I missed the debut of this show when it first aired. Here and there I have caught reruns on SyFy. I finally decided to just rent the DVDs and watch it all from the beginning. I'm halfway through Season 2 now and this has quickly become one of the best Sci-Fi shows I've ever seen.
It can be tempting at first to compare this show with The X-Files but I think as FRINGE progresses the characters actually achieve progress. IMO it always seemed like Mulder would gain ground and lose it all or his evidence would disappear.
That is not so with Fringe. At first, the odd events are just referred to as The Pattern, which is a nice easy excuse to have random s*** happening all the time. Eventually, the show comes into it's own developing a mythology and what suggests a coming battle between neighboring Universes. The main FBI Agent successfully meets up with a scientist William Bell(Leonard Nimoy) who traveled to the other Universe. Also, I can see Season 2 laying the ground work for the Alternate Universe story. I'm also intrigued with The Observers which are like classic Men In Black that might be from the future.
The best part of the this show is the scientist Dr. Walter Bishop let go from a mental institution so he can help FRINGE division solve bizarre cases. He is like a good guy mad scientist guarding some of this own secrets and having to much enthusiasm for autopsies while also professing a great love of LSD and psychadelics. I really enjoyed the flashback episode to the 1980s detailing some of his history.
This is a minor Spoiler clip from Season 2. I don't think it ruins the show if you watch it. I'm including because it shows what the show is building up to and where it is going. Olivia meets William Bell(Nimoy) in the alternate universe