Welcome to the Observiews for Season 4 of Fringe. I call them Observiews because they are more visual observations than deep thinking reviews, if that makes sense.

Screen caps from this episode are taken from fringefiles.com. Dialog is from fringepedia.net/transcripts.

All observations are mine and therefore could be totally off the wall and/or wrong. I have not read or looked at any recaps or reviews. I could also have missed a few things, oh well…

1.18 Midnight
NICHOLAS BOONE: “How far would you go for someone you love?”

Let’s find out, shall we?



Glyphs spelled SIMON
My first thought was Simon from 3.12 Concentrate And Ask Again.
This is a shot from the promo for 4.19 Letters of Transit that aired after 4.18 The Consultant.
And this is why I thought of Simon.
My second thought is that my first thought is wrong and this glyph has nothing to do with 4.19 Letters of Transit. Get it?

The Observer can be seen here.
I was joking Friday night and I said: “I wonder if Jones talked with the Observer, wonder if they are in cahoots with each other since they came from the same direction.”

This episode started with the funeral of Alt-Lincoln.
Alt-Astrid doesn’t like funerals. She never knows what to say but she also had just lost her dad (4.11 Making Angels). And I can understand why Lincoln doesn't want to get out of the car.
As I said last week, now Fauxlivia has another thing in common with Olivia, losing a partner and attending the funeral.
Our Olivia attended John Scott’s funeral in 1.03 The Ghost Network.
I just realized that Olivia is standing on the opposite side from how the funeral for Alt-Lincoln was shot (if that makes any sense).

MRS. LEE: “This isn't right. Our children aren't supposed to die before we do.”
We will get back to that later.

FAUXLIVIA: “We are going to do everything that we can to find who's responsible and bring them to justice. I give you my word.”
1.11 Bound
CHARLIE: “Know that we're doing everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.”
So then Fauxlivia goes and visits “Meana”.

FAUXLIVIA: “I believe that David Robert Jones has a mole in the Department of Defense. Among other things, someone tipped him off bout the location of a prisoner transport, which allowed his men to ambush my team and kill my partner… I will find him. And soon Jones and everyone who worked for him will find themselves rotting in a cell just like you.”
NINA SHARP: “Well, you needn't worry about me, Agent Dunham. You see, I'm not gonna be here very long. It's your world you ought to be concerned about. Because as bad as you think things are now, things are going to get much worse.”
When I heard Meana say she’s not gonna be there very long, I thought Jones would help her escape with the “DizRay” device Walter created that Jones used to escape from the Germany prison in 1.10 Safe.

On to the case. A guy all of a sudden ends up floating to the ceiling and crashes back down with injuries resembling impact from high up.
When I saw the company logo
I thought of this, the A-lyph from 1.01 The Pilot.
Walter actually got out of the lab and Astrid drove him to the crime scene.
WALTER: “It's a miracle we made it in one piece. You drive like a daredevil.”
ASTRID: “For the eleventh time, Walter, I drive the speed limit.”
WALTER: “Most automobile fatalities occur driving between work and home.”
ASTRID: “Yeah, so does most driving.”
WALTER: Ascot, look.” I'll get back to that later. 
WALTER: “It’s my son and his girlfriend. I called your house last night, Peter. You didn't answer.”
PETER: “That's 'cause I was out.”
WALTER: “With Agent Dunham, I presume, making up for lost time.”
Awww! Just look at their faces. Cute.

So they go in and examine the bodies.

WALTER: “Bones in the lower half of his body are completely shattered. Feel this.”
PETER: “Oh, please, can I?”
WALTER: He's dead, Peter. You can't hurt him.
PETER: Not really what I was concerned about.”

Peter probably remembers all the times Walter asked him to feel dead things, lol.

I also had to think of 1.12 The No-Brainer where Walter rams a swap into the dead guy’s nose.
PETER: “Ohhh!!”
WALTER: “What? He's dead. He can't feel this.”

Olivia is on the phone, discovering that there is a third body, a pilot. Walter confirms the injuries could be from a plane crash. But how, since those two died in the office.
He has an idea.
Quantum Entanglement anyone?

Meanwhile, it was confirmed in the alternate universe that a plane crashed and that it kill the counterparts over here.

Fauxlivia is dead set on finding Lincoln’s killer. She knows it’s someone from the inside.
FAUXLIVIA: “Sir, Jones has been a step ahead of us the whole way. He knew we were coming, and he moved his entire shapeshifter operation. When we were tracking him, he knew what frequency we were on. Someone inside tipped-off Nina Sharp and got Lincoln killed.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “I understand. But this level of surveillance comes with a lot of red tape. I'll cut through it.”
This so not like he talked last week. I wonder if he has a feeling that his time is coming.

But for now he needs Fauxlivia to go to the bridge and welcome members from our side to investigate the plane crash together.

So Walter is going to cross over. He is The Consultant.
WALTER: “Always like to empty my bladder before a long trip.”
OLIVIA: “Walter, you do realize that we're just walking through a door.”
WALTER: “It's better safe than sorry.”

I was thinking of 4.04 Subject 9
WALTER: “If you don't mind, I think I should urinate before we leave.”

SECURITY SCREENER: “Are you on any medications?”
WALTER: Several. “Mostly recreational.”
This is one of the many typical “Walter moments” and I love them.

Since this is his first time, Walter is a bit frazzled as he gets scanned.
OLIVIA: “Walter, are you sure that you don't want me to go with you?”
WALTER: “I'm sure, Dear. Once Peter receives the bodies at the lab, he'll need your help to examine them. And when I've collected samples from the bodies on the other side, I'll return and we can compare the two. Besides, I'm sure you love birds could use a little time together.”
WALTER: And thank you for trusting me. This is a really big step for me.”

I was thinking back to 1.01 The Pilot
WALTER: “Listen, in case you don't come back, I just wanted to say before we do this...how much I appreciate what you've done. There is so many things you lose in a place like that. You lose being trusted. Strange how important that is when it's gone.”

Lincoln and Fauxlivia approach to pick up Walter.
WALTER: “Ah, my escort is here. And by 'escort', I don't mean 'prostitute'” I just love him.
I wonder if both Olivia’s will ever work things out between them and become friends. It would be cool.  “The mighty Dunhamnators”. Mwahaha!

2.22 Over There Part 2
FAUXLIVIA: “I don't know what you are, but you are nothin' like me.”
Are you sure? Walter will get back to that later.

Our Olivia seemed very happy to see Lincoln. She charges him to take care of Walter.

Arriving at the dock, Walter is faced with another reminder that he is responsible for all the damage.
WALTER: “What is this?”
FAUXLIVIA: “It's a list of hot spots where the damage was the worst.”

But because of the bridge it is getting better.

I thought of 2.22 Over There Part 2
WALTER: “Am I responsible for this?”WILLIAM BELL: “Yes, Walter. I'm afraid you are.”

Anyway, the Sergeant offers his condolences and Walter wanted to bring a casserole.
WALTER: “Well, in times of grief, people need to eat. But apparently it's forbidden to transport perishables between universes.”

I thought of 4.11 Making Angels where he offered scrambled eggs as consolation.
WALTER: “Nonsense. N - nearly all cultures react to death with food.”
We’ll come back to that.

Does Walter have a theory?

WALTER: “No, not yet. In all our years of researching the relationship between the universes, Belly and I were successfully able to transport matter from one side to the other. Even to merge tiny portions of both universes, but it never occurred to us that an event that happened in one universe would cause a reaction on the other.”

I was thinking about 2.14 Jacksonville where Walter told Peter and Olivia about Belly’s car
and 4.12 Welcome To Westfield
WALTER: “Belly and I once combined a tiny portion of our universe with the alternate universe in a goldfish bowl in our lab. Besides... what it did to the goldfish, the effect on the physics in the overlapping areas was catastrophic. Gravity, electromagnetic fields.”

As Fauxlivia asks him if someone is responsible for the “quantum entanglement” of the case she gets a typical “Walter answer”: “On purpose? Anything's possible, even Santa Claus.” LoL.
Walter concludes: “If Jones caused this, he's conceived of something Belly and I never did.”
I agree and I think we really have no idea what Jones is capable of.

So at FHQ Walter is conducting a test.
He wants to see at what frequency the body from the red universe is vibrating at which in this case is a perfect “G”.
But of course he needs to compare it with something. So Walter unpacks a hand he brought form our universe.
FAUXLIVIA: “A hand.” Loved the look on her face, lol.
WALTER: “I removed it from one of the victims on our side.”

AGENT LEE: “You couldn't bring over a casserole, but a severed hand is okay?”
Since Olivia was carrying the bag with the hand when she and Walter crossed I’m assuming they had permission, or did Olivia not know what was in the bag?

WALTER: “Shh. That's a "G". That's incorrect. It should be a "C". You see, each universe vibrates at its own specific frequencies. Everything from this universe would vibrate at a "G", and everything from our universe at "C". Somehow the victims on our side were made to vibrate at the frequency of this universe.”
AGENT LEE: “So you're saying that the doppelgangers were somehow linked across universes?”

Quantum entanglement in a different way.

Lincoln wants to listen to the Black Box but over there they don’t have those. Instead satellites monitor all communication. As they listen to it
I thought of 1.13 The Transformation where the team listened to the black box recording of the plane crash when Bowman turned into the creature.

Jones has a meeting.
JONES' OPERATIVE: “Sorry that I'm late.”
DAVID JONES: “No matter. Gave me time to enjoy my tea. I must say, Matcha  is one of the few things I'm going to miss. How did our experiment with the plane go?”
JONES' OPERATIVE: “Better than we expected. Do you have a preference for this next one?”
DAVID JONES: “Surprise me.”
There was also some nice green, red reflection-action going on in the bottom left corner.

I guess I’ll ask my questions here. When Jones said he was going to miss his tea I’m assuming he was going somewhere. To the other side?
We know from the end that he could have intended for both worlds to collapse had Alt-Broyles actually attached the device to the machine. If that is the case, where is he going and why does he want both worlds destroyed. I was thinking back to 4.16 Nothing As It Seems where Walter said that Jones has a god complex. God is creating a new heaven and a new earth in the book of Revelation. But he also destroys the old one. Is this what Jones is going for? A new world for just his new breed of humans?

Anyway back to the story.
Broyles is going home and is greeted by his wife Diane. It was good seeing her again.
COLONEL BROYLES: “How's Chris?”
DIANE BROYLES: “He's good. Can't stop talking about some girl in his class. If only I could get him to pay half as much attention to his homework as he does to those girls.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “Where is he?”
DIANE BROYLES: “He's in the living room. We've been entertaining your friend.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “What friend?”
CHRIS BROYLES: “Oh, hey Dad.”
Chris looks great. Did  3.07 The Abducted not happen , 
where “The Candyman” stole youth form children, leaving Chris blind and his body deteriorating.
I guess we’ll find out soon.

COLONEL BROYLES: “We have protocols for making contact. Showing up in my home isn't one of them.”
DAVID JONES: “I see where my showing up unannounced would be worrying. But I wanted to bring this to you - - personally. I understand it's a tad overdue. Christopher's responding extraordinarily well to treatment. It's hard to imagine that a few months ago he was in constant pain, His eyesight was gone, that he was –“
COLONEL BROYLES: “Dying.”
DAVID JONES: “Every parent's nightmare.” (second reference in this episode of children dying before their parents. And if you could do anything about it, would you? No matter how dangerous?)

So 3.07 The Abducted still happened. But because of Jones, Christopher is healing. On the one hand I’m sad that Alt-Broyles made this deal with Jones. On the other I’m glad because that means Alt-Broyles is not a shapeshifter and only acting out of love for his son.

COLONEL BROYLES: “I buried an agent today. A good man. And I’m also well aware that Agent Lee isn't the first casualty of our... collaboration. Some day I’ll have to account for what I’ve done, but...”
DAVID JONES: “But you can't lose your boy. Love makes us vulnerable. But it also makes us human, I suppose.”

I had to think back to 2.15 Peter
WALTER: “I always knew that one day I'd have to pay the price for my deception.”
OLIVIA: “Well, we're not really sure what the cost is yet, are we?”
Even in this case I think we can say: “No, we don’t.”

So now Jones’s second test is on the way.  His minion is planting a device in a taxi over here. Wait, what, now I’m confused. Jones drank tea over there, right? So his minion crossed over here, right?
And it affects the same person over there.
And this didn’t end well for both.
The taxi was found under a bridge.
And later we see one hanging in Alt-Broyles’s office.
Bridges seem important in Fringe. Bridges are used to cross, to bridge a gap, to connect things, to make a way over an obstacle. It was the last image seen in 1.02 The Same Old Story. Both Olivia’s had them hanging in their apartments. Walternate crossed over on one in 2.18 The Man From The Other Side. Peter created the bridge so both universes can be fixed in 3.22 The Day We Died, just to name a few.

So now the two teams have to work together again. Astrid meets with Alt-Astrid and has a gift for her – real coffee. Loved her reaction.
Speaking of, I should make some so I can stay awake and finish these. Ahh, much better, lol.

Over there, Badgers have been domesticated. That tickles Walter.
Peter finds the device in the cab. It is Amphilicite.
This might be a weird connection but the first thought that came to mind when I saw this were the memory discs of the dead shapeshifters in 3.16 Os.
COLONEL BROYLES: “Doctor Bishop, do you have any idea what Jones is trying to do?”
WALTER: “He's done it twice, originating once in each universe.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “So why? He must have a reason.”
WALTER: “Of course he has a reason. Problem is I don't know what it is. I'm sorry.”
Walter is quite upset.

Alt-Broyles suggest giving it a rest for tonight. Walter agrees although the pillow they gave him gave him a terrible crick in his neck. Fauxlivia offers him to stay because she has a spare room.
And here is a typical Walter answer: “I appreciate that. Thank you. And I shall refrain from sleeping naked.”

WALTER: “Colonel Broyles. I wanted to apologize.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “For what?”
WALTER: “For snapping at you. It's not you I’m angry with. None of what Jones is doing would be possible without the right conditions. I created those conditions by crossing over all those years ago. Had I not done that, we wouldn't be in this situation now.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “Doctor Bishop. May I ask you something?” WALTER: “Of course.”
COLONEL BROYLES: “If you had to do it all over again, would you make the same choice?”
WALTER: “If you'd asked me that question a few months ago, the answer would have been no. But now that I have met my adult son, got to know him, I don't know that I'd do anything differently.”

This conversation reminds me of one that Walter and our Broyles had in 3.20 6:02 AM EST
BROYLES: “Peter's your son. As a father, do you think this is a good idea?”
WALTER: “It's because of my selfishness, my inability to let my son go twenty-six years ago that this is happening. My opinion as a father, it doesn't matter.” BROYLES: “Walter, it matters to me.”
WALTER: “I honestly don't know what's gonna happen, Phillip. And the current of energy is so powerful. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. And the thought of what that could do to my son... I don't want him to suffer.”


And also 2.13 The Bishop Revival
WALTER: "No, no, it was more than that. You see, family is very important to me. There's nothing I wouldn't do."

Meanwhile Alt-Astrid went through the 108 names that could be suspects in Lincoln’s murder but she couldn’t find anything to the dismay of Fauxlivia.
That’s because the one name you want is not on there.

Alt-Broyles has another meeting with Jones. He wants the Colonel to attach this to the control panel of the machine.
That can’t be good.

Here we’ve got some white beam and blue beam action going. 
Don’t know if it means anything, just noticed it.

Okay, back to the conversation. More red and green reflections.
COLONEL BROYLES: “You do realize that machine is healing our worlds?”
DAVID JONES: “I do. Need I remind you who I am healing?”

How far did you go to save your son? Or should I say, how much further are you willing to go?

Back at the Broyles residence he is ready to give Chris the injections he received from Jones..
I wonder if this is the moment he decided to do what he’s going to do.

So now we are at Fauxlivia’s house.

Walter is just adorable in the robe.
WALTER: “You're a lot like her, you know? The other Olivia. She has trouble sleeping too when there's an open case.”
FAUXLIVIA: “It's not the case. It's the evidence from Lincoln's murder.”
So the theory I had last week with Lincoln possibly still alive to find the mole was wrong.

Frank had left a bottle of something when he moved out. And we know Fauxlivia doesn’t drink.
2.21 Over There Part 1
FRANK STANTON: “Might be a good day to start drinking.”
FAUXLIVIA: “Oh, God. I would if I could only stand the taste.”

FAUXLIVIA: “That's everything that Lincoln had left in Fringe Division. And I’m supposed to give it to his parents, And I just can't face them, not until I got something more to tell them.
And I thought this [alcohol] would give me some courage, but all it's done is just make me feel a little bit sick.”
WALTER: “Well I have just the thing for that. Some people swear by hair of the dog , but I prefer nature's sponge, the egg. It won't be long.”
Finally, Walter found someone he can eat scrambled eggs with. He’s been trying to do that since 4.11 Making Angels.

And this is not the first time a Bishop cooks scrambled eggs for an Olivia.
2.19 Brown Betty sends greetings.

Walter suggests sleeping on it. He says our brain can process evidence even when we’re not conscious.
FAUXLIVIA: “Yeah, but that's the thing, there is no evidence. I mean, there is absolutely nothing linking any of the likely suspects to the crime.”
Can I just say it? This whole scene is just adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. Both John and Anna did wonderful and I just loved drunk Fauxlivia.

WALTER: “Then perhaps it's time to give some thought to the dog that did not bark.”
FAUXLIVIA: “I don't understand.”
WALTER: “Sherlock Holmes. Fictitious detective. Penchant for cocaine?”
FAUXLIVIA: “No, not on this side.”
WALTER: “The point is no evidence is evidence in and of itself.”
FAUXLIVIA: “Okay. So what if our mole is covering his tracks? Then it would have to be someone pretty high up on the food chain (ha, funny, since they’re eating). I mean, someone with enough clearance to alter classified details.”
WALTER: “How about Colonel Broyles?”
FAUXLIVIA: “No. Broyles? No way.” (Way!)
WALTER: “You know him better than I do. But in the case of a mole, no one should be above suspicion. Frankly, I’m still upset about Nixon.” Is this what Walter is referring to?

“And the wheels in her head go round and round”

So Fauxlivia pays a visit to Meana. She even turns the camera off for some more privacy.
FAUXLIVIA: “I just wanted to tell you in person that we found our mole. We have Colonel Broyles in custody. He told us everything, so he won't be able to set you free anymore.”
NINA SHARP: “You really have no idea. Philip is irrelevant. He's just another pawn. This changes nothing, Agent Dunham. I know Jones, And he will come for me.”
FAUXLIVIA: “Perhaps. Unless you're just another pawn.”
Well played Fauxlivia. And since we’re talking about Chess, this will go down in history as the “Meana Trap”. Mwahaha!

So Fauxlivia shares with our Lincoln. Just as he doubted the news, Alt-Astrid says she can’t find Alt-Broyles. His subcutaneous tracker was disables.
Why couldn’t he have disabled it in 3.08 Entrada?
But they were still able to locate him because of his “show me”. He is on the way to the machine.
Alt-Broyles please don’t do it!

Our Broyles arrives as well and we find out that Alt-Broyles just turned himself in. Phew!
And Alt-Broyles has to apologize to Fauxlivia.
So now there is another thing Fauxlivia and Olivia have in common. Betrayal.

So now it’s time for Walter to say god-bye.
WALTER: “Don't judge him. No one can be certain exactly what they're capable of, how far they'll go to save the ones they love. I know this more than most. Keep an eye on this universe, will you? I've grown quite fond of it.”

FAUXLIVIA: “See, I’m surprised that you're not going back with him.”
AGENT LEE: “I told you I'd help find the people who killed your partner. And mine. And until we do that, I'm not going anywhere. Look, it might not feel like it now, but it does get better.”
Awww! Is Lincoln falling in love with Fauxlivia and that’s really why he’s staying?

Two pawns down, six to go.
One of these days I’m going to try to figure out who all the pieces are in this game of Fringe chess.

Back at the lab Walter discovered what Jones was doing. Jones wanted to find a frequency that could link both universes.
And if Alt-Broyles had uploaded the device he would have been able to collapse both universes. Gulp! I’m glad he didn’t.


Wow, where is this going to go? What is going to happen? Although I’m a bit scared, I can’t wait to find out.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

There seemed to have been multiple themes in this episode. Love, death and healing.

Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; (American Standard Version)

I absolutely love how faith, religion and God are approached on Fringe. It made me look at my faith in a much deeper way. That is just my own personal opinion.

The taxi bill was $18.47 (47 being a recurring number)

In the beginning I said Walter called Astrid “Ascot” and that it is a racecourse for horses in England. The Sherlock Holmes novel mentioned earlier also has to do with a race horse.

Fauxlivia actually ate!
Good girl, lol.

I want Walter to fix me food too. I should specify, preferably the eatable kind.

So excited for the next episode.

Keep watching, Fringies and of course…

“In the end I have to believe in HOPE”