I stuck with Fringe to the bitter end, and it was the bitter end that confirmed my impression that jj abrams just can't tell a story. He has an undisputed gift for production and promotion, but in almost everything he's done that I've seen, it ended badly. Usually it seems like he focuses so much on the pretty production that he lets the stories drift themselves down a blind alley with nowhere to go, like "Lost". The only time it seems like he doesn't choke the landing is when somebody else created the story and he's just harvesting the organs, like "Star Trek".

That said, I don't consider the time spent watching "Fringe" to be a complete waste. There was a big overarching story line about the conflict between these two parallel universes. And you may have bailed before Leonard Nimoy showed up to play the villain. Lots of clever little twists within the main plot that give the pretty CGI a reason to live (e.g. alternate New York). It's just that, by the time the thing drew to a close, it dragged itself across the finish line with a lame ending that showed clearly the people involved with the show just wanted to get it over with. By that time, the final credits were a relief.

I couldn't say whether you jumped ship too soon. The show might have kept you entertained if you didn't try to think too deeply about it. It was fun but not deep. Approach it with suitably low expectations, and you might enjoy it.