Fringe: Why The Observers Really Invaded In Season 5

For what reason did the Observers take over the Earth in Fringe season 5? In the FOX series, the Observers were a highly evolved offshoot of the human race who hailed from the future. The Observers came to the present as seemingly indifferent onlookers dressed in black suits with fedoras. They were easily recognized by their bald heads and lack of eyebrows.

The Fringe team first came into contact with an Observer when they met September (Michael Cerveris) in season 1. He was referred to as “The Observer” at the time, as he was the only one they were aware of. September was one of the show’s biggest mysteries in season 1, as he had a tendency to pop up during their investigations. As time passed, more Observers were introduced and more details about them were revealed. For the most part, they simply watched and studied the actions of humans. In season 4, the Observers started to take a more active role in the events that played out in the series. An episode in season 4 revealed a future where the Observers had taken control over the Earth. This storyline then became the focus of season 5.

What made the Observers take such measures? This was explained in the season 5 premiere. Walter (John Noble) explained that the reasons had to do with what happened to the Earth in the Observers’ future. Their world had basically become a dystopian ruin, as it was destroyed by pollution and other disasters. The people of the future used up the Earth’s natural resources and made much of the planet’s surface uninhabitable. The Observers came to the conclusion that since the Earth couldn’t be saved, their best option was to find a new home for themselves. That’s why they sent representatives to the past.

What this means is that season 5’s Observer invasion was always part of the plan. The Observers were spectators in the first four seasons rather than enemies because their purpose at this time really was just to observe. To put it simply, the Observers were playing the long game in the previous seasons. They had to watch and record human civilization for many years before they were finally prepared to make their move. Once they gathered the necessary information, they effectively ended their status as peaceful spectators and became enemies of the humans.

Fringe’s decision to turn these recurring characters into the show’s biggest villains transformed the series in a big way. Season 5 abandoned the status quo by bringing Olivia (Anna Torv), Peter (Joshua Jackson), and Walter forward into the future and making it the new setting of the series. The Observer invasion provided the setup for a storyline that put the main characters in a situation unlike anything they had ever faced before. The inclusion of Peter and Olivia’s adult daughter, reuniting with older versions of key Fringe characters like Broyles (Lance Reddick), and working with the resistance to take down the Observers made season 5 an interesting and unexpected final chapter for Fringe.

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