Aside from CW’s 90210, J.J. Abrams’ new show on FOX undoubtedly the most anticipated new show of the Fall season. Fringe debuted last night and, though the numbers weren’t bad (nine million), they were likely a few million less than what FOX execs were hoping for. There’s usually a drop in viewership in a show’s second installment but next week’s episode will follow a new episode of House which will likely help.

Whether next week’s ratings go up or down, FOX will likely stick with the series for awhile. And, thankfully for fans, Abrams has learned a few things since the complicated mythology of his Alias series got out of hand. He’s committed to giving viewers answers to the show’s mysteries.

The key, according to Abrams and his team, is to have a game plan for a series with clearly defined “goalposts” — key plot points that can be moved around as a season or series unfolds. By knowing a series’ finale in advance, the creative team can hope a show continues for many season but can always be prepared to wrap it up.

Series co-creator Alex Kurtzman recently explained, “There’s a large mythology which we all kind of decided on when we wrote the pilot. We knew that, when we went to series we were going to have to reach a certain end point and that end point is very flexible in terms of when we get there. If they [FOX] lets us run for twelve seasons, you’ll see it in season twelve. If they take us off the air after nine episodes you?ll see it in episode nine.” Stay tuned!