FRINGE – First Nine Pages Of A Spec. Script…

So, I’m almost completed with my spec. script for Fringe, the wonderful J.J. Abrams show on FOX. I decided to include the first nine pages of the script here. Pardon the dialogue formatting — as I couldn’t quite get it to industry standards here on WordPress. But, those of you who are Fringe fans — I love the show too. Enjoy, and let your minds wander…

Matt

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NOTE: This Script will coded for identification purposes.

F R I N G E

“THE DYNAMIC CANTIDATE”

Written By

Matt Croyle

ORIGINAL EPISODE – 107.5 – ON SPEC.
Written to appear directly after Episode 107 “In Which We Meet Mr. Jones”.

Matt Croyle
xxx xxxxxx Avenue
Oil City, PA 16301
814.xxx-xxxx

Copyright © 2008 Matt Croyle. All Rights Reserved. Characters are Copyright © Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Based on the original Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. and FOX television series “FRINGE” created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci.

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ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. NEEDAM HOME – NIGHT

On an END-TABLE, a CLOCK reads: 12:55. SLOWLY PUSHING through the dark and quiet house, we MOVE INTO A BATHROOM.

IN THE BATHROOM:

HARPER NEEDHAM, 32, fit, splashes water on his face –- looks at himself in the mirror.

We FOLLOW Harper out of the bathroom and INTO THE BEDROOM.

IN THE BEDROOM:

HARPER crawls into bed. GLORIA NEEDHAM, 30, rolls over –- wraps her arms around him. He kisses her forehead.

GLORIA
(softly)
You’re home. Good. I was having trouble sleeping anyway.

HARPER
Try to get some rest. I’m sure you had a long day.

GLORIA
So did you. How was it?

HARPER
(distant)
It was –- well, it wasn’t something I seriously thought would work out anyway.

GLORIA
(sighing)
You didn’t get it?

HARPER
(rising from bed)
They said they’d get back to me.
(beat)
I need a sandwich or something. You want anything?

GLORIA
I’m good. Just hurry back. It’s chilly.

Harper moves away from the bed as we PUSH IN on the END-TABLE again. The CLOCK reads 12:15.

INT. NEEDHAM HOME – NIGHT – KITCHEN

Harper moves slowly toward the FRIDGE and opens it –- grabs some sandwich meat –- lettuce –- he spies an APPLE. Making the sandwich with one hand, he eats the APPLE with the other.

SUDDENLY, a LOUD SCREAM is heard ECHOING through the house! GLORIA!

He drops the APPLE, it ROLLS across the FLOOR as we FOLLOW Harper running through the house –- up the stairs –- through a hallway and bursting into the bedroom.

INT. NEEDHAM HOME – NIGHT – BEDROOM (CONTINUOUS)

He rushes to the side of Gloria in bed.

Gloria is sound asleep! Unharmed.

Confused, Harper gets up, frantically looks out windows –- around the empty rooms of the house –- the basement –- the attic –- closets –- nothing.

A FAINT KNOCK at the front door. Harper moves toward it, slowly.

INT. NEEDHAM HOME – NIGHT – FRONT FOYER

HARPER
(calling soflty)
Who is it? Who’s there?

Again, a KNOCK. Harper grabs a BASEBALL BAT beside a COAT RACK.

HARPER
(louder)
Who’s there? It’s late.

Instantly: A single CHIME. We PUSH TIGHT on a GRANDFATHER CLOCK face. Harper SPIES it too. ONE O’CLOCK.

Suddenly: MUSIC SWELLS as THE CLOCK’S MINUTE HAND BEGINS TO MOVE AS FAST AS A SECOND HAND NORMALLY WOULD! THEN EVEN FASTER! HARPER IS FROZEN. ALL NOISE DROWNS OUT TO DEAD SILENCE. HARPER LOOKS ON DUMBFOUNDED, THEN FRIGHTENED. THE CLOCK IS RACING BY, HOUR AFTER HOUR, IN ONLY SECONDS! THE SUNLIGHT BEATING THROUGH THE WINDOWS FOR ONLY MOMENTS AT A TIME!

HARPER SLIDES AGAINST A WALL, SITS DOWN, HORRIFIED BEYOND ANYTHING! ANOTHER SCREAM ECHOES THROUGH THE HOUSE!

MUSIC CUTS OUT — in an instant: A single CHIME. Harper looks back up at the CLOCK -– it again reads: ONE O’ CLOCK –- he’s breathless, disoriented –- AGAIN, a FAINT KNOCK at the door.

HARPER
(rising, giving in)
Coming. I’m coming.

Harper UNLOCKS the door – slowly pulls in open, revealing: THE OBSERVER!

THE OBSERVER
(stepping forward)
You’ve been hired.

SLAM TO BLACK

OPENING THEME plays over our TITLES:              F R I N G E

FADE IN:

INT. OLIVIA’S OFFICE – EARLY MORNING

Olivia sits at her desk handling the TELEPHONE and dialing a few numbers –- she distraughtly hangs up. A KNOCK at her office door –- she opens it –- Broyles.

BROYLES
(smirking)
Sleep much?

OLIVIA
Not lately.

BROYLES
Got something. Better wake your boys a bit early today.

Olivia rolls her eyes a bit.

EXT. FRAMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT – MORNING

A few POLICE CARS line the street.

Our 3D letters bleed in: “FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.”

INT. FRAMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT – MORNING

Olivia walks with Broyles –- Walter follows slowly, being urged on by Peter who sips a COFFEE.

BROYLES                                                                  OLIVIA
Harper Needham, thirty-two,
Former U.S. Army, clean
background, found his wife
missing early this morning.
According to Mr. Needham,
he was home when the abduction
took place –                                        – Asleep? –-
– he says he saw the man
who did it.                                            – (seeing Broyles’ eyes)
                                                             – And that’s why we’re here?
                                                              Someone we know? –
– you could say that.

WALTER
(aside, to Peter)
I feel like I’ve been here before.

PETER
Why doesn’t that surprise me? This place does have some pretty thick bars.

Broyles leads them down a HALLWAY, which at the end is marked: INTERROGATION ROOM 1. Olivia, looking at the sign, stops outside the DOOR –- everyone, follows her lead.

BROYLES
What’s wrong?

OLIVIA
This man’s wife was abducted in the middle of the night, and you’ve got someone interrogating him? I thought you said he –-

BROYLES
– Standard procedure for missing persons, Dunham. You should know that. (beat) It’s more safe for him to be here right now. Nobody is pointing fingers, yet.

OLIVIA
(beat)
Mind if I talk to him alone?

BROYLES
I did earlier. Be my guest. (beat) Dunham, I want you to really listen to this man –- see what you make of this. (beat) I’ll be behind the glass. Bishop, Bishop, come with me.

Broyles heads back down the HALLWAY.

PETER
(to Olivia, following Broyles)
I’ll be behind the glass, too. You heard the man, Walter –

WALTER
(following Peter)
– Ah, through the looking-glass.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM 1 – FRAMINGHAM – MORNING

Olivia sit across from Harper at the INTERROGATION TABLE. Harper is distraught –- head is buried in his arms.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM – FRAMINGHAM

We’re behind Broyles, Peter, and Walter peering out — through the looking-glass.

OLIVIA (FILTERED)
Mr. Needham? I need to ask you a few questions.

No answer.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – FRAMINGHAM

OLIVIA
Mr. Needham? I’m Olivia Dunham, FBI.
(carefully)
Harper? I know what it’s like to lose the person you love.

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM – FRAMINGHAM

CLOSE on Peter.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – FRAMINGHAM

Harper slowly lifts his head.

HARPER                                                                 OLIVIA
(fighting to speak)
I don’t – it’s all such a
blur. The clock was spinning
and I never…I never should have
opened the door. –                              – The door?
– The knocking. He wouldn’t
stop knocking…for days…the
clock…it was all happening so
fast, I had to make it stop
so I opened the door. –                       – Who wouldn’t stop knocking?
– The bald man.

Olivia takes this in.

HARPER (CONT.)
He told me I was hired. Then it all stopped. (beat) He was gone.
It was all gone, and so was she.

ESTABLISHING SHOT: FEDERAL BUILDING – BOSTON – MORNING

Our 3D letters bleed in: “Federal Building, Boston.”

INT. BROYLE’S OFFICE – DAY

We PUSH IN behind Olivia, seated across from Broyles. They both look a bit unsure.

OLIVIA
The facts are simple. The man has a clean record, was genuinely a wreck — unless he’s won an Oscar we don’t know about –- his wife is missing, and he passed a polygraph exam.

BROYLES
And the sketch artist drew up a striking portrait of our Observer from his description.

Broyles sits back in his chair thinking. Then:

BROYLES (CONT.)
Not that this Observer hasn’t constantly been on our minds – but, Dunham, we need to know what Walter Bishop knows about this man.

OLIVIA
Peter told me of their involvement, it’s –-

Broyles cocks his head. He’s putting on that tough façade again.

OLIVIA (CONT.)
Regardless of a questionable history, Peter Bishop is a good man. I trust him, and the newfound confidential bond he’s beginning to develop with Walter.

BROYLES
A good man, huh? Confidential bond? Hmm. (a beat) This missing person case has a tie to our Observer, in one way or another – and that drawing is a spitting image –

OLIVIA
– eidetic memory. (a beat) Harper Needham has — it’s the ability to –-

BROYLES
– I know what it means, Dunham.
This is on you. You get as much information from Walter Bishop

BROYLES (CONT.)
on this Observer as you can. And I expect details.

Olivia can’t believe what she’s hearing. This is impossible!

BROYLES (CONT.)
In the meantime, Harper Needham is being transferred to a secure facility for further evaluation -–

EXT. FRAMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT – DAY

IN A BACK ALLEY: Harper Needham is lead to a BLACK AND GRAY VAN by two POLICE OFFICERS. They open the rear doors, help Harper inside, close them.

BROYLES (CONT.)(V.O.)
– and Francis is heading up a team investigating the disappearance of Mrs. Needham.

One officer taps on the van. Its engine starts. As it pulls away we see THREE GREEN DOTS followed by ONE RED DOT marked just above the license plate.