The Vancouver Film Studios were the location for the filming of the last ever scenes of season five of Fringe.

Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, Jasika Nicole and Rowan Longworth were all present at the studios. Also present were a few other people, but I’ll not reveal who they were because I don’t want to post spoilers. I can reveal that Rowan Longworth’s character (The Child Observer) is named Michael.

Not only did they film scenes for episode thirteen, but they also shot scenes for episode eleven and twelve.

The last person to wrap scenes was Joshua Jackson. It’s a day we all knew was coming and now that it’s here it’s a sad day. I became aware of Fringe when I first saw a BELLY sign in Queensborough whilst they were filming Season four. They were using a warehouse in the area to film night scenes. I had no idea at the time what the show was about or who starred in it. To be honest, I didn’t think much of it at the time either until I went to the library and saw that they had the first three seasons. I immediately booked them out and the rest, as they say is history. We were hooked to the show and became instant Fringies over the course of a couple of evenings.

I didn’t see anymore Fringe filming until they started work on the final season of the FOX TV Show. Season five of the show is set in 2036 when the Observers have taken over the world. We got a glimpse of this future in the season four episode Letters of Transit. Indeed, season five of Fringe picks up from that episode. Letters of Transit introduced us to Georgina Haig, who plays Etta Bishop, the grown up daughter of Peter and Olivia. She helped release Peter, Olivia, Walter and Astrid from the amber that they preserved themselves in back in 2016.

The next time I did see them filming was under the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver where Peter, Olivia, Walter, Astrid, Etta and Philip Broyles (Lance Reddick) meet up to exchange information and weapons. Broyles also wanted to see the Bishop family again after such a long time. But their meeting is cut short when Observers turn up. This was also the day that a member of the team gave us a Call Sheet for the shoot which revealed that poor Etta Bishop was to be taken from us so soon after being introduced to us.

The following day, September 6th 2012, Fringe were at the Terminal City Ironworks filming scenes for the same episode The Bullet that Saved the World. This was the day that Captain Windmark (Michael Kopsa) took Etta from her parents for good. Etta had been previously taken by the Observers back in 2015 when they first invaded Earth.

For fans of the show who live in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, and also for fans visiting from countries around the world, it has been a feast as the cast and crew have filmed all over the city. One fan I know of has moved to Vancouver from Australia for the duration of the filming of the final season.

Pacific Central Station has played the role of Newark Penn Station, an old Monorail Subway Station where the Bishops used an air bourne toxin that hyper activates the protein that generates scar tissue on the Observers which caused their eyes and mouths to seal shut. Victory Square, Coal Harbour, Gastown, Olympic Village, Oceanic Plaza and the Vancouver Public Library have all been used for locations with many of the cast more than happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs. They have even travelled to Steveston (I think it’s in every show’s contract that they must film scenes in Steveson) to film scenes.

I have met the cast on more than one occasion and they have always been more than generous with their time. John Noble calls my son his little Welsh mate whenever he sees him on set and is always more than happy to answer the questions my son has about the show. Then there was the time my son asked Joshua Jackson if he wanted to come over and play Monopoly. I’m definitely going to miss moments like that.

Thank you J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci for creating the show for us.
Thank you Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, Jasika Nicole and all the cast for being such amazing actors.
Thank you FOX for giving us fans a final 13 episodes.
Thank you Joel Wyman.

Obviously, I hope that another network picks up the show and we get another few seasons, or at least a movie, but we’ll just have to wait and see if that happens.