Remind me never to ever make Lost or Fringe the subject of Throwdown again. You guys commented in record numbers for the feature, amassing more than 600 responses. And for the most part, the discussion was remarkably civil and only devolved into fanboy name-calling toward the end. But I don't see that as hostility, I see that as a sign of passion (and maybe a little bit of "daddy didn't love you enough").
It was great to see all the love for Fringe and Lost. The majority of you really liked both shows, and I got a kick out of all the "Don't make me choose!" responses. But think of it as practice for the next time you're in a concentration camp and the German guard says you can only take one of your children (Sophie's Choice, anyone?). Also, a lot of you with Fringe user icons chose Lost, and vice versa. To me, that's a testament to how good both shows are.
But in the end, the winner was... Fringe, by a vote of 219 to 143. There were lots of disclaimers because Fringe hasn't ended, and some people were turned off by Lost's finale. Fringe supporters cited its sci-fi roots, question-answering, and more time spent with a smaller cast. Those who favored Lost noted its ability to change the way we watch television, its spirituality, its social impact, and its abundance of stellar episodes. As for my stance, I'm going to side with the 17 folks who copped out and said "both." Yeah, yeah, I'm a wuss. I know. But when I look at the pros and cons of both shows, I see them as even. I'm a million-percent invested in Fringe and love the way it makes me think, but I'll never forget how I felt about Lost and how it changed me as a television viewer.
Let's take a look at the results in pie-graph form, because that's what Mr. Eko would have wanted us to do.
Which J.J. Abrams Show is Better, Lost or Fringe?
Fringe 219 | Lost 143 | Both 17 | Alias 7 | Alcatraz 1 | Felicity 1
Just look at Walter. He's clearly wondering who the boob is who voted for Alcatraz. Relax, Walter, it was just a joke. There were plenty more jokes in the comments (which I always love), as well as some incredibly serious answers. And a few of you even wrote books on the subject! Special shout-outs to @bendyelgsnick, @bothcats, @Summerqueen, @Hungry_Homer111 (who always provided excellent commentary on my Lost articles), @JeffBabies, @TrevPlatt, @shootingstar609, @Arch_Angel88, @neilwatches, and @AlexanderZhao for their extensive thoughts. I encourage you to take a look at everything they wrote. But for now, let's highlight the best snippets!
Chumpstlz1 made no sense, but made me chuckle with: "I guess the hipster thing is to say Fringe."
NateDogTheGreat managed to bring Lebron into the argument: "Fringe by a couple of universes. Not only does it have time travel like Lost, but it handles it much better than its more popular counterpart. On top of that, it has basis in real areas of cutting-edge science. Lost never even knew what its identity was until its writers decided their horrendous ending. Religion, the worst cop-out to many decently written supernatural sagas that were all overrated in the end. As if that weren't enough, Fringe handles (channeling Lebron James) not one, not two, but possibly as many as three separate universes and makes them intertwine and snuggle in comfortably with one another as if that were the plan all along. Lost infamously has more loose ends than, well. . . nothing good. As it turns out, Lost was doomed once it received its name and became the epitome of itself. Fringe will make you tingle with happiness and joy, just as I imagine the fringe of many things will do." Some would say Fringe is also channeling Lebron because it's weak in its fourth quarter.
Miss_Mouse88, will you marry me? "Fringe is weird and great without going over the edge into crazy town. Lost, on the other hand, skipped merrily into crazy town, ran for mayor, won, painted the entire town pink with yellow polka dots and decreed it law that people must speak backwards from that day forward. What I'm trying to say is that Fringe wins."
platoonist loves his parents very much: "Asking to choose between these two is like asking to choose between your mom and dad."
Montana_Katana does not: "Maybe, if one of your parents is a drunken ex-con." Which one is the drunken ex-con, Montana?! Lost or Fringe?
skyermay00 still thinks Mrs. Cruise is Joey Potter: "Lost. Anytime I've ever tried to watch Fringe I can't believe Joshua Jackson as anyone other than Pacey."
But Shikady, they DID die! "I'd say: Fringe wins in almost every aspect of what makes a show... a show lol. It has better actors, better story, better story telling, all the characters are great, while in Lost I hated characters so much I wanted for them to die. (I'm looking at you, Jack and Sun...and sometimes Kate.) [Fringe] doesn't leave you hanging all the series just to know what the hell happened, etc."
Left4Ed got honest and gave great examples of how a show can bring people together: "At a low point in my life, when I was mopping floors at an office building for minimum wage, I discovered one of the higher-up worker bees was a huge Lost fan and while I was emptying his garbage, we'd chat excitedly about the previous night's episode like friends. At a grocery store, I got into a twenty-minute discussion with a complete stranger about Lost after commenting on her Lost-themed shirt. With Fringe, not only did I have that completely stunned moment, it's never led to those wonderful little moments with other fans. A lot of my friends watched Lost. None of them watch Fringe... So that sort of connection isn't there, with the community of fans, despite familiarity or class difference, and because of that, it doesn't make me appreciate Fringe like it made me appreciate Lost. I love both but Lost will always win in my book, for those reasons."
cezarrrr is talkin' 'bout his generation: "I might always prefer Lost because it was a mark for my generation, just like people who saw Twin Peaks in the '90s might always prefer Twin Peaks over any weird mystery sci-fi show."
Cranky_Old_Batt did not watch the same Lost pilot I did: "Fringe. I couldn't get past the first fifteen minutes of Lost."
Don't be surprised if you walk in on Tayke making love to his/her television: "Let's look at it this way, Lost is your college sweetheart. You had some good times, but ultimately, things didn't end on the best of terms. you cherish your memories, but accept you no longer feel the same way. Fringe is the guy (or girl) who comes along and you end up married to. It's a relationship with it ups and downs, but in the end, worth it. Yes, what a weird, weird... Metaphor."
emmiegirl will always earn a mention if she quotes Fievel: "Fringe, 100 percent. Admitted Rabid Fan Girl. The show is brilliant, the actors are uncommonly fantastic, and I haven't found myself rooting this hard for a guy to make it back to the people he loves since little Fievel Mousekewitze sang "Somewhere Out There." (sniff). John Noble is AMAZING, cannot possibly say enough good things about his performance as Walter Bishop, and while I do not know what universe we are in half the time, my inner geek digs the challenge."
That's it for this week! We'll be back next week with a new Throwdown!
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
Comments (138)
I liked Lost a lot, I watched it once it ended and I enjoyed pretty much the six seasons, however it never hooked me like Fringe did.... in fact, I have never been so hooked for a show, not even Pushing Daisies, which was my previous favorite, or Supernatural which came next (and left in season 6). Fringe is outright perfect, it's smart, it makes you feel all kind of emotions, and it certainly made me cry once (I'm looking at you Marionette episode). I love the characters and I find the story arcs better crafted than Lost. I think Lost high point was season 4, which is my favorite; I enjoyed seasons 5 and 6, and I cried at the end when I saw Sawyer and Juliet finally together (awesome couple), but it certainly does not compare with the feelings Fringe has awoken for me. Walter just makes melt inside, makes laugh and makes sad for him, Olivia breaks my heart time to time and Peter makes me gasp, they are a wonderful cast, they bring Fringe alive along with amazing stories, which I think are the best ever made in sci-fi.
Summing it up, Fringe>Lost. Sorry Lost, you were a wonderful show, but Fringe is only getting better and better each season, it surpassed you already by the end of season 2moreless
i actualy somehow cried @ the end of the lost finaly,, i had never been drawn to a show as much as lost, i mean how sad is it that jack dies on the same spot where he woke up for the 1st time on the pilot episode back in season 1. briliant!!!
*emotionaly, lost is better but nothing compares to the thrill that comes with fringe
LOST is the best show to ever aired on TV. The pilot was the most brilliant hour ever made. The season 3 finale was the best written episode of all time. The series finale were the most breathtaking finale of all time. And now back to FRINGE. the season 2 finale were one of the most confusing episode and shocking of all time. the 'Peter' episode were one of the most touching episodes, the season 3 finale was the most mind-blowing episode ever written. and the series finale was? well are still waiting. so for now, I would say LOST > FRINGE.
Haha what I do with my television is my own damn business! Thanks for the mention :)
thanks for the shoutout!
Lost got off to a great start and then just got a bit too weird, ending finally with one of the weakest, most disappointing finales I have ever encountered. Fringe on the other hand has managed to keep me gripped from day one and here's hoping that it doesn't go off the rails too!!
Lost was all in all a great show with great actors. I watched all of them. Yes there were episodes that were slow/poor and some cliff hangers that made me sick but, it was good. Based on the end though, i'm still LOST lol.
Fringe from episode 1 for me has been amazing from a scientific background and phenomena. It has delivered neat and tidy complex storylines that not only grip, but fascinate me. It's take on time and space is well done while exercising what is a police type genre. All the characters in the show execute commanding performances consistently. FINALLY and this i a fact when it came to alot of shows that registered poor viewer ratings. MOSTLY EVERYBODY DOWNLOADS THE EPISODES THE MINUTE IT'S AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH IT. Based on this the ratings for screen watching will never be superb. Many of the avid watchers have never watched it live as it has come on at an hour locally unsuitable or has been inaccessible due to country restrictions, but you can guarantee that the millions and millions are hooked nonetheless.moreless
Oh and when fringe ends unless it can be equaled with such greatness, my TV will only be good for use with the games consoles!!!
Its easy to say Fringe since its still on, and people still feel jipped by the LOST finale. Come back with the same question in 2 years.
Lost will always be Abram's best show. Let me put it this way: You don't see marketing that says "From the creator of Fringe."
Because Lost was a "pop" show, just like Lady Gaga gets more hype than Adele.
That doesn't mean Lady Gaga's music is better, does it?
Here Here!
They are both great shows. Since I liked Lost up to the series finale, I can only say I can't give weight to Fringe until it's finale, or when it solves it's big mystery/character arc. Too bad Fringe got Foxed, it may have done better on ABC ( a non twitchy network).
fringe hands down. lost was great. but i was turned off in the midst of season 3
Are you lonely? Are you looking for you soul mate? Do you love romance and drama? Then watch Lost.
Are you interested in sci-fi and fantasy with strong characters and plot developments that actually mean something? Welcome to Fringe.
Folks, LOST > FRINGE . Simple point: based on Ratings, Awards, Reviews, Popularity, Social Media, Websites, Fan clubs, Watch Parties, Podcasts, Entertainment segments. FRINGE is currently on the verge of being cancelled due to low ratings. People aren't watching because they don't like the show, which means the quality isn't top notch enough for them to watch it. LOST held an avg of 12 million viewers for 6 seasons. FRINGE is standing at 3.1 million. Plus, FRINGE not only never won an Emmy or Golden Globe, it hasn't even been nominated by the people who make quality shows. I'm not saying its awful, I LOVE FRINGE. But LOST Is clearly In a different class then FRINGE is. Besides, FRINGE isbeing made in CANADA because Fox isn't giving them enough $ to shoot in NY because they don't fully back the show as ABC did with LOST.
You can most certainly like FRINGE more than LOST, but to say FRINGE is better based on Quality? Most certainly Not. Sorry for the rant, but these results make no sense and are biased based on timing of this survey. LOST is over, completed work... FRINGE is still on TV and fresh. This needs to be asked when FRINGE is a competed work, which sadly could be In a few months. God, I hope it gets renewed though.moreless
So Britney Spears is the greatest singer of all time?
Did I say LOST was the greatest series of all time? No, but compared to FRINGE based on the facts, it is better. What you just said doesn't apply here.
It's okay. It's nothing more than an opinion poll. So, I'm conceding from debating further. When someone wants to argue the facts with qualifying evidence and not mere opinion, I'm there. I certainly hope FRINGE has a season 5 though.
talk about a biased article. Not even one great quote from Lost fans. LOST, the greatest of all time!!! I aint gonna comment anymore. natedogthegreat is an idiot. Cranky_Old_Batt should not even be able to comment, what a disgrace of a person. Reply to my comment you fools, do as you're told cos i aint gonna read it no more!!! Finally F U tim surette!!!
WOW! Don't get me wrong I loved lost ... for the first three seasons. I loved the interweaving of the characters and the surprises when you get a glimps of how one character is connected to each other. "That's why the redsocks will never win in the world series" is a perfect example (Jack and Sawyer) but compare that to "strawberry flavored death" from Walter and I'm a lot more invested in Fringe characters than I was in Lost characters.
Which is better, I couldn't say because there is very little in common between the two but I like Fringe better than Lost, even if it doesn't get all the hype!
I wish I had been around so I could have lent support to Fringe...Lost had better polish and was flashier Fringe has a lot more substance.
Though reading the write up what does "Those who favored Lost noted its ability to change the way we watch television" mean?
So, would we answer the same if both shows started the same week and year and ran parallel to each other??
There's definitely some bias here because LOST is over and FRINGE is still in progress. I want this same question asked when FRINGE ends, that way we have two completed works to judge and compare. My take below is based on accolades, critical review, fan base and popularity of each. The fact is, subjectivity wins here, and most is based on the timing of the question. For the record, I love both shows.
i hope fringe's finale sucks!!!
I honestly hope not, but if does, I guarantee that a majority of people who defend Fringe now... will bail and talk about how it sucked. This is what all the mad Lost fans are doing now. They're bitter and claim to hate the show based on one episode, the ending. How sad is that?
There was a lot more wrong with Lost than just a poor conclusion. It turns out that they built a house of cards an it became ever so obvious when it collapsed in The End. Lost simply did not deliver.
Nah, I don't think so....I think Lost did ok in the finale but Fringe will do better since I'm quite sure that JJ and his people learned alot during and after Lost.
I was an absolute, die hard LOST junkie for six years. I miss the LOST viewing parties, pouring over blogs the day after an episode aired, and all the LOST discussions with friends, co-workers, and sometimes complete strangers. It really was a very special show. Up until last summer, I had never seen Fringe. Then one Friday night, I caught a re-run on tv. So I looked for and watched a few more OnDemand. Then I went out and bought seasons 1 & 2 on DVD. By the time I finished them, season 3 was released. I devoured all 3 Fringe seasons in about 2 weeks, and it led me right into the season 4. I am now totally wrapped up in both universes and love these people. LOST was my first love, and Fringe is my soulmate! I didn't vote because I just couldn't bear to pick one of them over the other. But after reading all of these comments, now I just want to go out and buy Felicity on DVD and see what's up.moreless
my soulmate is LOST, I may fall in love again and i hope i do but it will never be my soul mate!
Fringe by a long .50cal shot, it's way more intellectual, has good plot and loveable characters. The sci-fi content is so much fun & interesting and seem "hypothetically real".
Fringe all the way, so more complex and articulate with it's emotional drama and the morality of cause and effect for worlds beyond our limited day to day persepctive, acting is beyond good;)
Fringe is better
repeating it won't make it better LOL
Fringe is better
Lost hands down! it was original, suspenseful, THE show to watch at the time., even if not perfect (but then what show is.. apart from West Wing ;-))
Fringe is up and down (and right now way down, this season is boring as hell and I'm close to giving up, again)
dude couldn't agree more!
Both LOST and FRINGE are great shows, but to judge true quality you gotta look at the facts.
LOST was groundbreaking because no one saw a mystery show captivating tens of millions of viewers every week for six years. LOST knocked out other greats dramas in the 2005 Emmy awards for "Outstanding Drama Series". It was nominated again for it's last four seasons back-to-back. Because of this, LOST became a household name. Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson both won Emmy awards for their excellent acting. Even Matthew Fox was nominated in its final season.
What's my point? LOST is the better Drama in quality because of the accolades, the fan base, the global attention in the media and social media. I'm not dissing Fringe, I love the show and I think the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is dissing John Noble, who totally deserves three Emmys right now, but the fact is- judges don't like sci fi. But, the academy did appreciate LOST because of ITS QUALITY.
Fringe isn't as popular and hasn't won anything, or has gotten big attention. Does this make it a worse show, absolutely not. But in the television sphere- premium quality shows (yes, even Mad Men) get attention and win awards and Fringe hasn't yet.
Bottom Line, based on the facts: LOST is superior and will live on in American/global culture far longer than Fringe will- I guarantee it.moreless
I pointed this out earlier, but simple popularity is not equivalent to quality. There are many, many shows that most fans of both shows would agree are far inferior that have significantly more viewers (such as Two and a Half Men, actors on which have won Emmys). Accolades, though often a barometer, are almost always somewhat swayed by popularity, so I have a hard time believing that we can look at those sorts of things as evidence of quality. A show having a small viewership does not determine its overall strength as a series.
You bring up good points , but what I am saying is that LOST has many grading aspects over FRINGE when comparing quality: Accolades, popularity, positive critic reviews and a very strong fan base. Most agree that if a series has these aspects, especially awards and positive reviews, then it's a quality show. I'm not basing the quality of LOST on just one or two of those points, but all taken into account, together. The bottom line is objectively- LOST has the higher grade in quality, with those things as my qualifying evidence. FRINGE sadly does not.
Subjectively , Fringe is a great show that sadly doesn't get the attention that it deserves, which is likely why it doesnt have the fan base it deserves.But, comparingthe two JJ series back-to-back, they're about even in compelling story telling. But the quality edge (in my opinion) goes to LOST due to its consistent cinematic value.moreless
I see what you're saying, but I still stand by the fact that popularity can in no way be equated with quality. One does not logically cause the next. As far as accolades go, okay, yes, Lost has certainly outperformed Fringe, at least at major award shows (I don't know the breakdown for things like Saturn Awards and the like), but those major awards are almost always biased toward particular shows--often the most popular. This isn't meant to denigrate the awards Lost has won, but to explain that I don't think it's entirely fair to use awards won as a purely "objective" standard.
And, of course, critical reception is important, but often very hard to quantify. Both series have, of course, received similar critical praise, so I'm not sure how one can definitively say that one has had more of it than the other.moreless
I agree, Spencer, that having this poll after both shows conclude would probably be a much fairer comparison. I don't know that people necessarily throw Lost under the bus for its ending, but I think the reason the ending of Lost garners so much weight is that the show was built upon an ongoing, serialized story, and part of a serialized story is its conclusion--if that's not solid, the rest loses some of its meaning (the payoff needs to be worth more than the initial investment, so to speak). If you think the ending achieved what it needed to, then great, and that's fine. I, however, did find the ending a bit flimsy and problematic (and a bit too easy, if you ask me), thus hurting Lost in my book. Now, perhaps Fringe will fail as well. If it does, maybe my vote changes to Lost. Ergo, I do agree with your assessment of the whole process.moreless
The true issue with the question is that the point of it is entirely subjective. Which is fine, it's no different than a political poll. I just can't believe people would throw LOST under the bus because of the ending, when the large majority of the series was high quality. I would much prefer this question asked after FRINGE ends. Two completed works side by side would be a lot more logical, because comparing these shows now is just based on nothing more than current January 2012 opinion. I'm just shocked with the results, but they are what they are.
Very tough choice. I would lean towards Lost based on their character development was very well thought out and dug deeper at the core of the character. What's even more impressive was how many characters came through Lost that received this same treatment.
The truth is Fringe and Lost are both really good shows. I simply cannot choose between the two. Each has had great character development. My favorite moments were definitely the more emotional ones like the episode Peter in Fringe or The Constant in Lost. Alcatraz seems to be shaping up as well. Kit Nelson was an incredibly poignant episode, featuring a lot of great character development for Dr. Soto (whom I find to be more interesting than Hugo, even at these early stages: his acting skills have come a long way).
I want to know if anybody else is wondering why 'Person of Interest' was not at least mentioned in the whole JJ convo...I guess I just did. I figured if Alcatraz was mentioned why not throw in this red headed step child.
It's not rocket science.
If you love metaphorical relationship dramas, you chose Lost.
If you love sci-fi and fantasy, you chose Fringe.
Well that's not exactly accurate.
Lost had plenty of sci-fi, fantasy elements. Fringe has relationship and character stuff in spades.
I can't tell if this is meant to disparage Fringe or not, but it certainly comes off that way.
How the heck you infer an insult to Fringe in what I said is bizarre.
Lost had phony sci-fi fantasy elements, like in a dream, but they ultimately went nowhere and meant nothing. Real sci-fi, fantasy, LIKE FRINGE, doesn't play games like that with its viewers.
But, like I said, if it's all about the romance and who will find their soul mate or not, then Lost is the show for you.
It just seemed that by mentioning "metaphorical relationship dramas" for one series and just "sci-fi and fantasy" for the other, you were indicating a mutually exclusive relationship. Fringe certainly also has some serious relationship complexities, and I read your comment as indicating that one had them and the other didn't. I apologize for any misreading.