Fringe’s Title Sequence Gets A Fan Makeover

By Brent McKnight | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Fringe may be dead and gone, but it’s the type of show that is sure to maintain a rabid fan base for years to come. Who knows, maybe in 15 or 20 years we’ll all be going to conventions dressed up in one of Walter’s awesome old man sweaters, or completely hairless in a suit like the Observers. It certainly sounds easier than dressing like a Klingon or one of the X-Men, unless you decide to go as the porcupine man, or one of those giant, squiggly worms. Cards on the table, season five of Fringe is playing in the background right now. We’re talking about the kind of series that inspires an incredible amount of fan devotion, including this new video that reimagines the opening credits.

Made by a man named Kyle Stewart, using Adobe After Effects, this is a pretty damn cool video. It both maintains the mysterious feel of the original and brings something new to the table. You see flashes of all of the glyphs, as well as other iconic images from the show, like the brass bell.

This video also adds its own flourishes that fans of the show will appreciate. The images of the spinning record and stray ropes of licorice, Walter’s favorite food, are additions that provide something of a more personal touch. Watching the original credits there’s a level of cold remove, whereas there is a warmth, an invitation, to Stewart’s creation. You definitely get the feel that this was fashioned by someone with a deep emotional attachment to Fringe.

There are a few moments that lean towards the spoilery side of things, at least for people who haven’t seen the entire series. Images like the window into the other universe, or the swaying field of white tulips may give away important plot points from the show. Then again, taken out of context as they are, they may just appear as other random images in the sequence. You might get an a-ha moment or two out of them, but beyond that, who knows.

My favorite bit of Stewart’s video is the fracturing brain. The disassembling and reassembling of Walter’s mind—both physically and metaphorically—plays such a huge role throughout the entire run of Fringe that this is kind of a genius touch.

Fringe may no longer be with us, but many of us hope that the upcoming series Almost Human, which reunites the creative team of J.H. Wyman and J.J. Abrams, will fill that void. Wyman has already said that he’s working on writing parts for some of his favorite Fringe alums on his latest series, so when we need a fix, like bugs crawling in our skin need a fix, we may be able to find it there.