Fringe: Nothing As It Seems – Is It Ever?

Hello fellow Fringe fans!

So glad you could join me again! This last episode of Fringe was a doozy, to say the least. It combined different genres again and blended them with perfection. It also, in a way, kept the theme of love that has reoccurred the last few episodes.

This weeks episode delved into the netherworld featuring the talented and gorgeous Canadian actress Gina Holden (Mysterious Island, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Harpers Island, Smallville) as the enigmatic Kate Hicks!

Before continuing let us take a gander at the next episode which looks heart stopping. It looks like we may lose one of our beloved (or reviled depending on who you talk to) characters. We include the available promotion trailer for “Everything in Its Right Place” airing this Friday April 06, 2012 on FOX Broadcasting!

Nothing As It Seems:

Now onward and upward, it was great to see a familiar scene again. I must admit that it has been over a year since I have watched season one or two (I am a bad Fringie, I am sorry), but that episode it one that is not easily forgotten. I applaud them for taking the step to go back and revisit and old episode, an episode that is typical Fringe.

It is one of the many reasons I fell in love with this show. It was not afraid to push the envelope, to explore things that are just on the cusp of ‘out there’. It is one reason why this is such a groundbreaking, epic, original, brilliant and profound show.

I do not know if they completely re-shot the whole first scene and then added from there or just inserted the additional footage. However they did it, it was flawlessly seamed, bravo, well done, this filmmaker could not tell.

Once again we see Marshall Bowman (Neal Huff) and his panic and utter terror of not being able to control his ‘transformation’, what we do see in this new version is what was supposed to happen, albeit later in. While being held in an interrogation room and questioned about his ‘panic attack’ all he wants to do is get the heck out of there and stop the impending doom from happening. Unfortunately that is NOT what happens. I must say that it was kind of cool to finally see what the creature was that he was transformed into.

As I mentioned in the intro to this review there is a theme of love running throughout this episode as well. Not only with our main characters but with the other themes as well, I will explain later and hope that you will be able to follow my insane logic. I will try and prove the title is not just random but purposeful.

I love that the stewardess (Olivia Palenstein) informs the other passengers that a fellow passenger if ‘having a hard time’…no, lady that is the understatement of the freaking universe! It cracked me up then and it still cracks me up.

When the guards are looking thorough Bowman’s luggage I could not help but chuckle at the thought of Walter and the crazy things they might find in his luggage. It was just something that crossed my mind when the one guard said knives, needles and his reply is classic (almost Walter-like) underwear and it is clean.

Once Bowman excuses himself to the bathroom that is when all hell broke loose. It made me think of the monster of the week movies or of the werewolf movies that have been made and remade, classic tales of horror.

Now on to our beautiful heroine, Olivia Dunham sitting in Dr. Anderson’s (Gabrielle Rose) “shrink” office yet again. I feel bad for Olivia and all she has to go through. I do not blame Olivia for being frustrated at having to explain her actions or her memories (or lack thereof) to anyone. She has gone through hell the last few weeks and this is how she is rewarded, by having to submit to a psyche eval at the FBI’s request?

Anna Torv as always is brilliant in this scene; she portrays the frustration, aggravation and utter disgust with the situation to perfection. She has such an understanding of Olivia that I am always pleasantly surprised to find a new layer peeled back for us to see. She knows her so well that it is always a pleasure to see her play Olivia (and Faux) week after week.

Her having to explain to the shrink over and over is priceless. I love how she says, ‘no offense’ when she rambles on about how pissed off she is about it.

It always intrigued me that people always say that phrase or ‘don’t take this the wrong way, but’ and then go and insult or offend you. I never understood that…

Olivia braves the evaluation well; it is not easy to have your life thrown upside down and sideways only to know that it was right all along. To know that the memories you thought were someone else’s are truly your own and that the man you are in love with is the man you are supposed to be in love with. Olivia has always gone with her gut and has never been wrong, why should it be any different now?

Her goal is still the same, stop Jones and his reign of terror. Even with Peter back in her life, she is determined now more than ever to stop Jones and his diabolical schemes. Her comment about “weird is a matter of degrees” is as perfect a statement as you are going to get when it comes to Fringe division. What maybe weird to some may be normal to them, although hopefully you never quite get used to it.

An interesting side note that apparently had twitter abuzz, when Broyles mentioned that Rachel was still married and had two kids, Ella and Eddie, twitter fans had brought up Big Eddie (do not know if that had any significance) but I found it interesting. Also Markham’s first name is Ed as well, but more on that later.

When Broyles informs Olivia of the information that was given was 40% inaccurate, it is another blow to Olivia’s ego. Here she is battling to stay sane, trying to tell everyone that she is NOT crazy and that these are her memories and that the life or lives if you will she has been living are her own.

The only thing that does seem to be right in her life at the moment is Peter and their relationship. He is what is and frankly always has been keeping her sane. What Jones said about her love being profound for him that was the absolute truth it is reciprocated and that is palpable.

Now I come to one of my three favorite scenes in this entire episode. When Olivia comes home and we see Peter being domestic with dinner waiting, it brings a smile to my face. It makes my Polivia heart soar.  

Peter and Olivia are destined to be together, period end of story no other argument will do. It was written and it was proven. Their love was so strong for each other that it brought him back from being erased.

Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv are so wonderful in this scene, the intimacy and the familiarity is there. The way they are able to perfectly segue into that all too familiar dance we have seen them partake in time and time again before the reset. Of course my absolute favorite part (and one of the two reasons for the ‘suggestive language’ in the rating) was the Vermont comment.

That cracked me up, I laughed out loud and heartily at that smart ass comment, brilliantly done by Josh, who always has that bad boy charm just at the surface. Olivia’s comeback about the 70’s calling was equally matched in its brilliance.

My comment was I guess that a bed and clothing are optional Peter…may be. I know that there are probably countless Polivia shippers out there as I type this writing a gloriously love filled Vermont scene for all of us to enjoy! Can’t wait!

The one thing that I did notice which I found interesting, although it may be nothing was that Peter called Olivia, Liv. If memory serves (and I maybe wrong) but only two men in her life have called her Liv-Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) and John Scott (Mark Valley). I have only heard Peter call her either Olivia or Livia…It could be just something that he is doing now or it may have some deeper meaning, either way, I just thought I would bring it up.

The glyphs in this episode spelled FUTURE…which begs the question what or whose future? Do they mean the future of Peter and Olivia, the future of mankind the future of the show itself or the foreshadowing of what is to come on the next eight episodes? I guess time will tell.

Now we come to my second favorite scene in this episode. When Walter brings out the box of birthday presents he has been collecting for Peter throughout the years is priceless. What he pulls out, too, the HUMP magazine is absolutely the best thing ever and the way that John Noble portrays his elation is what makes John Noble one of the best out there.

I love that the relationship of Walter and Peter is heading into the direction of where is used to be before the reset. Walter’s comment about Peter technically not being his son, but the closest thing is sweet. The look on Peter’s face is one of love and pride, the kind a son has for his father. As far as Peter is concerned Walter is his father, memories or no memories, the hug a punctuation of that fact.

On a side note, it gave me great pleasure to see the dynamic again between both Peter and Olivia and Peter and Walter. It has been something that has always made this show so special and now that it is back I for one am happy to see it again.

Another facet I found interesting was that because of the reset, certain aspects are added to the timelines, which is either a blessing or a curse. It gives the team a chance to right a wrong or at least find out more about what or why that happened. In this case it gives them a chance to see just what Jones might have been working on and what significance it has to them.

The scene in the car with Peter and Lincoln is a great scene for both actors, but Seth Gabel shines in this. His frustration and disappointment at his situation is perfectly matched with the tension in his body. He lashes out at Peter, justifiably, because he feels slighted, duped and left out. He feels as if he is the third wheel instead of the partner that Olivia is supposed to have, in life and on the job,

Gabel does a beautiful of giving Peter a piece of his mind about how he doesn’t get how Olivia can now suddenly be HIS Olivia. He is hurt and rightfully so; he developed feelings for her that were not reciprocated. 

I loved the comment about Lincoln thinking that Peter may have drugged her; it is a low blow but a good one. His recollection to Peter about his former partner and his wife was bittersweet; he wished that he could have relationship like that…like Robert and Julie or Peter and Olivia. When Peter tells Lincoln that he is a good guy, we all know what he is insinuating…nice guys (or in this case good guys) finish last.i

He feels bad for Lincoln and wishes things could be different, but at the same time, his pride is enhanced by the comparison to an amazing couple.

The scene at Hick’s house is the kind of classic horror movies. The shadows, the darkness and what lurks waiting to pounce.

Again it is what makes Fringe the best kind of show on TV. Gives you every kind of genre possible all rolled into one episode.

The scene in the lab when Walter is stitching up Lincoln and humming Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries is hilarious and Lincoln being annoyed by it adds that little extra snicker. No matter what John Noble does he is perfection personified. It saddens me that he and the rest of the cast have yet to be honored with Emmys. Walter Bishop is to me one of the seminal characters in TV history.

He will be forever known as the brilliant mad scientist from Fringe. Year after year they have been nothing but brilliant and still go completely and tragically unnoticed. But then again genius is rarely recognized at the moment it is happening. He is one of the few actors that raises the standard of brilliance and is still a virtual unknown.

I have adopted a phrase and it is all due to him, when I see an actor of his caliber I saw that actor or actress is John Noble good. My dream is to work with him (and the rest of Fringe cast) one day. I should be truly blessed if that day ever came.

Olivia apologizing to Lincoln about getting him dragged into the unfortunate predicament that his is in is sweet. She feels responsible and genuinely cares about Lincoln; I know that she cares a lot about him in a very sisterly kind of way.

Lincoln will always care for Olivia and I think that in time, his feelings of love for her will shift, and go from love love to friendship love. I do not think that she will ever be as close to Lincoln as she was with Charlie, but almost. All in all they are partners and nothing will change that.

When Peter is examining the body of the creature and discovers the tattoo he asks Walter for help deciphering it. Walter’s response is classic, it is Sumerian, but he prefers Yiddish…again brilliant John Noble. I love Peter’s little revelation of the fact that he and Olivia know someone that can indeed help them.

I am glad they brought Markham (Clark Middleton) back as the quirky, nerdy, somewhat questionable friend and bookstore owner of Peter’s. Although it is a reset timeline, Peter has to be able to convince his one time friend to help him, knowing that Markham has never met either one of them before.

And now for my final favorite scene in this episode, when Peter and Olivia enter Markham’s book store and ask for Lake of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe, Markham is duly impressed.

His flirting with Olivia is fun, albeit futile when she is flattered but announces that she is taken with a nod towards Peter. Markham’s defeat is boisterous, noting that all the good ones are already taken and he can never catch a break. 

The clever way that Olivia and Peter coerce him into helping him again is hysterical. Markham spouts off a few dead languages that may be of some use and Olivia notes again how impressed and again his attempt at telling her just how impressive he is is shot down instantly. It is one of the most fun scenes I have watched in a long time, I found myself rewinding it several times and laughing every single time.

Walter and his peanut butter and bacon sandwiches? Could there be a better sandwich on the face of the planet? I think not! My new favorite sandwich!

When Olivia, Peter and Markham find that website about the cult and what the symbol means it opens a whole new set of questions, but ones that draw them closer to the answers they have been looking for.

They want to create a better species a better man, sound familiar? I do not think this is what was meant by the Greek phrase Peter has recited verbatim numerous times.

What we see with Kate Hicks’ (Gina Holden) lover reminded me of the fable of Beauty and the Beast. That what we saw of the Beast was nothing as it seemed.

There was a tortured soul underneath Hicks (Daniel Cudmore) that curse that Belle saw past the hideous façade and looked deeper into the soul of the man.

Again the theme of love is brought up in this episode. That love she had for him and the willingness she had to help him and ultimately join him in the transformation.

The scene in the lab where Astrid, Olivia and Peter are talking about the prophecies of the ancient Mayans and all the crazy theories is sweet, too. Walter’s expression of happiness is spread across his entire face that it even reaches his eyes.

He has his family back as he mentions to Lincoln and that is a rare commodity that he missed dearly.

Some of the scientific language and theories that are bandied about in this episode may seem farfetched, but so did space travel and cloning sheep…both accomplished. It just seems that we may not be that far off from what they are speaking of and frankly that scares the crap out of me.

The palindrome comment that Walter makes and the word he uses…priceless…again the brilliance of John Noble.

The sight of Lincoln devouring the bacon and then looking at Walter as if he wanted to eat him was hilarious. Well done by Seth, I love that Fringe is able to add humor to certain episodes and make it all the better because of it.

I do find it ironic that they are using the discarded waste of other humans to become a better species that essentially what one person thought was the hideous part of themselves made another creature better and more powerful.

It is a twisted circle of life, but a mirror of what and how society sees outcasts and less than perfects.

Peter and Olivia decide that visiting with Nina Sharp (Blair Brown) is a good idea and may shed some light on what the heck the situation is. Nina is always involved somehow, someway, all the time!

Later Peter notices that the formula that Walter had calculated for the creature gave it wings, that put a whole new spin on the theory and it made catching him a bit easier. Luckily for the team that they were able to narrow it down and head there sans Olivia.

Peter’s protective nature of Olivia came to a head when they were forced to leave her behind because she is not supposed to be working. He also knows her fate having seen it in the future and knowing what the Observer said to her, he has a second chance to make sure she stays around for good.

She took a risk by calling Broyles, but then again Olivia always puts others ahead of herself, all versions of her may be stubborn but they are also selfless as well.

After a brief escape for the Hicks’ family by flying off the buildings roof together, the final confrontation between man and beast was great. Lincoln kills the beast that Hicks became in self defense.

I found it quite interesting how Kate Hicks fought back to try and hurt Lincoln and those that hurt Hicks (the creature) himself. She ended up getting shot, but survived and was taken into custody by the Fringe Division. The question fans should consider is will we see Kate Hicks again perhaps working with the good guys to stop what is coming? I hope so! 

Which brings me to one of the last scenes in the episode when Broyles (Lance Reddick) says that 60% of Olivia Dunham is still better than 90% of the agents now and that Fringe Division is better with than without Olivia is so perfect…Broyles for the win! He always knows the right thing to say.

We see Melinda Bowman (Emily Jackson) and her boyfriend (Alessandro Juliani, Lt Gaeta of BSG fame, so great to see him!) who is having second thoughts about being a part of this project, inject themselves with the virus.

This to me is the culmination of the love theme I spoke about earlier. We do strange things for love it is without question and blindly done at times, but nevertheless it is done. Just as the episode prior had dealt with finding love and killing in the name of love, so does this episode. Stranger things have happened…

The end scene with the mutated creatures locked up on the ship in the middle of the ocean reminded me of, as Kenn said, Noah’s Ark. Someone, I forget who, had mentioned that it was almost like X-Men and the mutants or also Dr. Moreau and his weird creatures.

As the ship set course for destinations unnamed, I could help but think of the island of misfit toys. Plus the fact that the creature from the “Snakehead” episode is in the cargo hold aboard the ship…more weirdness is certain to come I am sure!

So ends another great Fringe adventure! The episode ran the gamut of genres in this one yet again.

Thanks to you for visiting and reading my review of “A Better Human Being” while visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

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Until next time,

Regards,

Lori