Science Channel Teaser for Fringe

Fringe season 1 is coming to the Science Channel beginning November 20th, so they have begun subtly cross-promoting Fringe in commercials for other shows, like this commercial for "Road To Punkin Chunkin".

Fringe Promo: Fringe Reborn on Science Channel

Here is a new promo for Fringe Season 1, which will begin airing on the Science Channel starting November 20th.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #211 "Unearthed"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

Life after death has been an obsession of mine. Specifically in what happens to a person after they die. So this episode was especially appealing, even if it was not memorable.

Seventeen-year-old Lisa Donovan was brain-dead as a result of a cerebral aneurysm. Just when she was about to have her organ extracted, she revives. She sits up repeating an alpha-neumeric sequence. It immediately reminds me of Olivia waking up suddenly in "A New Day In The Old Town".

The real mystery to investigate here is how a teenage girl could have access to classified military codes. The Navy provided information on Petty Officer Andrew Rusk, who was last assigned to a nuclear submarine. This was his personal identification number. Not only that. Lisa also knew Rusk's Russian pet name for his wife.

One explanation was that Lisa and Rusk shared a psychic link. It was only inconceivable since they have never met. Lisa's aneurysm occurred in her left frontal lobe. Specifically her Broca's Area, the part of the brain that processes language, which Walter proved had the most dramatic effect on a person's ability to create psychic bonds.

Lisa's continued visions of Andrew Rusk lead to the discovery of his murder. The relative time of Rusk's death and Lisa's rebirth was enough to convince Walter that Rusk's sudden dispatched energy was what brought Lisa back to life along with his memories and consciousness. Not that unlike Olivia carrying John Scott's memory.

Lisa's mother reluctantly allowed Walter to 'exorcise' Rusk from her daughter. Through the procedure they learned how Rusk died. Unfortunately, this gave Rusk the opportunity to take possession of Lisa momentarily in an attempt to exact revenge. I don't know what everybody thought. It was not clear to me who it was Peter reached. Rusk or Lisa?

Whatever the reason why this episode did not air in the first season aside, a lot of recurring themes stand out.

Faith and Second Chances:

Lisa's mother got her daughter back.

I never thought that I would... get a chance to tell her how much I loved her again. -- God gave her back to me.

Much in the way Walter told Peck in "White Tulip", that he never believed in God until he took Peter from the other side.

Walter was always an advocate for talking to the dead, as seen in the Pilot and "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones".

Peter contextualized Tibetan philosophy even when he did not truly believed it, despite his experiences. (Leads me to think this episode was shot earlier in season 1.)

The near-death experiencer can often converse with those who have already died.

Innermost subtle consciousness is ever present. It never leaves the body even in death.

If Peter Bishop Never Existed...

Perhaps Walter would have better luck in talking Andrew Rusk out of his unfinished business.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #120 "There is More Than One of Everything"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

Each of Fringe’s season finales have been fast paced and leaving the audience ready for more. The third season finale has left me and many other fans dumbfounded. Just where can the show go from there? How will the past three seasons end up not being negated? I think the key is in understanding these very past episodes; that the history in them already has some of the answers.

Last summer, I anxiously awaited to find out what happened to Olivia and our Fringe team with a dupe in their midst. But it is this first season finale that truly altered the fabric of Fringe, weaving a rich story tapestry that made me feel that this show, allowed to play out, would be something special.

General Observations

Nina Sharp was shot in the last episode. Her robotic arm was discovered and was going haywire. Part of me wonders why Jones let her live. I also find it amusing that Nina has Kevlar parts in her ribcage. Nina seems to be very paranoid. Instead of telling Broyles outright what Jones wanted, she asked for Olivia.

When Nina came to Walter’s Harvard basement lab, her reaction to seeing Peter was interesting. Still wondering why she is so unusually interested in Peter.

Nina said that Jones always felt he was special. Once again, the theme of special people was introduced.

The confusion surrounding William Bell continued. Olivia was under the impression that Jones works for Bell.

Olivia lost her normally cool and calm composure. This matter became personal for her. However, Broyles let her know that she cut him off before he could tell her that he was on her side, and that he agreed about what needed to be done. Nina Sharp noticed that Olivia’s drive to meet Bell was more than a professional desire.

I love how Broyles evolved from disparagingly calling Olivia ‘Liaison,’ to respecting her and doing whatever he could to assist her investigations.


Origins of The Pattern Emerge

Olivia has been shown to have amazing connective capabilities, and she used her smarts and tenacity to find a usable pattern to ‘The Pattern.’ However, in Brown Betty, it is Peter that shows her the map of all the incidences of Walter “stealing the dreams of children.”

As Olivia investigated she wondered why these events were increasing in number. Nina explained:

We happened, Agent Dunham. Scientific progress, advancing technologies... by meddling with the laws of nature, has hastened the decay of these constant fundamentals and increased the number of soft spots.

When Nina first said this, it seemed to me to be a remark about humanity in general. But now I’m convinced that the “We” she referred to was herself, Walter, William, Peter, Olivia, Broyles, Astrid, etc. But part of me also wonders if my first assumption was true, because the more technologically advanced society of the other universe was suffering anomalies at a much higher rate than our prime universe. The show had established the “zero event” as Peter’s abduction, caused by Walter crossing over. Did the other universe have more soft spots to begin with, and Walter’s intrusion just started the stacked dominoes to fall faster?

The constant laws of physics were really turned upside down in the S3 episode Os, as two of the most dense elements, Osmium and Lutetium, combined to form a molecule lighter than air.

As I watched the scene here in 1X20, I noticed something I had not picked up on before. Olivia asks:

Which of these events are the oldest? Do you remember? I mean, these events are somehow consequences of ‘soft spots’ --

Nina looked right over to Broyles who also gave her a knowing glance. What was that about? Also, when Olivia surmised the location as Reiden Lake, I’m surprised that Nina Sharp didn’t have a heart attack, considering that is where she lost her arm.


Olivia/ Peter

When Walter went missing and Peter was worried, Olivia wondered if he left because of the incident that Peter says Walter referred to as “the assault in the pastry shop.” Olivia was genuinely upset about hurting Walter, but it seemed that she saw how it also hurt Peter, as he was responsible for the old man. Plus, Peter had to live with what his father did to Olivia.


The Coin

Any Fringe fan knows how coins keep showing up. It is a continuous prop throughout the series. In this episode, September showed Walter a Walking Liberty coin, just like the one he later finds in the lake house and later lays on top of his Peter’s gravestone.

Walter asked September, “How did you get that?

Peter once again exhibited lapsed memories concerning his childhood. Walter told him about the way Peter loved coins when he was very sick, but Peter didn't remember. Walter replied, "I do." Was Walter still confusing the two Peters? Did this Peter continue to collect coins when he came to this universe? In the episode Peter, the Peter we now know showed his mother the coin trick that Walter's Peter had showed him before he died. In The Last Sam Weiss, confused Peter went through a lot of effort to obtain a Walking Liberty coin in order to show it to his father, "Walter Bishop. The Secretary of Defense."

Later, Walter was confused when Peter played with such a coin after he was examined.

He quickly asked Peter, “Where'd you get this?”

Walter apparently never gave the coin back to Peter. Peter told the pawn shop owner when he bought it that it “always brings him luck.” We can be sure that this seemingly mundane prop has a significance that will extend into season four.

Walter/Peter

This episode shows a great transition in the relationship between Father and Son. At the start of the series, Peter did not want anything to do with Walter and was prepared to leave as soon as possible. By this time, Peter was offering to go and gently retrieve his wayward father himself.

As Walter broke down into an angry rant-filled search in front of Peter, he said that he started something long ago, and now he has to finish it.

There is significance to the scene in which Peter told Walter about his memories of him making pancakes on Saturday mornings at the beach house. Walter remembered that they were whale-shaped, and Peter concurred. This is one of the first of this Peter’s childhood memories shared with Walter. Previously, Walter would talk about Peter’s childhood, and Peter could not remember what Walter was talking about. We find out later that this is because Walter was mixing up his Peter with the boy he stole from the other universe. In this episode, it appears Peter jarred Walter’s memory. When Walter found his son’s coin in the trunk, it really hit home that he was remembering what he did.

As Walter and Peter traveled to Reiden Lake, Peter said something striking:

After all these years, what's going to happen if we're not on time?

Clocks were very prevalent in Season 3, specifically notable were the digital clocks in The Box, The Plateau, Entrada, 6:02 AM EST, The Last Sam Weiss, and The Day We Died.

Another exchange of interest:

PETER: What else aren't you telling me, Walter?

WALTER: Lots, I'm sure, but none of it's relevant.

Oh Walter, everything you’ve kept from Peter is relevant. Or would it be if the boy would be blinked from existence eventually?

Walter loves leaving notes, it seems. Peter was happy because Walter left him a note concerning his absence. Walter also wrote a letter for Peter explaining his real origin in White Tulip, but burned it. The pictures of Peter in the machine and of Olivia turning it off telepathically were kind of a version of a note from Walter, I guess.


When this episode first aired, the scene with Walter in the graveyard was quite curious to me. I figured that it had something to do with Peter’s mother, because I assumed she was dead. The lab assistant killed in the fire that had Walter committed to St. Claire’s also came to mind. There are hints dropped throughout the previous episodes that suggest something was not quite right about Peter. My suspicions grew when Walter told Peter at the lake house:

WALTER: Yes. He theorized that properly nurtured, these abilities could be heightened, intensified, and that in time his subjects may be able to travel from here to there.

PETER: Over there? You mean an alternate world?

WALTER: Around this time, something was lost to me, Peter. Something precious. I became convinced that if only I could cross over myself, then I could take from there what I had lost here.

But I never expected the later scene that caused viewers everywhere to gasp: the gravestone inscribed with ‘Peter Bishop 1978-1985.’


The Momentous Moment

Nina Sharply rudely stood-up Olivia, after promising her a visit with William Bell. As she tried to leave the building, Olivia perceived another slip in either time or place. As she looked around the office that she was led to, she saw things that had to have been confusing. An oxygen mask. A New York Post with headlines consisting of “Obamas Move into New White House,” and a living John F. Kennedy.

William Bell’s answer to Olivia’s question asking about their location was odd. He had to have known that Olivia knew about other universes by now. I’m just not so sure their location was the red universe that would be introduced later.

But Olivia looking out from a window in the standing Twin Towers against a yellow-lit New York skyline did answer the question in a way.

We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.


Unanswered Questions

Why did the Observer take Walter to visit his Peter’s grave?

If Observers are not supposed to get involved, why did September take Walter to the lake house?

How could Walter know at what point what he had to find at the lake house and why?

What is the true significance of the coin?

What did Walter start ‘a long time ago’ that he has to finish?

Was Walter aware prior to this episode that Peter was not ‘his’ Peter? I assume not.

Why didn’t Peter get any inkling suspicion about Walter’s explanation concerning other realities and the fact the Walter knew exactly where this soft spot was located? Subject 13 showed a very distraught young Peter, desperate to ‘go home.” But nothing jarred his memory concerning his initial few months Over Here?

What was so "special" about David Robert Jones?

Who was protecting William Bell from inquiry?

If Peter Bishop Never Existed

It is pretty safe to assume that a lot of this episode would not exist either. Although Jones did not seem the slightest interested in Peter (almost like he didn’t exist) and would have tried to get to Bell anyway. But the hole surely would not be at Reiden Lake, because this is the scene of the first crossing over, as far as the audience knows. If Walter did not cross over to cure Peter, then the “zero event” most likely would have occurred elsewhere. Then again, Walter said that he had purchased the lake house because of proximity. So maybe the lake would have been the first point of crossing over anyway.

If Peter was not there to help Walter, maybe Walter would have never found the plug at all.

If Peter had not plugged the hole ‘in time,’ Jones may have made it to the other side. Walter made it clear in several episodes (Over There, Subject 13, Entrada) that crossing back over using that method may have shattered the universes.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #119 "The Road Not Taken"

Join us for our Fringe Summer Rewatch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.


One of the things that I enjoy most about Fringe is how the show has always challenged the audience to think, to imagine, to ponder, and to look at situations at more than just face-value, but at a different angle.

Long before Fringe aired, I had often wondered how my own life would have been different if certain choices were made instead of others. There is one choice I made, that although seemingly harmless at the time, changed the course of my life forever.

The series progressed with this key theme in mind: “The road not taken.” The "what-ifs’" that plague every person's thoughts, as they sit and ponder their lives and the nature of existence. As the alternate universe showed quite well, small differences can mold a person’s life in many ways. The choice to shoot a step-father, the death of a sister, the absence of one person - Peter - can alter not only one person’s life, but that of many. Peter’s absence from his universe of origin changed its destiny. How will his absence in the blue universe affect its course and that of Olivia and Walter?

The penultimate episode for Fringe Season One is jam-packed as it quickly recaps the events of the season leading up to a crescendo of action and new information. This episode is special to me because this was the first episode that I watched live.

My Observations

William Bell is suspected of funding ZFT. Right off the bat, Broyles makes an interesting statement about the ZFT group and their manifesto while briefing agents on the case. He says that their ultimate goal is to either start or get ready for war. An agent asks a question that all viewers should be asking after season 3:

“War with whom?”

It seemed that Susan Pratt’s pyro-ability was triggered by an extreme emotional response in the form of fear.

Walter shows Peter and Astrid the typewriter that he bought for William Bell. The ‘y’ character is slightly offset above the rest of the characters. (It is interesting that old typewriters are used to communicate with their quantum-entangled counterparts Over There, and that Walternate's operatives use a vintage typewriter shop as their safe-house.)

Peter is dumbfounded at the idea that not only may have Bell funded ZFT, but he may have also written the manifesto as well. Walter asserts that there is no way that Bell did this. Also, he points out that there is a missing Ethics chapter, referenced throughout the manuscript. Someone had removed it.

Charlie goes over the details of the crime scene with Olivia. He speaks of a woman… As they are walking, Olivia sees two charred bodies.

Olivia remarks to Walter that she’ll have the coroner prep the "bodies" to be taken back to his lab, which of course confuses Walter because he only sees one body. Olivia sees two, and then it shifts to one right before her eyes.

Nina Sharp: Just Whose Side is She On?

At FBI Boston headquarters, we see the stoic Nina Sharp trying to hold her composure as the FBI prepares to scour Massive Dynamic. Was she really afraid of what they might find? Something that had nothing to do with William Bell funding ZFT, but far scarier - the existence of another universe?

Nina tries to intimidate Broyles, but he’s not buying it. I still wonder how Nina and Broyles know each other. They have obviously worked together in the past.

Nina tells Broyles, “I’m not one of your street thugs that you can bully, Philip.” Is that how she thought of Olivia and the FBI? Or, does Broyles have connection to actual street thugs, possibly the same guys that were after Peter?

Nina declares that “William Bell is not the enemy.” For the longest time, fans have not been sure what to make of Bell’s allegiances. Even now, after the events of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, I still do not know what to make of Bell’s past with Walter and his true motivations. What he told Peter in Over There still bother me: “You’re holding up better than expected.” If Bell is not the enemy, then why did he make weapons for Walternate, why did the machine appear to be his design, why did he hide the First People books from our fringe team, and why did he use Olivia as his host, at the callous risk of her life?

Walter may have called Bell names, but he always defended him in his overall motivations.

Conservation of Energy

Walter’s statement concerning the massive amount of potential energy in an adult person comes back into play when William Bell sacrifices his body to power the doorway to return Peter, Walter and Alt-Livia to our universe.

Also, Peter remarks that “we’re just not very good at releasing it.” Could there be a possibility that at some point in a time-line, either he or Walter found a way to harness this energy? Energy can be used to create or destroy. Did this cause the existence of the other universe? Maybe I’m grasping for straws, but it’s a fun idea to contemplate.

But this we do know: Peter tells Walter that he took some parts from his electron microscope to use on a project he‘s been working on. Walter bellows “The potential for destruction in each of us is infinite!” As we know, why yes, Peter destroyed an entire universe which led to a path of infinite destruction.

A Science-Fiction Parable?

When Peter and Olivia visit Emmanuel Grayson, the man seems nuts. But his story is interesting in hindsight. Grayson claims that William Bell is having his drug trial subjects activated to prepare them for a coming war with “renegade Romulans from the future. Sent to change the time-line.”

Who are these "renegade Romulans?" In the Star Trek universe, the Vulcan species tries to distance themselves from emotional responses and feeling, depending on logic in all things. In the Fringe mythology, there is a parallel found with the Observers. They seem cold and detached, and are not supposed to get involved in matters. Romulans are cousins of the Vulcans and have emotional responses. Are these renegades actually "rogue Observers" like John Mosley? Or is the reference concerning the First People, because Walter sent the machine back in time so that Peter would make a different choice to save both universes?


Olivia's Perception

I remember being so confused about Olivia’s glimpse into the other side when this episode first aired. Why was she seeing this now? We know from later episodes that she needs a trigger for her abilities. Are time-lines converging? Is it NOT the other universe but another time-line occurring simultaneously? Is Olivia experiencing déjà vu as Walter claims? This Broyles speaks of two victims, further confusing Olivia.

Sanford Harris makes it very clear that he does not want any Federal investigation into William Bell or Massive Dynamic.Why would he be protecting them?

The books that Olivia sees on the bookshelf in Susan Pratt’s apartment are of great interest for those that like to look closer.

When Charlie asks Liv if she thought that their was something wrong with Susan, because she’s a good looking woman in the prime of her life, with no boyfriend, I could just feel my heart hurt because this is the life Olivia is living. Complete with the ‘uniform.’ Pratt’s wardrobe reveals a fondness for grays…

Olivia’s confrontation with Sanford Harris makes me love her even more as a character. She just seethes at his questioning her judgment and professionalism. Her anger however seems to have fueled her perceptive capability, as she flashes to another reality long enough to see the file about the burned twins there.

At this point, I’m confused. We see Charlie with a scar, just like Charlie in the ‘red’ universe. He tells Olivia that half of Boston is in quarantine lock-down. We know that Boston had a huge Fringe event Over There that resulted in massive Amber quarantines. But I’m still not sure about what, when and where concerning Olivia’s perception.

A man named Isaac Winters cut a large check to Susan Pratt. A photo of Winters shows an older man wearing glasses. Nick Lane mentioned in Bad Dreams that someone came to him. In Olivia. In the Lab. With a Revolver James Heath mentioned that a man wearing glasses also came to visit him. Susan Pratt’s answering machine message mentioned the word “tests.” Like the tests that were in the box in Ability? Since we see the light box as Olivia tries to save the twin, I’d say so.

Walter and Peter

Peter is drinking a lot of alcohol in this episode. First, at the lab when Walter is explaining the divergence of paths due to choices, then at the FBI office when he takes some of Olivia's stash for his coffee. Is he really stressed out?

Yet he seems OK as he retrieves some cereal from the grocery store for Walter. He also makes a device to aid in digitizing Walter’s records. Then employs it in reading sound waves from melted glass in order to figure out what happened to Nancy Lewis. Astrid even cracks that he sounds just like Walter, and Peter does not get upset. Walter says something of concern when he tells a story of how Peter made him a popsicle napkin holder when he was five. We know that THIS Peter, is not the same boy. Would the Peter from this universe be mechanically inclined if he had lived?

The Cortexiphan Children

Walter mentions as he looks at a photo of Nancy, that he had seen her before. Of course, Peter remarks that it is because Walter worked with her dead twin's body. But now we know that most likely Walter knew her as a Cortexiphan trial subject.

When Olivia joins the raid on the facility entered by Harris, she comes across pictures and dossiers on the wall of an office including Pratt, Lewis, Nick Lane, David Robert Jones and - herself. One of the dossiers is for a Samantha Gilmore and shows she born in 1984. If she is a Cortexiphan subject, than the trials were still occurring later than what Nina Sharp previously stated.

Over the course of three seasons, we’ve seen Olivia confront the fates of her Cortexiphan cohorts, such as Nick Lane, James Heath and Simon Phillips, with great understanding and pity.

She encourages Nancy Lewis to harness her power, with success. But Olivia still doubted her abilities, right up to the point of deactivating the machine so that Peter could enter it in The Last Sam Weiss.

I think up until this episode, Olivia showed great reservation in dealing with Walter. But this episode became the straw the broke the camel’s back. I really think that her outburst at Walter finally knocked some sense into him. HE had done terrible things in the name of science. But in his defense, he truly felt he was preparing the children for something terrible, and he couldn’t remember exactly what.

Walter: We were trying to help. We meant no harm. 

Olivia: No harm? You were drugging children. Three-year-old children, Walter. Why did you do it? 

Walter: We were trying to prepare you. To make you capable. Able. Something terrible is coming.

Walter grabs Peter’s hand after Olivia leaves, and this is where it sinks home just how broken he is and how much he holds on to Peter for stability.

As Olivia sinks into her SUV with a look of utter shock, I think that this is where she begins to seriously consider the possibility that her life has been manipulated from a very young age, and that yes, she is part of The Pattern.

Unanswered Questions

Why was Olivia able to see the other universe sliding into ours?

Was what she saw even another universe at all?

When Sanford Harris said, “He’s losing patience…” Who is he? Jones? Was it Bell? Or someone else?

Was Isaac Winters the ‘man in glasses” that met with Nick Lane and James Heath to activate them?

What did Nina Sharp mean about the Observer when she told Broyles that “you know what happened the last time when he appeared with that kind of frequency.”

What exactly is the ‘time’ that the Observer refers to when he comes to visit Walter?

If Peter Does Not Exist?

Would the Fringe team been able to connect Sanford Harris to the abduction of Nancy Lewis?

Walter said that “something terrible is coming.” He and Bell knew this before Peter was taken from the other side. Will this terrible occurrence happen without Peter, or will it happen BECAUSE Peter is missing?

Peter offers Walter an anchor in the chaos that has been his life involving Olivia. Would Walter still work with Olivia after her accusations if Peter had not been there for him to lean on?

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #118 "Midnight"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

Midnight was definitely one of those episodes you don't forget. Starting off with a relatively handsome guy that the writers let you think is the killer when he’s watching the news report and grabbing a pocket knife. We follow him to a bar where you begin to think this guy is a real sleaze, cheating on his girlfriend for a one night stand and he might even kill someone. He finally finds a girl who goes back with him and in typical Fringe-fashion, we find out the killer is actually the girl he's taken home.

When the body is discovered and the Bishops and Olivia show up Walter is clearly excited and Peter is in rare sarcastic form as he tries to cheer up a clearly down Olivia who is trying to avoid his questions. We later learn the reason she is down is because her sister, Rachel's, husband has filed for a divorce and also for custody of Ella.

Family drama aside, we get a good peek into ZFT through scientist Dr. Boone who has been coerced into creating experiments for them. The Fringe team is then tasked with saving Boone's wife in order to learn more about ZFT. Problem is, Boone's wife is the big bad spinal fluid vampire.

They're eventually able to track her down through a thermal gun that tracks her above temperature body heat (thanks to the syphilis) at a dance club before she can hurt anyone else. Peter and Olivia are taking her back when she wakes up and tries to make a midnight snack of Olivia while Peter is driving. Luckily Peter saves the day by tranking her again and they're able to get her back in one piece and without becoming food themselves. Meanwhile back at the lab, Dr. Boone with Walter's help has created the cure that should save his wife, but it must be injected directly into her spine with other spinal fluid. Since Dr. Boone knows that his spinal fluid is compatible with hers, he offers up some of his, claiming that he has enough left for her and him. We find out later that this s a lie when he dies on the table after they save his wife. Lucky for team Fringe, Dr. Boone left behind a video spilling all the secrets to ZFT that he knew and all the members he'd heard of, including the benefactor, William Bell.

Side Notes:

• The Observer walks by twice in the club intro scene.




• We learn the state of Broyles’ home life. Divorced with kids.




• 81 people have died up until this episode in Fringe related cases. +146 people on flight 826.




• Peter introduces Olivia to Mako a chop shop guy from Peter's mysterious past.




• Walter enjoys sharing his lab with Boone and they talk the relation of faith and scientific breakthroughs.




• Peter has way too much fun with the sirens.




• Boone claims it is William Bell funding ZFT, which would explain Boone’s hesitance when Walter brings up sharing a lab with Bell.

Quotes:

• How far would you go for someone you love?”




• “You’re my kind of guy”

Song:

• “Tear you Apart” – She Likes Revenge

If Peter Bishop didn't exist...

• We wouldn't have nearly as much sassy sarcasm in the episode.




• Olivia wouldn't have her sound board to talk to.




• Let's face it, only Peter can hold a thermal reading gun and make it look hot.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #117 "Bad Dreams"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

Bad Dreams is a key episode in the mythology of Fringe, introducing to us another Cortexiphan subject -- Nick Lane. The connection that he and Olivia share from the past allows her within her dreams to see what he is feeling and experiencing. Nick is hyper-emotive and highly infectious. His feelings are killing people. Olivia can see and feel what Nick Lane sees and feels. Olivia's mind is capable of translating what Nick feels into images her mind can recognize.

New Questions raised in this episode that remain unanswered:

Ella gets vaccinated. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye.

Nick Lane had a very comprehensive military policy. Where did he get this from?

Cortexiphan, a highly experimental drug -- might enhance predisposed abilities in certain children. It worked on perception. "Perception is the key to transformation." The key here is "certain" children. How did they determine which children to run the cortexiphan tests on?

While Olivia is put under REM sleep and she tries to find where Nick Lane is at she becomes stressed from watching him murder a dancer. It is Peter that reaches out and takes her hand which calms her down. What is it that helps her calm down? His touch? Something else?

Why is there a scar with the number "2" on Nick Lanes face? What about the tattoo on his right arm?

"Olive, you heard me." Nick intentionally sought her out. It seems he remembers the drug trials. Were they capable of doing this as children? How much so? Speaking to each other telepathically? Or through dreams? Perhaps another way?

Other Notable Stuff:

In the beginning there are red, blue and yellow balloons tied to the girls stroller. It is the red balloon that floats to the top of the ceiling.

Olivia's wardrobe we see for the first time, all blacks and grays.

"Why do I feel I don't fit in, anywhere I go." Walter sings this line.

"Must be a terrible thing, not to be able to trust your own mind." Peter Bishop tells Olivia this while waiting to speak with the doctor regarding Nick Lane at the mental hospital.

Nick remembered about the past, Olive, and the coming war against a parallel universe.

Nick was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He too was a Cortexiphan test subject. The children were paired together, to keep them from feeling isolated. Cortexiphan may have greatly amplified the bond.

Peter: "If you can make a better world, you can dream a better world."
Walter:"Or perhaps travel between it."

We see Nick's wardrobe is just like Olivia's, everything is blacks and grays.

"What was written will come to pass." Written on the wall. Olivia has seen this before when David Robert Jones escaped the hospital.

Olivia is immune of Nick's abilities from having Cortexiphan in her body.

"You were made for this." Nick tells her when he begs her to kill him, to stop him from killing others.


If Peter Bishop Never Existed:

In this episode Peter is the force that keeps Olivia grounded. He is confident that she did not kill these people, that the first was a suicide and the second a murder that was committed by the wife as everyone witnessed, not by Olivia in her sleep.

Without Peter having calmed Olivia down by taking her hand, she may not have been able to continue under REM sleep and wouldn't have been able to find where Nick Lane lives.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #116 "Unleashed"

"Aunt Liv... monster-of-the-week episodes will fade away soon, right?"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

"Unleashed" is the ultimate "Monster of the Week" Fringe episode, for better and for worse. And to help you recall it, here are my Fringemunks with their 2009 recap of this episode, via a parody of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean":

Nearing the end of Season 1, Fringe's standalone format reached its formulaic zenith (or pit, depending on how you look at it) with this episode. Starting with the very next episode, "Bad Dreams," Akiva Goldsman and company would start working against this model.

The formula, already seen in numerous episodes preceding it, was as follows:

1. Something strange happens in the neighborhood.
2. "Who you gonna call?" The Fringe team, of course.
3. Walter realizes that his previous work and research may have led to the strange occurrence.
4. Peter's discontent with Walter's past work boils to the surface.
5. Convenient coincidences lead to clues.
6. It is discovered that Walter's previous work wasn't exactly the cause.
7. The Fringe team saves the day.

... which is pretty much exactly what happens here. This is, even more than Episode 1.02, "the same old story."

This episode is fun and exciting to watch, and features some great performances by the principle actors. But the plot is inconsequential to the overall Fringe storyline. And to be quite honest, I am less interested in the plot here, and more interested in other tidbits.


BISHOP VS. BISHOP

The argument over the ear omelet is funny to watch now. At the time the episode aired, many viewers felt it was frustrating to watch (predictions were being made as to when Peter would finally call Walter "Father" or "Dad"). But by the end of the episode, Peter's triumphant smile at Walter's successful cure would signal a little growth in their relationship.


KIRK NOT IN ENTERPRISE

When over-here Charlie Francis was killed off in the Season 2 premiere, complaints about Kirk Acevedo's removal from series regular were heard from viewers to the cast themselves. The cast's discontent spilled into public knowledge via means of interviews, and perhaps the showrunners helped soften the blow (and helped mitigate the further loss of morale) by hiring Kirk to play over-there Charlie later on.

I mention this because the death of over-here Charlie brings an emotional level to this episode in retrospect. We meet his wife (played by Kirk's real-life wife, Kiersten Warren), who probably suffered the greatest sense of loss when Charlie died.


GAG REEL

This is one of the gross-out Season 1 episodes that would continue to be referred to by the cast in later seasons, most notably by Jasika Nicole, who numerous times has discussed how she was grossed out at the larvae scene.


NO TURNING BACK

The episode ends with Olivia restless while trying to sleep - perhaps hinting at the "bad dreams" she would have in the next episode. Or perhaps it embodies where Fringe was at this point in time - restless, knowing things will change, and knowing that things will never be this way again.


IF PETER BISHOP NEVER EXISTED

Without Peter, the episode's events could have unfolded pretty much in sequence, as Peter's existence was inconsequential to what happened. Peter served as a sounding board, sarcastic commenter, comic relief, and a voice of encouragement - but not as a vital element to the standalone plot.


... So, Ella, to answer to your question: monsters aren't real, sweetheart. At least not every week. And thank goodness.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #115 "Inner Child"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

Inner Child was an episode that threw all of us for a loop in season one. We’d gotten so used to gory episodes with bodies being put the through the metaphorical and physical ringer and our favorite fringe team trying to solve the murder. Outside of having an innocent, albeit weird, looking boy, there was an “old” case of Olivia’s that was reopened involving a killer known as the artist, but these are perhaps the least disgusting bodies we've seen so far.

The show starts off at a construction site with a demolition crew checking each part of a building for squatters before the wrecking ball goes through the building. Two men are just leaving the building talking about their plans afterward when one of them pauses, looking very confused. He then makes an excuse to back track to an area he wasn't sure they thoroughly checked and after looking more closely he discovers a cavity. Inside the cavity is a wild looking boy who is half starved and has never seen daylight.

At the same time as Olivia is notified that past unsolved case has been opened, Broyles puts the Fringe team in charge of finding out where the boy came from. At first Olivia spends most of her resources trying to solve the case of the Artist, working tirelessly to find clues and follow evidence to solve the case and the boy recognizes this and tries to help her by giving her hints and clues. It takes a mention from Walter about how he theorizes that the boy is an empath picking up on her feelings mostly and only wants to help her to wake her up more to the boy who's mystery she is supposed to solve. The boy senses her guilt over the matter and her desire to keep him safe and to give him a good home and helps her out one last time. This ends up being the final hint they need to save the latest victim from the Artist's planned fate. Olivia then begs Broyles to pretend to lose the boy so that the CIA won't take custody to run tests on him and for him to be put with a family so he could have a normal and happy life, despite his bizarre past. Broyles eventually agrees and I think looking back this is a big hint to what Broyles is really like. After having given his word to the CIA agent we would expect him to deny Olivia's request, but he doesn't, and I think this reflects Broyles soft spot for children and also for Olivia whom he is growing fond of despite their rocky start.

Things of special notice:

• The striking similarities between the boy and the Observers. Both their appearance and methods of relating to others. He even writes like the observers; not in the foreign language, but without looking at the paper.


• Olivia should've maybe considered going into a children's division with as good as she is with not just Ella, but other children as well. The found boy is only the first of several examples of how easy it is for her to relate to children and make them feel at ease.


• The child's first encounter of sadness and anger is through Olivia when she hears of the boy being taken away and the boy goes into a panic attack that only she can bring him down from. He obviously isn't used to feeling such strong emotions which begs the question how long has he been hidden and alone?

References:

• Amala and Kamala, the feral children of India. http://www.learninginfo.org/amala-kamala.htm
  

Unanswered Questions:

• How many others are there? The CIA agent suggests that this boy is only one of several that are already undergoing tests.


• Who put the boy into the cavern?


• How old is the boy? Walter theorized that he is "much older" than he appears and that he could not put an age on him.


• What medicine did Olivia have to take as a child that was yellow?


• What role does the CIA have in Fringe related cases and the Observers?

And lastly, If Peter Bishop never existed...

This episode really didn't have much Peter drama in it, but they might not have discovered the relation between plastic and cow's blood without Peter's meat packing facility experience. I guess Walter may have done some more strange stuff to the boy without Peter there to supervise if Astrid wasn't able to stop him.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #114 "Ability"

Join us for our Fringe Summer Rewatch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.


Ability is one of the key episodes to the Fringe mythology, and the episode specifically builds upon the background of Olivia Dunham. It’s often cited as a favorite episode, and for good reason. I feel this is where Fringe gripped me for the long haul.

Viewers return to Germany and Wissenschaft Prison for a visit with Mr. Jones. Jones uses Walter's technology to escape from prison by teleportation.

Walter’s discussion of Dis-Re made me think of a few things. Although Jones just used it as a teleportation device, Walter said that it’s intended purpose was to travel through time. Peter’s present consciousness was ported to the future in The Day We Died. Did Walter at some point actually use the Dis-Re to visit the future or past?

Olivia’s meeting with Mitchell Loeb drops a few more bread crumbs. This is where the phrase “what was written will come to pass” was introduced. Nick Lane would use this phrase later in Bad Dreams. After Season 3, I wonder if Jones and his group knew that time-lines were being altered, and set out to stop it.

The ZFT manifesto was introduced here as well. One of Peter’s 'weird connections' reoccurs several times in the series. The rare and used book seller, Markham, was able to find the rare ZFT manuscript in a short amount of time. He obviously had several dealings with Peter. Markham even owned a copy of the First People’s book. How did he even get a copy?

When Olivia speaks to Jones after the raid, one sentence sticks out to me:

“Don’t worry, Ms. Dunham. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have… long ago…”

The ZFT excerpts are of great interest going into the fourth season. At first, I thought that the ZFT section read by Walter was describing the parallel (red) universe. But his mention that the beings' history is slightly beyond ours doesn’t make sense. The Observers may be these beings? Or the First People? (Walter? Peter? Ella? Astrid?)

We think we understand reality. But our universe is only one of many. The unknown truth is that the way to travel between them has already been discovered - by beings, much like us, but whose history is slightly ahead of our own. The negative aspect of such visitation will be irreversible both to our world and to theirs. It will begin with a series of unquantifiable natural occurrences - difficult to notice at first - but growing, not unlike a cancer, until a simple fact becomes undeniable. Only one world will survive.  It will either be us - or them. 

Olivia’s first try at the light box test was mirrored in The Last Sam Weiss when she tried to use the quantum entangled typewriter.

Olivia: So, I am supposed to just turn these lights off by looking at them. (Ability)

Olivia: No, it’s ridiculous, and even if it was possible, manipulating a light is nothing compared to manipulating the machine. (The Last Sam Weiss)

It is striking that Jones knew about Olivia’s treatment with Cortexiphan. Of course, Olivia is the most reluctant “recruit” of them all.

Jones is so happy to see Dr. Bishop. Later it is discovered that he despised Dr. Bell (There is More Than One of Everything) I wonder if something happened between Walter and William Bell that may have provoked Bell to remove parts of Walter’s brain…

After Olivia was successful in diffusing the bomb, Jones was happy and called her “My girl.” I’m one of the fans that has the suspicion that Jones may be someone important to Olivia, possibly even her real father.

Peter/Olivia

Of course, the biggest thing to note here is when Peter came back as Olivia was trying to diffuse the light-box bomb. He could have died along with Olivia, but he did not abandon her. With Peter present, Olivia was able to turn off the light box.

It has not been explicitly stated on the show, but several occurrences over the series have led to the belief that Peter must be present for Olivia’s abilities to work, in addition to heightened emotion such as fear and love.

Examples include, the Jacksonville “almost kiss," Peter/the apartment glowing in 6B, the typewriter in The Last Sam Weiss, and also Olivia's telepathy used in The Day We Died.

Some fans, including myself, believe that Walternate had to separate Peter from Olivia in order to kill her. Otherwise, she could have used her abilities to stop the bullet or to remove the gun from his hand.

Unanswered Questions

• Who is Olivia to Mr. Jones?
• 
  
• How long has Jones been keeping tabs on Olivia?
• 
  
• Was Sanford Harris’s group at odds with those that Jones was involved with?
• 
  
• Did Sanford Harris send Olivia on the raid to prevent her from helping Jones?
• 
  
• Who is the ZFT really describing?
• 
  
• Who devised the box of tests? Walter or someone else?
• 
  
• What were the symbols on the cards found in the box?
• 
  
• How did Jones and his people know about the Cortexiphan drug trials?
• 
  
• Did Jones know that Olivia would be needed as the "crow-bar" that could turn off the vacuum machine?
• 
  
• What exactly were the effects of the Dis-Re on Jones, who exhibited superhuman strength to escape from the hospital?

If Peter Does Not Exist?

It seems this war between worlds was in the making long before Walter stole Peter from the other universe.

• Olivia was treated with Cortexiphan at age three, before Walter crossed into the red universe and stole their Peter Bishop. Bell supposedly discontinued the trials. If Walter had no need to try and return Peter to his world, would Olivia have gone on in life without any further notice of the Cortexiphan?

• Since there is seemingly a grounding/activating link between Olivia and Peter, could Olivia even use her abilities at all without him?

• The ZFT manuscript was retrieved as a result of Peter's weird connection. Would there still be a way to find a copy?

• Would there even be a reason for the light box test, without Peter and the machine?

Fringe Summer Rewatch:#113 "The Transformation"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

If you look around enough on the internet you'll find different people's comments regarding the Season 1 episodes. Surprisingly, some say they aren't too fond of them, and I find that hard to believe when you consider episodes like "The Transformation," which is one of my favorite Season 1 episodes. It has it all really-drama, scifi, fantasy, action, and romance.

"The Transformation" was written by Julia Cho and Zack Whedon, which is interesting, because it has a bit of a Pinkner/Wyman feel to it, in my opinion.

The Title and Possible Meanings
Let's look at the title. "Transformation" implies something changes from a former thing to a new thing. A definition I found on the internet is "a change in form, appearance, nature, or character."(That is a very interesting definition. Hold on to that one for Season 3.)

In this episode, poor Marshall Bowman transformed into something nasty, out-of-control, and deep-fried. His colleague, Daniel Hicks, started to transform but the process was aborted by the antidote. He survived thanks to the quick thinking of Dr. Walter Bishop, and the Peter/Olivia undercover team. Olivia Dunham transforms, in this episode, from a woman in love to a woman who loved, lost that love, and found some form of closure in her heart.
Something to ask yourself is, did Olivia Dunham's opinion of John Scott transform? From a traitor to his country and lover, to a confessor of secrets, and a man who truly loved his woman(even though it appeared he ran her off the road?)? We'll get back to that in a bit.

Olivia and Charlie Intereactions
If you loved Olivia's previous Season 1 conversations with her partner Charlie Francis,(and by the way, the more I rewatch these episodes, the more I miss our Charlie)you'll love what she tells him here. She barely looks at the manifest of the deceased passengers from Marshall Bowman's flight before she gets images of Marshall and Hicks talking with John Scott in her head. Olivia tells Charlie "I think this is our guy." Charlie asks her how she could know that and she replies after a beat, "Call it my gut." Charlie gives her that look, and walks off. This happens again not too much later when Charlie hands Olivia everything they have on Marshall Bowman, including pictures of his US clients. Liv focuses on a picture of Daniel Hicks and the visions start again. This time of Hicks telling John he needs to line up the money soon. She tells Charlie that Hicks was the guy Marshall Bowman was flying in to meet, and that they need to bring him in for questioning. Charlie again gives her that look. He calls her on it, and she explains that she and John shared consciousness and that some of his memories are still in her head. Charlie tells her he'll bring Hicks in for questioning. "That's it?" Olivia asks him, waiting for him to comment further. Ever the gentleman, Charlie Francis bows out gracefully, "Despite the thousand questions I have in my head right now. I'm going to bite my tongue."

More Glass Disks
Another fun thing in 'The Transformation" is Walter finding one of those glass disks in "fried dog man's" palm, which makes you think instantly of the one in Gloria Mendoza's palm in episode 103, "The Ghost Network." Olivia tells Peter about this(honestly, I'd have thought she'd told him before this) and Peter asks her if she thinks Bowman was some kind of agent. Which segues into one my favorite scenes, the one in which Charlie and Olivia interrogate Daniel Hicks.

Interrogating Hicks
Daniel Hicks is pretty cool and calm in the interrogation room of the Federal Building. He tells them he's in the inport/export business, of 18th and 19th century furniture. Charlie smoothly asks Hicks how he knew Marshall Bowman. Hicks says Bowman was his banker, and asks if he is in some kind of trouble. Then we see Peter and Walter observing the interrogation behind the 2-way mirror. Walter pipes up excitedly and says to Peter, "This is wonderful. Don't you agree? It's just like a good detective movie," which, if you've seen through Season 2 should make you think of the wonderful episode, "Brown Betty." Charlie asks Hicks if he's heard of Flight 718. Hicks tells Charlie the one where the plane crashed. Olivia pushes a picture of "fried dog man" in front of Hicks and tells him it's Marshall Bowman. Hicks gets a weird look on his face, studying the picture, and says, "I..I don't understand." Then Liv launches into it, telling him they think he knows exactly what happened to Bowman. She says they think he and Bowman intended to distribute a deadly virus, "and this is the unintended result."

Hicks still denies any involvement, but then his nose starts bleeding. Fortunately for Hicks, and for us, Walter's very lucid and even as Charlie yells toward the mirror for Peter and Walter to get a box of tissues, Walter tells Peter tissues won't help that he needs sedatives, "Now!"

Everything gets crazy as Hicks stands up, yelling "I need help." He proceeds to fall backwards and convuse on the floor. Walter and Peter rush in and Olivia asks Walter what's wrong with Hicks. He tells her he thinks it's the same thing as what happened to Bowman on the plane.

As Peter rushes through the first aid kit, he pops the top off a syringe and hands it to Walter who says, "I might be able to suspend the process." In a very un-Olivia fashion she grabs Walter's arm and shouts "No, not yet. Not until he talks."Peter gives her a glare and Hicks yells "Please!" After some more uncomfortable back and forth, Hicks gives up the name "Conrad," right before Walter injects his neck. Hicks falls back into another seizure that makes Peter say, "Oh, I don't think that's working," right before Hicks passes out.

Even More Glass Disks
Back in the lab, Olivia picks up one of Daniel Hicks's hands as Walter tells her he's not sure his antidote will work before Hicks tranforms. Olivia tells Walter to cut open Hicks hand so she can see if there's a disk inside of it. Peter gives her another glare, and Walter being Walter says, "I like cutting." The next thing you know, Olivia places Bowman and Hicks' disks on Broyles' desk and reminds him they've seen one of those before. She asks if the NSA ever figured out what they were for. Broyles tells her they were used for data storage. Then Olivia demands that John Scott's body be exhumed, as she believes there's one in his palm as well. Broyles starts to tell her his body can't be exhumed. Liv goes nuts and yells that she doesn't care about the red tape involved. Finally Broyles gets her to stop reacting and tells her that she can't dig up John Scott's body and that Mendoza's disk never went to the NSA. Hmm.

Broyles and Nina Fess up
We join Broyles and Olivia in a hallway of Massive Dynamic in the following scene. His explanation for their being there is interesting:

"One of the advantages of being the Defense Department's biggest contractor is that Massive Dynamic has money to develop technologies generations beoynd that of the US governament. So when we were unable to retrieve the information off the disks, I requested Nina's help."

If you've watched through Season 3 you should be thinking of Peter's conversation with Olivia regarding trying to get information from the shape-shifters' disks at the end of "Os." Everything really does seem to come back to Massive Dynamic, doesn't it?
Nina Sharp steps up to them and greets them. Then she says something quite curious to Olivia.

"For what it's worth, it was not my decision to keep this from you." As Nina says this she gestures with her hand toward what appears to be a highly-secure area of Massive Dynamic. Nina puts her palm on a keypad on the wall. The familiar glyph "leaf" that represents the letters "A," "B," 'G," and "H" in the Glyph Code depending on where the little yellow light is, pops up and the door opens. Poor Olivia finds herself staring at her dead lover as Nina and Broyles look on. Nina tells them they found a similar glass disk in John's palm with data that seems to implicate him in some kind of bio-terrorist cell. Broyles adds there were references to Conrad, but not enough to know his real name. Olivia gets frustrated as Broyles tells her a French informant told them there was a major weapons sale going to happen in Chicago, and the seller's name is Conrad. Olivia calls the lab and asks Peter if Walter's there, and you get the sinking feeling you know why. She tells Peter they've learned that Conrad will be selling the virus.
She also tells him if she's right and John was working with "these guys" he has it in his memory, "which means that it's in mine." Of course Peter puts two and two together and reminds her how dangerous this is. Liv ignores his comments, and tells him to have Walter prep the tank.

Olivia's Third Time In The Tank
Again, Walter Bishop is incredibly lucid as he navigates Olivia through John Scott's drug-superimposed memories. And this time Peter is there from the start to share in the fun. He gets to hear Olivia tell them she sees she and John at the hotel they used to go to. He gets to hear her shout and see her heartrate shoot upwards as John sees her and tries to move toward her. Olivia asks John straight on about Conrad and the weapon sale and it seems as though John's not going to cooperate. Poor Peter gets to see the monitors go bonkers when Olivia shoots John in her vision. He tells Walter they need to get her out right away, but Walter says it's too dangerous, that she's too far under.

Although frazzled, Walter manitains control and demands Olivia move to another place. In one of my favorite Season 1 moments, John confesses to Olivia he had the chance to kill Conrad, but didn't shoot him because he didn't know what he looked like. Olivia asks John who he was working for. Interestingly, he answers "Bowman and Hicks." He tells Olivia that he, Bowman, and Hicks were all undercover agents for the NSA Secret Task Force. Olivia tells him she doesn't believe him, but Scott sticks to his story:

"If we were to take out Conrad there could be no record of our involvement. That's why I couldn't tell you. Even though I wanted to."

Olivia asks him to prove he's telling the truth by telling her where the sale will take place.

John says he doesn't know but that Hicks would know. "He has it right in his hand." Then John disappears although Olivia keeps calling for him. Walter takes a look at the montors and tells Peter they need to get her out of the tank. In the blink of an eye, Peter yanks the doors open and drags her out. Astrid injects dextromethorphine via airgun into her leg, after which Olivia starts to calm down. In an awesome P/O moment(see pic above) Olivia realizes she's back and in Peter's arms. "Oh Peter," she sighs as Peter Bishop acts on pure instinct. He kisses her head and gathers her to him. "You're OK. You're going to be fine," Peter reassures her.

Olivia's Post-tank Discussion With Peter
Olivia gives Peter the impression they should wake Hicks form his medically-induced coma.
Peter reminds her he could still transform like Bowman did. Olivia reminds him the virus could be being sold anytime and Hicks is the only one who knows the details.
Peter has a very good reply to this. "And you're willing to take John's word that you can trust Hicks?" Peter snorts at his own words and adds,"It finally happened. I'm now referring to a dead guy, who exists only in your mind." Wow! That wouldn't mean much after Season 1, but if you've watched through episode 322 you may be thinking this is foreshadowing of Peter's new role in Olivia's head(And I'd be willing to guess you may be correct. We shall see!)

It would have been really fun to hear Olivia's response to Peter comment, but just then Walter interrupts their conversation to yell, "Boy! I need another bag of Midazolam right away!"
Peter reluctantly goes off to take care of it, and Astrid sticks her nose in.

Astrid Gets Empowered
Astrid, of course, heard the P/O discussion, and says to Liv:

"My mother always says I stick my nose into places it does not belong. I know we haven't known each other that long. But you are one of the best judges of character I've ever met. So I guess the question is, what's your instinct? When you were with John, when you were looking into John's eyes, was he for real?"

Remember, hardly anything in Fringe means nothing. Astrid's words here, after 322, scream foreshadowing, to me, of the likelihood of Peter Bishop, even though he doesn't exist, communicating with our Olivia in the future.

Olivia tells the three of them to prep Hicks, that they'r going to give him the antidote.
Walter looks up from his endless eating to say, "An experiment. How exhilarating!"

A few moments later, as Daniel Hicks tries to come down from his adrenaline rush, Astrid takes control in an awesome Astrid moment we need more of. "We know about the work you were doing with John Scott. Now we need your help."

Shady Deals, Shady Guys, Shady M.O.'s- P/O Style
How can you not love this? Olivia goes undercover as the buyer for the transforming virus.
Apparently Peter offered to come along, and Olivia reminds him as they sit waiting in the hotel lobby, that he didn't have to. He answers her as he sits looking stunning in a suit, "Shady deals with shady guys in shady hotels is my M.O." Ying and yang, if you ask me.

Olivia is communicating with a drugged Hicks via a radio transmitter implanted in her ear.
The seller, Galvin, arrives with his 2 bodyguards. After sizing up each other, they go up to a hotel room. There's alot of fun pomp and circumstance before they get down to business. Galvin has alot of questions for "Susan" and her chaparone, and Hicks only knows the answers to most of them. Galvin asks where Peter met Anderson. Peter clicks into conman mode and gives Galvin a beautifully intricate answer that makes the FBI guy next to Charlie Francis say, "Where the hell did he come up with that?"

Things are going well until Galvin asks "Susan" why Ernesto didn't call him himself to say he wasn't coming. Unfortunately, Walter's anitdote isn't working, and Hicks again starts to transform. Astrid has to knock him out, and the help stops coming. Galvin's phone rings, and he tells Peter and Olivia Conrad's on his way up to see them. Olivia, frustrated, tries to stall for time. Peter senses this and ad libs beautifully. Things heat up as he jumps up, he and Olivia arguing about Ernesto's dirty little secret of being gravely ill. Finally, Liv gives the signal, saying "It's true, he found out the day before Christmas." Conrad comes in and tells them all he just spoke with Ernesto that morning, and that he was fine. He gives the body guards the order to kill Peter and Olivia just as the FBI cavalry rushes in. Before Olivia leaves the room, she bends down to Conrad's ear and says, "John Scott says 'Hi.'"

Olivia's Debriefing With Broyles
Broyles tells Olivia that Conrad was a French citizen named Conrad Moreau. If you've watched through 322 that last name should ring a bell(no pun intended). He's wanted in regards to at least half a dozen biological attacks, "and you caught him," Broyles reminds Olivia. He notices her demeanour and says he thought she'd at least crack a smile. Olivia reminds him quickly she didn't do it alone. After a classic Broyles sigh, he reminds her that as far as the Department is concerned John Scott is still a traitor. That even if he was telling the truth, there's no way to confirm his story. Olivia tells Broyles it's OK because she knows the truth.

Olivia Dunham, Completing The Transformation
Olivia goes back that night to the lab. Walter is the only one there, as Peter and Astrid took Hicks to the hospital to recover. We learn that Galvin's antidote worked, despite the fact that Walter's did not. Olivia starts to ask Walter if he'd do her a favor. Again, a very lucid Walter Bishop interrupts her, telling her that even if she went back into the tank she might not be able to find John, as her brainwaves showed earlier she is successfully purging him and his memories.
Olivia persists, telling him, "The we need to do this now."

Olivia goes back into the tank and quickly ends up on a beautiful dock overlooking a partially -frozen lake. In an instant, John Scott is standing next to her. She tells him they got Conrad.
She tells him she should have trusted him. He tells her it wasn't her fault, that he wanted to tell her, but he guesses he just ran out of time. John pulls an engagement ring out of a box and slides it on her finger in a truly bittersweet moment:

"I know we can't ever be together. Not really. Maybe I won't know the difference. I love you."

They give each other a final kiss, and then John disappears.
Back in the quiet saline tank, Olivia says "I love you" out loud, Walter as her only witness.

Some Interesting Things About "The Transformation"
The image of the plane flying at the beginning of the episode is almost identical to the one at the beginning of the pilot episode.

After seeing an exhibit shortly after this episode aired at Boston's Museum of Science titled "Myths and Legends," the monster Bowman transformed into looks vey much like a chupacabra, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra, a legendary bloodsucking goat-attacking animal in the Americas.

"The one-half nipple rule" See, you really do learn things on Fringe! Walter tells us the number of young in a litter of mammals is usually equal to half of the number of nipples on the animal.

Olivia gets frustrated when Hicks is unable to give her anymore information. That is very reminsicent of when Olivia couldn't get the answer to the question to "Where does "The Gentleman live? in 107, "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones."

Astrid seems more confident and outspoken in this episode. We need more of that.

Unanswered Questions That Arise In "The Transformation"

-That's the first time in the series(so far) that Walter's antidote did not work. Why did Walter Bishop's transformation-stopping antidote fail?

-What was Marshall Bowman writing on his flight, that included the words "technology" and "dangerous"? To whom was he writing?

-Who put the glass disks in Bowman, Hicks, John Scott's, and Gloria Mendoza's hands?

-Nina Sharp told Olivia it was not her intention to keep "this" from her ie, John's suspended body. Who's idea was it to keep the information from Olivia?

-The Observers in Seasons 1, 2, and 3 refer to Peter Bishop as "Boy." Why does Walter call Peter "Boy" in this episode?

-Conrad's full name is Conrad Etienne Moreau. The "End Of Dayers" guy in 322 is also named "Moreau." Are the two men related?

If Peter Bishop Never Existed...
Would Olivia have tried to buy the virus weapon as "Susan" by herself? During their undercover op things got stressful and Peter had to ad lib to buy time. If there was no Peter, that operation may not have succeeded, meaning Conrad would still be out there making and selling nasty chemical weapons. Also, if Olivia had gone alone, she could have been killed.

Later in Season 1, in "Bad Dreams," we learn Peter has a calming effect on Olivia per Walter. If Peter never existed, Olivia might have had a very difficult time calming down from tank trip #3.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #112 "The No-Brainer"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

The "No-Brainer" episode doesn't appear to be essential to our beloved series, but it's a well-written and interesting episode.

The Fringe team investigates a series of crimes that turn out to not be Pattern-related(but could have been just the same), and Peter is hit with a situation that tests his ability to do what he thinks is best for Walter.

A nefarious computer programmer named Brian Dempsey designed a computer program that not only kills the viewee, but also turns their brains into awful-looking, liquified goo. First it's a teen-ager in Springfield, MA, then a car salesman in the same area, then a father in Chicago. When the third body is discovered, it's Olivia who conencts the dots, as victim #3 was Brian Dempsey's former boss. Unfortunately, Olivia Dunham has to dance around Sanford Harris again, who is back in Boston and threatening to shut the Fringe Division down if they can't come up with a suspect in the next 12 hours.

There's an interesting subplot that starts out with Peter intercepting a hand-written letter to Walter that turns out to be from Carla Warren's mother. (Prior to this episode, all we know from the 101 episode is that an assistant died in the Harvard lab 17 years prior to Walter's incarceration in St. Claire's.)Peter crumbles the letter and throws it into the lab's trash can as Astrid watches. As soon as Peter leaves, Astrid retrieves it from the trash. After the rotary phone rings on the lab wall scenes later, and Peter tells them it was a student looking for financial aid, Astrid waits until Peter again leaves and gives the note to Olivia, telling her she thinks she knows who was on the phone.

As Peter and Olivia return from examining the second body, Peter notices an older woman standing in the snow near the door to the Kresge Building. He tells Liv he'll meet her inside. Peter approaches the woman and asks if she's Jessica Warren. She acknowledges. A short conversation ensues and Peter makes it clear to the woman that her request to speak with Walter will not be honored.

Somewhere in this busy episode, Brian Dempsey sends his killer program to either Ella's or Olivia's laptop(it's not clear which). The "What's That Noise?" box shows up in the middle of Ella's software. First she yells for her mother, but after she gets told "One minute, Ella," and her mother never materializes, the young girl gets impatient and clicks on the start button. The program goes full throttle and the very creepy hand comes out, but when we return to Ella she looks uneffected. No liquid brains to be found anywhere. Meanwhile Peter has used another of his "weird connections" to discover the real time program is being downloaded to Olivia's internet address. He calls her right away and they both race to get there ASAP. Olivia gets home first and barges into her apartement with her gun drawn. Rachel drops pasta on the floor, shocked and swearing, as Olivia asks if there's anyone else there. Olivia finds Ella staring at the laptop screen, as she tells her niece
everything will be OK. Peter gets there and Olivia asks him to check out the back exit. The level at which Ella seems mesmerized by the screen is reminiscent of the victims of the green-green-green-red hypnosis in 108, "The Equation." Ella wasn't even aware that Olivia had returned home.

Olivia has called Charlie. She explains what she saw and how Ella seemed hypnotized by the images. Charlie goes to call Computer Forensics. Peter is busy entertaining Ella in the living room, as Rachel openly flirts with him. Olivia comes in and tells her sister to get her niece checked out as soon as possible. Ella tells them she saw a hand coming out of the computer. Olivia walks closer to the laptop and sees the green light in the "on" position for the camera. Brian Dempsey is watching her. He
says "That's right, Sweetheart, I'm the one you want."

Despite the busy schedule of trying to solve the case and find Brian Dempsey, Olivia finds a minute to confront Peter in the lab about his impromptu visitor. You can see Peter bristle form the get-go, but he encourages Olivia to give her opinion:"You really think it's a good idea...to put him through that?" Peter asks her.

"Well, I was thinking that it's all unresolved. For him. For her, and I was thinking that it must be hard for her too, to come back to the place where she lost her daughter."

"What's your point?" Peter asks impatiently.

"That you underestimate him, your father-and you shouldn't."

With that Peter practically huffs as he leaves Liv's office. Even Astrid can feel the tension as she comes in at that moment to talk with Olivia. It's really the first bonafide fight I believe Peter and Olivia have, and it's crisp, and genuine-feeling.

Of course Brian Dempsey can't be found at his house, and is unemployed, so Olivia brings Luke Dempsey back in for more questioning. Harris interrupts Olivia before she begins the interrogation, telling her what to do. The best line in that scene is Peter's as Harris finally leaves Olivia to do her job. "Every time that guy opens his mouth, I like him more and more."

Luke won't give up his father's hangout and asks for a lawyer, as Olivia predicted. She tells Charlie to wait 5 minutes and then let him go. Peter makes a face. "Did I miss something?" he asks. Olivia replies, "Just trust me," and Peter responds with a look that says our favorite conman really wants to.

As Olivia predicts, Luke makes a phone call in the Federal Building for a taxi. She tells another agent she needs to hear the call, and, as she listens in she hears an unfamilair Springfield address repeated by the taxi dispatcher. Just then Peter appears. Olivia tells him Luke just called for a cab. "One guess where it's taking him."
Peter says, "Oh come on. He cannot possibly be that stupid."
Olivia's reply, "He's nineteen." Peter thinks about that for a second and shrugs.

Thank goodness Luke Dempsey did hail that cab. It gives our favorite dysfunctional couple an hour and a half to continue their argument on whether Walter could handle Jessica Warren's visiti or not. And Peter jumps right in where they left off in her office. (You can read the second part of their argument in the "No-Brainer" transcript via the link below.) http://www.fringepedia.net/wiki/The_No-Brainer/Transcript

Peter tells Olivia off pretty well and she leaves it at that, then turns all FBI, telling him to stay in the car, reminiscent of her doing the same in "The Same Old Story," and "Power Hungry."

Peter encourages her to call for back-up, but Olivia doesn't want Harris to have a chance to sabotage things for her. Reluctantly, Peter stays in the car, until minutes later when he hears sirens approaching-probably figuring it's Harris.

Olivia gets all the way into Dempsey's computer lab and he sticks a gun to her head.
He tells her she messed up everything, and points a second gun at himself. Olivia tries desperately to get Brian to look away from his killer program, but he's insistant wanting to finally see what he created. Peter is confronted by Luke with a metal pipe as he enters, and as he tries to negotiate with the youth there's a gunshot. Peter's off like a shot himself to check up on Olivia.
He sees her bent over in the lab and yells "Dunham!You OK?" And Olivia is, but Brian's been fatally wounded and Olivia tries to explain to Luke that he went into a trance and shot himself. Luke tries to run out of the warehouse but is apprehended by Harris and company.

Peter watches as the Feds cart Luke Dempsey away and our favorite smart guy says something pretty stupid. "I don't get it. He knew he was killing those people. Why would the kid protect a murderer like that?"

Olivia answers as though the answer is obvious, "Because it's his father." Wow. If you've watched through Season 3 this is so reminiscent of the conversation between Peter and Walter in 322, when Walter says "I just wanted to say...at the trial, you spoke on my behalf..."

Peter does set it up that Jessica Warren gets to speak with Walter Bishop, and Peter is quite gentle with Walter about it, saying, Now, look..if you need me, I'll be right here," which is almost word for word what he said to Olivia in "The Dreamscape." (It does make you think that Peter Bishop may not be far from his little family after all, doesn't it?) Depsite Peter's earlier protestations, Walter handles himself beautifully, and comforts Mrs. Warren when she cries.
He starts to lead her somewhere in the lab and says "I'll tell you everything I remember about our time together," as Peter watches on, impressed.

The episode ends with Olivia and her sister Rachel talking in Olivia's living room.
Sweet little Ella comes in and Olivia tricks her into a big goodnight smooch.
Rachel escorts Ella to bed when Olivia's doorbell chimes. There at the door stands a slightly buzzed-looking Peter Bishop. Interestingly, Olivia never invites him in, but seems quite curious why he is there.

Peter explains he's had a few and that he walked to her apartment in Brighton. (FYI, that could have been quite a hike if their hotel was in the Cambridge area.) He tells her he may have been afraid to have his father back in his life. Also, Peter says he thought about what it would be like to have Walter speak with "that woman." Peter seems not to be able to finish any of his thoughts, except this one: "I wanted to say that I'm sorry. You were right. Thank you." Wow!
Did anyone see that one coming?

Interesting Things About "The No-Brainer"
This is the second episode of Season 1 that has a big father-and-son theme.
Here a father is doing(and has done) something wrong that is killing people, and the son doesn't know about it. When the son finally finds out, he's shocked and horrified.(Sound alot like "The Man From The Other Side"?) More surprisingly, the son protects "a murderer like that," as I mentioned earlier.

I was expecting some kind of tie-in to Massive Dynamic, and Nina Sharp telling us they knew all about Brian Dempsey's program, weren't you? Doesn't it seem likely that if a rogue computer programmer with an agenda could create something like that, that a multi-billion dollar company trying to control the universe(or universes, perhaps) could do the same? Maybe they already have and we just don't know about that yet.

We meet the first of several of what Olivia later calls Peter's "weird connections" in this episode. A young man named Akim, who is apparently an expert at locating the origin of computer programs-even with damaged hard drives. Peter does coin tricks in this episode also, and produces a coin that makes Akim exclaim, "You could have sold that for a fortune." If you've watched through Season 3 that should remind you of Peter's liberty dollar in "There's More Than One Of Everything," "Peter," and "The Last Sam Weiss." And Peter's reply to Akim is quite interestingly worded: "I kept it to remind me never to wager with anything that I couldn't bear to live without." Wow! If you've watched through 322, "The Day We Died," that makes you think that applies also to Peter's sacrificing himself so that he wouldn't lose Olivia.

Unanswered Questions That Arise in "The No-Brainer"
Why does Jessica Warren, the deceased lab assistant Carla Warren's mother, pick this time to contact Walter Bishop? What were the details surrounding her death in the lab?

How did Brian Dempsey get ahold of Olivia Dunham's email address?

Why did Ella's brains not liquify after viewing the "What's That Noise" program, like the other victims' did? Is Ella a "First Person?"(You'll get that if you've watched through Season 3.)

Peter picks up on Rachel's flagrant flirting with him. Is he affected by it?

If Peter Bishop Never Existed ...
He would not have taken the damaged hard drives to Akim. Therefore, they would not have discovered that the killer program was being downloaded to the laptop at Olivia's web address, and no one would have burst into Olivia's apartment quickly after Ella viewed the program. Would that have made a difference?

Who would have opened the envelope in the lab from Jessica Warren addressed to Walter Bishop? Would Walter himself have opened it? How would he have handled the situation?

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #111 "Bound"

Join us for our Fringe Summer re-watch, where we review every episode of Fringe during the summer hiatus. Comments are welcome as we dig into the connections made over three seasons.

“Bound” is really, I think, where Fringe kicked off. After what seemed like an eternity between this episode and the previous one (over a month between the two), it picks up straight after Safe. This is really the first time we’ve had an episode like this, one not completely standalone, and it proved there’s more to Fringe than simple Monster-Of-The-Week stories.

It starts off lightheartedly enough. You know, the usual drugging of bugs which I’m sure is a nice family pastime for many of you, until Astrid spoils the fun we all know Peter’s secretly having by informing them Olivia has gone missing.

Olivia gets a spinal tap to determine whether she had Cortexiphan in her system – the results, we know, were positive.

Broyles orders a search for Olivia which isn’t necessary as she breaks herself out anyway, stealing a few samples and killing/knocking out a few guys in the process. She hides the samples and calls Broyles before she’s surrounded and taken by the man who is secretly our favourite character, Sanford Harris.
His talk with Olivia in the hospital provides a nice little recap for any new viewers, telling us about Walter’s insanity, Peter’s having been arrested seven times and the fact this all started off with John Scott, Olivia’s former partner and lover.

Then there’s a little conversation with Charlie which reminds us that it was Olivia who was the reason behind Harris’s arrest for molesting three women. In the Pilot, we see Broyles is resentful of Olivia for that, calling Harris’s crimes a “small lapse in judgement” so I think it’s interesting now to see with whom his loyalties actually do lie.

We’re introduced to Olivia’s sister, Rachel, and Olivia’s niece, Ella, who gives Olivia a Magic 8 Ball. It’s nice, I think, that they introduced these characters because it shows a different side to Olivia which we haven’t really seen since the first scene of the Pilot. I think both of these characters are important because at the time Olivia was getting a lot of criticism from some fans for being wooden and two dimensional – her family gave her an extra dimension, they showed there is more to her than her work.

Olivia seems to remember Peter exists and calls him to tell him that she needs Walter to identify the samples she stole.

Suddenly we’re at a college and there’s a giant slug tearing its way out of a professor’s oesophagus.
The giant cold virus is a particular favourite Monster-Of-The-Week of mine for no reason other than I’ve never found anything that really shouldn’t be as cute and adorable as I found that. Apart from the worms in Snakehead. But that’s a story for another time.

Peter, Olivia and Walter go to investigate the giant virus and after Walter catches it and takes it to his lab and he tells us that the slug was developed from the same materials as those samples Olivia stole earlier.

There’s one line that stands out to me here: “My boy, I'm not even sure that we all exist on the same plane of consciousness.” As a lot of Fringe is focused on perception, and what is or isn’t real is referenced quite a lot (especially in earlier episodes) it makes me wonder whether, now we’re up to season three and looking back, if we were being given some sort of clues either about the Observers or about where Peter’s consciousness may have gone or even if those two places are one and the same.

We then see Broyles showing us exactly where his loyalties lie, and they’re not with Harris. It just shows how far, after only eleven episodes, these characters have come.

We find out from the TA the unfortunate professor was having an affair with that he had just got a big job with the CDC to oversee the country’s preparedness to fight off an epidemic, which reminds me a little of Frank from the alternate universe with their many epidemics.

Mitchell Loeb tells Olivia he’s going to coordinate the investigation on her abduction before she brings in a man she believes to be the next target, Russell Simon. After a bit of bickering with Harris (who doesn’t love having him around, right?) Peter calls to tell her they’ve made a breakthrough – all the victim has to do to be the next lucky home for a giant cold virus is ingest the “yellow powdery stuff” from the vials Olivia stole. Which is just what Simon does. After the organism tears its way out of Simon’s mouth we go back to the lab where Walter tells Peter and Olivia just exactly what it is, “a single specimen of a virus for the common cold”.

We see Rachel talking with Olivia about how Olivia has “always been the strong one” which is proven later in the series, after all Olivia goes through. Olivia asks about Rachel’s ex, showing that while Olivia is focused on her job, she’s also got a family she cares about, too.

At the office, Olivia drops Ella’s Magic 8 Ball and notices Loeb’s shoes have the same white spot as her abductors’ because apparently people wear their work shoes when performing a kidnapping. A bit contrived, but each to their own. There’s a lovely scene next with Charlie and Peter, where Charlie asks for Peter’s help in tapping Loeb’s phone, and, of course, Peter knows a guy, which is pretty useful because the minute he starts listening in, he hears Loeb telling his wife to kill Olivia, who is at their house. There’s a fight between Samantha Loeb and Olivia, and Samantha ends up shot through the head.

They lure Loeb to them using Samantha’s phone and arrest Mitchell, but not before Olivia pistol-whips him. Loeb is brought in for questioning and tells Olivia that there are two sides to a war and that she’d just blown their plan, and that he hadn’t kidnapped her, he’d saved her, but wouldn’t explain further.

Although it’s not really one of the more memorable episodes of early season one like, for example, The Arrival or Ability, it’s one of my favorites because it took the characters to a bit of a new level, it fleshed them all out a little such as Olivia with her family, or Peter, trusting the FBI enough to contact someone from his shady past to put a wire tap on an agent’s phone.

The title of this episode is interesting, too. Who is bound to what? Loeb to ZFT? Broyles to his agents rather than his old friend? Olivia to her job? Or Peter to his new role in the Fringe Division after a life of being a nomad? This episode shows he cares about more than just answers.

If Peter Bishop Never Existed:

We know Olivia’s a good fighter, but without Peter’s wire tap and warning for Olivia, would she have come out of the fight with Samantha unscathed?