Fringe: "Subject 13"

I can never get tired of the 80s retro-themed Fringe intro. Or Walter's hair, either. Do you?

Several months after the events in the season 2 episode "Peter", Peter wanted to get back to his home at the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately for him, his real home is much farther in dimensional space than the lake. His home in in the alternate universe, where Walternate and Alt-Elizabeth are grief stricken.

Their marriage is falling apart. Walternate, who has built the "Star Wars" defense system has turned to drinking, and buries himself in his work at Bishop Dynamics.

But, back to our universe... Peter no longer trusts Walter or Elizabeth and continues to tell them that they are not his real parents. Both Walter and Elizabeth chalk this up to Peter's sickness, but it falls on deaf ears. Worried that Peter might try to kill himself, Elizabeth takes Peter to Jacksonville where Walter is doing the Cortexiphan trials on several kids, including Subject 13, aka Olivia Dunham.

Olivia, as she would explain to an adult Peter many years later, was abused as a child by her stepdad. As we saw last night, during times when she was scared, Olivia would be able to travel Over There for a few moments. After one trip, she drew a picture of a blimp that she saw Over There. (Also remember, that Olivia told Peter years later that she shot her stepfather when she was 9, though she didn't kill him. Shortly after that, the man left).

Walter realizes that Olivia can travel to The Other Side, and performs several tests to see exactly how she can travel to The Other Side. Because if she can, then Peter can go home. After several different tests, Walter concludes that fear is the reason she can travel. But when he tests this hypothesis, Olivia sets the room on fire. After this, Olivia runs away. Peter later goes after her, where the two meet in a field of white tulips. Peter convinces Olivia to return with him and face her fears.

They both return to the Day Care Center, where Olivia is notified that her stepdad is on his way over. Olivia is terrified, and begs to see Walter. She runs into his office, hands over her sketchbook, and tells Walter that her stepdad is hitting her. Upon telling him this, someone else comes in the room- Walter.

For a brief moment (which completely fooled me), Olivia traveled to The Other Side and told Walternate about everything that happened. She ends up telling Walter the same thing. Walter threatens Olivia's stepdad to not hurt her again.

Meanwhile, Peter approaches his "mother" and tells her he believes her and Walter. And even calls her Mom. Apparently, Olivia inspired Peter in the same fashion that he inspired Olivia. This huge secret causes Elizabeth to begin drinking, which will ultimately lead to her suicide years later over the guilt.

After looking through Olivia's sketchbook, Walter finds a drawing of Olivia and Peter. He calls up his wife, and tells her he has discovered what happened to Peter. The war between the Universes has begun.

Subject 13 was a really great episode. I'm curious how often we will be getting these type of episodes. After all, we are left with some questions. Why can't Peter and Olivia remember the stuff when they were young? And the longer we go without seeing Nina Sharp in the Alternate Universe, the more important I think she is.

Unfortunately, Fringe is not on next week. But we'll see a new episode in two weeks. Until then, this week's glyphs translate to:

SWITCH.

Fringe: "6B"

I feel bad that I have not been doing my Fringe columns. Especially because Fringe is my favorite show that is currently on TV. And the possibility that this could be Fringe's last season. Of course, I don't want to believe that. So let's just hope that viewership goes up.

I've heard this episode being compared to The Twilight Zone, which I think is justified. Now, I wasn't alive when t\The Twilight Zone was on, but I have seen repeats of it. And though I can usually guess how each episode will end, I was unable to guess how "6B" would end.

The episode started like the usual Monster of the Week storyline, but with several twists. Two people arrive at a party and then the woman begins to choke. At first, I thought this must have something to do with the case. But then screams were heard from the balcony. And then people began to fall one after another. ("Like a flash mob... but suicide" as Walter would say). But what was doing this?

The entire episode was really about love. It was revealed that many people believed the apartment complex was haunted. However, Walter didn't believe in ghosts. He hypothesized that in actuality, the universes were going to collide again, this time resulting in a black hole vortex similar to Madison Square Garden and other locations on The Other Side. This theory was confirmed when Olivia saw the widow's husband, but Peter could not.

But why could the widow see The Other Side? Olivia and Peter believed that the widow's deep love for her husband who died in a freak accident was the reason she could see him. And the widower on The Other Side could see the widow on Our Side because of his deep love for his wife who died in the same freak accident on The Other Side. (Sorry if that sentence was confusing!).

As Peter and Olivia tried to save the apartment building from being destroyed, Walter recalled one of their earliest cases together. Remember the bus with the people on it who were trapped in amber? Walter wanted to do what Walternet did on The Other Side- stop the vortex by encasing the complex in amber. They were able to construct the amber, and were fully prepared to use it.

But Peter and Olivia convinced the widow that the person she was seeing was not her husband. Though she didn't believe it at first, the widower's statement that "The girls miss you" convinced her that the man she was seeing was truly not her husband. And with that, she was able to let go, and balance to the universes was restored.

We then flashed over to The Other Side and saw the case from their Point of View. Fauxlivia and Lincoln were investigating the possibilities of a vortex forming in the same location. But upon arrival, they found nothing wrong. When they questioned the widower, he said nothing was wrong. After Fauxlivia and Lincoln left, the widower was seen looking at his photo album full of memories. The widow was doing the same thing.

The events that occurred in this week's case directly impacted Peter and Olivia's relationship. Walter failed trying to bring them together over pancakes, but Peter's statement to the widow about her love for her husband proved something to Olivia. Olivia was finally able to let go of whatever she was feeling towards Peter and Fauxlivia's relationship and want to be with Peter. The show ended with them traveling to Peter's bedroom to make love. The only bad thing was we weren't able to see it. (Perverted? Maybe. But after all that sexual tension, it would finally bring resolution to their relationship).

Meanwhile, Walter is grappling with what separates him from Walternet. We already learned there are somethings Walternet cannot do (harm children). Do the two share more than just looks? Perhaps we will find out next week, which appears to be a flashback that takes place after Peter was taken from The Other Side.

I have recently discovered what the Glyphs before the commercial breaks of Fringe mean. I'd like to end each column now revealing what they mean. This weeks glyphs are translated to:

HEARTS.

Fringe on Fridays: Kiss of Death?

I haven't been able to do my Fringe columns, and that's my fault.

This season of fringe has been nothing short of incredible. I have always liked the monster of the week episodes, but this season, the monster of the week format has added to the overall arc of the show is a gripping way.

Take the episode Amber 31422. The episode appears to be about a man breaking out of The Other Side's Madison Square garden that has been incased in amber. But we discover the innerworkings of Alt. Fringe Division and more about the characters.

What about my favorite thus far, 6955 kHz? All these people appear to lose amnesia when they listen to a Numbers broadcast? But wait! This episode explains a lot of background info into a larger mythology than the Cortexiphan trials Walter performed with William Bell. The numbers correspond to the locations of pieces of a machine created by the first people, who were here millions of years ago. These people were highly advanced, discovering a vaccum that created and could destroy everything. And this machine has something to do with the Other Side, because Walternate sent Fauxlivia here to get it. (FYI: I know it's common to call Alt. Olivia "Bolivia", however, Anna Torv appeared on Jay Leno the other night and confirmed they call her "Fauxlivia").

And the latest episode was another Roller Coaster. Olivia helps track down a evil guy known as "The Candy Man", who takes children to steal their youth. Years ago, he took Alt. Broyle's son. Olivia saved Broyle's son from being taken again, leaving Alt. Broyles to question everything Walternet told him. With Olivia being able to send a distress signal to Peter on Our Side, how will Peter react? Will Alt. Broyles help Olivia go home after Walternet took her out of the tank?



I will resume normal Fringe Columns for the rest of the season, but the point of this post was to complain. Not about Fringe, but about Fox. Fringe is no doubt my favorite show on TV right now, and is one of the best, period. But in order to make room for the aging American Idol, many shows have been messed with. Bones is being moved an hour later. And now Fringe is being moved to the deadly Friday Night post. Is this the kiss of death? Odds are, yes. But, keep in mind, The X Files did well on Fridays.

Fringe was renewed after last season's less than stellar ratings because it had the best ratings out of any show Fox attempted to put there. But with ratings slightly down from last year, they have decided to fuck with Fringe. If we're lucky, if Fringe does better than what they currently have on Fridays will be enough for another season.

But if Fringe is cancelled, let's hope that it can at least be given good closure. But let's hope it doesn't come to that...

Comic Con 2010: FRINGE

Here you go, Fringe Fans!! I saved the best for last!






Fringe Returns on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9 on Fox.

Fringe Renewed for a Third Season

Yep, it's true!

I was a little afraid that Fringe may not be picked up again. Viewership decreased this season, and really hasn't gotten better. But, Fox has picked it up for a third season. Thank God!

For more info, click here.

Lost Season 3

Again, I thought the opener was a flashback. In actuality, it was; just on the Island, before Oceanic 815 crashes.

It's reveled that the Others live in the old Dharma barracks after the Dharma people were all killed off. The Others are actually civilized, normal people who host book clubs, have plumbing, and a whole community. And after they witness the Oceanic crash, Henry Gale, who is revealed to be Ben Linus, the leader, sends Goodwin and Ethan to pretend they are survivors and get information on the other survivors. Meanwhile, Ben gets information on all the passengers. It is important to note that Ben was a Dharma member but became an Other after his dad abused him.

In real time, it is revealed that Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are taken to a small island of the coast of the main Island where they are held prisoner. Kate and Sawyer are held in polar bear cages where they end up having sex. Turns out the polar bears that the Losties have encountered were being experimented on by Dharma. Kate and Sawyer also work on building a runway.

Anyway, Ben is in trouble. He has a growing tumor on his spine, and needs Jack to operate. Jack will if Ben lets Kate and Sawyer go free and if he can go home. Ben agrees. To further solidify this, Jack almost kills Ben during surgery. After Kate and Sawyer escape, JAck saves Ben.

During this time, it is revealed that the Swan imploded. Locke, Eko, and Charlie survived. Desmond, however, was exposed to electromagnetic energy and gains phsycic abilities. And he keeps seeing Charlie's death. Though Eko is survives, he is attacked by a polar bear, and then the smoke monster. He is the first death of the season.

Locke assumes leadership, and Kate and Sawyer help him find the Others. Along the way, they meet Mikael, an Other who operates a Dharma station that can communicate with the outside world. They use Mikael as leverage to get Jack, and as they journey to the Barracks, the come upon a sonic fence, which Mikael seemingly dies as he walks through.

When they find Jack, they are captured. Locke goes to see Ben, and he manipulates him into blowing up the Dharma sub, the only means of transportation to and from the Island. Jack is furious, and his hatred for Locke increases.

The Others abandon the Barracks, leaving Juliet to infiltrate the Losties and find the pregnant women. Sun is one of those women, and it is revaled why Juliet was brought to the Island: all pregnant women on the Island die. Sun has only a few weekd to live. Juliet decides not to go through with the plan, and instead, works with Jack to exterminate all the Others.

Locke agrees to join the Others, but in order to do so, he must kill his father, who was brought to the Island via the "magic box". The same man who pushed him out of an eight story window and into his wheelchair. The same man who caused the deaths of Sawyer's parents. He is truly an evil guy. Locke gets Sawyer to kill him, and Locke joins the Others. He is greeted with cheers from Richard Alpert, Ben's advisor, and jeers from Ben.

After being pestered, Ben takes Locke to see Jacob, the true "leader" of the Others. He lives in a cabin surrounded by an ash circle. When Locke goes inside, Ben shows him an empty chair, claiming its Jacob. Locke doesn't believe Ben, but then some voice says "Help me" and things start flying. Ben doesn't hear this, and becomes jealous and shoots Locke. He leaves him for dead with all the Dharma members that he killed in The Purge.

Around this time, Naomie parachutes on the Island claiming to be looking for Desmond. She was hired be Penny to find Desmond, and her boat is just offshore. She has a phone to contact her boat, but there is something blocking the transmission. Juliet reveals it to be a Dharma Station called the Looking Glass, and Charlei volunteers to go down and turn it off. Jack leads everyone to the radio tower to contact the boat, while Jin, Bernard, and Sayid stay behind to kill the Others. Though they get captured, Sawyer, Juliet, and Hurley save the day.

Ben is captured and Alex and Danielle are finally reunited. Though Charlie turns off the device, he finds out that the boat does not belong to Penny. He tells Desmond as the station floods. In one of the saddest deaths on Lost, Charlie drowns trying to save his friends.

Ben also tells Jack these people are not who they say they are. If he does, it will be "the beginnig of the end". Jack contacts the boat, even though a very much alive Locke threatens him not to. They make contact and it looks like the finally are going home.

It should be happy, right? Well, the "flashbacks" we have been seeing of a drunken, pill-poppin', suicidal Jack who is sad over some unknown person's death actually gets off the Island. So does Kate. And in the greatest scene in Lost history, Jack claims they were not supposed to leave.

They have to go back.