Fringe had fully explained the Observers and their impact on the timeline, many were disappointed to see the show end and continuously called for a reboot. The dedication of Fringe fans stems from the show’s ability to blend the fringe division’s dynamics and relationships with the exploration of strange scientific phenomena, making for an interesting and emotional watch.

One of the best sci-fi shows of all time, Fringe does not shy away from strange storylines. In fact, the majority of Fringe’s episodes feature strange and eccentric elements as Peter, Olivia, Walter, and Astrid investigate unusual cases within the FBI. From creepy body horror to the outright bizarre adventures of a drugged-up Walter, Fringe has a whole host of strange moments throughout its 100-episode run. However, there are only a few particular episodes that stick in the minds of viewers due to their complete and utter weirdness.

10 The Same Old Story

Season 1, Episode 2

Surprisingly, one of Fringe’s weirdest episodes is also one of its first. Fringe season 1, episode 2, “The Same Old Story” follows the case of a woman who gives birth to an old man. After a one-night stand, a woman called Lorraine falls pregnant that same night, going into labor. Following a cesarean section at the hospital, the child ages in minutes, until it dies of natural causes, resembling a 90-year-old man. Olivia Dunham, alongside Peter and Walter Bishop, investigates the strange phenomenon, connecting it to previous work that Walter had done with a man called Penrose.

The twist in this Fringe episode is that Walter’s colleague has a son who suffers from rapid aging syndrome, and the Penrose father and son duo have been stealing the pituitary glands of women to slow down his aging process. The one-night stand was an accident in which Penrose’s son’s condition had been transmitted to Lorraine. This Fringe episode demonstrated one of the weirdest deaths in a sci-fi show, and its unusual concept showcased just what viewers were in for, earning it high praise and memorability for the strange image of a newborn old man.

9 The Dreamscape

Season 1, Episode 9

While much of Fringe’s season 1 contains highly memorable episodes due to its establishing of a premise for the show, “The Dreamscape” is one of the most unforgettable episodes. After delivering a presentation, imaginary butterflies viciously attack Massive Dynamic executive Mark Young (Ptolemy Slocum) until he jumps out of the window to his death. Despite Walter finding numerous lacerations on the body, there are no tears in Mark’s shirt, and it is later revealed that Mark was dosed with a hallucinogen that caused his brain to become so convinced of the attack that it showed physically.

Ptolemy Slocum wore more than 75 individual prosthetics over his chest and arms to mimic the butterflies’ cuts.

“The Dreamscape” delivers an utterly bizarre explanation for this Fringe case, as the butterflies’ attacks were a sort of psychosomatic manifestation of Mark’s hallucinating mind. Regardless of the episode’s rather weak explanation, “The Dreamscape” sticks out for using a seemingly harmless and delicate creature as a murder weapon. Furthermore, the utter weirdness of this concept has caused many Fringe fans to become wary of the insects ever since, including Astrid’s Jasika Nicole, who claimed that she developed a fear of butterflies as a result of this episode.

8 The No-Brainer

Season 1, Episode 12

In an almost too-obvious metaphorical take on the negative effects of screen time, “The No-Brainer” presents a case in which a teenager’s brain becomes liquefied after watching a video sent to his computer. This Fringe episode is not exactly the best, having been described as average by most viewers. However, “The No-Brainer” is one of the weirdest for its use of the CGI hand which reaches out to liquefy the victim’s brains after they encounter the computer program.

Brian Dempsey goes on a serial-killing spree by sending a program that creates audiovisual stimuli that amplify the brain’s neural impulses, trapping them in a loop, essentially a human computer virus.

With a vendetta against those who fired him, Brian Dempsey goes on a serial killing spree by sending a program that creates audiovisual stimuli that amplify the brain’s neural impulses, trapping them in a loop, essentially a human computer virus. “The No-Brainer” has its moments in Walter’s comic relief and showcasing Olivia’s relationship with her sister and niece, and it shines in demonstrating how steadfast Olivia can be when she stands up to Harris, who seems to have a personal vendetta against her. Yet the strange CGI hand lets the Fringe episode down and also cements its “weird” status.

7 The Transformation

Season 1, Episode 13

“The Transformation” marks the second in a series of really strange Fringe episodes that appeared in season 1. In the opening sequence, a rather panicked scientist called Marshall Bowman uncontrollably transforms into a gruesome creature inside an airplane bathroom, which eventually causes the plane to crash. The Fringe team discovers that the scientist was on the way to meet another man called Daniel Hicks who, when questioned, begins to turn into the same monster. Peter sedates Hicks and then s Olivia to help arrest the weapons manufacturer, Conrad, who apparently dosed Hicks and Bowman.

Olivia gained a lot of information about the case via Scott’s memories, which she has been accessing since episode 1. However, “The Transformation” marks a turning point for Olivia as Walter explains that her brain waves are returning to normal, and Scott’s memories are fading from her mind. Making one last trip into the sensory deprivation tank, Olivia is able to gain closure and say goodbye to Scott’s remaining consciousness. Despite the Fringe episode’s rather emotional storyline, the monstrous porcupine-like mutations of the dosed undercover NSA agents in “The Transformation” are simply too bizarre to ignore.

6 Ability

Season 1, Episode 14

Fringe is no stranger to gruesome scenes, especially with Walter often performing autopsies, however, “Ability” almost went too far with its scenes of body horror. After receiving a $2 bill, a newsstand clerk’s skin rapidly grows and seals his eyes, nose, and mouth, suffocating him to death. The gruesome display is made more suspicious by the reappearance of David Robert Jones, who calmly arrives at FBI headquarters. While sweeping Jones’ warehouse, an agent finds another $2 bill and suffers the same fate. Unfortunately, not even a tracheotomy can save the agent, as the skin even grows over the tube.

Not only is suffocating in your own skin extremely disturbing, but it is possibly the weirdest way to die.

Not only is suffocating in your own skin extremely disturbing, but it is possibly the weirdest way to die. Rather frighteningly, Jones reveals that a bomb containing the same chemical will soon detonate, and the toxin will spread for miles, affecting countless lives, unless Olivia completes a test. “Ability” also indicated a step away from the typical “monster of the week” format seen in season 1, as viewers finally got answers in the form of two twists; Olivia has abilities that apparently play a part in a parallel universe war, and Walter discovers that his typewriter wrote the ZFT book.

5 Snakehead

Season 2, Episode 9

Walter Bishop is one of the main highlights of the sci-fi show, and John Bishop’s performance really shines in episodes such as “Snakehead.” Fringe season 2, episode 9’s plot centered around a group of crew who are all infected with squid-like creatures from China, with a subplot focusing on Walter and his declining brain. While investigating the origin of the creatures, Walter accidentally becomes lost on his own in Chinatown, and his remorse for causing trouble for the group makes him inject himself with a tracking implant for Peter to find him should it happen again.

Walter: Truly, Agent Farnsworth, it never ceases to amaze me the infinite variation that Mother Nature gives us. She truly has quite a disturbing sense of humor.

The episode had no impact on the main storyline and was mostly a filler, however, the use of giant squid-like parasitic worms which are ingested and then kill their host made “Snakehead” one of the weirder cases for the group. As a modified version of Ancylostoma duodenale, the worms were originally used for medicinal purposes in helping one of the companies’ main investors, Elizabeth Jarvis, to treat her son who has an immunodeficiency disorder. The invasive nature of the parasites and their effective CGI made them one of Fringe’s weirdest creatures.

4 Jacksonville

Season 2, Episode 15

“Jacksonville” is arguably one of the most important episodes in Fringe’s set up of the parallel universe for numerous reasons, and it starts with a strange case about a localized earthquake in New York. The earthquake’s damage is utterly bizarre as the team discovers that a second building has appeared in the same location, merging the two structures and their people. When they arrive on the scene, even Astrid, who has been working closely on Fringe’s shocking cases alongside Walter for some time, is visibly shocked by the man who has merged with his alternate self, having multiple limbs.

Olivia’s new strange ability is also pivotal in uncovering the truth about Peter: he is also from the other universe, and Walter knows that.

While there have been multiple hints of an alternate universe leading up to this episode, “Jacksonville” demonstrates its weirdness through complete exposition of both Peter and Olivia’s backstories. Walter helps Olivia to recall her childhood ability to see objects in the parallel world in the hopes of finding the next building to be affected before it appears, prompting memories of trials she experienced in Jacksonville. Olivia’s new strange ability is also pivotal in uncovering the truth about Peter: he is also from the other universe, and Walter knows that.

3 Brown Betty

Season 2, Episode 19

Fringe’s compelling characters and their relationships were just as much a driving force for viewers as the show’s dramatic story, and the Walter Bishop-centric episode, “Brown Betty,” is evidence of that. After smoking a drug called “brown betty” to deal with Peter’s disappearance, Walter tells Olivia’s niece a detective noir story featuring the Fringe division’s characters, in a strange musical episode unexpected of the sci-fi show. The plot follows Olivia as a 1940s detective who must capture the conman, Peter, for running away with Walter’s glass heart.

“Brown Betty” follows a dramatic story of nonsensical elements including a polka-dotted cow and Walter being the inventor of hugs and rainbows, starting a trend for Fringe’s 19th episode being the oddest of the season. Not only does “Brown Betty” offer the audience a look into Walter’s mind, showcasing where his comedic comments come from, but it also conveys a deeper message. Walter’s seemingly made-up story is actually an alternate version of real-life events, as Walter expresses how Peter’s disappearance has metaphorically left him without a heart, although he justifies Peter’s actions.

2 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Season 3, Episode 19

Season 3, episode 19 is the second bizarre episode in Fringe’s “episode 19” trend and follows Peter and Walter Bishop as they journey into Olivia’s mind to help her regain control of her William-Bell-possessed body. The William Bell possession storyline received a mixed reception from fans, with some claiming Anna Torv’s depiction of Bell was immersion-breaking. However, the sci-fi TV show paid off a huge risk with “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide” as the entire episode was animated, marking the first of its kind in the series.

Fringe’s “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide” was nominated for Best Episode at the 2011 Portal Awards alongside Game of Thrones’ “Winter Is Coming.”

With the help of LSD, Walter and Peter journey into Olivia’s mind, battling a vision of her stepfather, Nina Sharp’s traps, and traveling by zeppelin to reach Olivia’s childhood home in the hopes of finding her ego. The episode demonstrated just how weird Fringe can be and, while there is still division among fans, most agree that season 3, episode 19, was a blast to watch for its inventive approach. When Olivia realizes William is possessing her, she is able to expel him, but unfortunately, the team is unable to save his consciousness, marking the end for the character.

1 Black Blotter

Season 5, Episode 9

As a result of season 5’s reduced run ahead of its impending ending, the weirdest episode of Fringe season 5 was actually episode 9. Much like Fringe’s previous strange episode, Walter once again takes a drug-addled trip, only this time with the hallucinatory drug known as “black blotter.” The drug causes Walter to examine his previous mistakes regarding the parallel universe and their current effects on the timeline, all while presenting strange Monty Python-style cartoon graphics, hallucinations of fairies, and a grim return of Walter’s deceased lab assistant.

As one of the last episodes of Fringe to air, it made sense to bring back the iconic out-of-context episode seen in each season so far. The use of multiple different types of hallucination combines the previous drug-addled adventures of Walter into a fitting final bizarre episode, which has Walter coming to with what he is capable of and who he is. Walter’s LSD trip to recover his plan to defeat the Observers allowed Fringe to deliver one of its weirdest episodes, granting the show ultimate creative freedom in its storytelling, and making it unforgettably enjoyable.