I know I have said this numerous times in perhaps most of my season two reviews of Fringe, but some things are just meant to be repeated: this show is getting better with every passing week. Yes there are occasional fall-backs, but overall, the growth is positive, and the rest of the season is looking more and more appealing as the weeks advance.
Last week’s episode, "August", was a great way to advance the mytharc while maintaining a certain monster-of-the-week appeal. When the Fringe team examines a surveillance tape depicting the kidnapping of a young woman in Boston, they realise that the person they thought was The Observer is actually another Observer. And, during the course of this episode, we find out that there are a lot more Observers, and yet we are not privy to their names.
How in the name of sci-fi am I going to keep track of them in the course of upcoming reviews? Dear God.
In any case, this particular Observer does have a name: August. And now that they are hot on his trail, Fringe Division comes across evidence collected by a Massive Dynamics symbologist (no, not Robert Langdon) who has identified the Original Observer in many paintings depicting major events throughout history including the Boston massacre of 1770, Marie-Antoinette’s execution in 1793, and the shot taken at Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo in 1914 that started World War I.
This symbologist has an interesting theory with important implications: that The Observer appears to observe important events, and as the frequency of Observer sightings have increased in the last couple of years, that something big is about to happen.
This concept of time and how special the time we are currently living in is was quite intriguing, all the more so that there are so many references to these ‘special times’ in countless TV shows. And dare we forget the importance of December 21, 2012? And what with all these shows and movies going on and on about how now is a special time, it makes you wonder – it is a special time, or is it just us hoping to be special? On the one hand, there has been an exponential increase in human achievements since the 1850s, and this has been charted. So in a way, the last 160 years or so have been really special, ever since that day that the first telegram has been sent, back on May 24, 1844. And so it does beg the question: why did it start in 1844? What is it about now that makes us special? How come, after thousands and thousand of years, in a relatively very short time, we have been given so many tools to potentially achieve so much? And even more puzzling, how come now that we have everything it takes to make peace and prosperity for everyone a reality, we are at the brink of destroying ourselves? Perhaps this is the curious phenomenon The Observers are keen on watching.
Article comments
1 - Flo
I really liked this episode. I think it is one of the best of this season yet.
Somehow the fact that there are multiple Observers is not a surprise. Since I saw the first one in season one, I wondered if there was more and it totally makes sense.
Who or what are they exactly and to what purpose are they observing all those important events is still a mystery, but I find it logical to relate this to the “parallel world”.
I think it is possible that they make a list of all the important events and see how the worlds are different and in what way they are similar. Why? We don’t know but, for the first time, we saw an Observer actually act and not just watch. Interesting. They are able to connect and do something driven by this connection no matter how “stupid” this may be. In other words, they have a capacity to “be human”. Again interesting. I can’t wait to see and discover more of them.
Sahar, I like your paragraph about the time and the increasing important events since 1844. You make a good point.
“How come, after thousands and thousand of years, in a relatively very short time, we have been given so many tools to potentially achieve so much? And even more puzzling, how come now that we have everything it takes to make peace and prosperity for everyone a reality, we are at the brink of destroying ourselves? Perhaps this is the curious phenomenon The Observers are keen on watching.”
I agree. I think the Observers are definitely watching this. This is also a tale of human nature. Violence and destruction are inherent in human beings such as the will to constantly discover new things and evolve.
August discovers a new part of himself the same way that human beings discovered the atom if that makes sense.
I like the all “make someone important” thing. It was fascinating. What makes someone important to us? And to the world? What are the criteria? Can a person make another one important? Or is this just a matter-of-fact? In what extent can we participate in doing so?
The “relationship” between August and Christine was good. Beyond his lack of comprehension and her fear, they managed to connect and have an unspoken understanding of each other.
“I have a feeling that Walter is increasingly going to use his reputation as eccentric to his own benefit;”
Interesting thought. It is more and more difficult to see where he stands in all this.
“I am also willing to bet that no one but Peter can shoot that gun; it has to be given to you willingly, and not taken, and that’s why the rogue observer was so adamant about putting it into his hand and pressing his hand into it.”
Also interesting. You may be right. I also baulked at the way August put the gun in Peter’s hand. We’ll see.
Dark times ahead for Olivia, it seems. A little logical. We don’t know her very well and how she fits into the sheme either.
The scene with Olivia in the beginning didn’t bother me that but I take your point.
“How in the name of sci-fi am I going to keep track of them in the course of upcoming reviews? Dear God."
Yeah ! Good luck with that !
2 - NancyGail
I have to wonder if the "She looks so happy" refers to Olivia's niece what's her name. The Observers could easily be twelve in number, named for each of the months.
3 - Flo
NancyGail, I never thought of that...interesting. I remember the camera being more on Olivia than on Ella (I think that her name)when they made the comment but I could be wrong. Must see that part again.
Anyway with Olivia involvements in the storylines it would be logical the Observers were talking about her but you never know.
What makes you think of that exactly?
Interesting thought about the 12 months. You're right it very well could be.