Experiments are being carried out by someone, which are creating seemingly inexplicable events all over the world. This isn't supernatural or paranormal, it's supernormal. Fringe doesn't deal with aliens, ghosts, or demons but with the real world, except that in this real world the impossible is being made possible by someone operating on the fringe of science.

There is a 'pattern', which seems to link these global phenomena together and investigations are being carried out by a team of government agents in order to determine the nature of these seemingly inexplicable events. The team is lead by FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham. She is an ex US Marines Special investigator and is tasked with investigating the increased spread of the phenomena.

Part of Dunham's extended team of experts is Dr. Walter Bishop. Bishop is one of the few people who understands fringe science as he used to operate out of a lab at Harvard university, carrying out fringe science experiments on behalf of the US government, such as mind control, teleportation, invisibility and reanimation. However, after one of his assistants was killed he was charged with manslaughter. After being deemed unfit to stand trial he was institutionalised.

Peter Bishop is Walter Bishop's son but is far from a chip off the old block. Having lived a life free of responsibility he has had numerous jobs all over the world. He's a talented and intelligent individual but rather than applying his talent he preferred to falsify a degree in order to get published.

Philip Broyles is a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security. He is an intellectual with a BA in theology and a degree in law. Broyles was the one who recognised that someone was using the world as an lab for their experiments and he was the one who brough Dunham in to investigate the nature of the 'pattern'.