Everyone should probably stop everything they are doing and start watching “Fringe.” While this may sound like a desperate plea from a science-fiction junkie to the Northwestern population, “Fringe” was officially renewed this week for a final fifth season by the grace of the television gods (who are usually brutal beasts). This show has been on the chopping block for almost two years now, with FOX constantly threatening to shut it down. More often than not, networks can’t afford to save shows that are low in ratings. Although the network loves the show, in an interview about “Fringe” a few months ago, the head of FOX admitted that it’s challenging to keep “Fringe” alive because it’s losing money. Fans and critics also recognize just how ingenious the show is however, and the network has finally decided to let it have the ending it deserves. Although this season is a bit choppier than the last, it has struck viewers over the head with baffling surprises that keep you on your toes every episode. The last three episodes have been particularly dramatic, leading up to the finale, which will air in eight days. For those who don’t watch the show, I’ll attempt to summarize what’s happening (which is not an easy task). Essentially, there is this megalomaniac named David Robert Jones, who isn’t just your normal villain. This is not a “hide your kids, hide your wife” scenario because he literally wants to completely and totally obliterate our known universe (overachiever). In the “Fringe” world, there are two different but parallel universes that have been coexisting for the past season. Last season, the “alternate” universe slowly began to disintegrate, but when a bridge was created to “our” universe, the other side started to magically heal itself. However, Jones’ master plan is to sync the two worlds onto the same magnetic frequency thereby collapsing them into one, which would effectively suck them both into an endless vortex of doom. If you’re having trouble picturing this, he essentially wants to set off the Big Bang all over again, creating a new universe that he will control and populate. He has managed to create a hot spot that will survive this deadly collapse so that he will be able to carry out his plan. The “Fringe” teams on both sides of these universes discovered this plan in the last episode and tried to do everything they could to find him, which is futile because he is the master of hide-and-seek. In order to fully separate the universes and foil his plan, Walter, the comedic brains of the operation, had the brilliant idea of severing the bridge between the two worlds. While this might thwart Jones in his plan, it is ultimately a death sentence to the alternate world, which will continue to crumble without the crutch of the other universe. This probably sounds terribly confusing, but the best part about this show is that their problems seem ridiculously real and immediate. Some combination of haunting music, amazing acting, furrowed brows and ticking countdown clocks has made the past few episodes seem so tension-filled that I find myself thinking the world is about to end and wondering why everyone around me isn’t freaking out. This show has managed to push the limits of science so much that you believe everything you are seeing is possible. That, combined with perfectly flawed characters, presents one of the most innovative and mind-blowing shows of the past decade. You should absolutely tune in tomorrow on FOX at 8 p.m. for the penultimate episode, which cannot and will not disappoint. -Mackenzie Bronk