Fringe: Brave New World Part One – Will We All Survive?!

Hello fellow Fringe fans,

It has been a wild ride that has almost come to an end. In this episode, part one of the two part season finale (sounds better than series finale, does not it?), we get some questions answered and even more questions asked. I am very happy about the renewal even though it is not a full season, thirteen episodes is better than none.

Before we delve into the brave new world, let us take a moment to talk about the epic promo for part two of the finale. Bell (Leonard Nimoy) is back, Olivia (Anna Torv) is activated and someone loses their life…or do they? To say this week will be the longest in Fringe history is an understatement!

Included below courtesy of FOX Broadcasting are the promo trailer. Thanks FOX!

 

Editorial – Season Five Renewal:

Before I start with my review,. I want to say thank you to The Powers That Be (TPTB) who renewed our beloved show. The mixed response to the decision of giving us thirteen final episodes and not the full twenty two is interesting to me. Some fans are very happy about the thirteen episodes others are pissed off that we do not get a full season.

My response to the fans that are not happy about it is this…be thankful, it pushes us closer to syndication, which is a huge deal for all parties involved. It also gives us a chance for closure, a chance to finally give us the ending it deserves. That is the one thing that everyone is in agreement on, the fact that we will have an ending. Whether the ending is one that we all love or hate or are indifferent to, I do think that whatever the ending be it will definitely no doubt be extraordinary, memorable, heartbreaking and fitting.

Yes it will be sad to see it end. I will be mourning Fringe as I have been mourning The Sopranos every since it ended. It will be one of the shows that leaves an indelible mark in television history. Shows like both Fringe and the Sopranos do not come along often, but when they do their impact is felt throughout your life and in television history.

This something that should be celebrated it is a benchmark, it’s a notch on a timeline, it is something that should (and will) be talked about for years to come. The love that the fans worldwide have for Fringe will always be there, it has changed lives, brought people together and has forever bonded them together. Fringe is a once in a lifetime show and I for one am glad to be a part of it up until the very end.

Brave New World Part One:

Now…on to the Brave New World, I am extremely happy that this is a season finale and again not a series finale. The only problem with watching Fringe on the night it airs is that I am on twitter and I miss so much, so watching again is a treat. It was as Ari Margolis said jaw dropping and wonderful and amazing and my Polivia heart was soaring.

I loved the usage of the musak version of Billy Idol’s ‘Eyes Without a Face’ it cracked me up!

What started out as a seemingly normal commute day for the citizens of Boston, ended in the most bizarre way.

We begin observing the Fringe activity with Neal (Reese Alexander) getting his usual morning beverage and heading out for his work day when something unusual happens. The other people are horrified by what they see and soon discover that they are afflicted with the same problem. Yikes…my advice, do not drink the coffee it can kill you.

I commend the actors in that scene, it is very difficult to not move in that scene, to become almost statuesque. That is an exercise that is fundamental in acting class and they all pulled it off brilliantly.

The next scene is one that has put a permanent smile on my face. We get to see our beloved Polivia again. I have always loved when we get to see Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter (Joshua Jackson) being domestic and ‘normal’. It makes their love story that much more real for me and much more epic.

I had assumed that when Olivia had said nursery in response to the number of bedrooms in their future house that she was already pregnant with Etta (Georgina Haig), but apparently I was wrong.

It was a clever way for the writers to give us that little hope and nod to the future, but it still is not quite within their reach yet. Regardless, it is a wonderful scene and as always Josh and Anna play it perfectly. It never seems to fail that their phones always interrupt them, call of duty is never far behind.

Walter (John Noble) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole) at the Fringe event is hilarious. The way that Walter is inadvertently guiding the hasmet guys to where they should be is brilliant. His use of the word “Ninny” is priceless.

I also love the growing relationship between the two colleagues and friends. it is a testament to how incredibly well they both work together and how each of them thinks of the other as family.

The comment about house hunting and a nursery was wonderful because Olivia is pregnant following the time-line of the alternate universe, only slightly offset in our reality!

To digress for a moment…the fact that I found out that Robin Williams is a huge Fringe fan and would love to be in an episode is EPIC with a capital E. How amazing would that be to see him and Walter go head to head as crazy scientists or maybe as a reformed mental patient? I for one would be glued to my television that night. I know that the producers did hear about it and agreed that it would be unbelievable, let us hope we do get to see that before the end of the series.

Now to the next scene which features the wonderfully talented Rebecca Mader! So great to see another LOST alum gracing the screen again. I love how we do get to see some of the other actors from other Abrams shows, the respect is evident.

Rebecca’s character Jessica Holt is great in her scene with Walter, his alien comment again cracked me up. John Noble can deliver lines like no one else on the planet, it is still amazing to me that he has been snubbed time and time again for an Emmy. When Walter asks to take a blood sample and Jessica’s response of the phrase that men always say is great. It gives us a small glimpse into what w find out later on about Jessica’s home situation.

Walter’s care in handling her is nice. He is gentle and sympathetic, I also like the fact that she is willing to do anything to help them find a cure. The scene with Walter and the vial of blood is very cool. It reminds me of a Shakespearean soliloquy, the way he is handling it and examining it.  She will be the willing guinea pig for the mad scientist and his wild theories. The fact that she is a registered nurse and understands the importance of the situation makes her willingness much nobler.

The scene in the lab with the team trying to find a cure for the problem Jessica is having is a great Anna Torv scene. She once again does what she does best, she crosses that boundary between good and brilliant.

This scene reminds me of the X-Men, Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) as Jessica’s body temperature begins to rise dangerously high, they are racing against time to stop it. With precious seconds left Olivia grabs her hand and manifests Jessica’s aliment, she takes her pain away. This is why it reminds me of Rogue; she had the ability to temporarily posses the abilities of anyone she touched. Olivia’s ability to do this is as much of a mystery to her as it is to everyone else.

It is great to see Olivia’s abilities surface again, to see her somewhat embrace her ability to a certain extent even though she is afraid of it. It also, though, gives me a sense of foreboding, because as great as it is to see her using her abilities it could be the very thing that could be her downfall. Just like Jean Grey, her abilities could be what ultimately kills her, it could be the one thing that she cannot control, and in fact it would end up controlling her.

Here is essentially a woman (Olivia) who was programmed, if you will, to be a soldier, the one, the strongest out of all the Cortexiphan kids. She was the one that was the leader, it goes back to season two when Bell had pulled her to the alternate universe and told her what her destiny is.

The ability that Olivia has is remarkable, but deadly the same way that Jean Grey was ultimate in her ability, but what happened to her when that power consumed her was drastic. Who Jean was disappeared, who she was became died away, she becomes a weapon and the only way to save her was to end her life…to set her free.

The irony or bittersweet of it all was that the one person who could reach her, the one person that could help her was also the man that loved her, much like Peter with Olivia. Logan made the sacrifice, it nearly killed him in the process but he needed to save her from herself and give her the peace she desired. I have a fear that Peter may have to do the same with Olivia, that the only way to save her is to kill her, set her free. Remember what September said to her…what her fate is…

It is of no surprise to anyone that Jones is once again involved with the nanites and the problems it caused. I think that he did this deliberately, did it to draw Olivia out. I think that it has been the plan all along, get rid of the alternate universe, the distractions.

The scene with Walter and his discovery of the way the antibodies were formed is crucial. Especially since if you look at them they seem to have a little X stamped on them somehow…which goes back to the mystery Mr. X who is the one that is supposedly the one that ends Olivia’s life.

The look on Walter’s face when he finally realizes that it was not Jones, all along, but his long lost partner William Bell, who is the mastermind of this whole scheme. The way that Bell comes back into the picture is great. Aboard that crazy ship of creatures is the man who wants to play god. That laugh that Nimoy has is a dead giveaway and it was so great to hear it first before you get to see him.

I must give kudos to the producers for keeping that secret. It was a brilliant move and I for one loved it. What better way to end the season then to have Bell be the man behind the curtain the whole time.

The scene between Harris and Nimoy about the chess game and the defeat that they suffered if only temporary was brilliant. His explanation of the winning move and the winning game to Jones is diabolical, but perfect, the way he tells him that the Bishop is the most important piece is metaphorical, because it means not only Peter and Walter, but Olivia. She is a ‘Bishop’ if by pure association, she is the one that needs to be sacrificed. Bell talks about patience and how it has been twenty years since his last move, he wanted to make sure that the time was perfect.

“The art of chess, the art is knowing when a piece is most valuable (Olivia) and then in that very moment, being willing to sacrifice it. For in the vacuum created (the machine) by the loss of one that is most precious (Olivia’s death and Peter resetting the timeline), opportunity abounds. Influence maximized and desire becomes destiny (Peter and Olivia’s immense love for one another brought him back).” This speech is a culmination of all that has been happening up until now. How Bell has had this as his plan the whole time, he was just waiting for the right time to strike. The way that the writers have built this awesome bridge to the gap is another one of a million reasons why I love this show.

“The most valuable piece is the Bishop and for the game to be won the Bishop must be sacrificed”-meaning Olivia. She is the one that has to ultimately be sacrificed, the one that will give Bell his power (which were the glyphs for this episode). It also makes me think of episode 419 ‘Letters of Transit” at the end when Walter reveals that something did happen to Olivia at the hands of Bell.

I feel bad for Walter trying to explain that Bell is alive to everyone and no one believing him is so frustrating and John Noble plays it perfectly. It is almost as if he is back at St. Claire’s and that is a feeling he never wishes to have. His refusal to let it go is perfect, he is right, he knows in his gut that he is right, nothing and no one can tell him otherwise and to prove it he goes back to the one place that is his worst nightmare.

The scenes at St. Claire’s are brilliant, John Noble at his finest. The way his demeanor is sitting at his table tracing his hand over his etchings and then when he exits the room is real. You can feel the tension and unease of him. The most brilliant part, though, is when the janitor asks him if he is just visiting or coming back, and Walter’s reaction is visceral his body reverts back to itself when he was at St. Claire’s. That is the stuff Emmy’s are given for…that whole scene from beginning to end is the reason he should get an Emmy.

It is a pleasure to see Samantha Noble as Doctor Benlow in this episode. It is nice to know that the Noble talent has a second generation. John in this scene is hilarious, the way he is snarky towards her and the way he smells and licks the pages of the log book.

It must have been a treat to watch her dad at work, I know it is always a treat for me to watch John work. His end comment of her being prettier than her predecessor is great.

I do have one complaint in the scene with Olivia cutting vegetables; she is sitting down, which is NOT correct. I have never seen any chef that I know (and I know a lot) sit and cut vegetables, it just does not happen.

Anyway, that is the one thing I have a problem with. Her cut finger and the way Peter takes care of her is sweet. His love for he is profound and shows in his actions that have always spoken volumes.

When she explains how she was talking about Jessica and the normal life that she longed for. Of course normal does not exist in Fringe world, but they make do with what they have. Her fear of what she is becoming is palpable, she has this thing inside her that is a mystery to her, but it is the one thing that can possible save her.

She has no idea just how powerful she is, again it reminds me of Jean Grey and the power she possessed was so great that it had to be prevented from surfacing or the fate of the world would be dead. I feel that Olivia has that same power and it will take Peter to stop her from using it, just as Logan did for Jean.

The means to the end was tragic, but necessary, the fate of the world is in danger. Again it reminds me of S2E4 ‘Momentum Deferred’ when Bell tells Olivia that she was the strongest of the Cortexiphan kids, when she needs to keep Peter by her side. Momentum can be deferred but it always must always be paid back and it seems to be doing that now.

The speech that Peter gives to Olivia about all they have been through and he would not lose her again is beautiful. The love he has is absolute and deep, I fear though that something may happen to take her away from him again. This scene is great between Josh and Anna, they have a perfect chemistry on screen. I love how his fingers linger or brush her chin when he takes his hand away, it is very affectionate and makes my point. Epic love stories are always complicated that is what makes them epic, timeless and historical. Boring is never remembered but that kind of love is.

The sun light that destroys the building is cool. I like how it is almost like a beam of light from god coming down and punishing the sinners. Broyles (Lance Reddick) always has the best expressions on his face.

The disco ball comment is priceless, again, another brilliant reason that John’s flawless performance of Walter Bishop is something to behold. He always seems to be just on the surface of crazy, but never quite getting there.

I like the lemon cake scene because it harkens back to my favorite Fringe episode ever. The fact that the cortexiphan is regenerative is exactly what happened in Brown Betty when Olivia was cut by September with that laser and then as Astrid was patching her up, she began to heal…like the wound never happened. That gives us hope that if something does happen to Olivia she will be okay. I mean the only way to really kill her is a bullet to the brain as we saw in the previous timeline.

The peace out and the speech that Walter utters is one of the best that I have seen in a long time. He is so determined to find Bell that he is willing to go it alone. He again proves why John is so freaking brilliant. The fact that he calls Astid, Alex is wonderful and her reaction is perfect. Peace Out Emmy is all that needs to be said.

When Olivia and Peter find the satellites and Peter tells her to turn of the amplifier is sweet. She claims to not know what he is talking about and the smile on Peter’s face is a sign that he loves her very much. Jones and Peter fighting is a great scene, how Olivia connects with Peter and becomes the puppeteer in the fight.

This once again demonstrates Olivia’s abilities and the connection she has with Peter. Her abilities are triggered in the face of fear and love, it is when she is most vulnerable and when she is at her finest. When Jones falls into the satellite and is starting to disintegrate he says that he was the Bishop when I think he is wrong, he was the pawn, the Bishop is still in play.

The ending scene with Walter and Astrid is great, but there is a caution about it. You can feel the creepiness of it. The spaciousness of the warehouse reminds me of mob movies and the place they always take their snitches to beat the information out of them. Meeting the captain and Astrid knowing in her gut that something is wrong is tense; they need to get the heck out of there.

I love that Jasika Nicole gets to be a real FBI for a bit, that she gets to run, fight and shoot. She kicked butt and did it well. She and Walter running through the warehouse and shooting at the bad guys is thrilling…until she gets shot.

I audibly gasped when that happened! Of all the people to get hurt, Astrid is the least expected, and when Walter is holding her and Bell shows up…that is the best. He was right; the whole time when everyone doubted him he was right.

Well, it has been one hell of a season finale, at least part one has. Fandom is anxiously awaiting the second half the season finale and the wait will be excruciating. The final battle begins and a brave new world will indeed be revealed….stay tuned!

 

Thanks to Kenn for helping with the details and thank you for reading…don’t forget to leave a review. Peace Out!

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Until next time,

Regards,

Lori