(S02E16) "Somewhere, Peter will grow up, somewhere he will lead a proper life, somewhere he will be happy, but just not here. And we must take comfort in this. We must begin to move on." - Walter to Elizabeth, watching alt-Peter through the window to the other universeI've said it before and I'll say it again: John Noble is a fantastic actor. With the flashback to 1985 in this episode, he completely morphed into a different Walter Bishop. And yet, you can see traces of the person that he is now, and because of all he's been through, you can understand how he got from there to here.
But he wasn't the monster that I thought he might be, based on some of the things we've learned about him since 'Fringe' began. Instead, he was a loving and caring husband and father who was obsessed with finding a cure for his son.
This episode has gotten a lot of hype, and it didn't disappoint. While it did answer a few questions, it posed even more questions, which will make the rest of the season exceedingly entertaining and possibly heartbreaking.
What do we know? As many of us speculated, we know that Peter died in this universe, and that Walter created the technology to move to the alternate universe and back again. I had thought that perhaps he was a bit of a madman, and that he went there with the express purpose of stealing alt-Peter and bringing him back to this universe for good. Not so.
In fact, Walter went there because he inadvertently saw that alt-Walter had indeed created a cure, but that he was distracted by the Observer and missed the important moment in the lab that would save Peter. Walter couldn't fathom the idea that the other Peter would die, too; based on what he saw, he knew he could save him.
Still, you had to wonder ... had Elizabeth not been so happy and relieved to see alt-Peter, would Walter have had the strength to take him back? Not likely, based on what he told Olivia: "I realized at that moment that despite what I promised, what I fully intended to do, that I could never take Peter back. The way she looked at him, I saw in her what I feared most in myself when I saw him ... that I couldn't lose him again. It was the first hole, Olivia, the first breach, the first crack in a pattern of cracks, spaces between the worlds. And it's my fault. You can't imagine what it's like to lose a child." This scene alone is surely Emmy material.
I wondered how they could explain the sudden appearance of Peter alive and well in this universe, when in fact, they'd just had a funeral for him. But as Elizabeth explained, because of his illness, Peter really hadn't had a life outside of their home. He'd never been to a normal school or had friends, and Elizabeth and Walter were the only family he had. Also, there were just a few people at the funeral: Walter, Elizabeth, Nina Sharp, Dr. Warren, and the minister. So it's probably realistic to think that they could have pulled it off.
We also know that Walter's foray into the alternate universe would result in turmoil. "Walter, I'm sorry, but you can't," said Dr. Warren, upon learning of his plan to travel to the alt-world. "Shattering the wall between the universes would rupture the fundamental constants of nature ... it's a good theory. It is why we have been lying to the military telling them it's impossible. There has to be a line somewhere. There has to be a line we can't cross."
The Reiden Lake crossover was fascinating for other reasons, too. Now we know how Nina Sharp lost her arm and hand. It got caught in the doorway to the other universe as she was trying to prevent Walter from going through. She'd also tried to sway him by saying that William Bell would never go for it. But Walter disagreed, saying, "All William Bell ever cared about was finding a way to increase the power and the wealth and the legend of William Bell."
We also know that when Walter and alt-Peter came back and fell through the ice, the Observer saved Peter in order to right the wrong he'd committed in the alt-universe. And based on his fast disappearance, it seems they do have the ability to cross over at will.
Other Stuff:
Walter showing the military the "mobile telephone" (digital, not analog). No, he didn't create it. He copied it from the alternate universe, where the technology was more advanced.
The opening credits were pretty fun, with the 1980s techno music.
Now we know the significance of the coin. Peter wanted his dad to have it after he died; in the alternate universe, he wanted his mom to have it.
'Back to the Future,' starring Eric Stoltz.
A few quotes:
"You're not my father, are you?" Alt-Peter to Walter
Walter: "Why did you save us?"
The Observer: "The boy is important. He has to live."
"You need to take action to restore balance ... you will have an opportunity to fix this." - One Observer to the other Observer who distracted alt-Walter in the lab.
Dr. Warren: "I am Become Death, destroyer of mortals."
Walter: "Don't you quote Oppenheimer to me."
Dr. Warren: "Some things are not ours to tamper with. Some things are God's."
Walter: "My son is dying, Dr. Warren. I will not allow that to happen again. There's only room for one god in this lab, and it's not yours."
I look forward to your thoughts on this episode.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-02-2010 @ 7:43AM
bruce said...
I too was surprised that Walter was so nice (great job by Noble). I was also under the impression he was a mean jackass. I guess he could have been a mean jackass who wanted to save his dying son. Nothing really contradictory there. And come to think of it, I believe risking the complete destruction of not one but TWO entire universes to possibly save the live of your (alternate universe) son is the very definition of "jackass."
Was the blond the lab assistant who got killed in Walter's lab at some point?
Were there hints that Nina Sharp is Peter's mother?
I found it interesting that Observers can screw up like that. I also wonder why the alternate world is so much more advanced than ours. I wish they didn't say 9-11 took place there (just different targets), as the lack of terrorism coupled with the highly advanced technology could easily be explained by a lack of religion in that world. If there were no religion, the WTC would still be here and 2010 would be as futuristic as it once sounded. Nothing holds back progress like religion. A universe without religion... what could be greater than that?
I am left with no doubt that "Walternate" is the ultimate bad guy in Fringe. Though kidnapping surely doesn't make our Walter innocent. He could probably justify taking Peter to save him, but no way he can justify keeping him all these years. Of course, the law in our universe doesn't recognize alternate universes/alternate people so it would make for a very interesting kidnapping case were it to go to court. Yes you can kidnap your own child (divorced parents do it all the time) but Walter and his wife both share full custody of young Peter Bishop. The evidence that Peter already died would be somewhat compelling, I suppose. Maybe the courts would be forced to recognize inter-universal kidnapping.
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4-02-2010 @ 9:10AM
kenm said...
"If there were no religion, the WTC would still be here and 2010 would be as futuristic as it once sounded. Nothing holds back progress like religion. A universe without religion... what could be greater than that?"
There already was a society without religion - it was called the Soviet Union. Gee, I don't know how that country collapsed since they were so much more technologically advanced - you know, without all that pesky religion to hold them back. And boy, their citizens were so much happier than the techno-retarded bible-bashers in the west.
Bruce, wars and conflict are caused by many more things than just religion. If people don't fight over one thing, they'll fight over another.
4-02-2010 @ 10:05AM
OakRidge said...
After the fall of the Roman Empire the Catholic Church was actually one of the few institutions that retained literacy in Western Europe. As cities died it was the church that retained learning and it would be the church that would reintroduce it. During the middle ages it was monks in monasteries who took some of the first steps on the path to modern science. They observed the natural world unlike any others in their time and wrote these observations down. As for the much hyped "inquisition" and "banning of the books", the impact has been greatly overrated. The inquisition was much more constrained and limited that most realize. As for the books, the church banned very few books from being read. Usually they did not ban books outright, they would insert a small notice in the front of the book warning of what was inside but they would still allow the books to be read. Events like the Galileo affair were actually fairly rare. Most people do not take the time to enlighten themselves about religion. I actually held many of the same views as seen in the posts above until I educated myself. To say that religion significantly held back science is to speak in ignorance.
4-02-2010 @ 1:10PM
Argus said...
Also, it was ultimately Arab society and the Islamic religion which retained and expanded upon the mathematical and scientific traditions of the Greek Philosophers. These traditions were only brought back to the West after Saint Thomas Aquinas encouraged science and discovery as a way of glorifying God.
4-02-2010 @ 1:19PM
Jason said...
No monks, no beer. 'Nuff said.
4-02-2010 @ 3:08PM
BugKiller said...
Really, dude... you're gonna trot out the old, "blame religion for society's ills" excuse?
Are you really that dumb?
HUMANITY is to blame for the sins of humanity.
Not religion. Notice, it is incorrect and selfish translation of good philosophy (Christianity, Islam, etc) that creates ills.
Sorry to interrupt your moronic rant with a little logic.
You can go back to worship Richard Dawkins now.
4-02-2010 @ 9:06PM
nattyff said...
Were there hints that Nina Sharp is Peter's mother?
I though the exact same thing, or will be something else that will come to play in future episodes. A superb episode, Noble really did a great job!!! :)
4-02-2010 @ 10:32PM
H said...
Why must you force your beliefs down other people's throats? Can't you respect the choices we've made for our lives and stop preaching to us? This is not the venue for your soapbox sermon.
4-02-2010 @ 8:01AM
Jason said...
My god, what a show. What a show. What a show.
That was truly the best episode yet. I'm still shook up over how tragic Peter's death was for Walter, and the emotional close as Walter poured out his story to Olivia. Emmys all-around! That's how you come back from a break.
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4-02-2010 @ 8:04AM
Jason said...
On a side note, I now have a new theory that the further cause of new events and further collisions of the alt universe and the present are a result of alt-Walter looking to seek revenge on Walter for taking his son, and his quest to take him back to the alt universe. Good Walter vs. Evil Walter so to speak, if there is a good or bad side to this.
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4-02-2010 @ 8:48AM
Alana said...
That was an absolutely wonderful episode. I won't go so far as to call it the best ever, but if it's not the best it's certainly very high in the ranking.
The acting in this episode was absolutely top notch. I thought the actress chosen to play Elizabeth Bishop was spectacular. I agree that John Noble should definitely be nominated for an Emmy.
What I found interesting about this episode were the small character differences between the alternate reality and ours. The obvious advancement of the alternate notwithstanding, I thought the fact that our Peter seemed more attached to Walter and alternate Peter more so to Elizabeth was especially significant. Alternate Peter knew our Walter was not his father, which could be why grown Peter has always seemed far more emotionally attached to his mother. That's how it was from where he was from. It only follows reason that would continue in this universe, even if Peter believed he had dreamed the whole thing.
All in all, a great episode.
Sidenote: The actual Oppenheimer quote is, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." I'm almost positive that's what Dr. Warren said.
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4-02-2010 @ 8:24PM
Jesse said...
You are correct about the quote and that is exactly what she said too.
It's from the Bhagavad Gita
4-02-2010 @ 11:07PM
Joseph said...
I came on here to comment on her acting as Walter's coworker too. What a blessing that casting decision turned out to be. If I were writing a show, I'd lobby the producers to hire her for my main character. This actor is for real, and mark my words, she is going places.
I only would have added even more praise for the writing of this episode. When she quoted Oppenheimer, and he reacted the way he did? Incredibly perfect character-writing. This episode blew my mind.
I guess the only place we differed is that I thought this was the best episode of the series, with all things considered.
4-02-2010 @ 8:53AM
ManWithSword said...
Great episode. John Noble is superb, and is the true star of this drama. Loved the nod to two great pillars of science fiction: Back to the Future and Battlestar Galactica / Caprica through Eric Stoltz, the star of alternate reality's version of Back to the Future.
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4-02-2010 @ 3:26PM
Nacho said...
Actually, I doubt the Eric Stoltz thing was a nod to Caprica as much as it was just showing what could have been. Most people don't know it, but Eric was actually the first actor that got selected to be Marty McFly. They even began to shoot scenes of the movie with him for several weeks. I guess the alternate Eric Stoltz just finished what the "real" one started.
4-02-2010 @ 9:40AM
bruce said...
The USSR collapsed due to its economic system, not its lack of religion. Lack of religion is the one thing the soviets got right. Plus, the USSR completely failed in its attempt at getting rid of religion. There's just no way to do it without wiping out 90% of the human population. It would require an alternate universe.
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4-02-2010 @ 1:12PM
Argus said...
If its the one thing that the Soviets got right than how come the same anti-religious ideology is working out so absolutely horribly in China, despite their mammoth economic system?
4-02-2010 @ 10:43AM
D said...
This is a great show.This was a great episode and both the show and John Noble deserve emmys.Not that Sci-Fi ever gets emmys.Even though this show is sooooo much more than just Sci-Fi.
Wlater in his youth was a driven ambitious man who had focused that drive on curing his son just as if he was trying to achieve a scientific breakthrough.He wasn't about being nasty he was about being driven.Like so many other scientists over the centuries,he didn't think about consequences,he was blinded by the conquest.
We never really get to know Walternate.He's just a vision.Walternate is probably still alive and active in the alternate universe.I can't wait to "meet" him!I suspect that is coming.
Ultimately Walter's story isn't sinister or even really all that wrong.By fluke and luck and chance Peter ended up here to stay.The Observers seemed to have signed off on that.
And where WAS Bell during all this.I,like Walter,don't just buy that he was at meetings or whatever.I suspect there's more to that.
Loved the retro 1985 stuff and the alternate universe nods.When JJ Abrams is on board you get quality and this is true quality.I really hope this show finds it's audience enough to give it a few more seasons.I also think like Lost that if it does it will need a definate ending.
That Walter,he knows how to get the chicks!Elizabeth and Dr Warren were hotties!
Such a great ride.Can't wait for more.
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4-02-2010 @ 12:17PM
Brad said...
It shows that the alt-universe Peter did not care as much for his father as the Peter that died, which I found to be really interesting, especially with the way that Peter describes Walter when he was a kid.
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4-02-2010 @ 1:13PM
Argus said...
Just wanted to say that I don't normally watch this show. In fact I've only seen two episodes before this. I don't plan on watching future episodes either. That said, I thought this episode was fantastic and worked extremely well as a self-contained story.
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