LOS ANGELES TIMES SHOW TRACKER: 'Fringe' Friday: Show runners J.H. Wyman, Jeff Pinkner talk Season 4
March 30, 2012
by Andrew Hanson
I might not be the best person to interview the cast and crew of “Fringe.” I’m sure many fans would love for me to grill anyone I get access to for details about where the show is going or what to expect next, but I’m not a fan of spoilers myself. Even to the point where I try to keep myself away from the previews of next week’s episodes (though I almost always fail on that attempt).
When I have had the pleasure of speaking to a John Noble, Anna Torv or Josh Jackson, the conversation always seems to shift to a joint admiration for the depth of the characters and themes of the show. Much of that depth comes from the work of “Fringe” show runners Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. I was lucky enough to get a few minutes of their time to chat about Season 4, Wyman’s directorial debut, and what we have to look forward to in the upcoming episodes of “Fringe...”
... Show Tracker: I’ve had the opportunity to talk to John and Anna a few times in the past. I always comment on how “Fringe” must be a thrill ride for the actors.
Pinkner: "The truth is series television becomes inevitably a grind for the actors. One thing our show does is it constantly challenges them. We happen to have very brilliant actors who respond to the challenge and get to re-imagine the roles that they’ve been playing. Find the shades of how that same human being is different based on different life experiences. It’s a wonderfully challenging and invigorating opportunity for them, and the results we get to see on screen are fresh. No one ever gets bored of their job."
Wyman: "They do an incredible job, digesting and interpreting what we throw at them. We are very fortunate because they never kick anything back and say “What?” We can give them the craziest things and they come at them with the greatest attitude, and they always exceed our expectations."
Show Tracker: A big part of that must be how human the story you come up with for “Fringe” can be.
Wyman: "They’re all morality tales. Jeff and I both feel that the more far out science fiction gets, at least good science fiction, the more it depicts the human condition. That’s what it is all about, learning to be a better person or getting insight into yourself through this wonderful world. If you take any episode or any of our “bad guys” or guest stars, they’re a mirror to the theme of the episode, and it is always about the human condition."
Pinkner: "Specifically vis a vis science. We said early on and maintain in the show that any kind of human discovery or scientific advancement is in itself objectively neutral..."
Fringe airs Friday at 9/8C on FOX.
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