The Fringe Review Blog

The first season of “Fringe” was an interesting and unexpected success. While the first 13 episodes seemed to struggle with direction and varying levels of quality, the second half of the season stepped up the narrative and introduced several elements that demonstrated the potential of the series. The first season finale appeared to promise an acceleration of the pace, which was also welcome.

After all, “Fringe” was essentially the next iteration of the JJ Abrams Genre Model. It began with “Alias”, which took several pop culture espionage concepts and linked them to an intricate mythology that unspooled over the course of five seasons. Unfortunately, it was also a show that shifted format time and again as the network tried to deserialize the story and de-emphasize the overarching Rambaldi mythology. Ultimately, the series came to a rushed and dissatisfying conclusion.

The second evolution came with “Lost”, a sprawling tale of redemption set within the confines of a modern take on “Mysterious Island”. “Lost” had the popularity and critical acclaim of “Alias”, but little to none of the network interference. This led to a much more consistent series that successfully melded character and plot arcs within the complex mysteries of the island itself.

“Fringe” was originally envisioned as something of a step back towards a less serialized, more episodic format for a genre series. It was also, very clearly, an attempt to take the much-beloved “X-Files” concept and update it. Where “X-Files” had a flawed format that attempted to advance a central mythology through “event” episodes, interspersed among stand-alone episodes of varying quality and relevance, “Fringe” would attempt to merge the two into a more cohesive approach.

The first season saw much progress on that front, and there was every reason to believe that the second season was going to follow in its footsteps. After all, the producers admitted that they were not in a “Lost” scenario, where the popularity of the series threatened to extend its run past the natural boundaries of its story. “Fringe”, especially in the second season, has always been fighting for its survival. This led to a public declaration that the writers would not be holding back on telling the story and revealing the scope of the mythology.

After the first few episodes, however, the second season bogged down into a long run of largely stand-alone episodes that seemed to have little or nothing to do with the larger plot threads of the season. Considering that one major plot element was the manhunt for Mr. Newton, an agent of Alt-Fringe (the hostile alternate universe behind the Pattern) trying to open a door into Alt-Fringe that would supposedly bring about the end of Fringe Prime, it seemed hard to reconcile the lack of progress in the story.

It all changed with “Jacksonville”, an episode roughly halfway through the season that marked a return to prominence of the larger story arcs and a greater sense of urgency. This was also the episode that paid off the many nagging hints regarding Peter’s true nature and the events that began the inter-universe conflict. While some aspects of the progression of the season arc up to and including the season finale were predictable, it was still far better than some of the mediocre “monster of the week” episodes earlier in the season.

Considering the duality of the season, there was a remarkably subtle bit of character development throughout the course of the story arc. While the first season left Walter, Peter, and Olivia in a good position for mutual trust and understanding, the second season brought father and son into a much more comfortable bond and drew Peter and Olivia together. It was minimalist in its treatment, but it was discernable, particularly in retrospect, as the new bonds were threatened and then frayed by the truth behind Peter’s origins.

That pivotal episode (“Peter”) was the crowning achievement of the series to date, and it will be hard for the writers to pull off anything of equal power. (Ironically, it was an episode that felt very similar to the best episodes of “Lost”, thus proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.) It was beautifully written, the acting from John Noble was superb, and the direction fit the “fairy tale” aspects of the story perfectly.

If there was one stumbling block in the second half of the season, it was the ill-advised “Brown Betty”. Ostensibly the product of Walter’s drug-addled mind, it actually left many wondering what the writers were smoking when they thought this was a good idea. Billed as a musical episode, it was a half-hearted mash-up of noir and modern influences with a few abbreviated musical interludes. Given that it was part of a cross-promotion for “Glee”, it was a terrible example of network-think, and quite possibly the worst episode of “Fringe” ever produced.

The second season of “Fringe” earned a Critical Myth rating of 7.3, slightly above average. This is a mild drop from the first season (7.7), and effectively confirms that the series suffered from a minor sophomore slump. That said, it’s nothing that can’t be cured, especially if the writers can return to a more cohesive approach and prevent a long run of stand-alone, “monster of the week” episodes like the one that plagued the second season.

Written by Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman, and Akiva Goldsman
Directed by Akiva Goldsman

(Ed. Note: I am currently writing up this review while recovering from having my gallbladder removed on Wednesday, 19 May. So if it seems like it’s not as coherent as usual, blame it on pain medication and my need to take frequent breaks as I write!)

After such a portentous first half in the previous episode, it’s surprising to note how straightforward this episode really was. If anything, much of what happened in this season finale was fairly predictable. But what it all adds up to is something of a narrative sleight-of-hand.

From a plot perspective, this seemed to be all about Peter returning to Alt-Fringe and discovering that the grass is not, in fact, greener on the other side. He wasn’t going to find a father that was going to stop his war with Fringe Prime just because Peter was back where he supposedly belonged. And sure enough, this episode revealed that Walternate had used William Bell’s designs to create a device to destroy Fringe Prime, using Peter (and only Peter) as something of a “fuel cell”.

Peter and his true father have very little time together, which is an odd plotting choice. Instead, much of the attention is on Olivia. The first third of the episode spends an amazing amount of time on Olivia, William Bell, and Walter. It was great to finally see William Bell in action, and to see William and Walter confront one another on their actions over the years.

Walter’s criticisms of William are all well-earned, but it’s odd that William didn’t defend himself or his decisions. Yes, Massive Dynamic was a means of profiting off the technology appropriated from Alt-Fringe, but it has also been shown as an important means of developing technology in defense of Fringe Prime. In other words, the technology stolen from Alt-Fringe is used to fund the war against Alt-Fringe, especially since Walternate has been forcing William Bell to help develop technology to use against Fringe Prime.

On the other hand, Walter can’t deny that he was responsible for starting the entire mess that has, in the meantime, been William’s responsibility to manage. That doesn’t absolve William of his role in the war, but it does make Walter’s criticisms a bit one-sided. Considering how little Walter remembers of his own role in matters, why would he assume he was the victim? (Then again, Walter is pretty damn good at selective morality, despite his progress over the past couple years.)

One of the best scenes in the episode was the confrontation between Olivia and Ginger Olivia. Not the fight scene itself (although that was very well done), but the conversation about the differences between their two worlds. For just a moment, it was possible to consider what might have been, had the two realities been capable of working together in common cause. (Of course, that conversation was part of the misdirection.)

The final confrontation at the opera house started off well, but it was a bit disappointing in the end. As soon as it was clear that the two Olivias were dressed identically, and Olivia declared her love for Peter, it was obvious what was going to happen. Just as it was clear that William Bell was going to sacrifice himself to ensure that Walter, Peter, and Olivia made it back to Fringe Prime.

But the simplicity of the moment also has some interesting implications. It’s now clear that both Olivias have the same abilities, which suggests that there was a cortexiphan program in Alt-Fringe, just as there was back in Fringe Prime. It’s also clear that Olivia is going to have quite a difficult time getting back to where she belongs, since she doesn’t have enough energy on her own, despite her ability.

The switch between the two Olivias brings a certain symmetry to the season. The season began with Charlie being replaced by a shape-shifter, and now Olivia has been replaced by Ginger Olivia. While the shape-shifter was devoted to his cause, it would be interesting to see Ginger Olivia be a bit more conflicted in her role. Perhaps this will bring Ella’s role into focus. One way or another, it seems less likely that this situation will be quickly reversed than the Charlie subplot, so the writers have definitely set up one hell of a third season arc.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

(Season 2 Final Average: 7.3)

Written by Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman, and Akiva Goldsman
Directed by Akiva Goldsman

As the first part of a two-episode finale event, it’s hard to judge the story on its own merits. There is a lot of setup taking place throughout the episode, all pointing towards an action-packed hour in the true finale. Also, the content and structure of this episode strongly suggests that it was written and paced as a two-hour piece, cut in half for scheduling purposes. At the same time, there are elements that can be discussed that pertain specifically to this episode.

Starting the episode from the perspective of Alt-Fringe was a nice touch. At the onset, it established the personalities of the Fringe Division on that side, how much more advanced they are technologically (in an everyday sense), and how they have been hardened from the constant rifts and incursions into their reality. This was all mentioned before, or predictable based on the technology used on Fringe Prime, but this really drives the point home.

It was such a good example of “show, don’t tell” that the scene in Walternate’s office was ridiculous in comparison. The exposition was just plain terrible, and it was simply to explain that Walternate has been hiding the truth about the nature of the degradation of Alt-Fringe from the public and most of the first-response operatives.

This may seem like a minor point, but the writers spend a bit of time showing that Walternate is a dastardly villain with a secret agenda. We already know that agenda is the destruction of Fringe Prime, but this makes it clear that the people in his own world are being kept in the dark. This eliminates any pretense that Walternate may be acting out of a sincere desire to do what is best for his reality.

That depiction of Walternate is supported by the apparent plan to use Peter, perhaps due to his time in Fringe Prime, to power a mechanism to achieve the destruction of “our” reality. The implication is that Peter would not survive the process. This all but eliminates the one potential saving grace of Walternate’s actions: that he had been seeking to save his son before destroying Fringe Prime. It even appears that Walternate allowed his wife to believe that his decision to bring back Peter was out of love.

Making Walternate and his knowledgeable allies’ motivations inherently evil is not nearly as interesting as making them a matter of necessity. Imagine a scenario in which Walternate is portrayed more sympathetically, not unlike the characterization of Ginger Olivia. Ginger Olivia was clearly tough and dedicated, but her motives were justified. Fringe Division in her reality is just trying to save the world; I’m fairly sure the same cannot be said of Walternate, which is unfortunate.

The writers could still have Walternate attempt to convince Peter that his sacrifice is a noble act, and not one taken lightly, but the undertones of Walternate’s portrayal already suggests that Peter will be forced into the role if it comes down to it. In fact, it may be that Peter is told the device does something else entirely.

My suspicion is that Peter is playing along to learn as much about Walternate’s plans as possible, in the hopes of derailing them and saving Fringe Prime. After all, Peter is highly intelligent, and it’s unlikely that he would miss the purpose (or potential purpose) of the device that Walternate has been building. And I’m still not remotely convinced that Peter actually harbors a desire to help destroy Fringe Prime, or even allow it to happen through inaction.

This episode also sees the return of some previously featured fellow cortexiphan test subjects, revealing that they can use their abilities to “resonate” and cross over into Alt-Fringe, if their energies are properly focused. While it’s definitely interesting to see them coming together and using their abilities, both for altruistic and personally satisfying purposes, this does seem like a missed and even mishandled opportunity.

Some things are just better when they are vague and mysteriously threatening. The aftereffects of a pyrotechnic burst around a little girl, for example, are more chilling than someone generating a fireball. It’s interesting to see how the abilities of these so-called “warriors” could be used to help as much as to harm, but it just felt like a bit of a waste when their abilities all backfired in Alt-Fringe, turning against them.

All except Olivia, of course, who seemed to be fine. But that brings up another point. Olivia’s abilities were supposed to be slowly but surely developed, since she was the most successful test subject of them all. William Bell was awfully proud of her. Yet the writers never really returned to the concept of the multi-staged testing and training scheme introduced in the first season. So exactly what are Olivia’s abilities, beyond being a Wrong Universe Detector?

One might also wonder if Ginger Olivia and her lover were part of some kind of cortexiphan experimentation in Alt-Fringe as well. Those tattoos were prominently displayed, which means they refer to something significant. As it feels like this finale is being used to introduce some major players in the Alt-Fringe reality, rather than simply bring them in for a single appearance, this is one mystery that could stand to be left untouched for a while.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Jeff Pinkner, J. H. Wyman, and Akiva Goldsman
Directed by Seith Mann

Ever since they managed to make it work more than once on “The X-Files”, it seems that every show that follows in its footsteps must find a way to break format in a way that both reveres and mocks itself. The classic episode “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’”, for instance, hit on nearly every trope of the show while also keeping true to the nature of the premise.

But it doesn’t always work. A negative example would be the “Supernatural” episode “Hollywood Babylon”. This was meant to be an episode that poked fun at the seriousness of the show’s premise and its characters. Instead, it was a self-indulgent mess that was more about commenting on the entertainment industry than anything else.

“Brown Betty” sits somewhere in the middle. It is definitely connected to the overall season arc, because it is a reflection of Walter’s psychology regarding Peter and the whole mythology of the show. Yet it also falls into the self-indulgent trap, often dispensing with storytelling basics to force a perspective that doesn’t measure up to the intentions.

The premise is simple enough: Walter, high as a kite, is telling Ella a story. The result is a mish-mash of Walter’s feelings about the events of the past two years, but mostly it is about his relationship with Peter. Walter renders his story in something of a modern day noir style, along with odd synchronicities of bygone and current objects and short bursts of music.

Enjoyment of this premise (and the episode) will come down to how well one thinks this perspective was communicated. I personally thought they missed the mark. At no time did I buy that Walter, the kind of altered consciousness, would come up with something so stilted and pedestrian. From the very beginning, it was clear that the noir pastiche was going to clash horribly with the idea of a “musical” episode.

Part of the problem is that the cast just didn’t sell the idea that they were in a dreamworld version of a classic noir crime story. They played their parts well enough, but it just didn’t gel. A good comparison would be the classic “X-Files” episode “The Post-Modern Prometheus”. While equally self-indulgent, it was cast as a fairy-tale story, and everything about it sold the dream-like quality of the premise: the visuals, the music, the dialogue, even the casting.

Another part of the problem is that Walter had to narrate the story and dole out enormous chunks of exposition. This exposition was essentially a reworked interpretation of the show’s mythology, from broad sweeping reimagining of key plot elements to insertion of very specific details in a new context. In essence, the writers took a far too detailed outline of two years worth of mythology, shoved it into less than a normal episode, and completely changed it to fit the pseudo-noir fairy-tale premise. The result was confusing as hell.

So just on that level, the episode didn’t work. The pseudo-noir concept was never taken to the depths necessary to make it really seem like Walter’s drug-induced musings, and the story was too dense and complicated. Adding musical numbers into the story was never going to make these problems go away, and actually compounded them.

Many genre fans will rightfully point to the much-lauded “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode “Once More, With Feeling” as the standard-bearer for musical episodes. Not only did it manage to advance the story at the time, while introducing a series-appropriate rationale for the sudden singing and dancing, but the musical numbers were brilliantly designed to reveal character psychology while being, at the core, truly viable songs in the film-musical style. In other words, it was a deeply organic extension of the existing story and world.

The musical numbers in this episode felt contrived and unnecessary. They felt like something that was forced into the pseudo-noir concept, not something that evolved out of it naturally. Every time there was a musical moment, it felt like an imposition. And considering how sparse the musical numbers were, it just didn’t fit the explanation within the premise of the story: that this was a reflection of how Walter’s mind was processing the story. After all, if Walter’s drug-induced mind was pulling music into this little fantasy world, wouldn’t it slip into the flow of the narrative more seamlessly?

It all adds up to something that was certainly ambitious, but perhaps both too alien to the world of “Fringe” to ever work. It would be like having a musical episode of “Lost”. The tonal and narrative shift would be so jarring that it simply wouldn’t work; the context would be all wrong. The same is true with “Fringe”. For it to have worked, the writers would have needed to gone deeper, using Walter’s perspective in a more direct sense. The storytelling concept was a good start, but they just didn’t take it far enough to make the fantasy elements work.

I get the very clear sense that the original idea was to focus on the pseudo-noir style, and that the FOX Network forced the musical aspect into the mix. After all, this episode is part of a cross-promotion for “Glee” (FOX Rocks Week). The producers probably figured that the planned break in format would allow them to concede to the promotional department, especially since the ratings require that the show stay in the network’s good graces.

That might also explain why there was a sudden promotion of this episode as a “musical”. That seemed to come out of nowhere, and considering that the musical numbers felt shoehorned into the script, it would explain why it wasn’t developed more organically. I’m sure the cast had fun with the creative change of pace, but even then, it never felt convincing.

While I could just chalk it up to a matter of taste (and to some extent, it is), I think the nature of the episode will not help the show at all. The episode was heavily promoted, which had some potential to bring new viewers to the table. And what was delivered was a dense, confusing mess with unnecessary musical numbers tossed in the mix. I can’t imagine anyone fresh to the series watching this episode and coming away with a desire to watch more. In fact, I think they would wonder what the producers were smoking themselves.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 4/10

Written by Josh Singer and Ethan Gross
Directed by Jeff Hunt

Ever since “Jacksonville”, the story has been much more focused. While from a season-long perspective this only highlights the listless string of stand-alone episodes in the fall, it’s undeniable that the writers have been delivering powerful material of late. (Which also serves to underscore why those earlier episodes were so disappointing; the writers were capable of so much more.)

Peter’s true origin has been at the center of the season arc, as well as Walter’s suffering over the truth, and both factor heavily into this episode. In many ways, it was predictable, but in a way that was well-earned. Of course Peter was going to find out the truth in the worst way possible, ripping open the wounds that were beginning to heal. And of course, this will lead Peter on his own journey for a while, until he comes to realize that his true family is Fringe Division.

It should be obvious to most fans that “Mister Secretary”, the one behind the technological advancements in Alt-Fringe and Newton’s mission to open a door between realities and destroy Fringe Prime, is none other than Walternate. I’ve been saying that since the latter half of the first season.

That doesn’t make it any less satisfying a notion. It makes perfect sense that Walternate, as the author of the scheme to obliterate Fringe Prime, would want to rescue his son first. And this will inevitably lead to the oft-predicted meeting between true father and son. At that point, if the characters are kept true to themselves, Peter will reject his true father, because of the choices that Walternate has made. Even if Peter thinks that Walter deserves to suffer, I doubt he would feel the same about Olivia.

Of course, it’s not likely to be as simple as that. Some complication and sacrifice will inevitably be required for Newton’s plan to be foiled and the story to continue with Fringe Division intact. It seems likely that William Bell is going to be involved in some fashion, and it makes sense that he would be the one to go at this stage of the game. He’s important enough to be a loss, but incidental enough to be expendable.

The real point of interest will be how this turn of events affects Walter. His mental strength has been derived from Peter over the course of the series, and now that critical piece of the puzzle will be missing. At least initially, I would expect a fairly significant psychological breakdown, but this could be a surprising means of demonstrating how Walter has progressed. Walter can never completely recover (he would lose much of his charm if he did), but he could end up better for this harrowing experience.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by J.H. Wyman and Jeff Vlaming
Directed by Tom Yatsko

I’ve said before that the biggest problem with the first half of this season was the abundant lack of context within the stand-alone episodes. They were largely consistent in terms of quality of storytelling, but there didn’t seem to be much of a point. In retrospect, there was certainly a lot of hints that the Peter story was going to break, and there was groundwork on bringing Fringe Division together on a personal level, but there was little forward momentum.

Ever since “Jacksonville”, that hasn’t been much of a problem. The season arc is now progressing steadily, even if the matter of Mr. Newton and the attempt to destroy Fringe Prime is still stubbornly on the back burner. One can only assume that the matter of Peter’s true origins will have an impact on that other major plot thread.

I’ve become a bit jaded on these “Groundhog Day” scenarios over the years. Nearly every science fiction or fantasy show eventually has to pull something like this out of their hat. It’s become as much a tradition as the inevitable zombie episode. So it now comes down to execution: can the writers make the variations meaningful?

In this case, the answer is a definitive yes. Dr. Peck was a brilliant reflection of Walter, right down to the questionable use of advanced scientific knowledge and the self-destructive desire to save a loved one. And the fact that the writers designed this scenario and Dr. Peck as a mechanism to explore Walter’s wounded psyche, while hardly subtle, was elegant.

The last two episodes have both focused on what the characters stand to lose should the truth come out and Peter react badly. In previous episodes, it was clear that many of the tensions between Peter and Walter were beginning to heal, especially compared to the first season. Walter was pushing Peter and Olivia towards one another, after all. The old wounds persist, of course; no one would suggest otherwise. But recent experiences have given Peter and Walter especially a reason to find common ground.

It all comes down to trust, and that’s where the Peter revelation is going to hurt the most. Peter has been able to trust in his father’s current good intentions and genuine effort. Peter himself admits that he has never been in the same place this long; it’s as much a matter of duty and responsibility as it is a comfort level that he has never truly known. Olivia couldn’t be the one to tell him the truth; it has to come from Walter.

In other words, it’s not that the truth about Peter is going to unravel a well-constructed family unit that has gotten over all the wounds of the past. It’s that the truth could devastate the fragile state of trust that has been building between the three principal characters since day one. It could break the delicate balance between Walter and Peter, and depending on Peter’s bitterness, he could definitely accuse Olivia of betraying his trust by holding back on something this important.

But in many ways, it’s a no-win situation. There is no perfect solution. The damage was done a long, long time ago, and now it’s all about managing the consequences. If Olivia had been the one to tell Peter the truth, the damage would have been even more severe in terms of the Peter/Walter relationship. And Olivia would have broken her promise to Walter, souring that bond. It comes down to the path of least resistance; Walter must be the one to tell the truth, and the rest must appeal to and rest on Peter’s sense of reason.

Walter recognizes the same calamitous choices in Dr. Peck’s scenario. The choices all seem justified when the goal is in sight, for some, no choice is too immoral in the face of saving a loved one, when the means are at hand. Yet it is the consequence that weighs on the soul. Yet that exposes the one key difference between the extreme choices of Dr. Bishop and Dr. Peck. Walter acted so that his loved one might live, and then that they might live together. Dr. Peck acted so that he could die with his loved one. (That may not have been his original intent, but it was the final choice.)

I still firmly believe that Peter will decide to leave the team for a while, if only to come to grips with this life-altering secret, once it is exposed. I still believe this will factor into the season finale, and that this will be the mechanism by which Walternate’s role in the war against Fringe Prime will be revealed. And I also believe that Peter will ultimately return to the Fringe Division fold, because when all is said and done, it’s really the only place he belongs.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Matthew Pitts
Directed by Brad Anderson

In many respects, this is just another episode about just another unusual case. But there are tons of connections to the larger mythology, in terms of the fallout of the previous two episodes. Not only are aspects of the Jacksonville experiments becoming more and more integral to the progression of the story, but Peter is going to learn the truth about his origins.

It was pretty clear that Walter was going to come to the conclusion that he would have to be the one to tell Peter the truth. But it was very interesting to see how the writers deftly maneuvered the situation. The episode began with Walter denying the need to come clean with Peter, while Olivia was insistent that it happen. By the end of the hour, both characters had taken a logical road to the opposing point of view.

Not that it would much matter. Based on Olivia’s stricken expression in the scene with Peter in her car, she’s well aware of the fact that the truth precludes any hope of maintaining this happy little family unit. It’s not so much that Peter would react badly to the news. He might want to have some time to think about things, but what other life has he really known? That’s probably going to be less important than the feelings of betrayal.

He’ll feel betrayed by Walter, of course, but I think the anger towards Olivia is going to be the most heart-rending part of it. Because even though it was clearly not her place to reveal the truth, and an objective part of Peter would recognize that, it’s going to hurt for him to know that she knew and said nothing. Olivia is really in a no-win situation, made worse by how close they had actually become.

I predict that Peter will be inspired to find a way into Alt-Fringe, so he can find his real father. This would be the perfect way to not only introduce Walternate in this particular time, but also to reveal that Walternate is the one behind the effort to destroy Fringe Prime. This will probably take place in the season finale. (I’m not sure if this plot twist would end up being predictable or simply well-earned. Proper foreshadowing should not be penalized, after all.)

One thing I wasn’t expecting was more information on the Jacksonville experiments. One big point of the episode was that Fringe Division doesn’t have a full list of the children used in the cortexiphan experiments. This put a lot of people in jeopardy, not the least of which Olivia, who is supposed to be the one person able to stop the collision between realities.

So what could be important enough for Broyles and Nina Sharp to lie about the list of affected children? For that matter, we still don’t know the connection between Broyles and Sharp, and how that plays into the connection between Broyles’ earlier Fringe Division work and Massive Dynamic.

The logical assumption would be that Broyles and Sharp had been working for some time to find and monitor the children involved in the experiments, documenting their abilities as they manifested. This would explain Broyles’ long interest in Olivia as an agent rather well. But as already noted, it would beg the question of why Olivia is not being given information about the other subjects in the experiments. And there seem to be many of the Ohio test subjects still unaccounted for, which may be a secret purpose of the Fringe Division.

It is implied that James Heath was “activated” by someone. This is similar to what happened with many of the first season episodes regarding Mr. Jones and the ZFT activations. This brings back some of the ideas surrounding the ZFT organization, and that implies that these activations are ultimately the work of William Bell. Since Bell was keen on developing “warriors” for the battle to come, this would make some sense. This would also imply that Broyles and Sharp may be secretly working with Bell to keep track of these potential “recruits”. It all ties together.

And that is one of the promising aspects of the episode. Not only are the lingering effects of Walter’s confession in “Peter” explored in some detail, but this episode calls back to many of the important elements introduced at the end of the first season. This strongly implies that the disparate plot elements of the second season may finally be placed in context with the best elements of the first season, and that the scattershot feel of the second season may be smoothed over in due time.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Joel Wyman, and Josh Singer
Directed by David Straiton

I haven’t been enormously pleased with “Fringe” this season. After delivering a solid second half to the first season, with a near-perfect blend of episodic and serialized plot and character elements, it felt like the show took a step backwards this season with too many stand-alone episodes. Given the urgency of Olivia’s mandate to stop operatives from Alt-Fringe from opening a doorway between universes again, the slow pace feels at odds with the plot.

Of course, there has been one consistent subplot throughout: the slow but steady build towards the truth about Peter’s origins. Anyone paying attention during the first season finale knows that Peter is not Walter’s original son, but rather, Alt-Peter. I’ve often speculated that Walter’s decision to take Alt-Peter as a replacement for his own son was the beginning of the current crisis. That theory has been verified, but not without significant and heart-rending new details.

This episode plays out like a classic flashback episode, but coming from the same production lineage as “Lost”, there is a brilliant style to the storytelling. This is not the clunky flashback exposition of “Heroes”. The stage is set by a framing coda to “Jacksonville”, in which Olivia is still reeling from the realization that Peter is from Alt-Fringe. She wants answers from Walter, and for once, Walter seems to have the necessary degree of clarity to tell his story.

It’s almost impossible to convey the power of the narrative; it’s best just to let the story speak for itself. In many ways, this is the “Fringe” response to the jaw-dropping “Lost” episode “Ab Aeterno”, which aired a couple weeks earlier. Both episodes took one pivotal character, and one pivotal set of events, and played them out with pathos to spare. Walter’s loss of a son, and his subsequent decision to abduct Alt-Peter, are at the heart of the “Fringe” story. The implications are staggering, and while that is never directly addressed beyond a couple of portentous comments at the end, the context is never far from one’s mind.

It always seemed like Walter’s current part in Fringe Division was all about redemption. He’s been trying to correct the unintended consequences of his previous actions. While that has worked on a granular level, with each new scenario and bizarre experiment gone awry, it now stands as the underpinning of the big picture. Walter Bishop started the crisis; he needs to be the one to help find a solution.

It’s not particularly shocking, but it’s interesting to see how Walter was once a lot more balanced in his psychological state. He was still working on cutting edge technology with William Bell, but one gets the sense that the turn towards amoralism hadn’t quite begun yet. In fact, even as Walter starts down that slippery slope with his obsession to save Alt-Peter, he decries William’s cold, calculated self-interest.

For all that, Walter was always complicated. He was complicit with the Jacksonville experiments and all those mind-bending trials at the Harvard lab, but he also seemed to retain some level of doubt in the methods employed. Bell was always depicted as the one who believed the end justified the means. But how much of that was a growing responsibility to stop what Walter had started? Bell seems to be more personable with Olivia, but he’s still using her.

Two very important things were reinforced in this episode. It’s been said here and there, but Walter himself noted that the technology in Alt-Fringe was years, if not decades, ahead of the technology in Fringe Prime. Add to that the confirmation that “Walternate” has an equally personal reason to strike out at Fringe Prime, and it’s a fair bet that Walternate is the one leading the charge. This will probably end up being a “huge reveal” at some point (hopefully not in the season finale, given how predictable it is).

One unexpected element is the revelation that Walter’s wife was key to his decision to keep Alt-Peter. Walter was willing to abduct Alt-Peter to save his life, but he was also willing to take him back. If that had happened, would the war against Fringe Prime have begun? It’s a lot less likely. Under even better circumstances, one can even imagine the two Walters working together. That’s part of the overwhelming tragedy of the whole thing.

Then there are the Observers. I’ve been on the fence regarding their origins, particularly in terms of their connection to Alt-Fringe. This episode seems to confirm that the Observers are visitors to both realities, and that they can move between worlds without much difficulty. Their interest in Olivia and Peter is also notable. What is it that makes them important? And especially Alt-Peter, since the Observers were keen on keeping him alive, not Peter Prime.

This could be an important clue. If the intersection of Fringe Prime and Alt-Fringe would destroy at least one of them, if not both and beyond, then the Observers seem rather calm about it. The Observers expected Peter Prime to die and Alt-Peter to live. Should that happen, there is no war between universes. The Observers were willing to allow Walter to abduct Alt-Peter to ensure the boy lived. It’s clear that the Observers will intervene in unusual circumstances, so why not in the larger context of the possible destruction of Fringe Prime?

There is even another layer to the episode that makes it all the better: the unreliable nature of the narrator. In this case, Walter is supposed to be telling Olivia the story of what happened back in 1985. But there are scenes and circumstances, here and there, that he could not possibly have known about, then or now. And there is also the not-so-small matter of the memories intentionally removed from his brain by William Bell. This likely explains why the story glossed over Walter’s creation of the door between universes, but it also makes it very possible that Walter is filling in the gaps in his memory with assumption and creative license.

Usually, when an episode has more than one or two writers, the end result is a mess. While it’s true that most television episodes are the result of extensive collaboration and story-breaking from the entire writers’ room, there is usually one person or a duo with the responsibility of taking all that work and putting it into a final form. (Yes, this is an over-simplification of the typical process, but it illustrates the point.) This time, the usual pitfalls were avoided, and the end result was a game-changing episode that should hopefully jump-start the final leg of the season.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 4/4

Final Rating: 10/10

Written by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz
Directed by David Straiton

It’s been a while since the writers of “Fringe” delivered a big chunk of the season arc. At least this episode was well worth the wait. While structurally simple, this brought a number of lingering items back on the table in a sharp, efficient manner.

The nature of the Jacksonville experiments, and their relationship to the experiments surrounding Alt-Fringe, has been a huge question since the revelations late in the first season. It certainly seemed at that point, with all the talk about multiple levels of training for warriors under the ZFT mindset, that Olivia would progress along a steady path of unusual growth. The fact that her abilities have barely been explored this season is one of the reasons why it has been somewhat disappointing.

But now there is some insight into the Jacksonville experiments, and as one would expect for this series, one key part was altered perception. It’s hard to imagine that this was the full extent of the experimentation done on the children, but it was the part that pertained to this particular situation. If Walter Bishop and William Bell were interested in creating someone with the ability to combat the imposition of Alt-Fringe on Fringe Prime, then detection and identification was always going to be a primary concern. And that meant altering perception.

As interesting as the methods were, especially in how they affecting Olivia, I found her reaction to the realization of what had been done to the children to be the most powerful. It really is something that cannot be dismissed. As horrified as Olivia has been of Walter’s past activities, this is the first time that she has been this judgmental. Coming on the heels of his actions in the previous episode, it serves as a perfect prelude for how Olivia will react to her discovery of what Walter did with Alt-Peter.

That was one of the biggest surprises of the episode, and it didn’t even occur to me that it would be a consequence of Olivia’s revived ability until the trigger was pulled. One could quibble that the writers didn’t play fair with the audience; after all, if Olivia’s fear of admitting her feelings for Peter was enough to allow her ability to manifest, why didn’t she notice anything odd about Peter right in that initial moment? But given the dramatic punch at the end, it’s easily forgiven.

While I have enjoyed the subtle progression of Olivia and Peter’s attraction and budding relationship, I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the notion of them taking matters further. There is something to be said for the early Mulder/Scully model of professional distance despite attraction. I think it’s safe to say that any romance is going to be on serious hold.

The real question is where the season arc is going to go from here. This is a perfect example of why the previous run of stand-alone episodes didn’t make sense after Newton’s escape. What should have kicked up an even greater sense of urgency seemed to result in little change to the status quo. Now Newton is ramping up his efforts, and everyone in Fringe Division is well aware of the potential consequences. If the writers slip back into stand-alone mode again, all but ignoring the need to track down Newton, then it would be an even greater misstep.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10