Oh, how this show just keeps getting better and better. While it might somewhat be related to the feverish anticipation of the last couple of days, fanned by an eight-week hiatus and a Twitter #Fringe movement, the topmost reasons why this episode instantly became a fan favourite are fourfold. First, the amazing storytelling made the hour go by in what felt like 10 minutes; second, John Noble’s amazing performance; third, the preparation was carefully and meticulously done in the last year and a half; and fourth, while so many questions were finally answered, there are yet still so many more that remain to be answered.
I see now what you did there, JJ Abrams, and I like it.
There are so many things we can cover about this episode; the most intriguing one – and perhaps the most important one – is that of the character of Walter Bishop, as perceived before "Peter" and after. And so for the sake of relative brevity, this review will only cover that aspect of the episode; other aspects are going to make an appearance in a follow-up article.
While there were no huge surprises during this episode – heck, we kind of knew most of what was coming up, what with all the theorizing, the promos, the stills and the previews! – many moments felt like little pinpricks of conceptual adjustment.
The first one came within the first few seconds, when we hear 1985!Walter addressing what looks like important military personnel. He sounds confident; he sounds in control; he sounds extremely coherent and commands attention. We had already gleaned that this was the Walter pre-‘brain surgery’ and pre-St. Claire’s, but it still was a ‘pinprick of conceptual adjustment’ to see it come to life.
But it’s a good thing that 1985!Walter is so confident; after all, hard as it is to explain to someone in 2010 about the alternate universe, it is much more difficult to do so back in 1985. The mobile telephone was a brilliant touch that clearly demonstrates to viewers in 2010 the discrepancy of the technological advancement between our world and the alternate-universe. The best part is that for those of us who don’t remember, there is a subtle yet potent moment where the contrast between the two technologies is highlighted (check out the screencap below). Needless to say, it was a beautiful stroke of storytelling genius.
Article comments
1 - Elliot
Lovely review. Thank you.
I lost a family member last fall and the emotions displayed in this episode were deeply true.
Here's my take on how Walter did those awful things to Peter that they both remember him doing: going through the portal does, as Walter told Astrid, "terrible things to you". Peter was young and it didn't make him crazy, but it did Walter...his investigating nature took over, he wanted to see how the two boys differed, wanted to see how it was that Peter knew he wasn't his father (I think he saw the same glimmer Olivia sees in him)--thus the beginnings of the cortexiphan trials, trying to make children here able to do what Peter did natively. And he wanted to know why the boy was important, had to live, in September's words. Mix that with a dose of psychosis and his inclination for drinking and taking drugs, you get a pretty volatile mix.
I've never thought otherWalter had to be evil, that was too simplistic for me, and I am with you relieved they are making ourWalter more complex and still kind at heart.
Nina? She could be Peter's auntie, or have helped care for him while he was sick, presumably he was a charming boy; maybe Nina cannot have kids and wanted them and so became attached to Peter... and possibly also to Olive(ia). There are ways of being very attached to people without being blood kin, you know.
2 - Blue Sunflower
I don't think 5 people continually #Fringe tweeting (including one who did 413 in one day and bragged about it) counts as a Twitter movement.
Second, this episode was "meticulously done in the last year and a half"? Uh, no. This episode was really nothing more than complete retcons, as well as having major plotholes. It completely contradicted such episodes as "There's More Than One of Everything" (Dr. in the past Walter wanted, as well as Walter's motivations: 'I became convinced I could take from there what I'd lost here'), "Dream Logic" (Peter snatched), "August" (Walter 'solving' the problem of the Observers wanting to possibly kill Peter, as well as...well, August thinking he could save Christine without a reason 'The boy is significant), etc., etc.
Not saying the episode wasn't good nor enjoyable. It was both. Immensely. I also don't really mind the retcons, as I kinda like the new explanations. But "Peter" was also completely jarring in that "square peg fitting into a round hole" kind of way.
3 - Sahar
Elliot: I’m glad you like the review, and I’m sorry for your loss. It must have made this episode all the more poignant to watch for you. I hope it wasn’t too hard!
There is a second part to the review that I just posted, more focused on the non-Walter part of the episode if you’re interested.
I like your theory about Walter’s first step towards insanity being going through the portal. It does make a lot of sense, and fits perfectly into what we know about the timeline. On top of that, it works well with the burden of guilt that he has to shoulder, as well. Good call!
Regarding Peter seeing Walter glimmer, I also thought about that; however, while the Fou Trust document leads us to believe that Peter 1.0 was tested on, we don’t have any proof that Peter 2.0 was tested on; so unfortunately for now, all these theories are nowhere near being answered.
Also, the Cortexiphan trials were held before Peter’s death; according to the information that we have, Olivia is only a year or two younger than Peter at the most and she was only three or four when she was tested on; so the trials were held in 1982-1983.
I totally agree with Nina being attached to Peter without it actually having to do with a blood tie. I actually have a theory about it in the second part of the review ;)
Blue Sunflower: Oh no, it was way more than 4 people! According to WT Hashtag, in the last 7 days, there were 18’947 tweets contributed by 3’119 people. The top 10 contributors contributed only 31.5% of the tweets, and each tweeted #Fringe over 300 times (Top contributors: @naddycat; 1086 @Cortexiphans; 898 @Conman9191; 700 @Ocean5ouL; 678 @AgentDunhamFBI; 562 @Greggyhouzer; 503 @FringeInsider; 470 @spark3597; 433 @xerophytes; 330 @Ksiquot; 317). It’s much more than an obscure group of 5 people, trust me; I have met at least 20 Fringe fans on Twitter in the last 5 days alone! You should join us :)
I think I might not have expressed myself well. I think that the last year and a half were a prelude of sorts, a teasing that made this episode all the better. Had we not cared as much about Walter as we now do, the emotional impact of the episode would not have been as big. As for the seeming contradictions, memories and dreams are not dependable. I actually talk about this in the second part of my review.
4 - Blue Sunflower
Yeah, I am at #Fringe. That's why I know it's almost exclusively a very small amount of people twittering 10 million times in order to look bigger than they are.
5 - Blue Sunflower
Also, not into fanwanking when something completely contradicts absolutely EVERYTHING that the show has put up before. If the show wanted us to believe "Peter"'s Walter was always the Walter they had in mind, then they should have set up the 'dreams and memories' quite a bit better than they did.
6 - Sahar
I don't agree. It's far more realistic to have a 'real' set of memories, all of which hold a measure of the truth but not the entire truth. It becomes yet another puzzle to figure out :)
7 - Flo
I only seen this episode once and your review covers the main questions it brought.
I know that's just me probably being a kind of an emotional retard but I felt totally disconnected with the tragedy that Walter was living. I think the boy who played Peter wasn't good. Walter is stupid if he thinks that showing his wife the Peter 2.0 is a good idea and a good way to move on. It was obvious that it was just gonna make her to want to see him again and again.
I wonder how exactly reacted Eliznate when Walter didn't come back. For all she knows, it was her husband "Walternate" who took the boy with him. I wonder if there was a window to our universe in the alternate one at that time? Otherwise, how Eliznate is supposed to make sense of what happened to her to her husband when he comes back from the lab?
I felt more bad for Eliznate than for Walter at the end. He has no excuse.
Is it just me or the shadow that comes instead of Nina's arm when she loses it, looks just like the shadow who killed people by turning them into a pile of dust in a previous episode of this season? (The one that reminded you and me both Sahar of "Space"?)
Anyway, weird.
Otherwise good, interesting episode. A lot to think about.