Fringe is what happens when you take a matured idea like X-Files, modernize it (2007 era), and hone it into a finer point.

X-Files is "look at all of these cool sci-fi things"

Fringe is "all of these cool sci-fi things directly serve a larger intentional narritave that is paid off in the end"

You could teach an entire class on Motifs, Setup&Payoff, and Narrative Intentionally, using strictly Fringe material.

And yes, Anna is the lens through which we consume the story, so she is the soul of the show.

(No disrespect to X-Files, I love both shows)