Whew. That was a long headline, I know.

But it needed to be said. Again.

See, Fringe is a scant few episodes away from having the 100 necessary for syndication.

And syndication is where the money really is in TV. Even the changes wrought to the TV landscape by Hulu, Netflix, Boxee and other set-top boxes and streaming services have only increased the value of syndication.

So we’re super-close to syndication for Fringe. The only thing standing between a fifth season – even a short fifth season – is the licensing fee that Warner Brothers charges Fox, according to reports. Ratings matter little at this point (though, of course, better ratings might make a more convincing argument to WB to forgo the fees). If WB waives those fees, Fox will put that puppy on the air.

With Season 4 wrapped with multiple options for an ending, time is of the essence.