“The worst part of holding the memories is not
the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” ― Lois Lowry,
The Giver
This episode was sure to be controversial as early
viewers warned that tissues would be needed and some outlets leaked that there
would be an emotional death. I do have to say that I had a pretty good idea of
what was coming due to set reports concerning the activities of a certain
actress—or lack thereof. However, when that big moment came, I was not
prepared. The script was written by Alison Schapker, who is one
of the best Bad Robot team writers, having penned The Plateau, Marionette, Bloodline, The Last Sam Weiss, One Night
In October, Enemy Of My Enemy and
A Better Human Being. She’s great
with meaningful and gut-wrenching stories, and this may be her Fringe magma opus.
The last we saw the team, they rode off in the
ancient Vista Cruiser—affectionately known as the Bishop-mobile—that Peter was
able to bring back from the dead. This episode starts differently than the
majority of episodes, which usually involve a dream sequence or death for the
latest Fringe case victim. Peter is out on a nocturnal mission; syphoning some
fuel from an abandoned vehicle. As I watched, I wondered about the Observer’s
curfew time, and whether or not he had some “papers” made up in case he was
questioned.
Memories Are Made of
This
Gasoline in hand, he stops in front of the display window
of a small, secondhand goods shop named The Thrifty Lion. A cymbal smashing monkey
toy brings a smile to his face. It brought a smile to mine as well, because not
only do I like to see rare moments of happiness for Peter, I recognized the toy
from a season two episode. It was in August’s apartment, a distraction that
almost got Peter killed by the Observer’s hit man, Donald Long. (Not a relative
*grin* ) His curiosity piqued, Peter enters the store.
Like Peter, I am drawn to old things, collectibles,
and antiques. Some say that it is a Cancerian trait, because people born under
the sign feel emotionally connected to the past, and as such revel in dusty
bookshops (like Markham’s), and often have hobbies that involve collectibles
(like coins). Peter isn’t a Cancer, but he is very much his father’s son, as we’ve
seen Walter’s fondness for older tech such as Betamaxes and vinyl records. The
first item he picks up is a pillow cross-stitched with an ironic maxim: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plan." Peter makes small talk with the Jamaican shop owner and briefly plays with the fast memory recall game, Simon. He says that he had one as a kid.
Can I just say how much I enjoy all of the
outstanding detail that goes into many of the scenes on Fringe. The prop and set decorators are outstanding. The light-up
buttons are red, green, blue and yellow. Colors that have long been represented
in the Fringeverse: 1) The season one green-green-green-red light sequence. 2)
The blue and red universes. 3) The yellow (amber) timeline. Plus, we are not
only reminded of brave Simon, but also all of the other characters named Simon
that have been on the show, such as Simon Phillips (Concentrate and Ask Again) and Simon Paris (Grey Matters), a.k.a.
Dr. Bell.
There is a theme to take into consideration here:
The role of objects in memory recall and in emotional response. Fringe has
pointed this out time-and-time again. Walter’s obsession with food and other objects
has often jogged his memory. Peter’s coin made several appearances. An M.I.T
shirt found in her washer helped Olivia surmise just how far Fauxlivia had
slipped into her life. The list is endless. Maybe someday I’ll sit down and
construct one. In this case, Peter is nostalgic. These objects represent
happier times for him. He is sometimes a child at heart—again, very much like
his father. Other examples include the gyroscope toy he was once enthralled
with, and playing with Olivia’s siren in Midnight.
Remembering what he was looking for; Peter
approaches the owner to inquire, only to be interrupted by an unnoticed Observer.
He’s read Peter, and dangles a silver chain necklace in front of him, while
proclaiming it as the object of Peter’s desire. The owner flashes a look of, “Oh,
crap,” while Peter desperately tries to keep calm as he attempts to block the
reading with thoughts of baseball. Which I have to admit, beats apples – bananas
- rhinoceros. His attempts make the Observer suspicious, making Peter leave abruptly. He is chased through a man hole, and caught in the tail end of
a light grenade’s blast radius.
Luckily Peter is able to emerge from a storm drain
and he blacks out underneath the subway tracks. (Hello Vancouver Skytrain!) He
awakens to the sound of a harmonica, played by a young boy (but actually played
by Fringe music composer, Chris Tilton). For a moment—not really sure—I swear the
boy is wearing what appears to be a replica Confederate wool shell jacket over
his hoodie. Probably not. One thing is for sure, the boy is a hardened product
of the aftermath of the Observer invasion. He pokes Peter with a stick, asks
about his gun, and then just offers a statement of “You’re bleeding,” before
taking off. He continues to play his harmonica, and leaves dazed, bleeding and
confused Peter to fend for himself.
Meanwhile, Walter and Astrid work together to retrieve
another tape from the Amber. Walter bemoans the amount of time that it is
taking. He’s not getting any younger, and doesn’t want to wait another
twenty-one years to save the world.
Peter makes it back, and Olivia immediately shows concern, brushing her
hand against his cheek as she asks him what happened. OK, it’s a small gesture, but at
this point, the shippers will take anything!
He gives Olivia and Etta the bad news, and says
something that is not typical for Peter. He is visibly discouraged and looks
weary as his words say that he is losing hope in beating the Observers. Olivia’s
face is just as surprised. She knows that Peter just doesn’t give up. Etta is
not buying it, and she offers encouragement and the chance at a new weapon for
the whole team; teaching them how to block the Observer’s readings, like she
has for others. Peter takes the necklace from his own neck and places it around
his daughter’s, which earns him a sweet hug. However, Etta says what seems to
be such another innocent adage: “No good deed goes unpunished.” Darn this show, because this—like many things
said—will have a double meaning.
The Observers won’t just let the strange incident
go. Windmark plays with the Simon game, but it seems to be nothing more than
fiddling with an object just to pass the time instead of an actual game of
concentration. Then who should walk in the door but Broyles! Imagine having to
stand there next to Windmark and then seeing a video image of a man who you last
saw 20 years ago. At this point, I was afraid Broyles would be caught because
Windmark would read him. But he plays it cool and learns that the Observers
were hot on the trail of the fugitive Fringe team.
Hello
Freak Show
Back at the lab, the team watches another Dharma—erm,
Walter tape, which is not cooperating with them, because it jumps and skips.
Walter’s story—that makes Olivia do a hilarious facepalm—gives the team clues.
Walter has hidden the described plans like his prized possessions—comic books. The
team must infiltrate a heavily Observer occupied train station. We learn that
Walter has been keeping a secret.
Beneath the lab is a secret lair of sorts, a place
where many items related to past Fringe cases were stored. I had mentioned
earlier that Fringe’s prop details are one of the best aspects of the series.
However, this scene in the lab—as cool as it is—troubles me. It kinda looks
like a Fringe garage sale—or a set sale that takes place when a series wraps… While
it is nice of the writers/show to want to have this obvious fan centered gesture, it is perplexing in the context of the old timeline compared
to this current one. In this timeline, Olivia never met David Robert Jones
until Peter arrived. The orifice-closing toxin connected to Jones should have
not been there, correct? While this may just be a silly quibble, I do
really appreciate the goofy Porcupine man. But most of all, I am intrigued by
the focus on the window to the other universe. For one thing, I hope it may be
used to have one final glimpse at the other universe.
Now it is Etta’s turn to be intrigued by old stuff: Artifacts
from the past that tell stories- Stories of her family’s work.
The
Peacemaker
Back at the Observer fortress, an unfortunate soul
is interrogated and found to be a member of the resistance due to a slip-up in
his academy graduation story. How do you fight those that seem to have recorded
every detail of the past? Broyles watches nervously, and especially reacts to
the name of a resistance operative known as The Dove. Lance Reddick’s scenes
with the Observer interrogator are so suspenseful; his hand on his weapon was a
nice touch.
Family
Fun and a Story
Most Fringe fans agree that the show is our favorite
because many story elements are incorporated so well together. In this
miserable future, sometimes it’s good to have a laugh. Unfortunately for
Astrid, she’s the target of the goofy Bishop Boy’s shenanigans.
Olivia and Etta stake out the Observer position, by
using a media device tapped into their surveillance network. Here, we have the
most poignant physical reminder of past events. Etta reveals that she retrieved
the bullet on her necklace from their abandoned old house, and that it made her
feel closer to Olivia. So the bullet is nothing more than a Fringe team relic
after all. Olivia knows the real story behind that terrible bullet,
but simply explains to Etta, “Your father used to call this, The Bullet that
Saved the World.”
Sadly, there is no time for Olivia to further explain as
they are tipped off that the lab is no longer safe.
Astrid is separated from the group, as they scatter. I am assuming
she remained at the lab. But my question is why would they return to the lab?
The place would be monitored, one would think. Yes, the tapes are important,
but retrieving them would have to be riskier business.
Don’t
Mess with the Fringe Family
Walter drives up to the checkpoint, and it seems he’s
impervious to low level electrocution. After all, he’s performed hundreds of
experiments on himself. Olivia and Etta fight Observer and Loyalist alike with
the orifice-closing toxin canisters, while Walter and Peter retrieve the plans.
Back at Fringe Division, Broyles pulls out a photograph
of Peter and Olivia. (Add another groan here, as this picture is terrible. Of
all the wonderful pictures that could have been used, why this fake looking
piece?)
Broyles lost his family in one timeline, and I am assuming the same
happened here, although he is wearing a wedding ring. As the team tries to make
sense of gobbledy-gook physics equations beyond Walter’s understanding, they
receive a much welcome visitor.
Beautiful. Olivia’s happiness really shines here. It’s
probably the most intense and joyful scene this season. Unlike her first meeting with Etta, there
is no apprehension. Broyles has always had to play the hard man, but these rare
moments remind us just how much these people are like family to him. We discover
he has been Etta’s benefactor for five years. Most fans assumed it was
Nina Sharp in some capacity, though it wouldn’t surprise me that she and
Phillip both aided the young Bishop/Dunham child.
While they talk, the camera pulls back and we see
the graffiti words, “Manifest Destiny.” Not sure what that’s about, but if its
anything like the historical concept, it may have to do with… Native
extermination. If you stop and think about it, we are like the Native Americans
to the Observers. Whenever a technologically superior culture meets a less
advanced culture, the latter doesn’t tend to stick around long, unless that
invader is missing something very important. In this case, the key missing
element for the Observers may very well be a strong human driving force—One that
has caused men and women to do things like… break universes, alter timelines,
and bring people back from a state of nonexistence.
The reunion is short and sweet, but Broyles make
sure to hook up the team with some high tech weaponry.
I
am a Leaf on the Wind
The team takes refuge in an abandoned warehouse, but
they are trapped like rats. Etta ends up on her own, and Windmark teleports
behind her, catching her by surprise. Finding the bullet necklace, he asks Etta
why Peter bought it for her. Etta doesn’t try to prevent her mind from being
read. We see the dandelion seeds from her childhood scatter in the wind, and her father’s open
arms as she runs to him. #LoveIsTheAnswer, and our hearts shatter.
Watching these people lose their long-lost family member has
to be one of the most heart-wrenching sequences of the series. Even in her dying moments, she does not know
how to give up, and she protects her family. Etta arms the anti-matter device
knowing that she is bait. She also knows that they would do
anything for her, so giving them no option is the best way to go. Like her
father and mother, she is no coward. She sacrifices herself so that they can
continue to fight. Everyone’s pain was felt. A grieving Walter once asked his
wife when their Peter died, “He knew he was loved. Didn’t he?” At least Etta
knew that she was loved dearly. Olivia made damned sure of this. I could barely
handle seeing Peter cradle his dying daughter like he did to Olivia in the
season four finale. And Walter crying is the killing blow to the heart.
Olivia retrieves the necklace, and a new memory is attached to it.
Fringe fans are Peter and Olivia in a way. Our
Love for the show is earned, tragedy-by-tragedy. And I can’t imagine anything
worse than losing a child, getting to know her as an adult for a very short
time, and then having her ripped away for certain.
What a miserable future, indeed.
Hopeful Peter—who has always pressed on--has reached
his breaking point. This poor scarred man has seen too much death. He lost a
mother. He’s seen Olivia die twice due to a bullet to her head. He was shown his
baby son Henry and informed that the boy did not exist due to his choice to
save Olivia. He and Olivia have a beautiful daughter only to lose her to time
and then death. No matter what Peter does, he cannot escape losing someone he
loves.
I found Walter's urging Peter to leave because Etta was gone, a bit out of touch. Walter, of all people, should know what his son is thinking. Or, maybe that is why Walter was walking on eggshells. He recognizes that look in his son's face.
It’s a season that is touted as a love letter to the
fans; however it feels like a series of letters that chronicle a set of incredibly
tragic love stories. If Wyman wanted to delve into these core characters, their
relationships, and meaning to each other, he’s managed to score on all counts;
at least with this viewer. And the game isn’t over yet.
Peter looks like a man set ablaze. With their child
ripped away for certain from him and Olivia, I fear Peter will go back to that
dark place that he fell into in Reciprocity. Or will he take the vengeful route of
his actual father, Walternate? Some of his words from season one should be given to
the Observers as a warning…
“You
have no idea what I am capable of.”
But my words to Peter echo that of his mother:
Einai
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Posts
18 Comments:
This was a very powerful episode of Fringe and one of the better episodes lately. I was shocked that Etta was killed, but my coworker at DISH wasn’t. He noted that the Bishop family has experienced nothing but tragedy and so Etta’s death will be one more in a line of tragedy. I missed most of the airing on Friday, but my Hopper caught the whole thing for me to watch later thanks to PrimeTime Anytime. It records all the shows in prime time from the four major networks without having to set up individual show timers. I’m glad we got an episode that wasn’t fluff or filler, but I’m sad that Etta is gone, hopefully the team will still prevail.
Thanks Aimee Long, for her these, great thoughts and opinions! They make me have better reflections and other ideas about this great episode (5.04) of Fringe. But one of these points raised by you, Aimee, I see that picture of Windmark playing incessantly, that toy of bright colors, with repetitive movements, as if hypnotized, totally absorbed, totally something "childish". That gave me some reflections. First, note that the Observers never had infancy, they seem, have already born "ready". And when I speak of "ready", I could also say: "ready for use". They, as we know, we humans originated from, and now they are like atemporal entities, of a distant future for us all.
And, secondly, they have great difficulty understanding the feelings of us humans, no doubt. When did that Windmark scan the brain of Etta, he said the word: "Love?". And this leads me to conclude that our simple ways of being, our moments of happiness, childhood, love, family tranquility, finally, humanity, are existential emotional elements, which are not properly understood by those Badservers. Then, at that very point, which is the main fragility I see them, or our humanity. In other words, this is the image Windmark trying to "play" with that toy of bright colors, is the feeling that comes from inexorable Fringe team win, and with it, "the world's salvation."
Interesting, and well-written, review.
Silly me, I hadn't realized "Ability" didn't happen in this timeline ( neither did "Snakehead", and the creature from this episode was also there, right ? ) ... Well, let's say that, like the porcupine man case, it DID happen, but later, sometime between 2012 and 2015. Jones was dead, but maybe Bell created the toxin, after all, he was in cahoots with Jones, so he might have had the "recipe" ...
Exceptionally well written Aimee! This episode was a tough one, as I never in a million years expected the team to lose Etta. As I mentioned in my blog recap, Wyman is just not cruel for cruel's sake... I think he's setting us up for one final timeline reboot to a happier time (minus Observers). Thanks for a great recap, which did not feel long at all btw. -Hank
@ Hank Yeah, most of us feel that that we haven't seen the last of that dandelion field. I trust Joel; he's always said that the road to happiness is uphill. It makes it worth it then end. Thanks for the read and I'll set off to read yours in a bit. :)
@Lccf Yeah, maybe Bell did develop the toxin, but it's a lot to always expect the audience to understand these things that may have occurred off camera. For my sanity, I'm just going to choose to believe its origin was Bell. xD
@Zepp You're correct. The Observers don't seem to have mothers... or proper fathers even. They are very likely to be produced like the children in Huxley's "Brave New World." The scene of Windark and the Simon game seem to underscore your thoughts. Especially when he looked at Broyles while still hitting the correct keys... He is curious about Love, but only as a weapon.
You know, I found that Walter urging Peter to move on was sign of character development. Walter was always the one who couldn't deal with death. That was probably his worst flaw because it caused a lot of problems to the entire universes. And now, he has got to a point where he can accept that it's part of life and he was trying to get Peter to do that too. We don't know how he handled Etta's disappearance in the past. Maybe that was what caused he to grow in that aspect of his personality.
@Carlinha You do have a point. Walter has learned that lesson. But as such, he should know that is not going to be easy at all for Peter.
I don't think it was a sign of character development for Walter. Let's remember this Walter is not our old Walter and his attachment to Peter is flimsy at best. It's very telling that he spent the time filming all those tapes high and having fun, while Peter went in search of his daughter.
I don't mean he didn't enjoy being a grandfather, but he hasn't shown any deep feelings for her or for Peter. That's the only reason he can be so cold about it.
@PG That's pretty much the vibe I get from Walter. He may now know the cost of what he had done, but he doesn't seem to be there to keep Peter from going off that very cliff. I am interested to see his reactions to the aftermath of Etta's death.
"We need to leave."
I think this Walter is a different Walter from both the original and the "Walter sans son" of Season Four. This Walter is the first one since Walter of '85 who has all of his brain intact. And he has gotten back some of the ruthlessness that was the Walter of '85, and the Walter in "Bishop Revival" as well.
And right now, in this situation, I think that's an asset. It looks like both Peter and Olivia are going to understandably go off the rails for a bit, and Walter will have to be the one to get the Bishop team together again and stay on mission. And, as much as we love these characters, that mission is more important than anything, including them. Etta knew that, too.
I think this Walter does love his son very much and has grown for having him back in his life. There were two beats in this episode that pointed that out. The looks exchanged between them after Peter gave Etta the necklace was one. And, silly-funny as it was, the gag with the air guns in the basement was another. And as hard as it was to face, they did need to leave at the end. And Etta knew that as well.
With the abrupt ending, 5.04 seemed like part 1 of a 2 parter, so I'm thinking in "part 2" it will be Peter and Olivia who will grow, and grow together, however hard that may be.
Thanks for a great review, Aimee. I know putting that together was a lot of work, but I hope you will do it for the remaining episodes.
And I hope I never hear the word "love" leave Windmark's lips again.
I am looking forward to Olivia channeling her abilities through anger and fear to beat those baldies!!!
I agree with Milostanfield and disagree with PG: Walter has not the same history with Peter as the seasons 1-3 one ( who spent half of Peter's life in Saint-Claire's anyway ), but it is clear by the end of season 4 that he grew very fond of him ("I never realized how much I longed for family", "look, that's my son with his girlfriend", and so on ... ). So I'd say by now this Walter has as much affection for Peter than the pre-reboot one. ( They had three more years to bond we know nothing about, after all. ) I didn't think his line was cold or harsh ( you can see he was shaken too ), but he knows too well hom much grief can swallow you, so he tries to keep Peter "moving", both in the literal and figurative sense, so that grief doesn't catch up with him before his wounds have a chance to begin healing. Since Windmark brain-damaged him once more, Walter hasn't been as ruthless as in "Letters of transit", in my opinion.
@ fringelover
Oh yes, aren't we all? Seeing how they respond to this blow will be fascinating because we know so well what they CAN do. Trying to keep that in mind during this dark time.
Hope to see Olivia do it without resorting to Cortexiphan, because her strength is in HER. And hope to see Peter channel and control himself to go on. Want to see him deliver the telling blow (hello, Windmark!). Peter so has that coming. With Walter, who really knows? He has so many facets. PG and I have seen just two. You really never know what will emerge from that mind after a food break!
DOUBT. FAITH. ANGER. And now WOUND. All the WORDS so far are direct, emotionally charged human words. Right now I guess we can add GRIEF for all of us.
@ Henry A. Otero
Love to read your recap. Link somewhere? Thanks! Need all the help I can get.
Thank you for this review Aimee. I have read it several times, trying to get my mind right for this Friday, but I must admit that this episode really threw me. Friday/Saturday night, I couldn't really sleep. I just kept tossing around the various clues and disparities about this season in my head - from the lapses in Olivia's memory, to the odd hot and cold way Walter is with Peter and then to Etta's death. I woke up with this feeling at 4am Saturday that something was very wrong, something was going on beneath the surface of this show that I just wasn't seeing. After watching episode 4 again this Tuesday, I find myself a little pissed off.
I understand that Wyman believes in an uphill love story, but at this point, I am more than weary of watching this triathlon of tragedy. We only have 9 more episodes to go and I guess I just don't feel like having my heart messed with for yet another season. There are so many questions that need to be answered (not to mention Observers to kill) and I'm starting to get antsy. Where is September? Who took Etta? Who taught Etta to control her thoughts? Was it as hard for her as it was for Broyles or did her cortexiphan exposure help? Who raised her and how did she eventually find out about her parents? Why aren't there any female observers? How does Peter stay out all night in a hostile environment and NO ONE seems worried about him until he comes back with a busted head? I could go on and on with questions I'm sure every fan is asking. I know I said I wouldn't doubt again and I'm not. I just felt like episode 5,04 was drama I didn't need and the characters didn't deserve.
I know folks keep mentioning a reboot at the end of the show and while I would do almost ANYTHING to see these characters happy for more than 10 seconds, I feel like that is a story device that has run its course. Fringe has had so many reboots already (The Olivia reboot, The Peter Reboot, The Universe Reboot) even the most dedicated fans are having trouble connecting the dots. I want the writers to fix this mess legitimately. Looking forward to having my heart re-inflated at some point.
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