Fringe Episode 321: "The Last Sam Weiss"

Olivia joins forces with the mysterious Sam Weiss in a desperate race against time.

Discuss the episode here in the comments.

Fringe GetGlue Contest, Week 3

Week three of the GetGlue Fringe Prop giveaway has begun. This week's prize is the "The Observer’s Doomsday Drawing".

The rules are pretty simple. To earn the most entries for the drawing, you need to "check-in" at GetGlue.com during the live broadcast of Fringe AND and enter the code-word-of-the-week into the comment section when you check in.


You can find the code word hidden in this video: FRINGE - Fans Ask Fringe (Part 3)

If you check in with the code during the episode, you get 5 entries. If you check in any other time, or without the code, then you get less entries. See the official rules for full details.

FRINGE - Fans Ask Fringe (Part 3)

Here is part three of the Fox video series "Fans Ask Fringe", featuring fan questions answered by the stars of Fringe.

In this third edition, we get two question answered by Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Blair Brown, Lance Reddick, and John Noble:

• What is the best prank or joke that has been pulled on another cast or crew member?
• Does the cast watch the show as it airs on TV? How different is it from what they expect after filming it?

'Fringe' interview:My lunch with John Noble

‘Fringe’ interview: My lunch with John Noble
Andrew Hanson
April 29, 2011 9:00 am

When you sit down to speak with John Noble, you almost expect to be having lunch with Walter Bishop. Walter is one of those television characters that almost seems real. Sure, he’s usually pulling giant worms out of people or breaking holes in the universe, but Bishop also struggles with his own frailties, his own mistakes. After watching him every week on "Fringe," you feel like you know him. Like he’s a normal human being. A lot of that has to do with the writing and direction of the show, but even more comes from John Noble himself.

I’ve spoken with Mr. Noble before, but only for phone interviews. Once you get past the Aussie accent, you hear a lot of Walter in the actor that portrays him. They both speak with a calm intelligence, but at the same time they can get caught up in their passion for the subject. Almost to the point of giddiness.

Yet meeting face to face is quite a different story. Instead of the hunched, insecure scientist wracked with guilt about his past, you get robust, confident John Noble. A man who, even though he was coming off a daunting shooting schedule and flights crisscrossing the globe, warmly sat down with me to talk about the third season of "Fringe" as it comes to a close.

“It’s like an endless stage play.” Noble told me. “The first few seasons were about the audience getting attached to these characters. Then the funny thing is, this season was about creating a whole new set of characters. What an extraordinary risk to take! We’ve got these characters that people like. They’re developed. OK, push them aside.”

“Our big challenge was if we could get the audience to care about the people on the other side,” Noble said.

Not an easy task. Season 1’s finale gave us a glimpse of the parallel universe. A quick visit to William Bell’s office on that side’s World Trade Center. Then throughout Season 2, the only visitors we encountered were the shape-shifting soldiers from another dimension. Then building to last year’s finale, Walter’s other-world counterpart Walternate appeared to take back Peter, the son that was stolen from him.

“It would have been easy to make Walter the classic villain,” Noble explained over coffee, “but he could be much more if we could humanize him. No hurry, but every now and again sneak in a moment where it’s ‘Oh, I do understand why he does that.’ ”

In Walternate’s world, he is the hero. His son was stolen by invaders from a different world. Invaders who broke holes in reality and caused horrible blights. “I don’t have an issue playing Walternate in almost anything he does because as the key decision maker in the land of the other universe, he has to make some tough decisions. But he’s probably the sort of bloke you want in charge.”

Walternate is willing to use the Amber to seal up weak spots in his universe, even if it traps innocent bystanders as well. He brainwashes Olivia into thinking she belongs over there in order to find out the secret of moving between universes. He is bent on defending that universe at any cost. Well, almost any cost. Unlike our Walter, Walternate has a steadfast rule against using children. “He discovered that in himself after his son was stolen. In his fury. In his rigidness. He really made this a national rule. That crimes against children were a top priority. He’s made it the law of the land.”

Our Walter’s Cortexifan experiments on Olivia and the other kids in Jacksonville show that he had a much looser ethics code when it came to younglings. “In ‘Subject 13’ he was being pushed and pulled by different forces,” Noble explained. Walter was trying to make soldiers to defend us against invaders from the other side, even if it meant turning a blind eye to the home life of little Olive, but Walter lived up to his doppelganger’s example. “I was very pleased in the final outcome of that, that Walter came to save the Olivia from her stepfather, which was something we discussed as well. It wasn’t in there originally, but if you paint this man as oblivious to the children, then you’ve lost two years of development.”

“I find these characters particularly interesting in that these two, Walter and Walternate, are essentially the same person. Changed by events. Whether you’re Jungian or Freudian, you can see how they’ve developed,” Noble said. “The war between the worlds exists because of fathers’ instincts. One who stole a son and one who’s had one stolen.”

Each of the "Fringe" regulars got to play characters in both universes. Except, of course, Joshua Jackson. “He tried to protest,” Noble joked. “Everyone else has a double, except poor old Lance. Loved his alternate character, but they killed him. He was so upset.”

As the rest of the cast had two different characters this season, Noble’s costar Anna Torv had three. Olivia, the other universe’s Fauxlivia and Olivia possessed by Leonard Nimoy’s William Bell. “She has been wonderful, hasn’t she? I’m so proud of her,” Noble beamed. “She’s just gotten richer, better and taken the risks you have to take as an actor. If you don’t take risks as an actor, you’re going nowhere."

“When Anna first found out she was going to play William, we talked about it a lot. I knew the Bill character and I knew the relationship that Walter would have had with him. It was just having fun with my old mate, and she responded amazingly.” Noble reminisced. “I was truly thrilled with Anna’s courage to just go with it.”

Noble felt that Bell’s reappearance was necessary. “We’d set the character up so strongly in Season 1. There had to be some moment between" Walter and Bell. That moment came during an animated trip inside Olivia’s head. “When that script came up, I thought, 'That’s going to take someone six months. But we don’t have six months. We have three weeks. How will this happen?' But that’s the sort of things that happen all the time with ‘Fringe.’ Impossible things.”

In that moment, Walter confesses that he thinks he needs Bell to be his balance, but Bell tells Walter he’s ready to go on alone. “The writers told me earlier this year that would be a crucial point. Walter would have to accept that he has everything he needs. A lot of people go through their lives thinking, ‘If only I.... If only had this. If only I had that. If I just get a little more plastic surgery. If I change something, I’ll be something.' ”

“It’s what propels Walter forward to the finale of the season.”

I confessed then that I always love "Fringe" finales. How Season 1 left us in William Bell’s alternate realty office. And Season 2’s reveal of Olivia trapped over there. They always have the ability to leave me simmering all summer long.

At that John Noble grinned. “This one will make you simmer too.”
Source:latimesblogs

Fringe Photos: Screenshots From "6:02 AM EST"

HD screenshots of Fringe episode "6:02 AM EST" are now available at FringeFiles.com.

These screen caps have all been randomly selected, so if there's something that might be missing, you can request a specific Fringe screenshot in these comments.

Promotional photos for "6:02 AM EST" are also available at FringeFiles.com.

Michael Cerveris Observes the "Fringe" Season 3 Finale!

Exclusive: Michael Cerveris Observes the 'Fringe' Season 3 Finale!
Thu., Apr. 14, 2011 1:25 PM PDT , by Joseph McCabe

In our current multimedia renaissance, Michael Cerveris is the perfect renaissance man – having starred in Broadway plays, Hollywood films and network TV shows. He's also recorded music, taught at schools, and, as I type this, is probably writing a cookbook while training for a side career as a professional luger. Like a lot of horror fans, I first noticed Cerveris when he starred opposite Patti LuPone in the recent Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd (which, for my money, will remain the definitive Sweeney Todd). And it's been fun to watch him further explore his admitted love of the weird and macabre in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, this month's Stake Land (in which he plays a vampire cult leader), and of course, Fox's fan-favorite series Fringe -- on which he's known as September, one of the enigmatic, often eerie Observers. I spoke with Cerveris this week about Stake Land, and I'll post that interview soon here on FEARnet. But in the meantime, as Fringe nears its third season's finale, I thought I'd share with you the part of our conversation in which Cerveris spoke of how he came to play September, where he'd like to see his character go, and what lies ahead for the show. Check out what the Tony Award-winning actor had to say after the jump.

Your Fringe character is in many ways emblematic of the show. Because it's a series about mysteries, and he's the most mysterious. A lot of it's a mystery even to me. [Laughs.]

Can you talk a bit about that? Do the producers give you a little more info than the show gives us? Is there a plan for your character that they've shared with you, or do they prefer that you come to each episode as spontaneously as possible?It began with a very minimal plan. In fact when I first auditioned, they wrote an imaginary scene just to have something for people to audition with. Because they really hadn't written the episode he was going to appear in. And then, almost as soon as I was hired, within a week or so they called and said, "We want to do something different. We want to introduce the character really slowly, just in the background. So that he might not even be noticed for a long time until the fans catch on, and then we'll reveal him maybe in the thirteenth or fourteenth episode of the first season." So we sort of started it that way. Even when I went in for my costume fitting for the first time, the wardrobe people said, "So what do you wear?" I said, "Well, I kind of thought you would know that." [Laughs.] So we went through these racks of suits and I picked out one that I liked especially, which is good since it's the one I've been wearing for a few years now. I picked a hat that I liked, and just invented the character with some input from the producers and the early directors, but I was really given a lot of free reign to decide how he sounded, how he moved, how he acted, and how I spoke. I guess the network and J.J. decided that they were so excited about the character that they wanted to move up the revelation to the fourth episode. That's the one with the tobacco sauce, where you really got introduced to him.

I've had conversations over the years with [executive producer] Jeff Pinkner about where they see the character fitting in to the cosmology of the whole thing. I think the last conversation ended with Jeff saying, "Um, so you know about eighty percent of what we know about the character right now." That was kind of at the beginning of the second or third season. But we just finished the season finale of season 3, in which all kinds of surprising things happen. A lot of strands get tied up that have been sort of dangling for a while. Of course most of them not in a way that you imagine, and a lot of new things get opened up that I guess will be pointing towards where we're heading next season. Although it's not clear at all where we're going with that. I do know that September, and the Observers in general, are kind of pivotal to the overall story. But I don't know how exactly that's all going to play out. So it's as exciting for me as it is for anybody else to follow it.

I'm a fan of the show too, which makes it kind of fun. Because I don't get the scripts every week, when I'm not in it, so I look forward to Friday nights to just to find out what's going on. And it's true for everybody. Even John Noble, Anna and Josh – everybody devours the new scripts when they come out just to find out what's going to happen to them.

Can you say whether we'll learn a little bit more about September and the Observers in the season finale?Not too much about us. You get a couple of extra details, or maybe information about things that we suspected. But it doesn't focus too much or doesn't reveal a lot of new information about us. We're more in our kind of observing mode at this point. But it kind of has an implication that we're gonna have a lot to do next year, hopefully.

As a fan, what would you like to see? Would you like to see everything about them explained well before the show ends its run? Or would you like to let the mystery remain as long as Fringe lasts?I'd like to know. Obviously in a selfish way I'd like to have the Observers, or September at least, be a more active element. I feel like you can reveal a lot and still have a great deal of mystery remain. I've always sort of thought of September as like the angels in Wings of Desire, the Wim Wenders movie. I've sort of always kind of patterned September a bit on that character, the sort otherworldly character who has some unusual sympathies for, and fascination with, human beings. I would love to see more revealed about them, but I think there's always gonna be plenty of mystery, and I think that's important. I think they've been really smart about the way they've used September. When he appears it has a big impact and it makes a big impression. I think they've been really smart. Even things like… They've never invited me to be a part of Comic-Con or anything else, because I think they just want to keep him separate and apart, and keep that aura of mystery. I appreciate that. As an actor and a person, I wish I was in every episode. I wish I was around all the time, but maybe the danger is that they would start to dilute the whole thing. So they're a lot smarter than I am about that.

Of course September has appeared at certain live events, like American Idol.Which always really pisses Josh Jackson off, because he's like, "How come I'm here working my butt off all the time and you get to go to NASCAR and NFC playoff games? How does that work?" [Laughs.]

Could we see September at any other live events in the near future?I don't know of any. I think maybe they feel they sort of played that out at one point. Maybe it'll happen again. I would love it. Every time I'd think, "Hey, it's Vancouver and the Olympics are there! I think the Observer should pick the Olympics!" I couldn't talk anybody into that. I've got my bags packed and I'm ready to shave my eyebrows at any second. I'm just waiting for the call. [Laughs.]

It's a great idea. Because it draw upon both the showmanship that J.J. is famous for and your own background as a live theater actor.Yeah, I think that's true as well. That was part of their interest in having me be there.

What's next for you? What do you have going on besides Fringe and Stake Land?There's not a lot actually that I am sure about at the moment. I'm going to be showing up in this season of Treme, HBO's series that takes place in New Orleans. I spend a lot of time in New Orleans these days. I play music as well, and I'm on this album called Nine Lives with a bunch of New Orleans musicians that's based on a book of the same name that some people are trying to turn into a stage musical, and so I'm trying to help with that. And I'm gonna be playing a lot of shows at Jazz Fest in a few weeks down there. And I spend a lot of time just volunteering and teaching down there, because I just love it so much. It's become my second home, ever since going to shoot Cirque du Freak there actually. But I don't have any stage projects planned at the moment, and other than Fringe season 4 I don't know what else is coming down the pike. Maybe after Stake Land comes out I'll have lots of jobs beating up on nuns. We'll just have to see. [Laughs.] I'd like to play an actual human being at some point, but that may be too much of a stretch.

[Laughs.] Thank you for your time today, Michael.My pleasure!
Source:fearnet.com

Universes collide in Bishops' world on 'Fringe'

Universes collide in Bishops' world on 'Fringe'
By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY
Unlike their father-son Fringe characters, actors John Noble and Joshua Jackson are hardly universes apart.

"We're best friends," Noble says as they discuss the mind-bending Fox drama and the three-part season-ending story (Part 2 Friday, 9 ET/PT).

Their mutual trust makes it easier for them to take the relationship between the Bishop boys, father Walter (Noble) and son Peter (Jackson) to some very dark places.

"We wanted to make the relationship as real and bloody and wonderful as it is," Noble, 62, says.

"To make it honest, not to knock the rough edges off it," Jackson, 32, says. "After you've gone through the ugly portions of the father-and-son relationship, then once you get to places of happiness and joy or any beauty, you've earned them."

Their connection during a recent joint interview is apparent. A conversation with the Bishops at times turns into a conversation between the Bishops as Jackson and Noble play off each other's comments, compare notes on favorite episodes and address their answers to each other.

The complicated Bishop relationship is a cornerstone of Fringe, which follows an investigative team that seeks to solve seemingly unexplainable mysteries, including those involving two universes that are nearly mirror images. Walter caused an imbalance between the two when he took the alternate universe's Peter to replace his own son, who had died.

If that sounds complex, that's just the start of it. A few weeks ago, Walter, Peter and FBI agent Olivia (Anna Torv) turned into cartoons during a journey through Olivia's mind.

"It's unusual. It's bizarre. It's Fringe," Noble says.

The show's demanding mythology may have cost the show some viewers, Noble acknowledges, but he says it also earns the series intense devotion from others. "People use it as a conversation piece to discuss all sorts of metaphysical facts of life," he says.

"The vein they tapped creatively caught on with a very specific and very rabid base who use it as a launching-off point for the rest of the conversation," Jackson says.

Fringe also doesn't make it easy to choose between universes, between Walter and Olivia in this universe and so-called Walternate and Bolivia "over there" in the other universe.

"The most difficult thing we faced was getting an audience to accept that there's no good or evil, because people want to take sides. It was our challenge to get our audience to accept those folks on the other side," Noble says. "I think we actually achieved that. We got people to kind of like the people on the other side and realize they were human beings."

The devout base helped Fringe earn an early Season 4 renewal. Even though it averages a modest 5.7million viewers a week, it scores particularly well in DVR viewing.

In last week's Fringe, the first of the three-part finale arc, the universe started to come apart after Walternate turned on a doomsday machine. Peter may be the only hope of stopping the machine, but he becomes injured in his effort to do so.

The story will "show the world what Armageddon is like," Noble says. Someone will die in next week's finale, Jackson teases: "We can tell you who, but it won't matter by the end of the episode. That's not a spoiler. That's a good tease," he says, turning to Noble. "No? That's a spoiler?"

Before next season's shooting starts, Noble will spend time in his native Australia "and learn to be an Australian again," while Jackson just landed a role in a Stephen Frears film, Lay the Favorite.

As for off-work hobbies, Noble enjoys music and painting. And Jackson says, "I drink and chase my woman (girlfriend Diane Kruger) around the world." Adds Noble, "He has a young man's version of mine."
Source:usatoday.com

Psychic Shot In The Dark: Massive Dynamic

Fox has consulted again with Madame Reginah to ask her about what is going to happen with Massive Dynamic. This video is almost the same as Psychic Spoiler Alert videos released last month. There's also videos like this for Glee and Bones, so I think this is a way for Fox promoting this shows.

Fringe Noble Intentions: 6:02 AM EST

In this episode of "Noble Intentions", John Noble discusses why Walternate is willing to sacrifice his only son, and what Walter would be willing to do to save his.

Fringe Sneak Peek #2 - 321: "The Last Sam Weiss"

Here's another sneak peek for this friday's episode of FRINGE.

Video Source: SpoilerTV

Fringe Discuss: What Will Happen Next To Peter Bishop?

It's time for another round of "Fringe Discuss", the weekly post where we give you a question, so you can weigh in on the topic of the week.

Toward the end of "6:02 AM EST" we saw Peter lying unconscious in a hospital bed after getting rejected by "the device".

So this week's question is: Why was Peter rejected by "the device", and what will happen next to Peter Bishop?

I would love to hear your comments and theories on this so please post them in the comments below.

And remember, please do NOT post any spoilers here. Post your spoiler comments in the "Spoilers" section of this website.

Also: I couldn't think of a good poll topic this week, so if you have any ideas, leave a comment, a we may use your idea for a poll.

"Father & Son"-A Review of Episode 320

"Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go."--Cat Stevens, "Father and Son,"

Almost forty-one years ago a talented English musician, who called himself Cat Stevens, wrote a song that was a musical dialogue between a wise old, loving father, and his antsy, young son, who wanted to run off and join a revolution against the wishes of his father. This song "Father & Son," is a timeless classic of two generations trying to communicate in a bittersweet emotional moment. The above lyrics were screaming to me as I sat down to write this review for episode 320, "6:02AM EST."

On a second watching of this episode, I've upped my rating. This is a very good episode, that is almost as gut-wrenching as any to which Akiva Goldsman has contributed his writing talent. Almost, but not quite.
If you've been following Fringe all along you knew this time was coming, when our poor Walter Bishop would have to willingly let go of his "adopted" son, Peter Bishop, for the greater good. Interestingly, Walter was none too sublte about it: "I would have to sacrifice you to fix the problems I created." Note that Peter started the conversation on this topic:"Walter, we both know there's another way," and that he ended it:"I think this is what I'm supposed to do, but I can't do it without your help." Peter's mind is made up. What a huge turn from just a few episodes ago when he told us he wouldn't set foot inside the machine!

We've been told several times recently by the FOX Broadcasting ads, the showrunners, and even John Noble himself, that this first of the last three episodes is important, and that it is basically part of a three-part finale story arc. Packed into this Fringe timeslot we basically learned the following:

AltBrandon is proud to be a part of saving his world(by destroying ours)

Peter and our Olivia are truly united at this "end of the beginning"(as the FOX promo calls it)

Nina Sharp is actually afraid of something

Our team figured out Their team activated our machine very quickly

Walter says there's no way to stop the events that will increase exponentially

Our Walter thinks Walternate has won

Nina tells Olivia what Sam Weiss told her-in summarized form

Alternate Lincoln Lee is the only person FauxLivia trusts(besides her mother)

Broyles now values Walter's opinions as a person close to him, in addition to as a consultant

FauxLivia forces AltBrandon to give her something to get Over Here

Sam Weiss knows calculus

Astrid tries to comfort Walter and holds his hand as Peter heads to the machine

Peter has a very bad fall and the doctors cannot awaken him

Sam Weiss tells our Olivia she has to trust him

The episode ends full circle with "Over There:Part 2," as FauxLivia ends up in Walternate's cell

Kudos to the writers of this episode who must have scratched their heads while trying to incorporate the above points within a 43 minute time period. The pace is quick, and the only criticism I have about it is in the scene where FauxLivia prepares to go off to obtain means from AltBrandon to get Over Here. That scene starts with Faux singing to sweet little Henry(I should have made a bet with all those who didn't think she would name him that!). As she leaves Henry's room Lincoln is looking at a picture of the two of them smiling, Faux's arm around him as she proudly displays a medal. We learn it is a picture of her first commendation for saving Lincoln, her coworker at the time, during a Level 4 vortex incident. FauxLiv makes light of the situation, saying she was just going for his wallet and the $50.00 he owed her. Lincoln tries to reinforce the seriousness of their situation. You get the sense that this is how it's probably been with these two-Lincoln Lee trying to seriously engage her as she pulls away with humor and sometimes sarcasm, sort of a role reversal of the communication style of our Peter & Olivia.

Lincoln asks her to let him come with her, but in her ever dominant role, FauxLivia tells him she needs him to stay there and get baby Henry to her mother's in case she doesn't return. There isn't a whole lot of eye contact as she tells Lincoln he's the only one that she trusts. Then the writers have these questions come out of Lincoln's mouth:"You really think Peter Bishop can stop this? That he can heal both worlds?" And you know that Lincoln and FauxLivia have talked, and you have to wonder how much she's told him, about Peter, about her feelings for Peter, and about the machine. She tells Lincoln she doesn't know but if anyone can talk the Secretary into turning off the machine it would be his son, to which Lincoln nods. Then it's a "See you when you get back" from Lincoln, a decent hug, and FauxLivia's out the door. But like many scenes in this show, it's not enough, and it leaves you wanting more information on this couple and their dysfunctional relationship.

The good-bye scene between our Olivia and Peter runs parallel to Lincoln and FauxLivia's above in that there is no kiss or shared declaractions of love in front of the gang in the Massive Dynamic hangar, either. Peter stops Olivia with a hand on her arm and you can see that he wants to tell her as he swallows madly, one of his strongest tells. Olivia looks like she is swallowing emotion down as well as she tells him she'll call him from Massive Dynamic in New York. There's a slight shake of Peter's head and our Olivia heads out.

My favorite scene of this episode is when Walter is in the hospital's chapel. Your mind should instantly recall "White Tulip," when Walter asks God for a sign of forgiveness, and receives it by the end of that episode. It's hard to believe the writers could trump those scenes in 320, but they have, and if this chapel scene doesn't show you John Noble's talents are award-worthy, I don't know what does! "I have no other place to turn," Walter says, and you can feel your stomach start turning as well. The rest of his conversation is posted below:

I asked you for a sign and you sent it to me. A white tulip. And I'm so grateful! Since then, in moments of deep despair, I have found solace in believing that you have forgiven me. I was willing ot let him go. I was willing to let Peter die. I've changed. That should matter.God, I know my crimes are unforgivable. Punish me. Do what you want to me. And I beg you, spare our world.

Wow. His words of being willing to let Peter die reminded me of the story in the Bible of Abraham being willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, which I think is intended here. Both Walters on both sides are willing to sacrifice their son, our Walter for the greater good, Walternate for the consummation of his revenge.

Also noteworthy in "6:02AM EST" is the sweet Astrid/Peter moment when she asks "You sure you don't want me to call Olivia?" before Peter heads towards the machine. Peter answers her, "If it doesn't work she's gonna find out soon enough." Astrid just looks at him with those huge eyes waiting for him to continue. Peter then swallows and says"Just tell her that-" and Astrid smartly interrupts him, stating that whatever he wants to tell her he can tell her himself."
We even get a little humor thrown in for good measure in that extended Peter-says- goodbye scene when Peter tells Broyles, "If this works and I save both universes, I want you to consider me officially retired," to which Broyles' face lightens as he replies, "I'll think about it."

FauxLivia never gets a chance in this episode to get Over Here. Either AltBrandon has duped her or she's not using the canister correctly. The episode ends with deja vu as Walternate walks down a dark, familiar hallway and turns on a light in a holding cell. FauxLivia has now come full circle to sit in our Olivia's same cell. They have a very interesting conversation in which Walternate points out that they are similar in that both of them are willing to leave their son behind in order to risk their life for what they believe to be the greater good. FauxLivia gives us a "heads up" moment when she emphatically tells Walternate she doesn't see how killing billions of people can possibly be in the interest of the greater good. Nice. Definitely signs of redemption of the Alternate Olivia Dunham character here. It's about time.

Things In This Episode That Point To Other Episodes

• Sheep-makes me think of how we learned the sheep are gone Over There in 313, "Immortality."


• Walternate's reference to Oppenheimer-reminds me of our Walter's reference to Oppenheimer in 302, "The Box" when Walter was yelling at Broyles while he was being put under pressure to find out how the box worked


• Shirtless Peter-reminds me of him standing shirtless at their apartment door in 102 "The Same Old Story."


• The scene in the field where thsheephandlers disappeared-reminds me of the soccer field in 120, "There's More Than One Of Everything," where Olivia and Charlie found the half a soccer player.


• Walternate pouring alcohol from a flask-reminds me of Walternate pouring alcohol in 315 "Subject 13."


• Walternate repeats "Give him the keys and save the girl-reminds me of the Observer and Walter saying the same in 310, 'The Firefly."


• Peter & Walter drinking a toast-reminds me of Peter& Olivia doing the same in 314, "6B."


• The circle that appears on the wall at the DOD after AltBrandon puts his palm on it-reminds me very much of the First People's calendar thingy in 306, "6955 kHz."


• FauxLivia running from guards on Liberty Island-reminds me of 301, "Olivia."


• FauxLivia running through the Liberty Island basement-reminds me of both 201, "A New Day In The Old Town," and 312, "Concentrate and Ask Again."


• FauxLivia stuck at the gate-reminds me of our Liv behind one in 116,"Unleashed."


• FauxLivia in Walternate's holding cell-reminds me of our Liv in the same place in 223, "Over There:Part 2."


• "You don't know anything about me"-I believe FauxLiv said the same thing to our Liv in 223, "Over There:Part 2."


• Astrid holding Walter's hand-reminds me of her holding Broyles' hand in 319, "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide."


• "We don't have alot of time"-similar to David Robert Jones' words to Olivia in 114, "Ability."

Things That Struck Me About This Episode:

• "Rocky Mountain Way" by Joe Walsh playing in the bowling alley-Check out the lyrics to that. I guess the writers are trying to tell us something about Sam Weiss.


• Sam Weiss and his Newton's Cradle-Dennis already gave you the wikipedia link for this. What's interesting is how it started without him touching it. Did Sam start it with his mind, and if he didn't start it moving, who did? Note that the biggest model of the Newton's Cradle in the US was made with bowling balls! Speaking of which, the red bowling ball knocking into the black bowling ball, but not seemingly affecting the blue bowling ball was interesting. According to that wikipedia page, the only thing that will change the course of the movement is a shock wave. Is Peter Bishop the "shock wave" that will affect the momentum? Or our Olivia? Or both of them together?


• If it's Tuesday, Walter must be cooking while naked-A fun scene when Olivia runs into Walter in the buff. Interestingly, there are stories in the Fringe fandom at fanfiction.net which have incorporated Liv running into a naked Walter in their house written a long time ago.


• "Tell Walter it's on!"-I don't think Nina means just the machine here.


• "Explanations are above my pay grade."-That's gotta be eating at Over There Lincoln. How long is he going to put up with that?


• Alternate Olivia named her son Henry!-That's just so fun.


• Neither Olivia kissed their man goodbye before they left for work-That's a little cold, don't you think, writers?


• "It wasn't supposed to be this way."-There's a paralell between September's situation of distracting Walternate 26 years ago and, Milo's discovery in 'The Plateau" that Olivia wouldn't use the inhaler, and what Sam's saying here.


• The First People's calendar under AltBrandon's palm ID-Exactly how much do they know about the First People Over There?


• The bottle of Brut aftershave on Sam's empty shelf-So who's the brut in this scenario? Is it supposed to be symbolic of Sam?


• "The current catch is so powerful. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. And the thought of what that could do to my son...I don't want him to suffer."-Hmm. Will the effects of that tie into the previous references to the "heart" in 220, "Brown Betty"?


• "If this works, and I save both universes, I want you to consider me officially retired."-From what we've seen in the promos it ain't gonna happen. Sorry, Peter.


• The calculus equation Sam Weiss wrote down-Integral or differential calculus? Anyone know exactly what that is?


• Ending the episode with Alternate Olivia in the same cell our liv was in-Priceless!

After re-watching "6:02AM EST" several times I have come to the conclusion that it is a very good episode. Not epic, but, very, very good. I give it 4.5 out of 5 bottles of Brut.