Tonight’s episode of Fringe was rife with everything I love about the show: a mythology-heavy storyline coupled with intense character moments and the occasional dash of levity, courtesy of Walter. It was great to see Blair Brown back again as Nina Sharp as it has been far, far too long since we’ve seen Nina and Massive Dynamic.
I’ll be interested to see if there are further repercussions of the brain-regrowing serum that Walter took, and I expect that there will be: cause-and-effect has been something of a theme in Fringe lately. I’m particularly curious as to why exactly Bell would see fit to manufacture a way to reverse the brain damage to Walter, especially since the reason that Bell performed neurosurgery on Walter in the first place was that Walter was afraid of what, or who, he was becoming. I wonder if, once the chimpanzee DNA works its way out of his system, Walter will start to become a little more like Walternate, which could be a very scary thing indeed.
Ever since the Machine was introduced at the end of last season, we have been wondering exactly what the device is, why and how it is linked to Peter, and what it will mean for the characters. ‘Reciprocity’started to answer some of those questions, although, true to Fringe form, the episode left us with more questions than answers. I find the idea that the Machine could have an equal effect on Peter fascinating, if rather chilling, and I hope that we continue to see more consequences of this link. Perhaps I just didn’t put the pieces together, but I was absolutely gobsmacked when Peter turned out to be the one who was tracking down the Shapeshifters. It stands to reason that if he’s the one who guessed Fauxlivia’s password — and I love that it was U2 lyrics — he would have access to the data and be able to figure out her code, but I just didn’t see that one coming.
Speaking of the Machine, I hope we get a scientific — well, as much as possible — explanation for how Peter is linked to it and why, and who exactly the First People were (or are).
One aspect of Fringe that continues to impress me is the pacing of the story and character developments: they’re not so slow that I get frustrated, but not so fast that they feel rushed or that there wasn’t really a point because it was over so quickly. A perfect example of this was the resolution of Olivia being trapped Over There, but I also think we’ve seen it in the re-establishing of Peter and Walter’s relationship. And now that Peter knows the truth about his origins, he and Walter are even closer than before.
To be honest, I wasn’t initially sold on the idea of Olivia and Peter as a couple: it seemed just a little too cliché for my liking, with partners falling in love. But as they developed that storyline, I have to say that I was won over. ‘Marionette’was heart-wrenching, a hell of note to end on before a hiatus, and I was worried that the strain between Peter and Olivia would continue indefinitely. I love that Olivia finally realized that the situation with Fauxlivia didn’t just hurt her, but Peter too. I don’t think she’s forgiven Peter, or gotten over the fact that he couldn’t tell that Fauxlivia wasn’t her, but I like that we’re starting to see a thaw between them. And yet again Astrid proved the perfect sounding-board for Olivia – I love their almost-sisterly conversations.
Speaking of Olivia’s doppelganger, I’m still rather disappointed that we haven’t seen lingering effects of Olivia’s brainwashing Over There. Given what Walternate’s procedure did to her — overwriting her memories so that she would, for all intents and purposes, be Fauxlivia — I would expect there to still be some lingering neural imprints.
I have to wonder if the reason that Olivia found Fauxlivia’s diary so familiar was a remnant of that imprinting; although I do think that the two Olivias are remarkably similar, even if they don’t seem like it at first glance. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly differences between them, and I can’t wait to learn more about both of their backstories, but I think at the core of it, they share the same make-up.
It seems as though Fauxlivia was telling Peter the truth in ‘Entrada’: Peter really did become more than just an assignment for her. Not that this should really come as a surprise. As Olivia noted, they are uncomfortably close to being the same person, so it would make sense that Fauxlivia would see in Peter what Olivia does. It throws something of a wrench in the works when you consider that Fauxlivia could (should?) have been Peter’s Olivia, had he not been stolen from the Other Side.
As The Bard once said, ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’, and the writers of Fringe do seem to delight in throwing obstacles in the path of Olivia and Peter. I wonder if the weaponization of Peter is going to be one such obstacle. Clearly, the Machine has changed Peter, but the question is, to what extent?
I sometimes have a hard time being really critical of Fringe, and I have yet to meet an episode I didn’t like (although there are some I liked more than others); while it was no ‘Entrada’, ‘Reciprocity’made for a fantastic Fringe Friday. Not to mention the fact that it’s an episode I’ll have to watch a couple more times to appreciate all the nuances. A
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I’ve seen it twice already and am still shocked. I for sure will watch the rerun Saturday evening. Great review. Can’t wait for next week.
I too have just finished my second re-watch and whilst i didnt cry….i am still in absolute shock. I missed so much of the final 10 minutes due to tears. Just exactly what are the writers of Fringe doing to Peter? I never saw that coming. I am a liitle scared for Walter at the moment….and im a little afraid of Peter. And thats not good….he's my fav!
Great review, I was explaining the show to my Mom who doesn’t watch the show and she helped clarify some of the things that are happening now for me… Really Peter has been a victim his whole life if you look back on it… (1st, to sickness as a child, then kidnapped from his parents, and then lied to for twenty sum years about his origins, then he comes back to be with the woman that he is falling in love with only to realize that he is again taken advantage of and sent back with the wrong woman, then altLiv goes back and Liv comes back feeling victimized herself and selfishly in a way only thinking of herself, so he again then becomes the victim of her anger…its just continuous for him!) So this episode is about him wanting to get some power back, understandable. And atleast he’s doing it in a way that helps their side by taking out the shapeshifters that are soldiers sent to destroy their side. So really what is he doing? but, just being more assertive and agressive in taking back the staring wheel of his life and trying to help save the world he grew up in.
That said, a total shock in this episode! And, I hope we don’t loose to much of our Peter in the making of this new phase. And I’m glad that Olivia came around and realized that she was being selfish about the whole situation!
Thats another thing that was pointed out, Waler was being selfish with the whole Peter from alt universe thing they wanted what they wanted and didn’t really consider what was best for Peter.
Great review for a great episode! I didn't pick up on the fact that Peter was the one killing the shapeshifters until it was revealed to us. On second viewing the clues were all there and I almost feel silly for not picking up on them.
I definitely think the weaponization of Peter will be a big obstacle between Olivia and Peter. They can't move on while Peter is lying to her. Reminds me of last season when Olivia knew that Peter was from over there before he did. But this is worse because Peter went on a murderous rampage and is super creepy. This won't be the only obstacle…
Great Review, the episode was more than amazing :)