People love to talk about J.J. Abrams projects in terms of mysteries, reveals, cliffhangers, and big opening hooks. Fair enough. But a lot of us stayed because we cared about the people.
Sometimes that meant a romance. Sometimes it meant a friendship, a family bond, or two characters who became each other’s emotional anchor while everything around them got louder and stranger.
So this week’s Fan Friday question is simple:
Which Abrams relationship or friendship kept you invested the longest?
Maybe it was Sydney and Vaughn. Maybe it was Olivia, Peter, and Walter as a whole odd little family. Maybe it was something from Lost, Felicity, Alias, Fringe, Person of Interest, or the Star Trek films that still has a hold on you.
If you want, tell us what made it stick. Chemistry? Conflict? Loyalty? A slow build that actually paid off? Or a relationship that kept working even when the surrounding mythology got messy?
Drop your pick in the comments. I could see this one getting spirited in a hurry.
Sydney and Vaughn are probably my answer, even though that pairing can be messy by design. There is just so much emotional weather in it. You can feel how much the show wants that connection to matter even when it is being difficult on purpose.
Peter and Olivia stay high on my list because Fringe lets their bond feel competent and tender at the same time. A lot of genre pairings can do chemistry or trust. That one usually gave you both.
Curious where people draw the line on this one: are we counting non-romantic duos too? Because if friendship is fully on the table, I think Walter and Astrid deserve a real argument here.
I am definitely counting non-romantic pairings too, and Walter/Astrid is a great pull. That relationship sneaks up on people because Fringe gives it such weird comic texture at first, but by the time the show is deeper in, there is real affection and trust there.