Fringe (Season 1)

This show is basically a redo of the X-Files filtered through the storytelling conventions of Lost.  It takes about a half of the season to really kick it into high gear but when it does come together it's a blast.  There are some very memorable moments that will make fans of most skeptics and when I finished the Season finale I had a strong feeling that the best is yet to come.   The main characters are FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), the jack-of-all trades Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and his genius father and mad scientist  Walter Bishop (John Noble).   Together they investigate cases connected to The Pattern, which are criminal mysteries linked to Fringe Sciences.   This allows the writers to explore as crazy an idea as possible as long as they have a plausible scientific theory behind it.   Meanwhile there's a larger conspiracy going on that has Olivia uncovering secrets about her self and about the world she knows.   Olivia is a tough smart main character and I like what they're doing with Peter and Walter but in Season 2 I hope they gel a bit more.  I'm also hoping they develop a strong villain too, someone as memorable and complex as a Benjamin Linus from Lost.  Grade: A-