As production is about to start on the fifth season of Fringe, it's been reported that co-showrunner Jeff Pinkner is leaving the show. J.H. Wyman will serve as the sci-fi drama’s sole showrunner for the 13-episode final chapter. Pinkner ran the show during its first season, and was joined by Wyman as co-showrunner from season two. According to TVGuide.com, it was an amicable split. Pinkner is said to be leaving to pursue other projects.
Fringe co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams said in a statement, "For four years, J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner have worked tirelessly as a team to keep all the worlds in order on Fringe. We're thankful for the invaluable contributions Jeff has made to the show and of course wish him well and look forward to working together in the future. J.H. Wyman's importance to Fringe cannot be overstated, however, and I'm thrilled that he will continue as showrunner for the concluding chapters of our story. We can't wait for our fans to see what we have in store for them in the wild conclusion of Fringe."
Wyman wasted no time and started by teasing fans with the title of the fifth season premiere, "Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11." There is of course no telling by the time the episode airs in the fall whether the title will still be the same. What seems more certain is that the story will make a time-jump to 2036, probably not too far from the events depicted in "Letters of Transit."
Speaking to TVLine.com, John Noble (who plays Walter Bishop) pretty much confirmed it. Referring to the world ran by Observers in 2036, he said, "Walter, Olivia, Astrid and Peter are insurgents, so we know all the dirty tricks that have been played against us. We’ll be learning from the past." With his statement, Noble confirmed that Olivia, who was absent from "Letters of Transit," will indeed be present in 2036.
