Five Reasons Why Fringe Was a Dark Warning For Our Future

The Privatization of Science

The Fringe Division’s work often intersects with advanced technology and biological research that few people in the word can comprehend. Just as often, this leads them to either interrogate or consult a mega-company called Massive Dynamic, founded by Walter’s former partner, Dr. William Bell (the iconic Leonard Nimoy), and run by Walter and William’s common ally, Nina Sharp (Blair Brown). In the show’s five seasons, Massive Dynamic is more anti-hero than hero, as the show creators made them deliberately amoral. They weren’t completely devoid of conscience, but seemed to serve their own agenda, and the agenda of their founder, Bell.

The important aspect of Massive Dynamic was how a global, billion dollar company could so easily control several different aspects of the world, predominantly through scientific innovation and engineering. 

Mega companies are nothing new, but mega-tech companies are almost inherently a 21st century staple. When the show was created in 2008, and the years that followed, Apple was massive, but not to the level it is now. Amazon was doing just fine, but if someone were to invest $1000 in Amazon stock in 2008, that stock would now be worth over $36,000.

These companies have grown exponentially, but Big Tech is using the newest technological innovations that could change the world for the better for mere profit. At the forefront of all of these companies as well, is some sort of almost “mythical” figure who seems to be detached from humanity. Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk often try to mimic human behavior when on camera, but there is something strange about how disconnected they seem, especially considering that both head mammoth social media platforms.

When the Fringe Division consulted Massive Dynamic, more often than not our heroes found that Bell and Sharoe were serving their own ulterior and secretive purposes. People like Zuckerberg, Musk, and Bezos have built a cult more than a humanitarian business, much like Bell does in Fringe. The writers recognized this strange, specific ego in some, and somehow Bell would fit perfectly in a world where billionaires are racing to get to Mars, simply to invite those who can afford it, rather than saving the planet we have right here, right now.  

The Militarization of Science

It has been another sad truth, that if science and tech are privatized, they are militarized. Often it’s both at the same time. Yet one of the strongest storylines of Fringe was the introduction of an alternate, parallel universe, intrinsically linked to the show’s main universe. In that second season, when the creators really latched on to that idea, many consider that to be when the show shed the shackles of The X-Files and became its own entity. With this alternate universe, Abrams, Kurtzman, Orci, and the writing team gave themselves an opportunity to double their storytelling.