Anna Torv Talks About the Return of Fringe

It’s been a long time coming, but finally, Fringe is back! To make up for the long absence Fox will be airing the final six episodes without a break.

On a recent conference call with journalists, Fringe’s Olivia, Anna Torv was asked if she thought the extended break might drive viewers away. Her response was a bit more positive than mine.

Says Torv, “I really, really hope not. I think we’re kind of lucky in that if you are following it, there are things to follow, but if you are dropping in I still think that you’re going to be able to get your head around it, you’ll be able to grasp where we’re at. That’s always decisions that are way above me. I’ve been on a couple of different shows that have had really big breaks, and they’ve come back, and it hasn’t affected it at all, and some that it has. So I’m really hopeful that people tune back in and finish the journey with us.”

But despite the show’s attempts to write stand-alone plots for each episode, real enjoyment of the series hinges on the serial nature of the underlying mythology; Walter and Bell, the truth behind Massive Dynamic, the Observers, Peter’s past and hints of experimentation done on both him and Olivia as children.

Says Torv, “We’re shooting the finale at the moment, and I’m really excited. I think because we’re gearing for the end of this season, things have started to get a little bit more cemented. We shot an episode, which actually was directed by Akiva Goldsman (Angels & Demons), that pushes us a little bit deeper into some of the things we’ve been touching on. We slowly start to discover some things that happened to [Olivia] when she was really little that she doesn’t really remember. You start to see the stories, or the lives of Peter and Walter and Olivia kind of begin to interlace a little bit. And you sort of see how their paths have crossed before.”

I suppose that, to anyone coming in late, there are still plenty of elements you can enjoy. The action, for instance, which Torv refers to as “the running and gunning” and “the Walter and Peter Show” which is her term for the often comical scenes in the lab.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I realize just how much I’ve missed Fringe; the crazy science, the cool effects, the hidden details and the wacky and wonderful John Noble. And I certainly haven’t seen Joshua Jackson’s Peter used to his full potential. So yes, I’m on board – slightly confused and in need of a serious memory jog, but I’m on board for what I’m sure will be one wowzer of a season ender.

Says Torv, “I think it’s going to be really great.”

Fringe returns on Tuesday, April 7th with an episode titled “Inner Child.”

Just seconds before a building is demolished, a mysterious mute child that has been living alone underground is discovered. When the FBI’s Fringe Division investigates, the boy forms an unspoken connection with Agent Olivia Dunham. Meanwhile, an especially gruesome serial killer resurfaces and showcases his “artistry” by displaying his work publicly. As the boy gradually assimilates into a new environment, Olivia and the team must race against the clock to prevent the mad man from further macabre.

ANNA TORV photographed by George Holz for FOX. ©2008 Fox Broadcasting Co.

Episodic photography Barbara Nitke/Craig Blankenhorn/FOX