Exclusive: 4.02 Title Reveled

IMDB.com has just update their info and the title for the second episode of season 4 is "Bad Machines".

We are going to wait until Joel Wyman or Jeff Pinkner confirme this title at Comic Con. But for now, what do you think about the name?.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #104 "The Arrival"

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 Arrival is an episode of key importance to the Fringe mythology. It is here that viewers have their first look at one of the more enigmatic characters on Fringe, The Observer.

(Of course, we later learn there are several Observers and that they appear in both universes.)

It is interesting that although the audience knows the name of the Observer, September, his name is never mentioned on the show.

The first scene takes place at a diner. Fringe sure loves diners and bars...

The Observer (September) is quite the contrast to the other diner patrons. As chaos unfolds in the construction site next door, he calmly finishes his water, leaves $20 for payment, and he proceeds to leave. As he exits the door, a blue flash of light happens.The camera lenses get covered with dirt and debris as people scatter everywhere. He comes up to a large crater created at the site, makes a call to an unknown party, and announces, “It has arrived.” In the words of rock band Faith No More, viewers are left to wonder, “What is It?” And we still wonder about the exact nature of the cylinder object.

When the Fringe team arrives at the warehouse housing the cylinder, everyone but Walter is dire and ready to get to work. However, Walter is more interested in talking with other agents involved in the investigation. He engages them with "Hellos" and “Good Mornings." Peter tried to herd him away to focus. I found this really sad for Walter, a man that has been denied most human contact for 17 years. He was desperate to connect with other people. It makes his future fate of life imprisonment for his "crimes against nature" so terrible to fathom.

When Walter first sees the cylinder, he has a look of concern, not just amazement. Like his memory had been jogged. He does tell Olivia that he has an idea of what it might be, but he won’t tell because “it’s too early.” Peter cracks a joke about it being “a can of magic soup from outer space” which sends Walter right on the defensive; “Who says it came from space?” What exactly did Walter know? And the words "too early" make me wonder, too early for what?

Peter tells Olivia that he’s leaving after this case. He's feeling the burden of taking care of his mentally unstable father and feels fairly useless. In other words, he doesn't belong. As the series progresses, Peter wants to feel that he knows who he is, and where he belongs. In the third season finale, he has that. But with the world falling apart, it must have been very bittersweet.

When Broyles doesn’t want to transfer the object to the lab, Walter becomes very indignant and angry. Basically his attitude is "it’s my way or the highway." (Walter reminds me very much of Walternate in this scene.)

I find it worth noting that the Iridium element that allowed Roy McComb's ability in The Ghost Network, is the same material used in the cylinder's construction. Also, the Observer can seemingly read thoughts just like Roy McComb was said to do.

The cylinder is said to vibrate at frequencies of 2 mHz and 4 mHz. Do this happen to have anything to do with Peter's frequency as mentioned by Sam Weiss in Concentrate and Ask Again?

Walter mentions working on a project for the Defense Department called "Project Thor." Peter finds the notion of a missile able to penetrate from one side of the Earth to the other, "ridiculous." Walter replies:

"Open your mind, Son, before someone else opens it for you."

Once again, one of Walter's statements lends so much. Not only does Peter get his mind opened in this episode, but it also occurs in The Day We Died. Walter opened the current Peter's mind to the consequences of his actions in the future.

Walter shows some interesting character development in protecting the cylinder. First, he lies to Peter about needing aluminum foil, then he sedates Astrid. Later, he apologizes to Astrid, the start of an interesting dynamic over three seasons. Astrid may be considered a minor character, but I find her place in this odd family unit very endearing.

There are some interesting observations in the scene where Walter has been arrested, and Peter and Olivia are trying to find out where he hid the cylinder. Peter believes in Walter’s "friend" (The Observer) as much as Harvey the Rabbit. After the third season, I'm questioning who is "real" and who is not. Peter is tired of Walter's stalling and angrily tells Walter that the cylinder had nothing to do with him. A very stern Walter looks at Peter and makes the statement, "Maybe it does, Peter." Peter looks concerned at this outburst.

When Walter says that his "friend" could not be found, Peter quips, "Of course not, because he's in the seventh dimension." From what little we do know of the Observers, this seems to more than just Peter being snarky.

Walter is also very aggravated at Peter "treating him like a child," and alludes to him acting like his mother, which thoroughly angers Peter. He leaves the building and goes back to the lab, where he is abducted by the so-called rogue Observer, John Mosely. It is interesting that Mosley wears a knit watch cap with green, green, green, red dots. He has to use some sort of technology to torture Peter into a state of emotion to reveal thoughts concerning the cylinder location - thoughts Walter never told him. The device seemed to be a memory-thought inducing machine. Did the Vacuum machine serve a similar purpose, but on a larger, time-hopping scale?

One other thought: The Cylinder appears in Brown Betty as one of Walter's inventions.

Peter and Olivia

Peter confides in Olivia. She says it was wrong of her to make him feel beholden to her. Peter assures her that he isn't going anywhere until he finds answers.

When Olivia hands Peter his credentials as Civilian Consultant to Homeland Security, there is almost a spark in his eyes. As much as the man wants to run, he is drawn to this thing bigger than himself. He seems to see that he can be useful as his own person and not just as Walter’s son. This is a big step for nomadic Peter, the first root to his father and to Olivia. The first bonds of their “odd little family unit.” The first step on his journey with Olivia as a partner first - leading to friendship, love and marriage.


The first promotion was recently released for Season 4. The spot shows this scene with Peter telling Olivia:

"I'm a fairly open-minded guy, but there are things happening here that I can't even begin to explain. And I am not going anywhere until I can."

It is time to find out about the Observers, the cylinder, and who is Peter Bishop, really?

My crazy fan theories? Peter may really be Robert Bishop. At this point, it seems anything is a possibility when time-lines and paradoxes are involved.

I also feel that the "4" found in the promo resembles a graph.

"4" = quad = quadrants = coordinates

X and Y are standard variables. Add Z for a third dimension. W is a variable for... the Fourth Dimension? Time is considered a type of fourth dimension.

Is the purpose of the beacon cylinder to map or locate coordinates? When lines cross at a certain point, they are said to intersect. Peter has been shown making many such intersections on maps in order to find a location. Somehow, I think that the #WhereIsPeterBishop promo may possibly be a big clue about the beacon cylinder. Or not...

Walter and Peter's Relationship

This episode really delves into the meat and potatoes of one of the driving forces in Fringe: The relationship between Walter and Peter. There is incredible tension between the reluctant son and his until-recently-estranged father. It is said that this relationship was considered of prime importance to show creator J.J. Abrams. Jackson and Noble sell it well.

Peter is very irritated with Walter. He can’t sleep, and he looks terrible. Walter always reminds him of his disappointment that Peter has “squandered his intellect and substantial education.”

Peter insists there is nothing “special” about him. That anyone can “babysit” and “decipher” Walter. Peter insists that he can’t stay, but Olivia tells him that Walter will refuse to cooperate if Peter leaves. The viewer gets a good taste of Peter’s dry wit: “Was he wearing clothes at the time?”

After being tortured by Mosley, and also shot by the Observer with an air-gun, Peter talks with Walter. Walter tells him that thoughts can be shared by proximity. He also recounts the story of how the Observer saved both of their lives - except it is only a half-truth. Peter shows some understanding with Walter: “You must think me insane.” Peter replies, “Not nearly as much as you think.”

(And that air-gun makes another appearance in The Firefly.)



Memory

Both Walter and Peter have fuzzy memories of the past. All of this messing with time-lines that was revealed in the third season just might have something to do with it.

Unsolved Mysteries

• What is the significance of the observations that the Observer makes? Do they have a purpose?

• Why was Walter asked to keep the cylinder safe?

• Who are the Observers, and why do they even care about Walter and Peter? Or any other events for that matter?

• How did Peter know that Walter buried the Cylinder in his grandfather’s grave? Is Robert Bishop's body even in that grave? Why did Robert die young - at age 32?

• Did John Mosley know Robert, and how, because Mosely was not old.

• Why did Walter recognize Mosley?

• Who is John Mosely? Why did he want the cylinder, and why were the Observers concerned about it?

• What papers were Peter digging through as he was arranging for work and getting ready to leave Boston?

• What is the significance of the fact that the cylinder was constructed from Iridium? It was the metal used in Roy McComb's blood in The Ghost Network. Fringe has mentioned a close cousin to this element, Osmium (Os.)

• Why did it vibrate at 2Mhz and then 4MhZ?

• Is there significance to it arriving at Quantico in 1987?

• Why did the cylinder just go away once retrieved by Mosley, and why was he smiling when he died?

• Is there any significance to the words Peter spoke to the Observer when he came face-to-face with him for the first time? Beatles lyrics?

If Peter Does Not Exist?

Keep in mind that Olivia expressed that Peter was needed to keep Walter working with Fringe Division.

• If there was no Peter, what circumstances led to Walter working with Fringe Division in the first place?
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• Who got him out of St Claire’s, if he was even sent there at all?

• What drove Walter to cooperate?

• Will there be a cylinder in the new time-line if there is no Peter?

• If there is a cylinder, will there be a Mosley to obtain it for whatever purpose his employer wanted? Who was that employer?

• Are the roots of Peter's "purpose" found in this episode?

Vote For 'Fringe' on SpoilerTV

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Let's show the world that Fringe is the Best Show.

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Anna Torv - Comic-Con: TV's 6 Most Wanted Women"

Anna Torv has participeted on a Roundtable moderated by TheHollywoodReporter. In this video you can find all the interview in 2 parts and you also going to find the BTS footage for this event.

Head past the jump to see some cool images from this roundtable...

Read more »

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #103 "The Ghost Network"

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 Ghost Network continues the building of the Fringe universe. There is a lot more to this episode than one can see at first glance. Placed in the perspective of three seasons, I'm amazed at all the things that I can pick out and make connections for.

The first thing that I took note of when re-watching this episode was the tolling church bells as Roy McComb goes to confession. Ringing bells are a common Fringe theme.

Fringe may be a show mainly about science, but the show is not afraid to explore religious themes. Here, Roy McComb asked if the priest believes that God speaks to people. In Season 2, Walter thought that God sent him the sign he was looking for; “a white tulip.” In Season 3, Astrid told Walter that God helps those who help themselves. One of the most powerful scenes took place when Walter begged God to spare the world.

The priest told Roy McComb that “God speaks to those that are willing to listen.”

In the Season 3 episode Stowaway, Bellivia told Peter, “Now as a scientist, I like to believe that nothing just happens, that every event has some meaning. Some sort of message. You just have to be able to listen closely enough to hear it. (church bells ring) See?”

Ever the cynic, Peter said, “It's a church bell. So tell me, what's the meaning?”

I’m really not certain if this connection is going anywhere, but I found it interesting.

However, Roy was concerned that if God can talk to a person, then maybe so can the Devil.

Roy saw disturbing things that made him question being a good man. Being a “good man” is another theme found often in Fringe.

“Be a better man than your father.”

“Peter, you’re a good man, Olivia knows this.”

“He wasn't that unlike you. He was honorable, committed. He feared for his family, for their future.”

Several more examples are present.

But even good men can do bad things given the right circumstances. For instance, Walter eventually saw that Walternate was not just an evil man bent on power, but a man forced to make hard choices. Walter came to grips with accepting that he is not evil for saving Peter's life. Also, Peter went rogue in frustration and fear, when he killed shape-shifters and didn't tell Olivia or Walter.

Roy left behind a drawing in the church, a call for help, because he didn’t like what he had become. Walter had parts of his brain removed because he didn’t like what he was becoming. Peter was frightened in Reciprocity because of Walter's insistence that he was not being himself, that the machine was changing him.

Given the idea of multiple time-lines occurring at once, a viewer can take on a whole new perspective of Roy’s visions and drawings. Roy may have been able to “hear” plans over the Ghost Network, but I think that his visions and drawings were way too detailed for that to have been all there was to it. I wonder if Roy had a perceptive skill to see events that may have occurred in a simultaneous time-line.

While the case unfolded, Olivia attended John Scott’s funeral, which happened to be closed-casket. Olivia tried to remain calm and stoic, a difficult feat considering the circumstances of John's betrayal and the FBI's reluctance to make it public. Plus, she had to deal with looking at Agent Scott's mother. Charlie tries his hand at making her laugh, and she does. But Olivia has always been good at pretending to be "fine." However, her line to Charlie concerning John's mother looking at her like Olivia was responsible for John's death makes me wonder, is she? In Subject 13, it was revealed that Olivia flashed over to Walternate's office in the other universe, and that she left the picture that she had drawn of herself and Peter. This alerted him to his son's location and set many things into motion.

This episode also shows the first occurrence of Peter being stalked by someone. Just what did Peter do, and who was he running from? Why was this made such a big deal, and then it was dropped? I know the producers say it isn't important to the story now, but why bother telling us at all. A simple explanation from Peter would have been nice at some point, maybe showing a moment of vulnerability with Olivia. It would be interesting to contemplate how Peter's past shady business dealings affected others.

Of the most importance to the Fringe mythology is the introduction of the substance, Amber. In this episode, Amber kills those that are trapped in it. However, in S3’s Amber 31422, a man rescued his twin brother alive.

Roy was shown drawing the events that he saw in his mind. In Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Olivia drew “the man that is going to kill her.”

Olivia/Peter

Olivia asked Peter about his mother, and Peter told her "that’s a story for another time.” Knowing what we now know, Peter’s fake smile is so sad.

Peter delved into why Olivia chose law enforcement as a career. He was surprised that she has wanted to do it since she was nine years old. Of course, we later find out Olivia’s story about her step-father.

Walter/Peter

Walter told Peter that his “lack of commitment was always his problem,” and that is probably why he hadn’t chosen a profession. However, when Peter committed himself to finding out more about the Machine in Season 3, Walter tried to discourage Peter and refused to help him at first.

Peter sarcastically told Walter that maybe he should have followed in his footsteps, because Walter’s work had “brought such joy to the world.” Of course at this point, Peter doesn’t know the half of it. By S3, Walter had come to grips with the damage of his hubris.


In 6955kHz:

Walter: I came in this morning and found your little project.

Peter: And what project would that be?

Walter: You know very well what project. You are continuing to work on this infernal device-- The one depicted in the blueprints.

Peter: That's correct. I'm running diagnostics.

Walter: I thought I made my -- You have no idea what it does. You might as well be building a nuclear bomb in my lab.

Peter: I don't think that's entirely fair.

Walter: Do you? Well, fine. If you end up breaking the universe, this time, it's on your head!

Walter's last line is one of my favorites, but it does have a sad double-edge to what seems to be a hilarious outburst. Peter does follow in his footsteps in a way. Walter sent back the machine and set the process of destroying the alternate universe into reality. But then Peter had a second chance... an opportunity to "fix" the damage done. Peter chose to find a way to heal both worlds; to repair the broken universes.

Other Small Matters

Peter also became disgusted with the fact the Roy McComb was one of Walter’s test subjects. Little did he know that Walter experimented on children, including himself and Olivia.

The metallic element iridium makes an appearance in The Arrival, as the material used to construct the beacon.


The Pattern

Nina Sharp suggested to Olivia that because so many of the Fringe incidents occur “right in her own backyard,” that Olivia might have something to do with them. Once again, it was young Olive that alerted Walternate to his son's location, which led to efforts to infiltrate this world.

Nina showed personal interest in Olivia, more than just wanting her for an employee, it seems. I’ve always wondered why Nina was so personally interested in both Olivia AND Peter.

The discs found in the hands of John Scott and the DEA agent have a season three parallel in the shape-shifter discs. Nina looked for a way to crack the data encryption. In Os, Peter goes through similar trials with the shape-shifter discs.

Unanswered Questions:

• Who was really after Peter, and why?

• What information was on the discs?

• Where is John Scott’s body now

• What exactly is/was the relationship between Nina Sharp and Philip Broyles?

• Did Nina know that Olivia was a former Cortexiphan subject?

• Even if Nina did not know of Olivia’s status, why was she so interested in having her work for Massive Dynamic, and why did she say that she “only wants the best for her.”

• Was the Amber a test by Walternate's minions or another faction? Was John Scott and the DA agent aware of them? Why did they want the discs?

If Peter Bishop Never Existed:

• Would The Pattern still take place?

• Would Amber even exist at all?

• Would Walter still own the house in Cambridge and still be with Elizabeth?

• Since Olivia shot her step-father after Peter encouraged her to step up for herself in Subject 13, would she have still have found the courage to have done so

• If not, what was her motivation for becoming a law-enforcement agent?

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #102 "The Same Old Story"

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.

I've never written for television, but I think there would be incredible pressure on television writers to create something that follows a strong pilot episode. In essence, a second episode of a TV series either keeps you sticking around, or sends you away.

Fortunately, for us episode 102, titled "The Same Old Story," is a very strong episode from start to finish. Written by 'Fringe' creators Abrams, Kurtzman, and Orci(Roberto, not his brother JR) this is the first of many episodes co-written by current showrunner Jeff Pinkner.

This episode feels like a continuation of the pilot, and views as smoothly as a John Grisham novel reads. Every single time I rewatch it I am amazed at all the writers cover in this episode. Patterns are revealed, including the one with a captial "P," but more importantly we see the birth of the "little family unit" consisting of Walter, Peter, and Olivia, that Peter refers to later in 216.

The beginning minutes of the episode are important, and gruesome. While relaxing after a tryst, a prostitute suddenly gets terrible pain and appears as if very pregnant. Her john dumps her outside a hospital. Minutes later the poor woman dies while giving birth to something that makes the ER nurse scream and look away. (If you're watching this after having watched all of Season 3 you'll view this as foreshadowing of FauxLivia's accelerated pregnancy in "Bloodline.")
The "new" Fringe team(see below) is called to investigate.

In my opinion, the second scene of this episode is one of the most puzzling of the series thus far. Broyles is thanking 8 people in an affluent location for coming out at a late hour so he can introduce "my new team." He gives them a slight overview of the case at the hospital, using some colorfully-vague wording:"it appears to be another anomaly whose mysteries and origins remains the sole purpose of this committee." Of his new team Broyles adds, "hopefully they'll have more success than our last." Broyles attempts to describe Walter Bishop but Nina Sharp vehemnently interrupts adding that Walter was committed to St. Claire's Hospital for manslaughter. They go back and forth and Nina's demeanor is driven, like a dog fighting for a bone.

Broyles calls Olivia after 3am and tells her to assemble the Bishops and meet at the hospital. Olivia can't contact them by phone, so she wakes a scantily-clad Peter in person(it's only the second episode in the series and already he's partially naked!) and it's fun to watch her eyes drift south for a beat while she tells him to wake his father. And that isn't a problem as Walter is sitting uncomfortably awake in the bottom of their hotel closet in the wee hours.

They get to the crime scene 27 minutes later but Walter is the last to get out of the car. In a very hallmark scene Broyles attempts to introduce himself to the elder Bishop, who rebuffs his welcome and continues to marvel at the seat warmer that "warms your ass." This is the very first scene(of many) in which someone other than caretaker Peter and Olivia, gets to view and question Walter Bishop's sanity and lucidity. Broyles questions that for a second time when Walter tells him he'll need a lab and Broyles reminds him they opened his old lab in the Harvard basement. He asks if Walter remembers that. Walter replies,"No, but that's fantastic news!"
By the expression on Walter's face you can tell he's questionning his own sanity.

Broyles starts to explain "The Pattern" to Peter with Olivia seated next to him when Astrid informs them of a lead on the hotel. Olivia tries to get Walter's attention to come with her and take samples. Walter snaps at her in a very forceful way and tells her he's busy. Peter speaks up and tells Olivia he'll accompany her to take the samples, and thus we begin the pattern of the Peter/Olivia("P/O," for short) investigative approach to Fringe case investigations that continues through Season 1, Season 2, and up through episode 3.16 of Season 3.

There's another great Peter/Walter scene in the lab in which Walter tells Peter he's completed the cellular testing on the "man/baby" and there's "good news all around." Read Walter's reply:

"DNA results confirm my suspicions that the woman was impregnated by a man who is the result of experiments identical to those conducted by me in this very lab around 30 years ago."

That doesn't cause much of a reaction if you've only watched the pilot, but if you're watching this again after having seen Season 3, especially the episode "Bloodline," perhaps alarms are going off in your head? What I have come to call "Fringe Doublespeak" continues from the pilot into 102.
I really don't think Walter is just talking about Loraine and "Christopher Penrose" here. This is foreshadowing of Season 3's "Bloodline" in which FauxLivia delievers a baby fathered by the Peter Bishop we know, and I think there's even more doublespeak here. I think Walter is foreshadowing that some form of Peter Bishop(perhaps the one Over Here that dies at age 8) was the result of experiments Walter Bishop did in his lab. Why do I think this? I'll answer at a later time.

Walter also tells Peter he remembers where he parked his car 17 years ago before he was placed in St. Claire's. This leads them to the garage where Walter easily recalls the combination to his lock aloud which Peter points out as the very fitting first six digits of "pi." If you haven't already noticed, some numbers are very important in this series. Peter's reaction to Walter's 1970's Vista Cruiser station wagon leads into more very important Walter Doublespeak:
Peter:"So what? You got cars stuffed with papers all over town?"
Walter: "Not just cars. You have no idea where I've hidden things."

Walter's response is foreshadowing for his safe deposit boxes in "Safe," the video of little Olive in "Bad Dreams," 'the plug' in "There's More Than One Of Everything," Peter's white noise teddy in "Of Human Action," the metal box in "Johira Window," and the machine parts in "6955kHz" and "The Day We Died." (Whew! That's alot of hidden things. Forgive me if I missed any others.)
Walter's files from his garage lead to Dr. Claud Penrose who Walter remembers worked with him on a government project to create human soldiers within 3 years via excellerated growth hormone use. P/O visits Dr. Penrose who says of Walter,"No one in power should know what he knows," which is foreshadowing for his doppelganger, Walternate, in Season 3.

A body Charlie Francis finds for the team confirms that something is out there killing women for their pituitaries to stay young. In the turning point of this episode, Walter has an epiphany from Jules Verne's book The Kip Brothers. In Walter's words,"in which he posited that the last image seen in life, right at the moment of death, is permanently imprinted on the retina of the eye."

This leads to healthy Walter/Peter brainstorming, and into one of my very favorite Fringe scenes. Peter approaches Olivia sitting on a bench in a park. She apologizes for snapping at him in the lab earlier. He tells her she's not alone in all this and touches her hand. To some, it may not seem significant, but a group who call themselves "the benchwarmers" was born from that moment and continue to identify themselves as such on one of the Fringe internet forums. Peter tells Liv they need a fancy piece of equipment and only 1 company owns the patent. Doesn't take a 190 IQ to figure out who that is!

Olivia sits with Broyles in a waiting area of Massive Dynamic to retrieve the camera they need. She tells him John Scott suggested it was more than coincidence that he picked her for her current assignment. Broyles doesn't answer her. Instead hs asks her if the last time she and John Scott were intimate if they were safe. "You weren't were you?" he asks firmly and there is a bizarre scene of a very pregnant Olivia in the same predicament as poor Loraine Daisy. If you've already seen Season 3 you know this is foreshadowing of FauxLivia's accelerated pregnancy in "Bloodline." The receptionist approaches Olivia and she snaps out of the moment to realize it didn't happen. She is alone and safe in the waiting area.

Nina gives Liv the electronic pulse camera without grief. Many people don't like this episode because of the gruesome scene of Walter extracting the second victim's eyeball to retrieve the images. But the team sees the bridge, Astrid recognizes it, Olivia sees the same van at the triangulation area from the eye's perspective, and she's racing out the door to the warehouse site, with Peter quick on her heels. This is the beginning of Peter watching over Olivia while on the job (when he can get away with it.)

They find Penrose and son in the process of extracting yet another woman's pituitary. Olivia chases after the running son, and leaves Peter with her gun and cell phone. In a last ditch effort Penrose overdoses the victim with anesthesia and sends her into cardiac arrest as he makes a run for it.

With a little help from Walter via the phone, Peter proves that it's not only things mechanical he can bring back from the dead. He modifies a piece of electrical equipment into a defribrillator and successfully restarts the woman's heart. We get the sense he is thrilled to have done this good, unselfish deed.

Olivia catches up with the creature who's rapidly aging and dying. He tells her that they should have let him die a long time ago. That that was Penrose's mistake. "He was blinded because he loved me." (That could easily be foreshadowing of Walter letting Peter get away with something very bad in the future of the series, and I hope that is not the case.)

Olivia returns the electronic pulse camera to Nina. This time Nina's in one of her talkative moods telling Liv how big and powerful massive Dynamic is in the US and abroad. If you've watched through Season 3 one part of Nina's narrative should stick out:"to manage global affairs into stable equilibrium." Hm. Isn't that what Peter said the two universes had to get to just before he vanished in 322?

Nina offers Olivia a job at MD, adding "I believe a position here would speed your effort to find answers." "You're referring to The Pattern?" Olivia questions. "Among other things," Nina evasively finishes. By the end of 102 you get a strong sense that Ms. Sharp knows alot more than she's telling, about The Pattern, and our Olivia.

Olivia gets debriefed in Broyles' office. He asks her if Nina said anything. She tells him that Nina said he is a good man to which Broyles looks away almost coyly, and you have to wonder for a beat what exactly kind of relationship Phillip Broyles and Nina Sharp have. If you've watched through Season 2, you know she kisses him on the steps of the Capitol building.

Olivia goes back to the lab and tries to get both Walter and Peter to sign government documents "waiving their constitutional righs against unreasonable search and seizure," which Walter's happy to do but Peter adamantly refuses to do so. He throws the document and storms out.

Walter is totally unfazed by Peter's actions. Apparently he needs to get something off his chest with Olivia and launches into a little lecture about his former colleague Dr. Penrose and his 'son,' and the inherent pitfall of a scientist not maintaining distance bewtween God's domain and his own. He tells Olivia he often forgets that himself. Olivia asks him what he means. Walter answers, "If you've read my file, then you know the truth about Peter's medical history."

Olivia tells him there was no mention of any medical history, just his birthday. So already, in the second episode of this series, you start to wonder what exactly is special about Peter Bishop's medical history? (If you've watched through Seasons 2 and 3 you already know-some of it anyway. I, myself, think there's quite a bit more to learn.

The episode ends with Walter having trouble sleeping in the Bishop's hotel room. Peter is surprisingly gentle with Walter in this scene, probably remembering that a fellow patient at St. Claire's used to calm Walter by singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." And so Peter tells Walter to close his eyes and relax, as Peter sings "Life is but a dream," which is especially eerie if you've watched through Season 3 and know that Peter Bishop never existed!(Boy, that feels weird to type!) As Peter sings, someone wheels a gurney with a body on it that looks like Penrose's Christopher to rest in between two other gurneys with men that also look like him.

New Questions Raised In This Episode That Remain Unanswered:
Who is the group Broyles is addressing in the second scene?
Who is in the group mentioned above, besides Nina Sharp?
Who was in Broyles' last Fringe group, and what happened to them?
Did Olivia actually have a moment of deja vu in the Massive Dynamic waiting area?

If Peter Bishop Never Existed...
Walter Bishop might not be on the Fringe Team. Olivia Dunham might be working for Broyles on "Fringe' cases with totally different fellow agents.

Olivia might be feeling very alone in her new position in the Fringe Division.
She might be taking the loss of her partner and lover, John Scott, much harder than if Peter was there to help her keep focused.

If Olivia Dunham herself had had Walter Bishop released into her custody, she might have had an especially difficult time calming him down at night by herself, which would subsequently mean he wouldn't be very useful on cases during the day.

Walter might not have remembered where he parked his car, thus he wouldn't have found his files and made the jump to his former college, Dr. Penrose. Therefore, Christopher Penrose and his 'father' might still be out there killing, and stealing pituitaries.

Joshua Jackson - Season 3 DVD/Blu-Ray Promo

Here's Joshua Jackson promoting Season 3 DVD and Blu-Ray

Video - An Interview with Anna Torv

Here's a new interview with Anna Torv, it doesn't contain spoilers so feel free to watch it.

Fringe Summer Rewatch: #101 "Pilot"

Welcome to the first of many installments of a new feature we'll run here over the summer hiatus titled "Fringe Summer Rewatch."

Check out our introduction to this new feature here: http://www.fringetelevision.com/2011/07/fringe-summer-rewatching-fringe-seasons.html

Sam Spade, Aimee Long, Dani, David Wu, Dennis, oranfly, and I will rewatch and review all 65 episodes of Fringe and pen our thoughts.

What will make this fun is for all of you to comment on these episodes as well.

So sit back and relax, and enjoy "Fringe Summer" here at FringeTelevision.


THE PILOT EPISODE, or Fringe 101

Do you remember the first time you watched the pilot? I do. I remember being totally engrossed in it, especially being grossed out by the co-pilot's jaw falling off on Flight 627. Those poor people!
I also remember a strong sense of wanting to know more about these incredibly dysfunctional people named Walter Bishop, Peter Bishop, and Olivia Dunham, and where they were headed.
I wanted to know why any woman would agree to have a nasty-looking probe shoved into her neck, and a cocktail of drugs shoved into her vein, and lie naked in a rusty deprivation tank.
Peter told Olivia, "I hope your guy is worth it," and I was thinking the same thing.

This is where our endless list of Fringe-related questions started, such as:

How did Walter end up in St. Claire's?
Why is Walter so worried about Peter's physical state?
What in the world did John Scott's last words mean?
Why did John Scott murder Richard Steig?
Who else is John Scott work for?
And why did John Scott try to run Olivia off the road for Pete's sake?
Was that Morse Code the streelight was flashing? Don't they know Morse Code works best as audio?
What is The Pattern that Nina Sharp refers to?
Broyles tells Olivia "We're impressed." Who's "we"?
How can Nina Sharp's Massive Dynamic people question John Scott who's been dead for 5 hours?
What does the man's voice say while Olivia is staring at her uncle's kyak that reads "Zeno?"
It sounds like "Zeno sink." Definitely not "heat sink." But still...could be a reference to the heat sink machine we see for the first time in "Over There:Part 2."

And as Peter Bishop says, "What happened on that plane is just the beginning."
This episode, written by JJ Arams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, is extremely well-written, and got me immediately and hopelessly hooked on 'Fringe.'

Other Notable Stuff From The Pilot:
John Scott tells Liv he loves her but she doesn't reply, but for different reasons than Peter's not replying in 'The Day We Died."

Did you notice Olivia's cut on her forehead is similar to Peter's when he wakes up in 3.21, "The Last Sam Weiss?"

"So you're saying my father was Dr. Frankenstein?" Well, Peter does look like Frankenstein's monster when he wakes up in 3.21!

"Excellent. Let's make some LSD!" We learn quickly that Walter Bishop is fond of his homemade drugs. And of course, LSD takes on a much bigger role in 2.04 and 3.19. (I hope 4.19 will be another hallucinogenic episode-mushrooms maybe?)

"I still think that this is deeply irresponsible. And believe me, I would know." The scene where Peter is putting the electrodes on Olivia's chest, these words, and his voice? The very first of many sexy P/O scenes in Fringe.

Walter to Olivia: "You lose being trusted. Strange how important that is once it's gone."
Now that we've seen 3.22 it gives a new perspective to these words.

There's a tombstone in the graveyard of Liv's mind that reads "He's not dead."
We learned in Season 2 that probably meant Peter. Now it probably has a double meaning, that the Peter we've known through all 3 seasons, is not dead. I often wonder if it also means AlternateBell is not dead(and our Dr. Bell, for that matter!). Bell told us in "Over There:Part 2" that Alternate Bell died in a car accident as a young man, but can we believe that?

We get our first look at Nina Sharp here, in charge of Massive Dynamic. She's blunt, cocky, and obviously withholding information.

I am still fascinated today with the Peter Bishop job bio Olivia reads on the way to Iraq:
wildland fireman, congo pilot, college professor. We learn in "Inner Child" that he also swept the floor in a meat-packing plant. Like Massive Dynamic, what didn't he do? I really hope we get to see him pilot a big plane, like the C-130 transport plane he requisitioned but was refused in 2.02, later in this series.



We will end each of the 65 commentaries with "If Peter Bishop Never Existed."
Hopefully this will get our brains moving to understand the massive fall-out of a Fringe world(or worlds) sans Peter.


If Peter Bishop Never Existed in the pilot episode...
It's likely Olivia couldn't have gotten Walter out of St. Claire's. Or if she did manage to, she didn't speak "Walterese"-Peter did that, so it is likely that Walter would not have been able to save John Scott, and John Scott probably would have died in the lab. That means he did not kill the Brazilian guy and he did not try to run Olivia off the road. And if it happened that way, that means John Scott, whether he was a double agent or not, died a hero in the line of duty.

If Peter never existed, I can't imagine Olivia would have agreed to caretake Walter Bishop, but she might have, in a last ditch effort to save the man she loved. Can you imagine it?

Fringe Summer: Rewatching Fringe Seasons 1, 2, and 3

During the current summer hiatus Sam Spade, Aimee Long, Dani, David Wu, Dennis, oranfly, Xindilini, birdandbear, and I will be rewatching all 65 episodes of Fringe. Starting on Monday, July 18th, we'll briefly post our impressions of every Fringe episode, a new one each day, keeping an eye out for things that present a different view post-Season 3.

It is our hope that we will all gain a greater insight into this award-winning show by watching where it has been before we pick up watching where it is heading on September 23rd.

We invite all of you to rewatch with us, and to comment on our impressions this summer. If you would like to write your own Fringe Summer rewatch review, send us an email!

Enjoy your "Fringe Summer"!

FRINGE-"?" Teaser One (Video)

Fringe video master and all around good guy, Ari Margolis, tweeted the link for this first, Season 4 YouTube teaser by FOX Broadcasting.

Post your comments below!

Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and 'Fringe' in FOX's Upcoming Teen Choice Awards

The FOX Broadcasting Teen Choice Awards 2011 are fast approaching and will be held on August 7th at 8pm Eastern Time(7 Central).

I am told that Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and 'Fringe' are all listed in the TV category.

To vote you must be between 13-19 years of age and a permanent legal resident in one of the 50 US states.

Go to http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/ to get started, and click on "Vote."

Let's hope Anna, Josh, and our beloved series will be duly praised.
Source:teenchoiceawards.com

(Thanks to Kaitlyn for sending this in!)

Joshua Jackson Announcing The 2011 Emmys Nominations

Here's Josh Jackson annoucing the Emmys Nominations.

No Emmy Love For Fringe

Despite all the good reviews, the hard work of the actors, writters and every one who works on Fringe. The academy ignore our series again. The limited capacity of the academy voters left me surprised, but this was something we could expect.

Fringe was surpassed by no less important and good series as HBO's Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife of CBS, AMC's Mad Men DirecTV Friday Night Lights, Dexter Showtime and HBO's Game Of Thrones.

In the same way Anna Torv failed a nomination this year despite all the effort and hard work that made this season playing 5 versions of the same character, each with a different personality. The Australian actress was beaten by Elisabeth Moss Desplayado Mad Men, Connie Britton of Friday Night Lights, Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mireille Enos The Killing, Julianna Margulies The Good Wife Kathy Bates and Harry's Law. All of the actresses on the list are very good but for me Anna was so much better that couple of them.

On the other hand and the same story last year, John Noble was also beaten by John Slattery of Mad Men, Andre Braugher Men Of A Certain Age, Walton Goggins of Justified, Peter Dinklage Game Of Thrones, Josh Charles The Good Wife and Alan Cumming also of The Good Wife.

This is not to say that the actors or shows are less important or do not deserve it, but the lack of variety in the nomination has left many wanting to put Amber to each member of the Academy and the Kodak Theatre.

But we actually get one nomination for: Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media :

Fringe: Division • FOX.com • Bad RobotProductions in Association with Warner Bros.Television

Warner Bros. Television

Bad Robot Productions

Well cortexi's Season 4 start fillming today, so let's keep watching and supporting the show like we allways do.

Fringe Season 3 DVD/Blu Ray Cover Update

Here's an exclusive look at the art cover for Season 3 DVD and Blu Ray of Fringe. Click on each imagen to see it in HQ. Remember that you can Pre-Order booth on Amazon.com.

Fringe Scoop:Dirty Sexy Grad Michelle Krusiec Joins Cast...But Who Is She Playing?!

Fringe Scoop: Dirty Sexy Grad Michelle Krusiec Joins Cast… But Who Is She Playing?!
by Michael Ausiello

It looks like Fringe fans have another Season 4 mystery to chew on this summer.

A Fox rep confirms that actress Michelle Krusiec, best known for her roles as Darling daughter-in-law Mei-Ling Hwa on Dirty Sexy Money and Maddison’s stepmom on Secret Life of the American Teenager, is joining the Fox thriller in the recurring role of, um, “New Female Character.”

Suffice it to say, producers are keeping a very tight lid on the details surrounding their new heroine (or villainess). And don’t bother checking Krusiec’s Twitter feed for clues. All she would divulge is that she leaves “for Vancouver this week to start filming.”

Thoughts? Theories? Hit the comments!
Source:tvline.com

Fringedom Wants A FRINGE-CON!

This afternoon, a fellow Fringe fan started a petition on Twitter, also known as a 'twitition,' for FOX Broadcasting's parent company, Warner Brothers, to start a Fringe Convention(henceforth, Fringe-Con).

As Walter Bishop would say, "This is fantastic news!"

The twitition creator says that by signing you are "strongly encouraging Warner Brothers to start a convention just for Fringe."

"Sign this Petition if:-You live in Fringedom-You are a huge fan of Fringe-You want Warner Brothers to know how big and Universal Fringe's Fan base is.-You believe that Fringe should have its own Convention.-You believe that there will be a hole in the universe if WB doesn't Create Fringe-Con."

If that sounds good to you, please use the link below and sign the petition.
Remember, every great journey begins with a single step!
Source:twitition.com

Comic-Con Exclusive First Look:Fringe Swag Bag Has an Alt-Universe Twist!

Comic-Con Exclusive First Look: Fringe Swag Bag Has an Alt-Universe Twist!
Michael Ausiello

In any universe this would be considered pretty cool.

Here’s your first look at the official Fringe-themed swag bag Warner Bros. will be distributing upon check-in at Comic-Con 2011 — one of 10 collectable carryalls the studio is producing for the five-day geekapalooza.

And this is the year the traditional 200-gallon tote goes high-tech: For the first time, the bags convert into backpacks! And don’t panic, the poster tube remains in tact.

And as a special treat for Fringe addicts, an insider reveals exclusively to TVLine that an extremely limited number of Fringe bags will be alt-universe-themed! Get your hands on one of those bad boys and you’ll be the most popular geek (on eBay) at Con next week.

Speaking of Warner Bros., the studio has opted to follow the official Comic-Con ticket distribution system for autograph signings. Click here for more details.

For Exclusive Scoop, Spoilers, Video and Pics From Comic-Con, Follow Me on Twitter via @MichaelAusiello
Source:tvline.com

Joel Wyman and Jeff Pinkner Both Share TV Guide Comic-Con Covers x 4 Via Twitter

Earlier today both showrunners, Joel Wyman and Jeff Pinkner shared the upcoming
4-pack of special Comic Con 2011 TV Guide Magazine covers with Fringe fans via Twitter(use the link below to see all 4).

Keep your eye out for them soon at your favorite newstand!

And consider thanking Joel and Jeff for sharing them with us fans. They love to hear from us.

Joel Wyman's Twitter Account: @JWFRINGE

Jeff Pinkner's Twitter Account:@JPFRINGE
Source:comiccon.thewb.com via twitter

Comic-Con 2011:'Fringe' Executive Producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman(Q&A)

Comic-Con 2011: 'Fringe' Executive Producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman (Q&A)

After a heart-stopping third season finale, the showrunners discuss what awaits them in Season 4, appreciation for “Twin Peaks” and how they’ll answer the probing Peter questions in San Diego.
July 9 2:45 PM 7/9/2011 by Philiana Ng

With hundreds of thousands of people attending San Diego Comic-Con every year and the July 20-24 event quickly approaching, The Hollywood Reporter chatted with the big names in television to discuss their favorite memories and tips for attending the annual event. THR’s Live Feed will talk Comic-Con with actors, writers and producers in the days leading up to the event so check back soon for interviews and the latest news on panels and screenings.

Jeff Pinkner
Geek Cred: Fringe, Lost, Alias, Profiler
J.H. Wyman
Geek Cred: Fringe

Comic-Con Panel: Fringe, Saturday, July 23, 4:30-5:15 p.m., Ballroom 20

The Hollywood Reporter: What stands out from your first Comic-Con experience?Jeff Pinkner: I’ve been there with the show for three years, and I went once prior to that as a fan. After I got off the shuttle bus, three women barely dressed in some version of Xena were standing behind a 300-pound man dressed as Elmo. That was Comic-Con in a nutshell.

THR: What’s the best thing a fan has said to you at Comic-Con?
J.H. Wyman: This will be my third Comic-Con, and a fan once said to me, “I can’t believe you’re really you.” It reinforced that they’re actually near somebody that’s associated with running a show that they’re into and love. I think that was a really sweet way for them to say, “I trekked all the way here to San Diego and I can’t believe we actually standing here having a conversation about Fringe.”

THR: Are you ready for the onslaught of questions, especially regarding Peter, at this year’s panel?
Pinkner: A lot of them will be laden with expletives. It will all become clear; not at Comic-Con, but once [the show] premieres. All the questions that involve the name Peter will probably be hard ones to field.

THR: There will be many questions of “Does Peter exist? Can you tell us?”
Pinkner: We’ll probably be faced with those questions. Our answer will probably be, “Who’s Peter?”

THR: Who would be on your dream panel?
Wyman: Twin Peaks. I’d really like to talk to David Lynch. It’s my favorite show and it was groundbreaking.

WTHR: Were you satisfied with the way Twin Peaks ended?
Wyman: I think the first season was the most impactful. Now running a show and knowing what you’re up against, I do realize that a lot of people plan for failure but they don’t really plan for success. It’s really hard to keep something going. If you go back in that timeline, nobody had ever done anything like that. They were probably feeling it out as well.

To me, Twin Peaks was seminal because it was what it was. I feel that about a lot of filmmakers. It’s their prerogative to take the show where it goes and if I’m really a fan, I’m going to really get off the artistry of the artist that I’m watching. It’s not mine to judge, it’s mine to be involved and see it. Being apart of that it gave me so much pleasure that I don’t think it’s fair to say I wasn’t happy.

THR: Do you have any tips on how to pull off a great presentation?
Wyman: It should always be something outrageous and entertaining as possible. People really give you a lot of leeway for the exceptional.

THR: If you were to dress up in costume for Comic-Con, who would you be?Pinkner: Anything where I could carry a sword or a broad ax.

THR: Seth Gabel is a series regular. How is that dynamic going to change this season?
Pinkner: We just fell in love with him, which is why we wanted to bring him back. Thus far, we’ve spent very little time with one version of him, the Lincoln Lee on their side, so I think that we’ll probably want to explore his character as well.

THR: What’s ahead for Fringe in Season 4?
Wyman: It’s going to involve a couple of newer themes. We’re just taking you down the road a little further on the journey. You’ll be able to see people from the past and you’ll be able to meet new people throughout the season.
Pinkner: Season 3 was about Walter coming to terms with truly coming to terms with the consequences of the damage that he had done when he broke two universes in order to save his son’s life and recognizing that in order to fix that damage, he may have to sacrifice that son, which was the choice he made in 2026. Peter recognizing that based on the trajectory that his universe was on, the love of his life Olivia was going to die in 2026 and he made the heroic choice to overt that outcome and now all of our characters, we find them in a place where we’re dealing with the consequences.
Source:hollywoodreporter.com