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FRINGE |
Olivia Dunham - Anna Torv Peter Bishop - Joshua Jackson Walter Bishop - John Noble Phillip Broyles - Lance Reddick Astrid Farnsworth - Jasika Nicole Nina Sharp - Blair Brown Lincoln Lee - Seth Gabel 
OTHER FRINGE SEASONS Season 1 OTHER JJ ABRAMS SHOWS Lost OTHER PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS Eleventh Hour Millennium 
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Neither Here Nor ThereMurders are being carried out that turn the victims' skins transparent. When an agent is killed chasing down one of these killers, his partner finds himself inducted into the mysterious Fringe Division. The introduction of Lincoln Lee into the cast on both sides of the divide would suggest that he is now to become part of the permanent team. The rest are wondering why something is missing from their lives and none of them remember that it's Peter. It's all down to the rebellious Observer. These are all hints about the future direction that the show is going to take this season, all of which are far more important than the dull rerun of other cases as the team track down someone who's not normal. It's very much a case of 'been there and done that' and so not the best way to start a new season. Written by JH Wyman & Jeff PinknerDirected by Joe Chappelle Top One Night In OctoberOlivia escorts a clinical psychologist over to the other universe where his counterpart is a serial killer living on people's good memories. The man escapes and tries to help his other self, with bloody results. Most of the time you can never tell where FRINGE is going to go, but this episode does prove to be somewhat predictable, though it is nicely played. The use of the high-tech brain scanning equipment does sort of get in the way of the human drama, though. Anna Torv does quite a good job of being on screen with herself and keeping the two characters noticeably different. Written by Monica Owusa-Breen & Alison SchapkerDirected by Brad Anderson Top Alone In The WorldTwo bullies are killed when they attack a young lad. Their bodies decompose at an incredible rate. The mould that killed them is acting like a superbrain and the question is how to kill it without killing the boy, who shares a empathic link with it. For the most part this is standard FRINGE stuff with a killer mould, exploding bodies, telepathic links and the like, but it also marks the point where Walter and Olivia come to realise that there is something that is missing from their lives, something that is haunting them. The dead bodies and mould are all a bit gooey, but beyond that this is too straightforward to be anything other than mildly entertaining. Written by David FuryDirected by Migel Sapochnik Top Subject 9Olivia is being stalked by a ball of blue energy. Walter, fearing that he may be taken back to the mental institution that Olivia got him out of, leaves the lab to try and help. Could it be linked to the experiments that he carried out on her in the past? This is the episode that brings Peter back. Everything that goes before it is a prelude to the final scene and is fairly standard and not very exciting FRINGE fare. John Noble really gets to let rip as the terrified Walter out in the big world, but until that final scene it really is average stuff. Written by Jeff Pinker, JH Wyman and Akiva GoldsmanDirected by Joe Chappelle Top NovationThe imperfect human shapeshifters take action to locate an ex-employee of Global Dynamics to gain his help in making their condition more stable. The newly-returned Peter tries to help in order to gain enough trust to get to talk to Walter. The story of the shapeshifters is the weak link in this episode and shows how FRINGE can sometimes get it so very wrong. There is something the matter with their conditions and yet this scientist can diagnose the problem, work up a solution and synthesise it all in just a few short hours. Even with the best lab in the world that seems a little fast. More interesting is Peter's return. Nobody remembers him. There is no place for him in this new world and yet there he is. It's a nice spin on the show and gives it somewhere new to go, putting the romance with Olivia back in the balance and giving it some new impetus. It's also nice that the relationship with Walter is allowed to be so much more complex and problematic than might have been expected. Written by JR Orci and Graham RolandDirected by Paul Holahan Top And Those We've Left BehindA series of time distortions that might be linked to Peter's return to the world bring him back into contact with a Walter who refuses to even talk to him. The mystery story of who's causing the time distortions here is secondary to the ongoing tale of Peter's relationship, or lack of it, with the people he loves, but who no longer even remember him. Walter's childish reaction is fun, but sad at the same time. It is Joshua Jackson's understated performance as Peter that sells the story, his sad acceptance of what has happened to those around him and what has been taken from him speaks volumes for the pain that must be churning around inside him. Peter's situation and the performance behind it make this one of the most human episodes of the show, despite the thunking clumsy metaphor of the ‘villain' having lost his wife to Alzheimer's. Written by JR Orci and Graham RolandDirected by Paul Holahan Top WallflowerSomething invisible is killing people and taking their skin colour. The Fringe division believe they know who's doing it, except that he's dead. This is a 'monster of the week' standalone tale that tries to recycle an old theme of a villain who is really a victim themselves and were created by the very forces that are now trying to hunt them down. It's familiar and, as a result, not all that interesting. Written by Matthew Pitts and Justin DobleDirected by Anthony Hemingway Top Back To Where You've Never BeenPeter needs Walter to tell him about the machine that represents his best hope of getting back to his timeline. When he refuses, Peter goes to the alternate universe in an attempt to speak to Walternate and learns of a dangerous conspiracy. This is the first episode after the midseason break and it makes no allowance for anyone who thought that this might be a good time to enter the show. There is no explanation of who people are or what is going on. This is perfectly fine, of course, if you have been following the show. It's an action and plot-based episode that has some action sequences for the sake of it since there really isn't a plot here. Peter wants to see Walternate and someone else wants to stop him, even if it means killing him. There isn't even an ending as the story just stops, although Olivia does get some news that comes as a shock. Written by David Fury and Graham RolandDirected by Jeannot Swarc Top The Enemy Of My EnemyThe force behind the new generation of shapeshifters attacking both universes is shown to be Mr Jones. He is once more ahead of the Fringe Division, but Peter's specialised knowledge brings them closer to his scheme. Once again no quarter is given to anyone who hasn't been watching the show since the early days. The revival of Mr Jones is an unpleasant surprise since it strengthens the idea that nobody can die in this show, but at least he features in a plot that is fast-moving and has far-reaching implications for several members of the cast. The fact that everyone seems to have evil agendas is getting a little old, however. If nobody can be trusted then what's the point? That said, the visit of Peter's mother to Walter to beg for his help is touching and nicely played. Written by Monica Uwusu-Breen and Alison SchapkerDirected by Joe Chappelle Top |
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