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Winter Rewatch.
Fringe episode #401 "Neither Here Nor There" begins the fourth season with Olivia and Bolivia exchanging case files and information since they are now supposed to work together. It is quite apparent that even though an alliance has been formed from the bridge, things aren't exactly smooth between the two of them. Immediately we find out that even in a Peter Bishop-less world, Olivia was still kidnapped and Bolivia infiltrated Fringe Division. There's still plenty of reason not to trust them over there!
Meanwhile the Observers are in a diner, discussing the fact that Peter was erased from the timeline and yet continues to bleed through. It is Septembers responsibility to end it completely and so later he builds a device used to erase Peter from the timeline completely.
In this new universe, the amberverse we quickly catch up with Lincoln Lee and his partner that soon becomes victim to a Fringe event. The Olivia that he meets is obviously different than his first encounter with Olivia (who had the time happened to be Bellivia). With the new timeshift, he has no recollection of meeting her and it seems to be the case vice versa. Olivia appears tougher and an almost colder sense. She refuses to tell him the Division she works for (Fringe) or the apparent case they've been working on. Instead she demands the body be taken back to their facility (without so much as naming it because this Olivia appears much more secretive) and Lincoln as she leaves catches her license plate. We know that we're not done seeing him. He's obviously very stubborn and wants to get to the bottom of what's going on.
Quickly we learn that the events of the bridge, the agreement between both sides to work together has only been going on for one week. Walter meanwhile is in the lab and injects a dead bird with a serum. It appears to come back to life, though Walter tells Astrid that it is still dead even as it is flying around the lab. Lincoln comes into the lab and the bird drops to the ground appearing dead once again. Why is Walter injecting a dead bird? What is he hoping to do, bring life back to the dead? Is this perhaps a Brown Betty reference from the second season?
Of course Olivia is rather unhappy to see Lincoln in the secret lab at Harvard. He threatens to expose the lab and her department if she doesn't bring him along as Broyles calls about their next assignment. She answers him with a rather snarky, "Okay, come. You can get fired later." Clearly she doesn't have time to deal with him.
At the next crime scene we find another body, much like Lincoln's partner where the body has a semi-translucent appearance. Shortly after, Lincoln meets up with Broyles and Olivia. He is given a higher level of clearance before being shown the bodies -- all two dozen of them at a secure facility.
Olivia and Lincoln return back to the lab. It's then that Walter first witnesses Peter's reflection in the mirror. He seems to go quite insane at the ordeal, which makes sense considering he believes them to be hallucinations. Lincoln asks if Walter is all right. Again we get more insight into this new amberverse, "Well, that depends on your definition of alright. He's functional. Except when he's not. But he is often quite brilliant. He just never had anything to tether him to the world." This new insight seems rather sad in regards to Walter. He's not the same man that our Peter grew up with.
As the case further unfolds, Lincoln rejects the idea that Fringe Division can't return the bodies to their families. He's upset by this, moreso than anyone else because his FBI partner and friend died. He knows that his family would want closure. Olivia admits to him that the reasoning is they would have to file documentation and it would draw attention to Fringe Division. She knows it may not be a good answer or one that he wants to hear but it is the truth. This Olivia appears quite blunt at times yet honest (as honest as she can be considering earlier she couldn't give information about the department of the FBI she worked for).
In the end, Olivia does try and help Lincoln by releasing the body to the family. Maybe it's the fact the case got to her-- as she discussed her old partner John and the similarities with the translucent skin, perhaps she remembered her own loss (as she never found out he was a trader and instead he died a hero in her mind). Or perhaps it was the fact that Lincoln did help her with the investigation and it was his partner that had died. Whatever the reason, she pulled strings and had his body released to the family. I can only wonder how his family reacted to seeing him and what excuse the government made for the way he appeared.
The final scenes of the episode had Lincoln get fully credentialed for the other side. He was taken to the bridge and sees a real glimpse of over here and over there at the same time when he looks up to the sky. Bolivia comes out from her side -- I have to wonder if she was called in advance or just happened to be ready for Olivia's own appearance. Olivia hands Bolivia a device, asking her to look into it. Olivia tells her that it came from a Human Shapeshifter as we've learned that this is the result of the massive amount of bodies we've seen. Olivia suspects Walternate and Bolivia tells her she'll look into it. We've yet to learn much more and can't help but feel suspicious in handing over the technology and asking for their help.
The very final scene has Walter sleeping in a room in his lab. A room he's very clearly made into his bedroom. Agent Timmy stands guard outside, never leaving Walter completely alone. Walter tries to watch television and as he shuts it off, we see Peter's reflection. The Agent comes rushing in after a loud scream and the sound of something shattering. We see that Walter has thrown something at the television and the reflection is now gone.
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