation, and development," as group members pool information for a common good. Ultimately, these sites serve to connect viewers in dynamic discussion and allow them to interact in a way that enhances their reading/viewing experience. They also provide audiences with a means to share their own literature and art that relates to the original work. In essence, fans take part in the process of remediation as the original text is presented or recycled in different forms. While relying on details and information from the original work, community members have the ability to generate and share their own creative interpretations amongst each other for feedback and input.

For this project I will examine J.J. Abrams’ science fiction television series Fringe and the online communities that have formed around the show. The show follows members of the FBI “Fringe Division” based in Boston, MA, investigate unexplained occurrences and crimes that relate to a parallel universe using “fringe” science. Because of the show’s intriguing science applications and exploration of the paranormal, an overwhelming number of fan communities have developed around the series. Much as they did for J.J. Abrams’ prior work like Alias and Lost, fans attempt to pool their knowledge and use interpretive skills to decipher any clues that might lead to a better understanding of the show or even an indication of future events. Many sites offer an in-depth understanding of the show like the Fringe Wikia, which contains articles ranging from in-depth character biographies to documentation of a specific “pattern” of events that occurs throughout the series. On forum sites like fringe-forum.com, fans offer theories and speculation, as well as commentary on each episode and potential spoilers they have uncovered. Sites like these offer room for debate and interpretation amongst viewers. Fan Fiction, Fan Art, and Fan Comics are common across online communities, and these often provide a range of perspectives and adaptations of the series with an emphasis on creativity as opposed to accuracy. In each case, technology and the interconnectedness of online communities allow for dynamic dialogue and collaborative work. In the following sections I will detail the various types of knowledge communities that exist around the show, examine the interaction and interpretation that occurs within them, and analyze forms of remediation fans have created and shared with others.

Knowledge Communities
Knowledge communities are abundant for almost every form of media. Within the realm of literature, there are thousands of online communities that operate on the contributions of fans who gather information as well as edit and refine that information. As users pool knowledge and work with one another to document information, the audience becomes better informed about each aspect of the show. Whereas an individual fan might not be able to document a summary of each episode on his or her own, a collective effort can streamline the process and provide a wealth of information. The simplest example of a knowledge community that has formed around Fringe would be the Wikipedia page for the series. Wikipedia as a whole is the embodiment of a knowledge community in the way ordinary individuals contribute information to form a larger site that is edited by other contributors. The Fringe Wikipedia page not only gives context for the show with sections like “Premise,” “Conception,” but it also offers links to detailed character descriptions and episode summaries. While the Wikipedia page provides basic information about the series, other communities offer an in-depth look at virtually every aspect of the show.

The Fringe Wikia operates on the same collaborative principles as Wikipedia, but provides a more in-depth collection of information about the series. The Wikia contains more than 1,400 total pages, and relies on the contributions and editing prowess of community members to maintain pages with accurate and current information. A particularly fitting example of the collaboration that occurs between contributors can be found on a page within the Wikia titled “The Pattern.” The pattern is a “codename given to unexplained phenomena, also known as "Fringe Events." Certain phenomena that occur throughout the show are tied together by a pattern that is never entirely revealed to the audience. The pooling of knowledge is important in deciphering such a pattern because of the complexity of the clues and the subtleness of the information provided. On the page, community members can add to and revise the list of known incidents that are related, as well as contribute additional incidents which don’t have an explicit connection but could be valuable in connecting future events. The information is well organized in a chart, which allows for more efficient editing as well as a better understanding of how the events are related. For each event, the chart provides a picture, the science behind the event, the episode in which it occurred, a description of the event, and the connection it has with the pattern. For example, the event of passengers on a bus being frozen in substance called amber connects to the pattern in the way Walter Bishop’s company Massive Dynamic manufactures amber. Because there are so many events that occur in the show and so many potential connections that could be drawn, deciphering the pattern is a task well suited for the Wikia knowledge community.

Other sites like Fringebloggers.com provide fans of the show with a centralized site to pool knowledge and share information they’ve gathered from viewing the show. The site doesn’t follow the typical Wikia template as the structure relies on an initial post by a user and then comments from others relating to the topic. A page on the site titled “Differences Between Worlds” offers an example of how individual users contributing even the slightest details can help form a more wholesome group understanding. There are two parallel universes that exist within the show that differ from one another in both obvious and subtle ways. This page relies heavily on the pooling of knowledge in the way the details that separate the two universes are sometimes visible for only a split second. Many of these subtle differences require keen observational skills, making it impossible for a single user to compile a comprehensive list. User “Alison” posts on the thread: “Along with the color differences of the clothes worn by Olivia and Atlivia, did you guys notice that even their undergarments are at the opposite ends of the spectrum, color wise. All through season 1, where Olivia is seen in the tank, they have ALWAYS been black. Yet Atliv wears white. I don’t know, am I being too perceptive? I feel it was purposely done.” Even though this is something that wouldn’t be apparent or even seem relevant to every viewer, certain individuals notice specific details that others miss. In the same way Encyclopedia Britannica is restricted in the number of articles it can publish due to its limited manpower, a single user is limited in the number of observations he or she can make. A collaborative effort and information sharing leads to an overwhelming amount of group knowledge.

Interpretive Disputes
Given the science fiction content of the series and the potential for varying interpretations of the complex plot line, there are a number of interpretive disputes that exist within the online Fringe communities. Because the show takes place across two parallel universes, common disputes stem from complexities in the differences between each universe and respective characters. However, the most interesting and eloquently worded disputes stemmed from questions about the morality of characters’ actions and their true nature as individuals. An example of such debate can be seen in a Fringe-forum.com thread titled, “Which Walter is more evil." The debate itself is much more eloquently worded than the title. The discussion centers around the two sides of Walter Bishop, the mad scientist and former Harvard professor who for years performed questionable experiments (sometimes on children) until he was sentenced to time in a psychiatric ward. The show centers on his experiments following his release from the mental ward as he attempts to solve crimes and mysteries with the rest of the fringe division. In the other universe, Walternate (appropriately dubbed by the online community) is the Secretary of Defense looking to prevent his universe from being destroyed by another. Essentially, community members assess the moral standards of characters given their past experiences and actions.

The first contributor initiates the conversation by elaborating on the initial title: “I mean, they've both done some awful things but maybe its not just black and white or good v evil here.” From here, other users weigh in and provide a debate that is clearly not black or white. Terms such as ‘sociological perspective’ and ‘moral duty’ appear a few times in verbose and well crafted dialogue. Some users post hypothetical questions to reinforce their point: “If Walternate had lost his son from a terminal illness, what would he do? Maybe Walternate's ideals would change from his current ones. And, if Walter had his son kidnapped by the alternate version of himself, wouldn't he respond in the same manner as Walternate has?” An interesting dynamic of the conversation is the way in which users cite each other in a quote form and then provide commentary to that particular point. For example, one user comments: “As far as he knows, [Walternate] is trying to save his world!” Another user cites this comment and responds: "I have to disagree. In my opinion it is evil to damn a whole universe (blue) because of what one single person did,” and then follows with additional support to his argument. The individuals participating in the thread are clearly well educated, not only in the sense that their grammar is correct, but also in the way they make claims and support them with specific evidence. Accurate episode logs and timelines offered on sites like the Fringe Wikia allow contributors to cite specifc quotes and evidence from certain episodes. It is apparent that the wealth of information about the show posted within online communities has enabled community members to engage in informed and well-supported dialogue.

Another point of dispute in interpretation stems from the symbols that appear on the screen prior to each commercial break. Since the show’s introduction, fans have deciphered the glyphs and developed a key for each corresponding letter, and from this have deciphered a hidden message (a single word) that is displayed in each episode. Some fans have taken this a step further in analyzing specific components of each glyph and looking for hidden meaning. On one fan’s Tumblr titled “The Illuminati is real, and it’s everywhere,” the writer suggests that because FOX is a large company that’s “definitely owned by the elite (who are leading the Illuminati),” hidden symbolism in the show is likely. On one of the glyphs of a leaf, the triangle symbol that is associated with the Illuminati appears in the veins of the leaf. The user has created an image that alternates between the original leaf image and a version with the triangle highlighted. In another example, the writer highlights the number 6 shown three times on a seahorse glyph, which again offers a potential connection to the Illuminati as “666” is said to have religious meanings. It’s intriguing to see the scope through which fans analyze the show and its meanings, particularly given J.J. Abrams’ history of including hidden messages in his work. The collaborative dynamic of this interpretation is visible in the way the writer has compiled information from other users who have deciphered the glyphs and uses that information to draw further conclusions.

Interpretive disputes can also take a much simpler form. Polls and questions posed by contributors can reveal anything from the general perspective a community holds on a character to a consensus on which episodes are better than others. Within the Fringe community on Fanpop, a site that contains forums for fans of various media to interact, there is a page titled “Fringe Picks” where fans can pose questions and poll their fellow community members. Some of the questions are entirely trivial, such as “Who is your favorite character?” Nevertheless, it is interesting to see a general consensus from fans on questions like this. On Fanpop, 55% of fans chose Peter Bishop as their favorite character, which is pretty overwhelming considering the list of 16 characters to chose from. Fan responses to simple questions like this aren’t entirely predictable, which makes it intriguing to see the results. While I understand that fans appreciate Peter’s sense of humor and charming personality, I could just as easily have seen fans choosing Walter as their favorite given his quirkiness and child-like qualities. Other questions are more complex, like “Who has had the best acting performance this season?” Fans responded by choosing “Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham) for playing two different Olivia’s and the struggle to come home.” Such questions reveal the wholesome analysis fans engage in, where not only characters and episodes are analyzed but also the performances by actors.

Remediation
The term remediation holds a number of different meanings. In different contexts the word can refer to a new technology replacing an older one or the recycling of a text in a new form of mediation. For this project, the latter definition particularly applies as online communities have encouraged fans to share their own interpretations of the original Fringe television series. Using the original text of the show as a basis for further adaptation, fans have created everything from paintings to alternate endings and have posted them on forums for input and interpretation from other community members.

Fan fiction stemming from the series is abundant across the internet. Many members of online Fringe communities and contributors of fan fiction have not only an exceptional understanding of the show, but also a sense of humor. In a way, the humor reflected in the fan communities is a direct product of the style of the show. Within an intense and dramatic storyline, each episode includes subtly hilarious moments, many of them involving Walter Bishop’s idiosyncrasies and comments. I discovered a particularly comical thread on fringe-forum.com titled “The Diary of Olivia Dunham” where contributors offer comical contributions to an imaginary diary of the central character, FBI Agent Olivia Dunham. Caladonia, a site contributor posts: “Dear Diary, Today I overdosed on LSD and leapt into an old rusty tank in order to enter my diseased boyfriend's feverish mind. Till next time! Kisses and illegal substances! -Olivia D.” Another user posts: “Today I sat idly by and watched an innocent man get strapped to a dental chair while, what looked like a medieval torture crown was then bolted to his head. I was waiting in great anticipation of seeing his brain matter splatter when 2 students had the audacity to interrupt the mood. As I quickly dispatched the students, I hurriedly returned to enjoy the carnage. Oh God, what a sick **** I am! Maybe I should get therapy but then the sessions might interfere with future torture rituals. Till next time: All the best and more mutilations with power tools! -Olivia D.” Each of these entries, and many others, lament the ridiculousness of certain scenes. Because “fringe science” entails questionable experimentation and often illegal activities, there’s substantial room for fans to acknowledge the strange nature of the show’s events. In this case, fans have done an excellent job crafting humorous but fitting descriptions from Olivia’s perspective. Throughout the show, many characters stop to acknowledge the bizarre methods of experimentation that are employed by Walter Bishop, so these journal entries aren’t entirely unreasonable. Having read these I can entirely imagine Olivia sitting down after a day of work and taking an objective and comical look at her day’s work.

This same humor appears in other forms of fan-generated remediation. On a blog titled “Fringe - The Best Show in Any Universe,” a fan contributes comical summaries of each episode in poem form. A stanza from a summary of the first episode reads: “Olivia must go, a disaster awaits / She arrives and finds Charlie, not a moment too late / He tells her everyone on board is dead, but the plane landed great / John shows up on scene, giving no hints that Olivia is his love mate.” While the poetry is at times choppy and the rhymes are elementary, the content is exceptionally accurate and the humor is clever. It is apparent from the work that the author wrote the poems while watching the show, making careful note of certain details and even his reaction to events. “There is an explosion and the whole screen goes red/ I jump and shout "Oh Christ, are they all dead?" he includes, serving to emphasize his perspective as a viewer. Because the poems follow the show’s important details, they could serve to replace an objective summary offered from other television sites.

One of the simplest forms of remediation stemming from the show is the meme, which is "an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." In the case of memes fans have created relating to the series, the connecting theme is an appreciation for the quirky and strange nature of Walter Bishop and the show’s occurrences. The tumblr “Fringe Memes” offers a variety of humorous memes by fans of the show who utilize a simple online meme generator to create their contributions. From an artistic perspective, the memes are unrefined and simple. Most feature a poorly cropped photo of a character set on a multi-colored background with white text above and below the photograph. Because generating a meme takes very little artistic acumen and requires only a few key strokes, they are wildly popular across the internet. The value of the meme lies more in the creative humor than in the presentation. Just as Olivia Dunham’s fictional journal entries held a sarcastic tone and played on the strange nature of the show’s events, fan-generated memes are equally satirical.

One meme posted by a fan, which features a picture of Walter Bishop, reads: “Son dies, you travel to another universe and bring his alternate version.” Early in the show, it is revealed that Walter Bishop’s son Peter had died at a young age and in an effort to replace him the scientist traveled to a parallel universe and brought back an alternate (but identical) version of the child. This meme plays on the ridiculousness of the idea that a duplicate of an individual from one world could simply be brought to another. However, despite the satirical nature of this meme and similar ones found across a number of online communities, they are in no way criticizing the show. The point of this particular meme, and many similar ones, is simply for fans to acknowledge the strangeness of the show while at the same time share in a common appreciation for it. It is obvious that the author holds no intention of mocking the show and its plausibility, as the show is entirely fictional and centers on the paranormal. Another meme, this one featuring Peter Bishop, reads: “You see your father for the first time in years, he thought you’d be fatter.” This refers to Walter Bishop’s initial comment to Peter after he sees him for the first time in a number of years; the first thing Walter says is that he’s surprised Peter isn’t as chubby as he used to be. This meme encapsulates a general appreciation fans hold for Walter’s quirky humor and child-like commentary, both being reasons fans are so endeared to him. Even though the well educated scientist has done unethical experiments and other horrible acts in the past, fans can’t help but appreciate how child-like he can be at times.

Links and Resources
Official Fringe Site

Fringe IMDb Page

Fringe Fan Reviews on TV.com

J.J. Abrams Wikipedia Page

The Fringe Fanbase in the News