So I got into Fringe a couple months ago and I just caught up to Season 5. Onto episode 2 now. Why does it seem like there really is no continuity between this and the first 4 seasons? Like... all of a sudden we're in the future. Why? Is this last season all in the future or will there eventually be some connection between the future and the past?

You miss the future episode in season 4 then?
I'm 7 episodes in & its still all future but its awesome.

No I saw the future episode. Seemed completely out of place. Looks like they wanted to have the option of ending the series with Walter shooting Olivia and stopping Bell's plan to create another universe? But there's still so many unanswered questions... Peter was only special because September went to see Walternate find the cure. If September hadn't been there, Peter wouldn't have been special, so if Peter wasn't special why would September go and observe the cure? And then with this alternate timeline of memories. Why does only Olivia remember? Why did they just drop that completely? It's very Lost-esque in that they start going down a road and then just drop it completely and move onto the next.

Yeah, I'm still confused. The only thing I can think of is that they jumped the writing due to unexpected cancellation of the show? I'm back into the rhythm of it now, but that little split between the second universe episodes with the Observers coming into play suddenly...Yeah, lost on that one...Maybe they'll get it tied up. Still a little ways to go (and I'm behind a couple episodes...)

Last 2 episodes for me this week, finale on Friday night

It all comes together quite nicely if you read the season summaries here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fringe_%28TV_series%29

I was actually a bit confused about all the jumping around until I read it. Bummed that it's ending - it's been my favorite since Lost ended. :(

That stuff makes my head hurt. It's a lot harder to get than TCP/IP networking.

Hmm seems to me they rushed the finale, sad to see no more fringe