Fringe 3x15 Review

[iaria]

Subject 13

• I really liked that it was Olive who told Walter accidentally about the alternate universe and confirmed what happened to Peter. That was really unexpected.

• I was surprised by the fact that Peter knew that he was in the wrong universe. I was under the impression that he’d been confused about the changes but had forgotten about it or that the accident in the lake had caused him to mostly forget the other world. Instead he was violently aware that he’d been kidnapped and was in the wrong place. What a horrible situation. I can’t even imagine – the world different but two people that look like your parents telling you that you’re wrong and you’re a kid and trapped there – it’s just so disturbing. When Elizabeth lied to Peter at the end and then he hugged her and called her mom I actually found it far more creepy than touching. It was like he’d been brainwashed, or like he just gave up (he knew the truth but they wouldn’t confirm it and so he’s just resignedly accepted it). It was so very creepy.

- “I know I sound crazy but I’m not. I’m not crazy.” Ouch. Poor Peter. This scene worked for me much better than his tantrum early.

• So when and how did he start to forget the truth? Was him calling Elizabeth ‘mom’ the start? I was figuring that Walter was going to do something to him that would cause him to forget and I guess that’s still possible but I’m doubtful. But then how and why did he forget everything including Olivia? Also if Olivia was so old why the hell did she forget about the experiments and Peter? It doesn’t make sense without some outside interference. Olivia forgetting the experiments if she was three or four when they happened makes sense but as old as she was in this episode? No.

• I actually felt really horrible for everyone. We really got to see the despair in Peter and both sets of Elizabeth and Walter as they deal with the fall out of Peter’s kidnapping. In the Red Universe Walter completely falls apart – unable to move past that night, falling into drinking, closing himself off – while Elizabeth is grieving and guilty but trying so hard to stay strong. In the Blue Universe they have their son back and it should be a joyous experience but instead it’s a nightmare. Elizabeth watching Peter go into the lake – pleading with him, screaming and then jumping in after him. God, what a horrifying experience especially for someone who’d recently just watched the same son die. (Although really that scene doesn’t really need an ‘especially’ after it for a parent as it would be horrifying enough.) Peter rejects them both constantly and she spends all day, every day with him. For Walter too it’s painful. Really none of these people got out of this situation well.

• I liked how Red Walter started drinking when Peter was taken and Blue Elizabeth started drinking when Peter first called her mother and accepted her lies.

• I was almost expecting Olivia to tell Peter about the other world and then him deciding to stay in this one to help her/be there for her and I’m really glad that didn’t happen.

• What exactly is the timeline on this episode? This Olive seems older than the previous versions we’ve seen but how much? Did Walter’s experiments really continue for years? If Walter’s experiments continued after this episode than Peter and Olivia had to have met again I’d think.

• This Walter came off a lot... nicer in some ways than I was expecting. I mean his experimenting on children is still awful and the fear experiment on Olivia was particularly cruel. But then there were things like how during the circle attempt with the kids he was very kindly old uncle in his behaviour and he put the stuffed rabbit on Nick’s feet when he didn’t need to (which I thought was sweet). Or when he was putting Olivia through the tests he started with good emotions first before trying fear (which he already knew worked). And the fact that in the end he put Olivia’s welfare over sending Peter back even though he already suspected at this point that it could have serious consequences for the world. Of course he didn’t actually call the cops on her step-father which would have been the better thing to do. But then this is the guy experimenting on kids so I’ll take what I can get.

• Did we know that Olivia’s step-father hit her? I had always thought he was probably verbally and emotionally abusive and perhaps even hit her mom but I never thought he hit her.

• I know I wanted to see Olivia using her powers more but I wanted it from grown-up Olivia. Still I liked seeing Olive use her universe crossing power, screwing with the electrical systems, causing a blaze of fire and making it snow. Now if only her adult self can start doing that.