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Fringe’s Perfect Sci-Fi Replacement Was This 3-Season Time Travel Show With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

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Fringe’s Perfect Sci-Fi Replacement Was This 3-Season Time Travel Show With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

Fringe had a solid 5-season run, and not many sci-fi shows come close to matching the scalability of its ideas. However, a relatively obscure series, with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, can be considered a worthy Fringe replacement owing to its brilliant use of time travel. With J. J. Abrams (of the Lost fame) as one of its creators, Fringe was seemingly destined to rise in the ranks as one of the most binge-worthy science fiction shows of the late 2000s and early 2010s.




The show’s ability to reel viewers in with ambiguous story developments and bizarre sci-fi concepts also earned it comparisons with Lost. However, the more Fringe progressed, the deeper it etched its own identity in the sci-fi genre, allowing it to be remembered as one of the most fascinating explorations of parallel universes, time travel, and alternate timelines. Since Fringe played a crucial role in paving the way for other sci-fi shows to emerge, it can never truly be replaced. However, viewers who enjoyed watching the show will certainly find another epic time travel series entertaining.


Timeless’ Time Travel Story Makes It The Perfect Show For Fringe Fans

Both Fringe And Timeless Feature High Concept Time Travel Elements


While some time travel movies and shows merely use the sci-fi concept as a narrative device to drive their stories, often ignoring the paradoxes that come with it, Fringe and Timeless set out to please genre fans with their serious take on the sub-genre. On the surface, both shows unfold as procedural dramas with three primary characters as their leads. Their initial appeal comes from the mini-quests their central trios embark on while gradually understanding how they function as a group. However, once both shows establish a strong footing with their character beats, they dive deep into high-concept time travel.

… what makes
Timeless
a worthy replacement for
Fringe
is the sheer ambitiousness with which it approaches its fantastical ideas.


Fringe does not focus on time travel throughout its runtime and dips its feet into many intriguing concepts like transhumanism, parallel universe collisions, and even technological singularities. Timeless, in contrast, remains fixated on time travel, walking through how altering events in one timeline can send massive ripples down the other. However, what makes Timeless a worthy replacement for Fringe is the ambitiousness with which it approaches its fantastical ideas. Even its central trio and their dynamic remind one of the relationship between Fringe‘s three main characters.

There Was Never Another Show Like Fringe, But Timeless Is A Great Replacement

Fringe Remains One Of The Smartest Sci-Fi Shows Of Its Time

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon


While shows like Lost and Alias thrived on ambiguity, Fringe, at least initially, remained more straightforward and linear with its approach. This allowed the show to create a distinct identity for itself during a time when many epic sci-fi shows were on air. Despite being unique, however, Fringe often earned comparisons to sci-fi giants like Sliders, Lost, and even The X-Files. Although these comparisons slightly undermined its individuality, they served as testaments to how Fringe had managed to rise in the ranks to become a standout in the genre.

Fringe poster

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Owing to this, as compelling as Timeless may be, it would be unfair to compare it with Fringe. It does, however, cure the itch of viewers who crave shows, like Fringe, that build heavy sci-fi mythologies and fearlessly explore speculative science. It must be noted, though, that, unlike Fringe, Timeless avoids inclining towards horror and remains relatively more lighthearted throughout its runtime.


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