Fringe 2x19 Thoughts
May. 3rd, 2010 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Man From the Other Side
• Oh, poor Peter. It was definitely worse for him to figure out the truth himself, and I am already wincing at his reaction when he learns that Olivia knew the truth for months without telling him, but all the same he reacted much more harshly then I was expecting. He wasn’t just angry; he was overcome with anger. He was at that stage of rage where he is perfectly calm on the outside. He didn’t want to listen to explanations and totally rejected his father. And then he takes off without telling anyone. I can only imagine how he’s feeling but I would have thought he would have at least left a note or message for Olivia.
• The two main Olivia/Peter scenes in the episode were lovely. My favourite was him waking up after the bridge incident which became especially potent after the revelation that through the whole thing he is well aware of the truth. In his interactions with her he displays none of the cold rage he directs at Walter later. His very first reaction upon waking and seeing Olivia is, after a moment of blankness, to return her smile. He exchanges smiles with her throughout their conversation and seems no different than usual. His soft “I’m fine.” to Olivia definitely felt like him trying to reassure her. On the first watch it was just another really nice Peter/Olivia moment but on the second there are layers. Peter’s is certainly a really good liar/actor when he wants to be (and more than I gave him credit for). He didn’t give any of his inner turmoil away to Olivia.
• Mr. Secretary is clearly Walter’s alternate version – in that universe someone with a great deal of power – and he’s probably come to get his son back. One thing I find very interesting is how loyal Walternate’s followers are to him (though also fearful about facing him after failure). Newton when he was holding Mr. Secretary’s hand and smiling down on him seemed... more than just following orders. I think there is not only serious loyalty but personal regard too. It would really interesting, and certainly more unusual, if TPTB actually make alternate Walter a good man – someone looking for his kidnapped son and trying to stop his world from being destroyed (both caused by the same man, too) but who hasn’t been corrupted by it all (the power, the ambition, his need for revenge, etc). That could be very interesting, and very complicated.
• Peter appears certain that his mother killed herself, and with this new information about his life he has created a reason for it, but I don’t know. I feel like her death is going to be more complicated than that.
• Olivia and Broyles ushering Walter off the bridge, and them all to safety, but leaving an agent behind did not work for me. It felt wrong. Considering how things happened afterwards it was clear our red-shirt agent was there so Peter could put things together and figure out the truth and so it feeling like a contrivance makes sense since it clearly was one. If that’s not the direction the show was going in this episode (revelation) then it totally would have been Olivia standing there beside him.
• Once again Olivia comes across a mystery and/or problem and strolls over to Massive Dynamic for help and information. This doesn’t bother me but it just struck me in this situation how much access and assistance she is given by the company.
• I was figuring that Peter would see the figure on the bridge and it would be Walternate and Walternate would see him back, there would be a moment (perhaps Walternate trying to say something to Peter, or gesturing for Peter to join him) and then Peter would close everything down. This meeting would have been averted but it would have left Peter with a lot of questions.
• Peter being a loving son throughout the episode was wonderful. I loved the scene where he called Walter ‘dad’.
• I loved Olivia pulling out the science knowledge – “The water would absorb any excess energy” – and Peter’s look when she did.
• Olivia calmly pulling out her gun and shooting one of the shape-shifters in the head was pretty awesome. Smart, competent and dangerous.
• Oh, poor Peter. It was definitely worse for him to figure out the truth himself, and I am already wincing at his reaction when he learns that Olivia knew the truth for months without telling him, but all the same he reacted much more harshly then I was expecting. He wasn’t just angry; he was overcome with anger. He was at that stage of rage where he is perfectly calm on the outside. He didn’t want to listen to explanations and totally rejected his father. And then he takes off without telling anyone. I can only imagine how he’s feeling but I would have thought he would have at least left a note or message for Olivia.
• The two main Olivia/Peter scenes in the episode were lovely. My favourite was him waking up after the bridge incident which became especially potent after the revelation that through the whole thing he is well aware of the truth. In his interactions with her he displays none of the cold rage he directs at Walter later. His very first reaction upon waking and seeing Olivia is, after a moment of blankness, to return her smile. He exchanges smiles with her throughout their conversation and seems no different than usual. His soft “I’m fine.” to Olivia definitely felt like him trying to reassure her. On the first watch it was just another really nice Peter/Olivia moment but on the second there are layers. Peter’s is certainly a really good liar/actor when he wants to be (and more than I gave him credit for). He didn’t give any of his inner turmoil away to Olivia.
• Mr. Secretary is clearly Walter’s alternate version – in that universe someone with a great deal of power – and he’s probably come to get his son back. One thing I find very interesting is how loyal Walternate’s followers are to him (though also fearful about facing him after failure). Newton when he was holding Mr. Secretary’s hand and smiling down on him seemed... more than just following orders. I think there is not only serious loyalty but personal regard too. It would really interesting, and certainly more unusual, if TPTB actually make alternate Walter a good man – someone looking for his kidnapped son and trying to stop his world from being destroyed (both caused by the same man, too) but who hasn’t been corrupted by it all (the power, the ambition, his need for revenge, etc). That could be very interesting, and very complicated.
• Peter appears certain that his mother killed herself, and with this new information about his life he has created a reason for it, but I don’t know. I feel like her death is going to be more complicated than that.
• Olivia and Broyles ushering Walter off the bridge, and them all to safety, but leaving an agent behind did not work for me. It felt wrong. Considering how things happened afterwards it was clear our red-shirt agent was there so Peter could put things together and figure out the truth and so it feeling like a contrivance makes sense since it clearly was one. If that’s not the direction the show was going in this episode (revelation) then it totally would have been Olivia standing there beside him.
• Once again Olivia comes across a mystery and/or problem and strolls over to Massive Dynamic for help and information. This doesn’t bother me but it just struck me in this situation how much access and assistance she is given by the company.
• I was figuring that Peter would see the figure on the bridge and it would be Walternate and Walternate would see him back, there would be a moment (perhaps Walternate trying to say something to Peter, or gesturing for Peter to join him) and then Peter would close everything down. This meeting would have been averted but it would have left Peter with a lot of questions.
• Peter being a loving son throughout the episode was wonderful. I loved the scene where he called Walter ‘dad’.
• I loved Olivia pulling out the science knowledge – “The water would absorb any excess energy” – and Peter’s look when she did.
• Olivia calmly pulling out her gun and shooting one of the shape-shifters in the head was pretty awesome. Smart, competent and dangerous.
