'Daddy issues' on Fringe

I drove my Dad home from work yesterday and we talked most of the way home. He proposed a theory about how to go about voting in the upcoming local body elections. I dismissed it as a bad idea. We shared a few laughs about our respective days at work. Dad and I get along well. For someone nearly twice my age, he's actually a pretty cool guy.

I mention this because my good relationship with Dad has meant that I just don't relate to "Daddy issues" when they show up in films or TV shows.

By contrast, producer/director JJ Abrams seems to delight in giving his characters "Daddy issues". Take Lost, a show in which nearly every major character - Jack, Locke, Kate, Sawyer - struggled with their Dad. His earlier show Alias featured estrangement between Sidney and her Dad (especially later in the show's run). Even his reboot of Star Trek added a complicated father/son dynamic to both Kirk and Spock.

Things must be awkward at the Abrams house when JJ returns home for Christmas.

The latest Abrams creation to use "Daddy issues" is Fringe, which aired last night (TV2, 10.15pm - later than its regular 9.30pm timeslot).

It could be fair to say that the current series (Series 2) hinges on the complicated relationship between Walter and Peter Bishop, played by John Noble and Joshua Jackson respectively. Fair enough, too. They are probably the most interesting characters on the show.

While the Season 1 narrative was driven by Olivia's journey of self-discovery, Walter and Peter's relationship was explored in smaller ways - the conflict of old and young, the dynamic of their new-found living arrangements, and so on. But with one little scene in the Season 1 finale, things shifted a little. Remember how Walter wandered up to a grave marked "Peter Bishop 1978-1985" in that episode? Not only was it an interesting reveal, but it also added a layer of intrigue to Walter and Peter's relationship.

In the current Season 2, Walter seems a little edgier in his dealings with his son, and it makes us look at Peter in a completely different light. What is Walter so worried about? What is he hiding? Is Peter really Walter's son? If not, is he a clone? Is he some other kind of replacement? I get the feeling we might have to wait until late in the series to find out.

In fact, if Fringe is anything like Lost, we might never find out.

At the same time, Peter seems to be questioning - or at least forcing us to question - his relationship with Walter. A couple of times during last night's episode I got the sense that he knows something is wrong: early in the episode he admits that he has no idea about a toy bear he used to own that Walter is looking for, and doesn't seem to recognise it after Walter finds it - almost like he wasn't there when the memory was formed.

The most telling scene came later, when Peter tried to relate to hostage-taking, Dad-hating teen Tyler by sharing that he used to hate Walter when he was a kid because he felt as though he didn't live up to expectations. This comment is quite telling in itself. Let's assume for a second that Peter is a clone: would he feel any paternal connection to Walter? Perhaps this explains why he feels that he didn't fit in as a kid - he literally wasn't an original member of the family.

Either way, when Peter finally finds out the truth about his relationship with Walter, whatever that truth might be, those "Daddy issues" will definitely come into play. In fact, the relationship between Peter and Walter might be damaged for good.

It's the way JJ Abrams would want it.

Do you think Walter and Peter have serious issues? Do you find you relate to stories about "Daddy issues"? Are you enjoying this series of Fringe?

* No Spoilers! *

UPDATE: A few commenters have posted their concerns about the future of Fringe. After last night's episode it was announced that Fringe was taking a week off to make way for Tom Cruise and a bunch of aliens (no, not a Scientology documentary), but some of you suspected something a bit more dubious. I contacted TVNZ, and one of their representatives informed me that Fringe has been pulled from the lineup due to poor ratings and will return "sometime next year", by which point the current series will be over a year old. The decision is surprising, but on the bright side we can look forward to a bunch of B-grade action movies from five years ago taking its place ...

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