I knew going into this episode of Fringe that it was set to begin the countdown to the finale. In various interviews both cast and producers have discussed how the finale storyline is more or less spread over the last three episodes. I expected big things from 6:02 AM EST, and it most certainly did not disappoint.
Just to get it out of the way, the only thing about which I’m mildly displeased is the fact that Walternate was able to use Peter and AltLivia’s son — whose name has finally been revealed as Henry — to activate the machine. Up until this point, one of the only things we knew about the machine was that it is intended for Peter and responds only to him. The notion that Walternate would be able to activate it with only half of the genetic profile it requires never quite made sense to me: by that reasoning, both Walternate and Elizabeth could conceivably activate the machine as well. Although I do like that Walternate didn’t simply use the sample he took from Henry, but removed the genes from AltLivia leaving behind a pure sample of half of Peter’s genes. That particular detail salvaged the plot point for me.
I can’t help but think that the reason the machine isn’t working the way Walternate intended — that is, it doesn’t yet seem to be helping heal their world, though it has certainly destabilized ours — is because he cheated the system, so to speak, by using only half of Peter’s DNA. Sam Weiss told Nina that Peter had a choice to make, that he would have to choose between the universes, and that that would be, in part, decided by which Olivia he chose. It could also be that the machine requires an actual person with whom to interact, and not merely a genetic sample. I also wonder if this is why Peter was blocked from accessing the machine — since it was activated with only half of what it should have been, perhaps it’s gone into a sort of lockdown. I wonder, though, if it has something to do with the fact that it was activated Over There, so Peter can’t enter the machine Over Here. If that’s the case, I’m hoping we see our team crossing over in the next couple episodes.
Fringe has always been a show that isn’t afraid to cross the line, and they took something of a gamble last season when they decided to introduce a wh
ole new universe of disconcertingly familiar characters: there was no way of knowing how the audience would react to these doppelgangers. From the beginning I loved the glimpses at this Other World. I think that everyone involved has done a phenomenal job in making us see the humanity in these Other characters, and in many ways we’ve taken the same journey that AltLivia has, albeit in reverse. I loved that AltLivia made the decision to commit treason in an attempt to save both worlds — her time on the Other Side really did make her see that they aren’t the monsters Walternate portrayed them as. I get the feeling that though she’d be unwilling to sacrifice her world for theirs, she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t at least try another way than the destruction of billions of lives.
I was half-expecting AltLivia to actually make it Over Here during this episode and prolong Peter’s attempt to enter the machine. I thought the parallel imagery with AltLivia between this episode and the episodes when our Olivia was in captivity Over There was neat to see. Walternate made an interesting point to AltLivia, that they’re more alike than she thinks considering that she too was willing to sacrifice her son for the greater good. I’m hoping that her captivity doesn’t keep her out of the way for the coming episodes, because I’ve come to like AltLivia a great deal. Perhaps Lincoln and Charlie, already suspicious of Walternate’s motives, will break her out.
There were too many heartbreaking Walter moments in 6:02 AM EST for me to really name one favourite: suffice it to say that fans have renewed their clamouring for John Noble to finally receive a long-deserved Emmy nomination in the coming cycle. One thing I love about Fringe is their talent at continuity, and that events from previous episodes continue to have an effect later on. In the episode The Firefly, we saw the Observer put Walter through a trial of sorts to prepare him for the moment we finally saw last night.
In one particularly heart-wrenching scene between John Noble and Josh Jackson, Walter tells Peter that he ‘was never good at letting you go’, and it was due to that that very inability 26 years ago that our characters find themselves in this position today. The scene with Walter in the chapel was also quite something: Walter begged God not to save his son, but to save their world. I always find myself intrigued when Fringe explores Walter’s search for redemption, which he thought he had found when he received a white tulip. Seeing Walter come to the realization that, as he sees it, he hasn’t been forgiven for his actions all those years ago was hard to watch.
And Walter isn’t the only one who has changed: it’s been nice to see Olivia happy for once. It’s also almost bittersweet because, inevitably, things get worse for her and Peter as soon as they find happiness with each other. The awkward naked scene between Livia and Walter had me in stitches, as did Peter’s revelation that Walter always cooks naked on Tuesdays. And while it seems like Peter and Olivia are finally at a point where they’re being more honest with each other, I found myself quite indignant on Liv’s behalf that Peter would chose to enter the machine without telling her first. It seemed a cruel thing to do to her, particularly given that he ends up in a coma.
Needless to say, I loved this episode of Fringe. It had everything I adore about the show, from wickedly funny moments with Walter to threads of the larger tapestry of the mythos to touching and heartbreaking moments between our characters. The scene right before Peter attempts to enter the machine is a perfect representation of how very much these characters, including Broyles and Astrid, have become intertwined with one another.
I am intensely curious as to where the last two episodes of season 3 are going to take us, and I have no doubts that it will be a wild ride. It’s going to be a long, long wait to next Friday’s The Last Sam Weiss. A
Faux-livia, please. Even Anna Torv uses that term :)
I'm aware that they use the term Fauxlivia, although initially the "official" name for her was Bolivia (which I still hear some of the cast and writers/producers using in interviews)..
I've always called her AltLivia, not sure why, it's just the one I preferred. Fauxlivia was certainly apt when she was impersonating our Liv, and I know a number of friends who've used that from the beginning, but I've never particularly liked it myself. I think it's because I think of her a character in her own right, not just the "fake" Olivia.
Sorry for the rambling response, but just thought I'd explain my reasoning. Thanks for taking the time to read it!
Loved the episode. Great Review. And you are right, the wait till Friday is going to be very long.
Fringe Rules!
Thanks! glad you enjoyed it!
LOL, it was cruel for Peter to not tell Olivia about the machine? Its also a cruel thing to not tell him that he is from the AU. Not sure why Peter has to have Olivia's permission to do things. You know she would have said NO in a heartbeat.
Yes, I agree, Olivia and Walter should have told Peter the truth about where he was from, although I can certainly understand where they were both coming from – they were scared to lose him. Not that it justifies their choice, I'm just saying. Also, not sure that the two things really share any relevance..
I don't see it as Peter needing Olivia's permission, but rather that they're in a committed relationship, and, as Peter himself said, don't want more lies between them. So it wouldn't be Peter asking her permission, but simply keeping her in the loop in what was going on with her partner. A courtesy, if nothing else. She deserved the chance to say goodbye.
I also don't think that Olivia would have said no. I think that she certainly wouldn't have been happy about it, but Liv understands sacrifice better than anyone. I think that, like Walter, she would have understood that it was something Peter needed to do. Not to mention, their world is crumbling at the seams…
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment :)
I hope I don't offend anybody but I'm sure Olivia would be on her "high horse" and talk down to Peter about sacrificing himself. She clearly doesn't care about Peter's feelings. I'm sure we would get another scene like Marionette where Peter tells her "I'm going to save people" and Olivia, as always, will judge him, say something like, "I'm your girlfriend, Peter, you can't get into the machine because you belong with me, how can you not see that?"
Olivia, imo, has a superiority complex.
Just a marvelous review of what most of us love about these characters and the writing. Innovative risk taking is nice, but glad to see FRINGE get back to what it does best. This ep was a bit limited in that it mostly was a table setter, but still was about all it could be. I'd give it a solid B in order to leave some room for perfection. Just good insight as well on directions they may take the next two weeks.
I love that Faux named her baby Henry, the one person who saved both Livs in the Altverse. Despite the triangle, I think the two Livs would become fast friends if they meet again. I also liked the two 'dead ends' in this weeks plot that threw us a curve. How it wasn't so easy for Faux to just trip on over to our universe. Or for Peter to hop in the machine. Unexpected is good too.
This summer I think I will collect my favorite moments from the show. The reach in and clutch your heart poignant moments that make you feel these characters are real and worth your empathy. That's any kind of fictional media's goal at it's best, delivered by fine writing and acting. Those are my 'A' episodes.
At the top of the list are of course "You belong with me." and the delivery of baby Henry. And lesser, but still heartrending ones, like when Olivia pulls the gun on Sam, not realizing she walked w/o her crutch. Or when the mind reader Walter created as a cortexaphan child, ruining his life, reads Walter's deep guilt and sorrow over what he did and gives Walter forgiveness with a look. Or when August sacrificed himself. Or when Walter opened the 'tulip' envelope. So much about the series is wonderful, the continuity, the science, the imagination, but it's those unique moments when it all connects, that makes it really special.
I too loved that Altlivia chose to name her son "Henry". Seemed wonderfully appropriate. And I'd find it fascinating to see Olivia and AltLiv interacting now that Alt has a less…biased view of the other side. I think that they'd get along quite well too – I mean, they are rather the same person. Although different. Perhaps identical twins would be a more apt comparison… And I really want to see Henry (Higgins) and our Olivia together again. They had the best chemistry, especially since Henry now knows for sure that Liv wasn't, you know, totally off her rocker.
I love the idea of putting together a list of your favourite moments! I'd be curious to see what all you end up including. The problem I have with putting a list together like that is that it never seems to end.. I just keep adding and adding and adding ;)
Entirely agree with you on what makes the series so wonderful.. And that moment when you see all these story threads converge that they've been setting up from the beginning of the series.. It's quite something.
Fauxlivia sings a nursery rhyme to Little Henry called I SEE THE MOON. Versions of it date back to 1784. It was sung by Claire Danes to her three 'daughters' in the movie EVENING. Beside the baby lullaby, most versions are also a wish to a loved one very far away. Just adds a little more poignancy that it may have also been directed towards Peter.
I see the moon, the moon sees me,
Down thru the leaves of the old oak tree,
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love.
Over the mountain, over the sea
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love
I hear the lark, the lark hears me
Singing a song with a memory
Please let the lark that sings to me
Sing to the one I love.
[Refrain]
I kiss the rose and the rose kisses me,
Fragrant as only a rose can be
Please take the kiss that comforts me
Back to the one I love.
[Refrain]
Huh. I didn't know that about the song. Interesting point on it perhaps being directed towards Peter.
I can't wait until he find out about Henry. It's certainly going to make things even more…murky, that's for sure. I'm curious as to whether he'll find out this season.
I'm a little confused at all the time spent on the Alt-Olivia. She came into the show pretending to be our Olivia, fooling everybody and betraying Peter. Now, they make her seem like this really awesome girl who you wouldn't mind hanging out with on a regular basis. I know there's no reason to turn her into a monster…but isn't it supposed to be our Olivia that we're rooting for? Half of the time I'm rooting for the Alt-Olivia and then i remember…she's not the character who's the start of the show, just the same actress.
You know, I think that everyone involved in making Fringe would take that as confirmation that they've definitely done what they set out to do. They introduced this set of characters who are like ours but different, and faced the challenge of endearing them to us even though they are "bad guys" (at least, they seem to be at first).
And I think that's really been a central theme: what would your life look like if you'd only made different choices, or if circumstances had shaped your life differently? How much of who we are is tied up in something intrinsic, and how much is determined by our environment?
That is to say that while yes, we started out with our team, this new team also matters.
And I'd say that the fact that you do find yourself rooting for AltLivia is one thing that makes this show so amazing. And that's what I meant about us taking the same journey as Alt-Olivia – just as she came to see that the people Over Here aren't monsters, we came to see the characters Over There as not just these "bad guys" who are trying to destroy our world, but also fully-fleshed out (well, some more than others) characters on their own for whom we also feel sympathy.
And I'd say it makes things even more interesting that you actively find yourself rooting for the Red 'Verse characters when it seems as though, in the end, it's going to come down to Us versus Them… So the question becomes: which side are you on?
I think the look between Peter and Olivia told Olivia that it was time, but she had to go, and they both had their respective jobs to do. Could be wrong, but that look conveyed so much more than dialogue could ever have done.
Another great report, Nadine. Thanks.
Thanks Hilda! And I absolutely agree with you about that look. Sometimes you just get the feeling that dialogue would get in the way, so I loved how they wrote/played that moment.
Again terrific review Nadine! You always make all the good points. Another great charactor ep.
I loved the name they gave to lil Nuggett.
This 2 last hours are definately going to be more Epic than last year!
Not necessarily, about Walternate or Elizabeth activating the machine. Peter has both of their DNA and so does baby Henry. After you remove Altlivia's DNA from baby Henry you're left with the combo of Walternate and Elizabeth's DNA that Peter has, more or less. (I don't know about genetics so correct me if I'm wrong.)
Even if Altlivia is locked in Walternate's cell for the rest of the season we should be seeing her next season. But, I hope she gets out of there.
I feel like Olivia knew that Peter was going to attempt to go into the machine but she didn't want to say goodbye.
Once again, another great review!