Many people have noticed that in the opening sequence of the Fringe episode Jacksonville, the city of Manhattan is misspelled "Manhatan". Could this really be just a typo? Not a chance. This was the first hint that the opening scene started out in the alternate universe!
There are other odd things that could have been a tip-off: the strange reaction to seeing coffee (perhaps due to the "blight" mentioned in Grey Matters), and the blueprints for a "new" Pentagon.
Ted Pratchet can be seen wearing a wedding ring though out the scene, and we learn later that our Ted Pratchet was never married. And just for fun, there was even a photo of the Twin Towers on the wall of the office.
So what exactly happened? It was the reverse of Walter's car experiment. Thomas Newton's experiment transported the Dodst & Rathje building from "Manhatan" in the alternate universe, which collided with the Manhattan building in our universe. At the end of the episode, the universe compensated by taking the Brayson Place Hotel.
I think it's interesting to note that the other side has been established as being more advanced, yet it is Walter on our side that figures out how to open a door, something the other side desperately wants to know how to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm SOOO glad I'm not the only one who noticed the Manhattan thing! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely one of the best Fringe eps so far. God, I hope the show doesn't get cancelled.
ReplyDeleteBut if they constantly treat the show the way they do (huge breaks in air time to broadcast some other crappy show), then no wonder the ratings are sub-par...
Does this mean they spell Manhattan "Manhatan" over there? That kind of doesn't make much sense. What else do you think is spelled differently over there? Does this mean Peter is a really bad speller in "our" universe?
ReplyDeleteIf it was there just as tickler that the scene was in the Alt Universe, why mispell it? Why not put something else like a reflection of the twin towers in the window or something?
There ARE a number of other indications that it's a parallel universe, as the original blog post stated (e.g. wedding ring, coffee, "New Pentagon" blueprints...).
ReplyDeleteThis misspelling of Manhattan reminds me of the fringe symbol cipher (seahorse, butterfly, apple, the dots and mirror images, etc.). The fellow who figured it out noticed that a couple of the words were misspelled (i.e. SURGG instead of SURGE for the episode "Power Hungry"). I heard that the DVD corrected some of the spelling errors, but still... an odd coincidence? Or something else?
ReplyDeleteCould just be that the language evolved a little differently over there. As I remember, "Manhattan" is a Native American translation, something about 'island of many hills'.
ReplyDelete...or, could be a crack on real-world spelling mistakes. There's a La Jolla in San Diego, and La Joya here in Arizona. Yay for spelling fails.
I noticed it too, wanted to bitch about it on my blog, but then realized that this must have been the proper spelling in the parallel universe.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, I've seen some really bad typos on TV, in the news tickers at the bottom of screens, but surely, no on at Fringe would have missed that.
Okay folks, i can hardly take this anymore. Yes. It does seem convenient to pin this on the alternate universe, but......
ReplyDeletethe producers and folks at fox released a Season 2 Press Kit, that among other things contained a copy of the newspaper from William Bell's Otherside office.
within that newspaper, in a list of news items of note: "Kelvin Genetics Moves HQ to Manhattan"
see: from William Bell's Newspaper
2 t's. TYPO. or continuity error. either way. the answer is on this site!!!! look deeper! Alternate dimensions are no excuse for bad spelling.
Maybe it's just me reading a little too much into an exceptional episode, but did it puzzle anyone else that as Peter leaving for drinks with Olivia, he leaves the phone number of the restaurant he'll be at? Who does this anymore in the age of cellphones?
ReplyDeleteThroughout the series cellphones have been a given. Everyone uses them. It just doesn't seem a congruent action for Peter to take -- in this universe anyway.
Could it be that since the beginning of the episode began in the alternate universe, it ends in one as well (or perhaps in yet another parallel universe)? Of course, I realize the Peter problem with this, but still...
ok one thought.... if peter is not from our universe.... what or who ( of equal mass ) replaced him in the alt universe??? hmmm
ReplyDeleteAnd what of alternate Walter? Was he as upset to lose his son? Was he dead?
ReplyDeleteIf someone dies in our universe (Peter), what happens to them on the other side? Wouldn't alternate-universe Peter also have died? Maybe not since the fates of both realities don't have to match (eg. being married in one universe and not the other), but maybe Walter stealing alt-Peter was re-setting the balance in a way - Peter disappeared from both universes.
ReplyDeleteI think alternate Walter will end up becoming the main bad guy in the series. Upset over the abduction of his son by someone from the alternate universe, i think he has decided to destroy it. It helps explain why all the Fringe events are caused by someone using technologies he worked with but never had the chance to perfect because he locked up.
ReplyDeleteAnd no one noticed that on the other side, the long running musical is Dogs instead of Cats? It's the ad on top of the cab.
ReplyDeleteopening episode of season three also has Manhatan. If there was any doubt.
ReplyDeleteManhatan is a name older than Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteAmericans should know.
Look at this booksite: LINK.