J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi television series, The X-Files, and has ensured that their viewers are fully aware of this fact by referencing it in several episodes. The series premiered on Fox in 2008 until 2013, it ran for five seasons and one-hundred episodes. It follows special agents of the fictional Fringe division of the FBI to investigate bizarre phenomena that often relates to parallel universes.
Main characters Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), and Walter Bishop (John Noble) solve mysteries through the use of fringe science which is the scientific approach to mainstream fields of study with a partial deviation from the traditional methodology of the field. It follows a episodes with standalone plots.
With J.J. Abrams, it is fairly common to see parallel universes and unexplainable phenomena in his sci-fi works such as Cloverfield (2008) and Super 8 (2011). Regardless of his heavy influence on the series, it is undeniably inspired by The X-Files and has grown a cult follow similar to their predecessor.
Fringe’s X-Files References Explained
One of Fringe’s most blatant references occurs in season 2, episode 1, “A New Day In The Old Town”. The episode features a shape-shifter who has killed George Reed. When they discover the body, season 6, episode 4, “Dreamland”, of The X-Files is playing on his television. This specific episode features two shape-shifters who use their abilities to get access to military bases such as Area 51. When Fringe makes this reference, they draw a straight line to their inspiration for the series and “A New Day In The Old Town".
Furthermore, in the same episode, special agent Philip Broyles mentions that there was a previous “X” designation given to cases that are similar to those in Fringe. This is a direct nod to the literal x-files that special agents Scully and Mulder spent the entirety of the series working on. Not only is this a reference, it is a possible link between the two universes. Broyles acknowledges a now defunct sector of the FBI that is designated with the letter “X”. This could mean that the Fringe division replaced the x-files and the two television shows share a universe. “A New Day In The Old Town” has the most blatant references to The X-Files throughout the entire run of Fringe. While could be others, none have proven to be so obvious as these ones.
