Fringe Benefits Inc Podcast - 5.08 Review

      Email Post       12/12/2012 07:52:00 PM      

Frea, Jan, Lou, & Maximus get together after each Fringe episode in this temporarily constructed shared reality known as a podcast to discuss the Fifth & Final Season of Fringe.

Joining us this time is special guest:

John Myers - a listener who has faithfully promoted our podcast on Twitter.  Thanks John!

Subbing for Max this week is Karen Lindsay from the FarScape - Scaper Chronicles & Castle - Storming The Castle Podcast





Downloadable MP3 version
Intro Music: Intro - 'Lunatic Fringe' - Tom Cochrane


Outro Music: 'Olivia' - Chris Tilton


Fringe Benefits Project

      Email Post       12/11/2012 08:51:00 AM      

A few days ago the Gallery 1988 twitter account (@Galleries1988) tweeted a picture of a Fringe hand glyph.

This of course set my senses tingling as Gallery 1988 is well known for TV show tie in art projects, I'm sure some of you will remember the LOST art series, Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear, that they produced and perhaps more recently the Breaking Bad art project called Breaking Gifs.

Yesterday the URL - FringeBenefitsProject.com was tweeted which takes you to the website you can see in the screenshot to the left. (I'm assuming this is nothing to do with our podcast friends, but I'm sure they will tell us if they are involved)

On visiting the site you can see there are six spaces with question marks, which will more than likely be for six limited edition silk screened posters.

Below that is a list of episodes that you can vote for, and I think the implication is the winning episode, or possibly episodes, will be represented by a new piece of Fringe art.

The information at the top of the website mentions Mission Continues and the Galleries 1988 twitter account also tweeted this URL - MissionContinues.org/. This website is for a charity that works with veterans and I am guessing that some, or possibly all, of the profits from the sale will go to help charity.

If there are any more details I'll try and post update here but if previous Gallery 1988 campaigns are anything to go by things can happen very quickly and with little warning.

I do also help to run a site called Printvengers and we will be definitely be covering this art project in more detail.

Fringe Review: The Human Kind

      Email Post       12/10/2012 02:36:00 AM      


“You are here.”

I hope I’m not the only one enchanted by the common statement “You are here.” From mall maps to novelty tees, this simple, obvious sentence seems to sum up all the things we do wrong: worry, plan, lose sight of the beauty before us while questing after more beauty, further down the line. (Or maybe those are just things I do wrong.) “You are here” refuses solipsistic complexity to remind us of the one thing we can’t overthink: simple existence. Hopefully not a lonely one.

The Fringe Podcast Episode 516-“The Human Kind”

      Email Post       12/09/2012 09:50:00 PM      



In this episode of The Fringe Podcast we share our thoughts on the Fringe season 5 episode, “The Human Kind.” We talk about Peter’s decision to remove the Observer tech from his head and the events that lead up to it. We talk about Simone and share some audio clips from a conference call we had with Jill Scott, the actress who played Simone. We also talk about the mini arc that we got with Peter as an Observer, the musical score of the episode, and we also talk about some of the things we did not like about the episode.

We also share information learned from the Fringe wrap party, episode titles and schedule for the remainder of the series, and we give an update on our finale party in Oklahoma City.

Send in your thoughts and feedback to 304-837-2278 or feedback@thefringepodcast.com.



The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe-Part 8

      Email Post       12/07/2012 11:51:00 PM      

Welcome to Part 8 of 'The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe.'
Every day until the next episode airs on Fringe Friday, December 7th, I will post a review of an episode I believe is most important to the series, and a commentary on why I believe it is so.
Episode 4.19 Letters Of Transit
Fringe Observiews by cortexifan 4/26/2012
Welcome to the Observiews for Season 4 of Fringe. I call them Observiews because they are more visual observations than deep thinking reviews, if that makes sense.

Screen caps from this episode are taken from fringefiles.com. Dialog is from fringepedia.net/transcripts.

All observations are mine and therefore could be totally off the wall and/or wrong. I have not read or looked at any recaps or reviews. I could also have missed a few things, oh well.

4.14 The End Of All Things
THE OBSERVER: “We are you-- we're human... many generations after your lifetime. We are one of countless possible futures for humanity. Our technology has uniquely afforded us the ability to travel within and outside of time so that we may observe our beginnings.”

PETER: “But you've done a lot more than observe.”

You can say that again, Peter.

Glyphs spelled: QUAKE

I usually post a picture of where the Observer is in the episode but I just couldn't find him. LOL.
And how come they are all male?

“In a galaxy far away” Oh wait wrong movie, lol.

The opening crawl of this episode sure reminded me of Star Wars.
2015 is only 3 years away, guys. Let’s hope this future can be prevented.
I thought of Agent Jessup in 2.01 A New Day In The Old Town when she was adding Bible references next to the case files.
Revelation 19:18-19 – so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him, who sat on the horse and against His army. (New American Standard Version)

“… Some Native factions became ‘Loyalists’ and were marked by the Observers”

Revelation 13:16 – And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead…

(New American Standard Version)

I’m sure there were people back then who freely took the mark of the beast because without it they were not able to buy or trade.

This is just what I thought of when I saw the crawl.
Broyles stuck in the office to police the Natives. I wonder what happened that made him decide to work with the Observers.

Mwahaha!

Fringe 509 Preview: "Black Blotter"

      Email Post       12/07/2012 10:21:00 PM      



Here is the preview from the end of "The Human Kind" for the Fringe episode "Black Blotter", which airs on FRIDAY, December 14th at 9:00PM on FOX.

Screenshots from this preview can be viewed at FringeFiles.com.

Fringe Glyph Code 508: "The Human Kind"

      Email Post       12/07/2012 10:11:00 PM      



The Glyphs code in the Fringe episode "The Human Kind" spelled out PLEAD, like how Olivia pleaded with Peter to remove the observer tech from his head.

For more information on the Fringe Glyphs, check out Fringepedia's Glyph / Symbols page, which has all the previous glyphs and codes.

Fringe Episode 508: "The Human Kind"

      Email Post       12/07/2012 08:00:00 PM      


Happy Fringe Friday!
PETER PRESSES ON IN A PASSIONATE MISSION TO DEFEAT THE OBSERVERS
Olivia encounters a very intuitive and oracle-like person named Simone (guest star Scott) as she looks to recover a key piece of equipment for Walter. Meanwhile, Peter finds himself in a perilous situation as he observes Windmark.
During tonight's episode, help promote Fringe by tweeting about the episode using this week's hashmark #HumanKind (Wait until 8pm, and don't use any other #hashtags! - plus please add the word Fringe (without a #) into your tweet.)

While you are on Twitter, keep your eye out for live tweeting by:
Also, don't forget to check OUT our LIVE Fringe Chat Room, and check-IN to Fringe at GetGlue to get this week's Fringe sticker.

After the episode airs, continue the discussion here in the comments, and get more Fringe information at the:
Check back here soon for Observer sightings, Glyph codes, and other Fringe Easter Eggs.

How do you rate the Fringe episode "The Human Kind"?

Fringe Sneak Peeks: "The Human Kind"

      Email Post       12/07/2012 01:40:00 PM      

Here are three sneak peeks for tonight's Fringe episode "The Human Kind".

Since the thumbnail pictures are slightly spoilery, I have placed the videos after the jump.

Here is the obligatory Ari Margolis (@jonxproductions) spoiler warning:
Going to step on my #Fringe soapbox one more time... As the final few episodes are filmed, stay away from any [spoilers]!!! I know it's tempting but I think you'll enjoy the experience more if you go into it un-spoiled! Just my two cents. And as always... #WatchItLive #Fringe

Fringe Episode Review: 5.07 - 52010

      Email Post       12/07/2012 12:05:00 AM      


The Bishop Boys - Like Father, Like Son

~~~

‘He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.’

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

~~~

‘We have found the enemy and he is us.’

Pogo - Walt Kelly’s Comic Strip

~~~

It is the half point of the final season and some very interesting character dynamics for  the Bishop clan have been put into place.

In Episode 5 - An Origin Story - Peter told Anil he was not afraid of being destroyed in pursuit of vengance for Etta.  In the words of that old proverb, ‘Careful what you wish for, you may get it, ‘ those two things have literally come to pass.  

Peter no longer fears.  And he is being destroyed.  

Petember?

The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe-Part 7

      Email Post       12/06/2012 08:48:00 PM      

Welcome to Part 7 of 'The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe.'
Every day until the next episode airs on Fringe Friday, December 7th, I will post a review of an episode I believe is most important to the series, and a commentary on why I believe it is so.

The Firefly-Episode 3.10(written by me on 09/08/11) 
If I was asked the most important episodes of Fringe, I would definitely include 310, "The Firefly." It is the 4th episode to include more than just a passing glance of an Observer. In fact, it's safe to say that "The Firefly" is Observer-centric(or more specifically, September-centric).

If you've watched "The Firefly" in chronological order during the Season 3 airings only, you will need to go back and watch this episode again after having viewed all the way through 322. Why? Like most of the Season 3 episodes of Fringe, they make more sense if you rewatch them after you've seen the complete season set. Do you remember that word "gestault" in school? It means, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and I think that definitely applies to the Season 3 set of Fringe, and "The Firefly" in particular.

Seeing A Ghost
A frail resident of a nursing home, Roscoe Joyce,(who also happens to be the keyboardist of Walter Bishop's favorite band, Violet Sedan Chair) is seen on the surveillance camera one night talking to an unknown young man. The workers ask Mr. Joyce who he was talking to, and he tells them "Bobby," who was his teen-aged son who died 25 years ago in 1985.(Hm, just the mention of 1985 should set alarm bells off in your head!) When an outside security camera produces a photo of Bobby and September, The Observer, word gets to the FBI and Broyles.

Broyles and the Fringe team go to the nursing home to investigate. Walter is the first one to recognize Joyce's name, and like a groupie he quickly introduces himself as a "tremendous fan."

It's fun to see Walter excited about something other than food. Olivia sees that Walter's stuck in the moment and takes over, beginning the questioning. Peter leans over and asks Broyles if he's ever heard of Violet Sedan Chair(which was mentioned at least twice before in the series). Broyles says 'no' and Peter explains he's their keyboardist, and that Walter regards him as a hero "up there with Einstein and Tesla."

Olivia asks Mr. Joyce about his visitor the night before. Below is Roscoe's answer:

Roscoe Joyce: I don't remember talking to him. But I remember he was here. It's a curse, not... remembering a miracle. It was a miracle -- seeing him again. Can you imagine what that's like?

Hm, can you say foreshadowing? Roscoe Joyce has barely said anything and already I see parallels between him and our Walter. Two creative fathers who lost their sons in the same year. And of course Walter answers right away with "Yes, I can," which is fun because Roscoe does not know what we know about Walter's kidnapping of Over There Peter.

Olivia tries to get Mr. Joyce refocused, like she does all the time with Walter, but the workers tell her it's time for his physical therapy. As they lead Roscoe away Broyles hints that he's not ready to believe in ghosts, and it's no surprise that our favorite father and son team lead us right into some of the most important dialogue of the episode:

WALTER: Bobby wasn't a ghost. The Observer doesn't experience time like we do. If we can accept that he can travel from the past to the present and back to the past again, then it's not inconceivable that he could bring others with him. We'll have to try and help Mister Joyce remember what his son said to him. I'll need to take him back to my lab.

Peter asks the big question:
PETER: But why would The Observer drag a dead man twenty-five years through time just to talk with his father?

WALTER: I don't know. But every time The Observer shows up, it has something to do with you. And every time, it's something bad.

Walter does have a point, doesn't he? Hold that thought.

September Doesn't Just Observe Anymore
One thing I really like about this episode is the parallels to "August" from Season 2.
In "August," August The Observer changed things by getting physical and abducting Christine.
In "The Firefly" September gets physical to try to restore order to both universes. Interestingly he begins the process by saving the life of a jewelry store employee during a viscious robbery.

She goes into status asthmaticus(a life-threatening asthma attack) and can't reach her inhaler since she's tied up. After throwing one robber through a window without touching him and catching 2 of another robber's bullets(such a cool special effect!) and throwing him through a glass display case, he gently goes to the "girl" and retrieves her inhaler from her purse.

September pulls the duct tape of her mouth and lets her use the inhaler. When she's able to speak the first thing she says is "Thank you." I think it's very interesting that he didn't touch her in anyway, and never untied her hands. September leaves the store, pocketing the woman's inhaler, which also seems quite odd the first time you view this.

Also, as events after the jewelry store robbery unfurl, September steals a pick-up truck and sideswipes the passenger side of the police car. The same girl is sitting in the backseat. This sets off another potentially-fatal round of asthma for the poor woman, but she does not have her inhaler.

Not conicidentally, Olivia and Peter are in the SUV and witness the accident. They both jump out of their damaged vehicle. Olivia chases after September, who's run off, and Peter goes to help the wheezing woman. He looks through her purse and tells her her inhaler is not in it. The woman tells Peter the bald man took it.

Suddenly, Walter shows up in the Vista Cruiser and goes worriedly to Peter, who he was talking to on the cell phone at the time of the collision. Peter tells Walter an ambulance is on the way and turns to leave.

The Second Time September And Walter Chat
The Fringe team takes Mr. Joyce back to the Walter's Lab to try to figure out what Bobby said to him. A bit later, Walter recruits Astrid to go to the store for the ingredients to make strawberry milkshakes for he and Roscoe-two men who have lost parts of their memories for different resasons. Right after she leaves, September enters. Walter leaves Roscoe unsupervised (which seems pretty sloppy) and he and September take a walk on the Harvard campus.

September starts out with small talk, observing the fall/autumn beauty, but Walter is very worried and gets aggressive, grabbing September's arm:

WALTER: We had a deal. Please... don't take him from me. The drawing. Peter in the device. You know the future. Tell me how I can save my son from dying.

September delivers words that impact the entire series of Fringe:

SEPTEMBER: There are things that I know. But there are things that I do not. Various possible futures are happening simultaneously. I can tell you all of them, but I cannot tell you which one of them will come to pass. Because every action causes ripples, consequences both obvious and... unforeseen. For instance... after I pulled you and Peter from the icy lake, later that summer, Peter caught a firefly. I could not have known he would do that or that because he did a young girl three miles away would not. And so later that night, she would continue looking, trying to find another one. I could not have known that when she did not come home, her father would go out looking for her, driving in the rain, so that when the traffic light turned red, his truck skidded through the intersection at Harvard Yard, killing a pedestrian.

WALTER: Did that happen?

SEPTEMBER:You and I have interfered with the natural course of events. We have upset the balance in ways I could not have predicted. Which is why now I need your help.

WALTER: Help?

SEPTEMBER: When the time comes, give him the keys and save the girl.

Walter doesn't understand, and neither do we in that moment. Walter's cell rings and as he gets engrossed in conversation with Peter, he notices that September has vanished, as usual.

Walter is still quite aggitated. Peter tells him about the robbery, that "his friend" is fighting crimes now. Peter mentioned the robbers tied up the girl that works in the store. Walter insists he must speak with her, that Peter must bring her to him. Peter agrees but says it will take awhile. They were on their way to the lab when September crashed into them, setting the chain reaction further into motion. And yes, episode 303, "The Plateau" and Milo Stanfield's incredible chain reaction starting with a pen, set September's events up in 310, that he claim started with a firefly, as noted above in his conversation with Walter.

If you've been reading the Fringe Summer Rewatch posts and comments, you've noticed that I've pointed out other examples of giving Peter the keys and saving the girl, Olivia Dunham.

The only one I can think of right now is in "Midnight," episode 118. Peter asks to drive Olivia's SUV so he can play with the siren, and that results in him saving her life by further tranquilizing Mrs. Boone. You have to wonder if Alistair Peck had had Arlette's keys, if maybe he could have saved her life.


Hypnotizing Roscoe Joyce
Walter tells Astrid and Peter that he will use hypnosis to get Roscoe to remember what his son told tim. Wearing very cool shades(one lens is red and the other blue, to represent the red and blue 'verse?) that I am told were in the old show "Twin Peaks" he works Joyce into a transe using a piano. And what is the first thing Roscoe Joyce plays? Notes from the chorus of my favorite Violet Sedan Chair song "Last Man In Space," from the album "Seven Suns," the one that Jeff Pinkner told us earlier this year via conference call "a couple hundred" are available for real in independent music stores around the US. Another nice parallel to Walter, who has a piano brought into the lab in episode 103, "The Ghost Network," to help him concentrate.

Walter gets Roscoe under and he tells Walter that his son, Bobby, told him that he would meet Walter and that he should help him, but he doesn't know how.

After the Walter/September talk I noted above, Walter returns to the lab and Roscoe tells him he remembers the last conversation he had with Bobby before he died:

ROSCOE: We were on tour, and he called to tell me about a strange dream he'd just had. He dreamt a bald man in a dark suit, took him to see me. I was an old man living in a nursing home. Dreaming about something that happens... twenty-five years later.

WALTER: I don't think it was a dream at all. I think... the man in the suit took your son through time. And it was only just last night that you caught up to the other end of the visit.

Whoa! Is your head hurting yet? Wait there's more conversation you need to read:

ROSCOE:We were playing a show that night, a club in Harvard Yard. Bobby... was on his way to the show. I remember looking outside and seeing how hard it was raining. I remember getting a call from the police. They told me... he stepped onto the crosswalk... when a truck...

WALTER: ...skidded through the traffic light.

And voila! We come full circle, and understand now that because Walter stole AlternatePeter from Over There and he caught a firefly on a particular rainy night, that this poor man Roscoe Jones lost his son. It sets us up symbolically for all kinds of "if, then" logic statements that will come to fruition in Season 4 due to the absence of Peter Bishop.

When it's time for Walter and Roscoe to say goodbye to each other, Roscoe says this to Walter:

ROSCOE:"I forgot what my son felt like, what he smelled like. How it felt to be around him. But now I remember. Nobody is supposed to have a second chance like that."

It's Roscoe talking here, but if you've watched through 322 you can imagine it could just as easily be Walter talking about Peter sometime in the future.

Brain Mapping
Roscoe asks Walter what all his equipment is for. Walter tells him he's lost parts of his brain, and that in order to get them back he has to rejuvenate his brain and has designed a brainmapping agent that he has placed into a bottle of milk to bond, and to hide the taste.

Peter's Strange Second Meeting With September
After Walter gives him the keys to the Vista Cruiser Peter takes off to help Olivia catch September. At one point they lose him and split up to cover more area in their search. Peter spots him climbing onto a rooftop and follows him. September stands in front of a large mural, and I remember staring at the screen save of this (posted at the top of my commentary) for days afterwards. There's the silouette of a mother and baby in front of a greenishblue set of graffiti, a man by himself in the middle in front of yellow graffiti, and what looks like a young girl by herself in front of red graffiti.

Peter starts asking September questions. As in episode 104, "The Arrival," September does not reply. He only says, "It must be very difficult." Peter says "What?" September adds "Being a father." Peter just stares at him and for the second time in the series September shoots Peter in the chest with his special gun. Olivia eventually catches up with Peter and checks his pulse. But September gets away. I got the sense after the first airing of this episode, that September meant that Peter was going to be a father.

Back To The Milk
Olivia and a banged up Peter return to the lab after chasing September. Aparently Peter refused medical help. They are talking when he pulls a bottle of antiinflammatory pills from his pocket and opens the refidgerator. We watch in horror as he grabs Walter's milk bottle and takes a drink from it. Immediatelty, he falls to the ground and has a grand mal seizure. Olivia calls Walter on the phone to ask for help, as Walter is still at Roscoe's nursing home. He tells her what to do, it takes longer because he's alphabetized the bottle of magnesium sulfate and placed it in the fridge. Olivia prepares the antidote and injects it into Peter's leg. Peter stops seizing.

Walter's Explanation For The Chain Of Events
Back at their house in Cambridge, Walter makes soup for Peter who's prostrate on the sofa and says:

WALTER:My serum was flawed. It would have killed me if I'd taken it. You only lived 'cause you're young and healthy. And I suspect... that's what this was all about.

PETER: You lost me, Walter.

WALTER: I think... The Observer saved my life. When he gave you a knock on the head so you'd take some aspirin and wash it down with the milk so you'd ingest the serum instead of me.

PETER: I think if that's all he wanted, there must have been an easier way.

And aren't you thinkinig the same thing by now?

September And December Discuss Walter
The episode ends with September and December standing outside the Bishop house.
September tells December he feared his experiment would fail, but December says he was right, that Walter has changed.

DECEMBER: He was willing to let his son die.

SEPTEMBER:Yes. And now we know. When the time comes... he will be willing to do it again.

And isn't that a lovely piece of foreshadowing of 322?

If You Meet The Buddah On The Road, Kill Him
At the beginning of this episode, Olivia gets a delivery, which turns out to be this book.
Inside is a note that reads "Olivia...because you asked....Peter." Our Liv gets upset because by looking at the shipping date she realizes he bought this for FauxLivia.
Olivia takes it with her to the nursing home and tries to return it to Peter, but their conversation is interrupted by the case.

While Walter preps Roscoe to be hypnotized, Peter tries his best to explain that he bought the book for "the Olivia Dunham I've spent the last few years of my live with. You're the person I wanted to share it with." Olivia is overcome with loss and says she feels like Rip Van Winkle.

She tells him the book is a reminder of all the conversations they didn't have et cetera. It is another bittersweet P/O moment that is interrupted, this time by Astrid who thinks they should come watch Walter get information out of Roscoe. You can tell Peter is very upset, as it takes him awhile to join the others.

Right before Peter drinks Walter's milk. Olivia tries again, pulling the book out. She asks him why it is his favorite book. Peter's reply:

"Because it talks about not depending on other people for answers. That you can only find the answers inside yourself. Which... given our current situation, is kind of amusing if you think about it."

I tried to read this book, but it is very dense and has very small print.
If you have read this book, please share your comments with us below.

Unanswered Questions That Arise From "The Firefly"

  • The miracle that happened to Roscoe Joyce, will something similar happen to Walter in the future of the show?
  • But why would The Observer drag a dead man twenty-five years through time just to talk with his father? I think we're going to find out eventaully, don't you?
  • Why did Bobby Roscoe have that precognitive dream about September, 25 years ago on the night he died?
  • As Peter suggested, weren't there easier ways for Walter to be saved?
  • Walter thinks September set up the chain reaction to keep him from drinking the tainted milk and dying. Do you agree that was September's purpose?
  • Why were September's only words to Peter "It must be very difficult to be a father? We know it was foreshadowing of FauxLiv's birthing Peter's son, but why did September say it, and why that moment?
  • September "shot" Peter in the chest to knock him out in 104 and now 310. Why those 2 moments? Did he do more than just knock him out? Since we know September can move through time did he move Peter through time on those 2 occsassions?
  • The firefly explanation is intrguing. Will we learn alot more about the fallout of Walter's decision in 1985 in the next season?
  • Will there be more examples of the "Give him the keys and save the girl" metaphor in Season 4?
  • If Peter Bishop never existed the "Firefly" chain of events probably would not have occurred. Does that mean Roscoe would never have lost his son, Bobby?
Why episode 3.10 is on 'the 8 most important episodes' list:
So far on the most important episodes list we have the pilot that sets everything up, an introductory episode about September, an episode in which we learn there are infinite, alternate universes, an episode about a controlling scientist who knows how to cross universes, an episode about what if you could go back in time and change something, and an episode that seems to point to things that could occur in the future of this series.

"The Firefly" to me is like an expansion on "White Tulip" in that we learn there are consequences for going back in time and changing something. "The Firefly" points toward this concept as it applies to both Walter and September. Remember, September told Walter they "both interfered with the natural course of events," and the series will play out because of these actions. If you are reading this after having seen up to and including episode 5.07, you realize that everything that happens in Fringe after episode 3.10 is the result of September's plan set into motion. "The Plateau" pointed to this on a minor scale but in "The Firefly" the lesson is presented to us loudly and clearly. The Observers can greatly affect time. We see in Season 5 that they went back in time to work with better air quality and adapted conditions to suit their needs before the consequences of greater carbon diolxide levels destroyed our planet in the future. What else will The Observers do in the series to affect time? We shall soon see.




The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe-Part 6

      Email Post       12/05/2012 09:54:00 PM      

Welcome to Part 5 of 'The 8 Most Important Episodes of Fringe.'
Every day until the next episode airs on Fringe Friday, December 7th, I will post a review of an episode I believe is most important to the series, and a commentary on why I believe it is so.

The World of Brown Betty(Episode 2.19)
Exploring the mysteries
by Cerissa Cheffy
08/31/12

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there lived a father and his two sons. The older son was a brilliant man, using intelligence and wit to gain success with his peers. Over time, he developed a small, but devoted group of followers that inspired him to continue sharing his wisdom. The younger son, on the other hand, became wildly popular almost overnight with very little effort. He quickly gained a substantial group of followers. These two brothers were such total opposites that their paths rarely crossed and the only thing that connected them were their father’s love. One day, the father decided to throw a party to celebrate the younger son’s sudden success. In an attempt to show solidarity in the family, he asked the older son to contribute to the party by putting on a shin his brother’s honor. The older son’s followers scoffed at this request, citing that it was a travesty to his intelligent ways. But the older son wanted to honor his father’s request while also staying true to himself. So he put on a show that was infused with his own clever and intuitive ideas that would satisfy both groups of people.

Yes, this is the story about how a serious, gut-wrenching, mind-bending, jaw-dropping show that is known as Fringe would come to have an unexpected but equally delightful musical episode that would not only begin a tradition of having the 19th episode of every season be out-of-the-imagination-box, but would hold countless clues as to the show’s future. At the time, season 2 of Fringe was going full-force. The shocking revelations about Peter’s childhood were coming one after the other culminating in the moment when Peter learned on his own that he had been lied to by the two people that he trusted more than anyone else. He disappeared in the middle of the nigh and as we wait anxiously to find out how the team would work through this latest setback, we get…wait for it…a musical! What? As you can imagine and perhaps remember, there were some people upset by this publicity stunt on Fox’s part. At the top edge of your seat moment of the season, it’s announced that all of Fox’s shows will do a musical number to honor Glee. So what do the writers of Fringe do with this curveball? They do what they do best. Rise to the occasion and adapt to the unusual circumstances. And the result? Hidden clues and symbolism that is still playing out as we near the end of the series.

Can everything that played out in Brown Betty be translated to reality for our beloved team? Of course not. Even if it was intended to play out a certain way, ideas change, stories change, as time goes on. But what if even parts of it foreshadowed the coming seasons? What if Walter’s drug trip was more than a mere distraction? What if Walter’silly entertainment for a child was actually a different perspective on the events surrounding this “little family unit?” I happen to be a firm believer that most of Brown Betty is relevant to the very premise of the entire series(except perhaps Gene’s multicolored dots…I can’t find any meaningful reason for that one…)
 

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