Alternate Fringe: The Observer Sketch

      Email Post       5/26/2010 01:40:00 AM      

Fringe Photos:

In "Over There", an Observer leaves a drawing for Olivia which depicts Peter as some sort of Alternate Universe weapon. Olivia later shows this drawing to Peter. The drawing shows that Peter is the key to Secretary Walternate's plans to destroy the other side. The bottom of the drawing is encoded with a genetic sequence, presumable matching Peters.Here is a high-res version of that drawing:

Fringe Photo Gallery: Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/23/2010 02:13:00 PM      

Fringe Photos:
HD screenshots of Fringe episode "Over There, Part 2" are now available at FringeFiles.com.

These screen caps have all been hand selected to increase quality and reduce duplicates, but if there's something that might be missing, you can request a specific Fringe screenshot in the Fringe Easter Eggs section.

Promotional photos for "Over There, Part 2" are also available at FringeFiles.com.

Alternate Fringe: Comic Books From Over There

      Email Post       5/22/2010 03:32:00 PM      


In the Fringe season finale "Over There", Peter is taken to an apartment, where he and Alt-Olivia discuss how the two universes are different. The Secretary (Walter-nate) left some personal effects for him, including a family photo and some framed comics.

DC Comics has an interesting interview with Geoff Johns and Hank Kanalz regarding these alternate versions of famous comics:
One of the first calls I got was from the director of the Fringe season finale – writer/producer/director Akiva Goldsman. He was shooting a scene in an alternate world where things weren’t exactly like ours. Where even the smallest details were somewhat off. Including the comics. Together with executive producer Jeff Pinker, Akiva wanted to showcase an array of DC Comics that could’ve been including the ones you can see below. He wanted them to be as authentic as possible. Something only the hardcore would really recognize.

Here are the covers of the Alternate comics, and I also tracked down the originals as well:










United States Of Fringe: Map from "Over There"

      Email Post       5/22/2010 01:16:00 PM      


In the Fringe episode "The Man From The Other Side", we saw some video from "over there", in which a US flag with only 48 stars was shown. In "Over There, Part 2", we can see a map that shows what the differences are here are there. It appears in the alternate universe:
  • Washington is called Southern British Colombia
  • California is missing half of the state (perhaps because of the "big one")
  • Nevada is called Independent Nevada
  • Texas is divided into North and South Texas (+1)
  • North and South Dakota are combined into one Dakota (-1)
  • Kansas and Oklahoma are combined into one Midland (-1)
  • Louisiana is called Louisiana Territory
  • Michigan is missing its upper half
  • North and South Carolina are combined into one Carolina (-1)
  • Virginia and West Virginia are combined into one District of Virginia  (-1)
Based on the pluses and minuses, that would give us 47 states, assuming we count Hawaii and Alaska.

UPDATE: Here is a high-res version of the map:

Fringe Easter Eggs: Observer in Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/21/2010 05:39:00 PM      


The Observer can be spotted in the Fringe episode Over There, Part 2, walking through the KFC while Olivia, Walter, and William discuss how to find Peter and how to get back.

You can see all of The Observer's other appearances here.

Fringe Easter Eggs: Anagram from Walter's Lab

      Email Post       5/21/2010 01:14:00 PM      

When William and Walter visit the Harvard lab in the Alternate Universe, there is a strange phrase written on a chalkboard: "A DEMON'S TWIST RUSTS". The phrase is an anagram for:

DON'T TRUST SAM WEISS

Sam Weiss is dude from the bowling alley that Olivia has visited several times for advice, and was also the secret glyph clue for "Over There, Part 2".

Why would Sam Weiss be someone not to be trusted? Who left this message in the alternate universe? Do they mean the Sam Weiss from our universe, of the one from "over there"?


* Thanks to Andrew for decoding this!

"Ford Exclusive" Deleted Scene from Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/21/2010 01:06:00 AM      



Here is the "Exclusive clip from the Fringe finale" that was mentioned in the Ford Taurus commercials shown during Over There, Part 2.

Fringe Easter Eggs: Glyphs in The Other Side Part 2

      Email Post       5/21/2010 12:56:00 AM      


Tonight's glyph word was 'Weiss,' as in the enigmatic character and bowling yoda, Sam Weiss.

For more information on the Fringe Glyphs, check out the Fringepedia's Glyph/Symbols page, which has all the previous glyphs and codes.

Fringe Episode 222: Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/20/2010 06:38:00 PM      



In the second part of the two-part season finale, sacrifices will be made and both universes may never be the same again after Walter and Olivia visit the "other side".

Discuss the episode here in the comments.

Tonight On Fringe: Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/20/2010 06:30:00 PM      


Tonight on Fringe is Part 2 of the Fringe Season 2 finale "Over There".

As always, we'll have a LIVE Fringe chat from 9:00 PM to 12:00 PM ET, if you want to talk with other Fringe fans, during or after the show. We usually play "spot the observer", and "What's the glyph code?", plus discuss the action on the show. To join the chat, visit the Fringe chat roomenter your name or a nickname, and join the fun! (please don't use the default mib_xxxxx nickname!)

To discuss this or any other Fringe episode, head over to the Fringe Episodes section!

Also, don't forget to check the Fringe Easter Eggs section for Observer sightingsGlyph codes, and other Fringe hidden clues.


How would your rate "Over There, Part 2"?

Nimoy's 'Fringe'-y Last Role

      Email Post       5/18/2010 07:41:00 AM      

Yesterday a very interesting article showed up on the CRAVEONLINE website, regarding the future plans and final acting performance commentary from TV icon Leonard Nimoy.

Writer Blair Marnell (lucky person) recently participated in a round-table discussion with the seasoned Nimoy and got to ask him questions about his 'Fringe' acting experience, his thoughts on the "disarmingly unpredictable" William Bell, and his announced retirement from TV and movies.

Nimoy's love of photography has been recently publicized, and apparently his upcoming exhibition has been scheduled to open on July 31st at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Use the link below to read the entire article.



Link to " Leonard Nimoy on 'Fringe' ":

http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/leonard-nimoy-on-fringe-102373

Fringe Red Title Sequence From Alternate Universe

      Email Post       5/16/2010 08:08:00 AM      



Here is the red "alternate universe" Fringe title sequence. Besides the obvious fact that everything is red, there is at least one fringe science element that is different - something called "First People".

Fringe Photos:

Fringe: The Bell Tolls

      Email Post       5/16/2010 12:21:00 AM      



Leonard Nimoy discusses his character William Bell and the season finale.

Don't miss the conclusion to the 2-part season finale of FRINGE, THUR 5/20 at 9/8c, on FOX!

Fringe Preview 222: Over There, Part 2

      Email Post       5/14/2010 01:04:00 AM      



Preview for the Fringe episode "Over There, Part 2", which airs March 20th on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Tonight On Fringe: Over There, Part 1

      Email Post       5/14/2010 12:08:00 AM      



Tonight on Fringe is Part 1 of the Fringe Season 2 finale "Over There".

As always, we'll have a LIVE Fringe chat from 9:00 PM to 12:00 PM ET, if you want to talk with other Fringe fans, during or after the show. We usually play "spot the observer", and "What's the glyph code?", plus discuss the action on the show. To join the chat, visit the Fringe chat roomenter your name or a nickname, and join the fun! (please don't use the default mib_xxxxx nickname!)

To discuss this or any other Fringe episode, head over to the Fringe Episodes section!

Also, don't forget to check the Fringe Easter Eggs section for Observer sightingsGlyph codes, and other Fringe hidden clues.

How would you rate "Over There, Part 1"?

Fringe Episode 221: Over There, Part 1

      Email Post       5/13/2010 11:55:00 PM      



Walter and Olivia travel to the parallel universe, and the anticipated face-off between Walter Bishop and William Bell occurs.

Discuss the episode here in the comments.

Fringe Easter Eggs: Glyphs in The Other Side Part 1

      Email Post       5/13/2010 10:40:00 PM      

The Glyphs code in The Other Side:Part 1 spelled out WEAPON.

For more information on the Fringe Glyphs, check out the Fringepedia's Glyph/Symbols page, which has all the previous glyphs and codes.

Fringe Season 2 Finale Trailer: Over There

      Email Post       5/12/2010 11:46:00 PM      



Here is the trailer for the 2-hour Fringe Season 2 Finale, Over There. Part 1 airs May 13th, and part 2 airs May 20th.

Fringe Preview 221: Over There, Part 1

      Email Post       5/09/2010 09:47:00 PM      



Preview for the Fringe episode "Over There, Part 1", which airs March 13th on FOX.

Head over to the FringeTelevision YouTube channel to watch it in HD.

Screenshots of the video are available at FringeFiles.com

Fringe Easter Eggs: Glyphs in Northwest Passage

      Email Post       5/06/2010 10:36:00 PM      

The Glyphs code in Northwest Passage spelled out RETURN. As in Walternate returning for Peter.

For more information on the Fringe Glyphs, check out the Fringepedia's Glyph/Symbols page, which has all the previous glyphs and codes.

Tonight On Fringe: Northwest Passage

      Email Post       5/06/2010 08:22:00 PM      

Fringe Photos:
Tonight on Fringe is the all-new episode "Brown Betty".

As always, we'll have a LIVE Fringe chat from 9:00 PM to 12:00 PM ET, if you want to talk with other Fringe fans, during or after the show. We usually play "spot the observer", and "What's the glyph code?", plus discuss the action on the show. To join the chat, visit the Fringe chat roomenter your name or a nickname, and join the fun! (please don't use the default mib_xxxxx nickname!)

To discuss this or any other Fringe episode, head over to the Fringe Episodes section!

Also, don't forget to check the Fringe Easter Eggs section for Observer sightingsGlyph codes, and other Fringe hidden clues.

How would you rate "Northwest Passage"?

Fridge Science: Balance

      Email Post       5/06/2010 08:18:00 PM      


Here is the latest Fridge comic, which includes a crossover from another popular JJ Abrams show...

You can find all the other Fridge comics at FridgeScience.com

Fringe Episode 220: Northwest Passage

      Email Post       5/06/2010 08:13:00 PM      



Peter teams up with a local law enforcement official, Sheriff Mathis (guest star Martha Plimpton), on a serial murder investigation with ties to Newton (guest star Sebastian Roché). Meanwhile, Walter copes with the possibility of being sent back to St. Claire’s, and someone from the “other side” pays a visit.

Discuss the episode here in the comments.

Pearl Jam's Mike McCready Creates Fringe Score

      Email Post       5/06/2010 08:09:00 PM      

Tonight's episode "Northwest Passage" was scored by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. Originally, the plan was to use the Pearl Jam song "Just Breathe", but according to Rolling Stone Magazine:
After some back and forth they wound up with something even better: guitarist Mike McCready offered to compose the score for the entire episode.  
 This is the first television score for McCready:
 "It's a completely different kind of songwriting than what I'm used to," he says. "Chris Chilton, who writes the music, gave me some ideas and I transcribed them on guitar. They told me they wanted some sort of Northwest, dark-type feelings. It's a very dark show, so I played a darker kind of guitar tone and even stuff that doesn't sound like guitar, and a little bit of piano." 

Review of Episode 2.19 "Brown Betty"

      Email Post       5/04/2010 09:18:00 AM      

If someone gave you an assignment to pretend you were Dr. Walter Bishop telling a fictional
story to Olivia Dunham's eight year-old niece, Ella, what would you include in Walter's story?
Food and candy? The current 'Peter' situation? Interesting factoids about the human body? Corpses? Humor? Drama? Mystery? Observers? Suspicions regarding certain people and places? Sibling rivalry? A romantically-linked Peter and Olivia? A happy ever after ending? Walter's story contains all but the last. Young Ella adds that in to conform Walter's tale to her own story-telling paradigm.



'Brown Betty' is a gem of an episode. You have to watch it more than once to really appreciate all that is packed into it. The episode starts out smooth and I immediately suspected it was written by Pinkner and Wyman, who have written some other brilliant episodes in Seasons 1 and 2(I was not at all surprised to see their writing credit at the bottom of the screen a few short minutes later. Although with Akiva Goldsman contributing to the writing of 'Brown Betty,' I expected the episode to be even more bittersweet at times, than it was.)



Picking a 1940's film noir setting for 'Brown Betty' was a smart move, and the accompanying music, which is usually very good by the accomplished Michael Giacchino and Chris Tilton, seems even better here(the muted sax when Peter and Olivia meet makes you shiver). Since this episode was written to fit in with the FOX ROCKS musical promotional theme handed down by the higher-ups, there is a cornucopia of good tunes, a gift we don't usually receive on 'Fringe.'



Musically most notable were the performances(too short) by Lance Reddick and Jasika Nicole. And honestly, Anna Torv's breakout into "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder, once I got over the pleasant shock of Olivia singing into Peter's face, was not great, but not too bad.



'Brown Betty' is a decidedly Walter-centric episode. However, there is a large dose of Detective Olivia Dunham meets Conman Peter Bishop thrown in for good measure, as they are near and dear to Walter's heart. If you are one of those 'Fringe' fans who does not see the unresloved sexual tension(UST) between Peter and Olivia that has been there since the pilot and still think of them as a brother and sister unit, you are not going to like this episode. 'Brown Betty' is a garden party for Polivia shippers, but the supporting cast is well-represented as well.

Akiva Goldsman definitely left his mark on this one as there are several extremely bittersweet scenes, such as when Narrator Walter tells us that Detective Olivia was going to "pack it in because there was one mystery she could not solve-how to mend a broken heart" as she stares at a framed picture of her ex-lover John Scott(real life ex, Mark Valley) and then throws it in a box. That is a scene that gets you in the gut. Also notable is when Ella asks Walter if he told Peter stories and Walter chokes out that he was too busy with his work to tell Peter stories.
Sadder still is the second to last scene where Olivia returns from chasing leads on Peter and delivers the bad news. The melancholy hanging over Astrid, Walter, and Olivia is thick enough to cut.



Like all good drama there is notable humor in 'Brown Betty as well. The scene where Rachel NoName's mouth opens as she talks of true love and out comes an off-key Walter Bishop rendition of Tears For Fears "Head Over Heels," is one of many wonderfully laughable moments of this episode. Also fun is Ella's objection when Walter states fictional Rachel's love is Peter Bishop. Walter's singing corpses that he shows off to Olivia as his latest lab project would make the Monty Python troupe proud. Olivia and Peter smacking the Observers(or 'Watchers' as they are called here) is fun too. And the opening scene with Walter Bishop enjoying his 'Brown Betty' laden waterpipe to the smooth riffs of Yes's "Roundabout" are likely to put a smile on your face.

There are several themes in this episode, and one big metaphor. The biggest theme I see is perception, which was brought out in the series way back in episode 1.09 and pops up frequently. In 'Brown Betty' Ella interrupts Walter's narration to point out that her mother, Rachel, doesn't love Peter. Walter responds by telling Ella, "As in all good detective stories, things are not as they seem," which is a bigger commentary on the whole of the series.

Another theme in 'Brown Betty' is stolen hearts/love. Apparently smoking marijuana turns Walter's thoughts into the metaphorical. He says Peter Bishop stole his heart, and shows Olivia that the space in his chest cavity is truly vacant. Later Peter Bishop says to Olivia, reagrding Walter, "He says I stole his heart?" minutes before we find Nina's 'Watchers' have stolen Peter's.
The double meanings are fun, and very Walter. It is interesting to note that the word "heart" is said 23 times in this episode. (Twenty-three is also a LOST number.) And Walter has been on a love kick ever since the wedding crime scene in episode 2.14, "The Bishop Revival," so it's no surprise there's alot of talk of love in this episode. And apparently true love and happiness are important to young Ella as well, as she changes the ending to Walter's story so that everyone does good and lives happily ever after.

One more notable theme in 'Brown Betty' is death, and there could be foreshadowing here of events to come in Season 3 of 'Fringe' and beyond. Rachel NoName is killed off, ending the sibling rivalry of the Dunham sisters over Peter Bishop(Thank you, Walter! If only it could be true.) In his lab, Walter Bishop tells Olivia "If I don't get my heart back I'll die." Later in the episode Peter saves Walter by sharing his heart with him. Sitting on his kitchen floor, Peter Bishop tells Olivia that he is dying, and she saves him by replacing his power source. Hmm.
So what is this mysterious power source we may come across in the future, and who will be dying? Who will save the dying? Typical 'Fringe' speculative questions that lead to more questions. And while we're talking about foreshadowing, if you want to be ahead of the game, check out your DVR and have another look at Dr. Walter Bishop's collection of creations. I have a feeling one of them on the pages will show up again.

Another theme of 'Brown Betty' is fright. After Walter tells Ella that PI Dunham takes the case to prove to herself whether or not true love really exists, he says, "This is where things get a bit frightening," which I think is a commentary on Walter's personality and the general storytelling nature of 'Fringe' as a whole.


There are little pieces of the popular Fringe mythology sprinkled in this episode, such as when fictional Peter uses a fingerprint scanner to open the high-tech suitcase containing his special posession, the glass heart. Play that back a few times and you'll see several green dots appear above his finger, but sadly not the green-green-green-red pattern you were probably looking for. There is a constant juxtapositioning of old and new tech in this one, like old rotarty telephones and computers on the same supposedly 1940's desk. If you've read any commentary from Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman in the last few months you know that they love mixing old technology with new in the series, and they do a fine job of it here. Another notable scene here is Nina Sharp talking to William Bell on Walter's window to the Alternate Universe in her 1940's style living room.


In typical 'Fringe' fashion there are also disturbing things here. Dunham meets fictional Nina Sharp, head of Massive Dynamic to get information. She's dressed to the nines, in black, of course. Sharp tells Olivia that Peter Bishop is bad, bad, bad and deserves more than what probably happened to him. And here we get one of the few lines of the episode I find disturbing and possibly foreshadowing events to come involving Peter in Season 3. Nina tells Olivia, "But I can tell you one thing. If he's pretending to love this woman, he must be using her somehow." Hmm. I also find Walter's narcissism in telling Ella he created "All the wonderful things in the world," disturbing. Peter's revelation that Walter Bishop stole the dreams of 147 children and replaced them with nightmares, is very disturbing. Heck, even the thought of Nina Sharp in a romantic relationship with William Bell is disturbing.

I want to leave you with some questions that 'Brown Betty' has left in my head. Why? So I don't have to obsess over them alone.

Why was Walter Bishop in a wheelchair?
Why was Rachel in Chicago? Is this significant?
Is Peter Bishop really 'using' Olivia and/or Rachel Dunham?
Will Nina Sharp turn out to be badder than bad? Do any of the Observers work for her?
Do the Observers work for 'Walternate'? Or William Bell?
Was there a Walter/William/Nina love triangle?

Overall, I give 'Brown Betty' a 9. It was too dark. No, not the content, but the lighting.
I could barely see where Rachel's heart had been removed on re-watching on my DVR.
But, 'Fringe' is a dark show...

Fridge Science: The Pattern

      Email Post       5/02/2010 07:36:00 PM      

Here is the latest Fridge comic, which introduces the new character Broiled (Phillip Broyles).

You can find all the other Fridge comics at FridgeScience.com
 

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