Fringe fans, settle into your favourite couch; it looks like, yet again, the writers are going to take their time developing the storyline, delving into each characters’ psyche and exploring the differences in them created by Peter’s absence. While some might not like the slower pace, this lends to resolving the main question at hand (i.e. where is the man). I love the care and attention given yet again to exploring the human side of the show.
The talent of the cast and crew continues to shine through. With the meeting of the two universes, the production crew is taking full advantage of showing both versions of the same character in the same shot. One scene that particularly impressed me in this episode was the shot of both Olivias and John McClennan in the street outside of Alternate-John’s house. Similarly, the plot provided Anna Torv with an opportunity to yet again demonstrate what an amazing actress she is, portraying, in the same shot, two different people while wearing the exact same thing. Despite the fact that the two characters are identical, viewers know exactly which one is which within nanoseconds, underlining Torv's talent.
The effect of Peter’s absence is felt in many ways. Some of them are obvious, such as said effect on Walter and Olivia. However, there are other changes in this timeline that are rather surprising. Most intriguing is the change in Astrid. She is still intelligent, professional and caring, but she is a lot less patient and a lot less of a pushover than she is in the other timeline. One only needs to think of the difference between this Astrid and the one with whom, in 2026, people feel comfortable enough to leave their trash on her desk (Season 3, Episode 22, “The Day We Died”).
Is there a way of explaining this change in her character through a past, unknown encounter with Peter? Or could the explanation be much simpler and yet, at the same time, more complex: that, just as the batting of a butterflies wings on side of the world can cause a storm on the other side (the Butterfly Effect), the presence of Peter in the previous timeline affected Astrid even if they had not met until three years ago. It makes you wonder how much of an effect you are having right now on people you might never even meet.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments
1 - Flo
Another very good review. You said it all, I don't fins anything to add yet.
Interesting butterfly effect thoughts you brought here. I think Astrid, like the others are different without Peter but I think it's not only dependent on Peter. It is also dependent on Walter. Walter was different (less depressed) when his son was alive and not just because of the way Peter acted with him and influenced him; just the fact that he was alive made Walter another kind of human being.
The way Walter was + his son Peter made the people they interracted with different because it was a different situation. Astrid, in this timeline never met Peter so it is entirely possible that her difference in mood and personality is just a consequence of the different interractions and relationship she has with Walter. Different Walter = diff Astrid. Affter all, in both timeline he's still the one she spends the more time with. Her interractions with him depend largely on what kind of Walter she has in front of her it seems.
Also I totally agree with you on the impressive nature of the two Olivias in the same shot thing. Torv kicks ass.
The discussion in the car is very interesting and important for me too. In the comment of your last review I wrote that in the 1st epi each character was on a different side of the mirror. Here we get a glimpse of how it is but also of how it could be to have them on the same side. To take your metaphor of the mirror: instead of having one person spliting in two while watching him/herself in a mirror, here we have the "other one" going through the mirror to be beside his/her "twin".
The Olivias do not interract in the same way. Olivia not being in "her territory" makes her more vulnerable and inevitably the relationship is a bit different. Less confrontational. There is no doubt Alt Olivia, being as perceptive as she is, picked up on it.
It's interesting to see that both Lincoln Lee seem to be more alike than the other "twins". I must admit that I prefer Alt Lincoln with a scruff though.
All in all, an interesting episode. We'll see how Peter's appearnces to Walter will play out.