Fringe 1.14 “Ability” Recap

Olivia has been thinking about what Loeb said — what is written will come to pass. She decides that ZFT might be more than just the name of the organization that Jones in running. It might be their bible of sorts. She contacts the German authorities and has them look for anything that might match those initials. They are successful and find a manuscript entitled, ‘Zerstorung durch Fortschritte der Technologie’which is loosely translated to ‘Destruction by Advancement of Technology.’However, the only known copy of the manuscript was destroyed 10 years ago. Olivia asks Peter to use his connections to see if he can find another copy.

Back at the lab, Astrid helps Walter open a hole in Tommy’s skin covered mouth and they use an empty IV bag and tubing set to capture the gasses inside him. Astrid gags at the smell, and Walter, after describing it as putrid, once again asks about coffee cake. Meanwhile, Peter and Liv enter the used bookstore of a slightly unscrupulous gentleman. Peter stops the owner from ripping off a costumer. The owner, Marcum, is a mushroom looking man who agrees to help Peter find the manuscript.

Back at headquarters, some unknown agent hands Charlie a list of Jones’holdings via his lawyer that he has obtained though an ex girlfriend at the SEC who owed him. Now they have a list of places to start looking for Jones. Charlie finds a warehouse owned by Jones that has recently had its power turned on. As Broyles picks up the phone to call in a raid, another anonymous agent tells them that David Robert Jones is in the lobby. After running pell mell to the lobby, a cane wielding Jones tells Broyles that he will only speak to Olivia. Harris, Broyles and Olivia watch Jones through the two way glass. Harris and Olivia argue about allowing her to speak to Jones, but the US government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. Harris sends Olivia with Charlie on the raid of Jones’building.

On the way, Olivia gets a call from Peter. Marcum has come through with the manuscript and Peter is on holding a copy. Peter reads some of the forward to Olivia. The author of the manuscript feels that the advances of technology are leading the human race to its ultimate destruction and that destruction has in fact already begun. The FBI agents enter the building and find it mostly vacant. Olivia finds a pencil drawing of her that Jones did. Another red shirt agent finds other two dollar bill in an otherwise empty desk. He screams as the skin covers his eyes. Charlie and Olivia run upstairs. She calls for a med kit and suddenly develops the ability to perform an emergency tracheotomy! Now, I don’t know about you, but the med kits that I have seen are lucky to have real band-aides let alone an inner cannula for a trach! Anyway, just as we think that Olivia has saved the day, and avoided such small things as the carotid arteries, the trach itself is overgrown by his skin and he dies.

Back in the interrogation room, Harris tries to make small talk with Jones, but Jones is not having any of it. Even though Jones looks much worse for wear, he will only talk to Olivia. Even then, he requires a few things: a standard walky-talky with removable crystals, a metallic ball point pen, an eye glass repair kit and an analog watch — Harris’watch will work just fine. Somehow I get the feeling that he spent his childhood making potato batteries! Harris is only convinced to let Olivia talk to Jones when he learns of the red-shirt FBI agent’s death. However, Harris is remotely monitoring the conversation electronically. Jones ‘Macgyver’s’the miscellaneous pieces into a jamming device and all Harris gets is feedback.

Jones tells Olivia that he was responsible for Tommy the newsstand guy’s death and that there are going to be lots more deaths if she doesn’t help him. He wants her to past a test. There is a key that he had in his pocket when he arrived at the agency. He wants her to take the key to an empty amusement park and retrieve the box that he left for her. Jones then doubles over in pain. When Olivia tells him he needs medical assistance, he adamantly tells her that there is no amount of assistance in the world that can fix what ails him. I am waiting for him to turn inside out like the pig-lizard from Galaxy Quest!