Let me start by simply stating that I think this is the best episode of Season 3 so far. Why? The dualism, the chain reactions, and the casting.
Plateau scenario 1: Walternate, the 'Other Side's Secretary of the Department of Defense, observes our Liv functioning on her first day at work as FauxLiv. He seems pleased, and assures a not-so-confident AltBroyles that soon our Liv will "reach a plateau and her new identity will become fixed." But Walternate did not count on any unknown variables.
Plateau scenario 2: Milo Stanfield was mentally retarded. His loving sister, Maddie, signed him up for an experimental drug study run by the Ivon Medical Group, a subsidiary of her work, Gregston Electric. In a true miracle, after only one treatment with a new neurotopic(a smart drug) Milo's IQ soared. After five treatments, Milo was thinking in terms of probabilities that even savants like Alternate Agent Astrid Farnsworth found unthinkable(ever see the movie 'Rainman'?). But the medical experts conducting Milo's study did not count on any unknown variables.
I was not initially impressed by this episode. Don’t get me wrong—it was quite strong, and I still enjoy learning about Over There, about the Fringe Division, about the relationships between Faux/Olivia, Alterna-Francis, and Lincoln Lee. But at first blush this felt like a stand-alone, and Fringe can be so much better than that when it wants to be. So I let it simmer for a while, and then I realized that this isn’t a stand-alone at all: it is a compelling thematic and psychological step in the progression towards…whatever it is we’re progressing towards.
The Observer can be spotted in the Fringe episode The Plateau, standing on the bridge near Milo Stanfield, right before Olivia notices him for the first time.
In this case, timing is everything as a series of anomalous events lead the Fringe Division to investigate deadly incidents with unimaginable coincidences. As the freaky crimes continue to occur, the team is in a race against time to protect potential victims. Meanwhile, Secretary Bishop shares his strategic plan with Colonel Broyles as Olivia grapples with a heart-stopping vision.
Fringe got a great writeup in the latest issue of SciFi magazine. The two articles cover general ideas about Season 3 (not really spoilery, considering we are two episode in already), and an in depth look at Lance Reddick who plays Special Agent Phillip Broyles.
These screen caps have all been hand selected to increase quality and reduce duplicates, but if there's something that might be missing, you can request a specific Fringe screenshot in the Fringe Easter Eggs section.
Nothing is what it appeared to be in this episode, and—as with last week—I’m not sure we have all the answers yet, either. Our Theme of the Week is distraction, but it’s distraction used for deception: not just the characters deceiving each other, but also the writers deceiving us.
If I had been asked to name this episode, I would have entitled it 'Distraction,' because all of the Fringe-related characters were quite distracted, with at least one thing apiece, in 302 except for Astrid, who seemed to be able to pretty much stay on task.
Walter was distracted by, of course, the strained post-reveal relationship he now finds himself in with Peter. Astrid told us Walter has not explained his side of the 'Peter' story to his surrogate son since they returned from 'Over There,' and she demanded he do so immediately, which was very Astrid. As if that wasn't enough distraction, Walter Bishop was distracted by the posthumous reading and revelation of his best friend, William Bell's will. It was quite telling that he did not respond to Peter's asking of what he received, but instead revealed the information instead (twice) to Astrid.
Scenemaker is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Fringe. This episode shows the making of the gas station explosion scene from the Fringe season three premiere episode Olivia.
The story alternates to the Fringe Team “over here” where they investigate a mystifying case that people are discovered in a trance-like state that ultimately leads to their death. The unlikely suspect: a mysterious box. As Peter and Walter collaborate to study its properties, alternate Olivia presses on and turns up the heat on an unsuspecting Peter. Meanwhile, key information about the future is revealed when Walter and Nina meet at Massive Dynamic for the emotional reading of the last will and testament of William Bell
Season three of Fringe returns in just over a week – Eric Stoltz in Back To The Future, anyone? With Fringe’s third season beginning on 23 September in the United States, we felt compelled to remind you why the series’ alternate universe – which will be featured bi-weekly in the first half of the season – is such an interesting contrast to our own:
1. I’m seeing double!
There’s something extremely fun about the fact that several of the characters have doubles, most notably B-Olivia and Walternate, while Charlie lingers on in the alternative universe. Mainly, though, I just enjoyed this daft – but, undeniably cool – showdown between our Olivia Dunham and her sassier, fringe-bearing alternate:
2. The historical differences
JFK is still alive? Nixon’s head is on coins? The White House was destroyed, but the World Trade Center still stands? Every time a single one of these details was mentioned in the latter half of Fringe’s second season, I couldn’t help but get a little more invested in the story. Hopefully, the producers will have more of these ideas in store for us when the third season begins.
3. Movie titles
Don’t know about the rest of you, but I kind of want to see Superman Vs Batman and Indiana Jones And The Hex Of The Hydra, both of which are currently in theatres in the Fringe universe. This altogether neat touch is exactly why Fringe’s alternate universe is so cool – it works on multiple levels, from characterisation to the pop culture references.
4. The New York skyline
Zeppelins over New York in 2010? Love it. Fringe’s art direction went crazy in the second season, painting a picture of what an alternate universe should look like – close-to-home, but creatively inspired. I can’t wait to get a further glance at it over the course of the third year.
5. Fringe division is an army
Vans? They have Fringe vans? Broyles has a control room? Bloody hell! Fringe seems to have far more backing from the government on the other side, due to the fact that the entire world is falling apart over there (a result of Walter Bishop’s amoral dabbling with the universe). As a result, the division probably has its own stationery, and they’re obviously well known by the public.
If you are searching for a friendly place to discuss the Fox TV show Fringe, or just a resource for keeping up with the latest news, clues and views on the series, you have come to the right place.
Posts
