'Fringe' recap: Inventing a Tulip

Last week I criticized “Fringe” for ditching science for emotion. A few of you disagreed in the comments. I understand. It was just going to take more than two old people grieving for each other to sell me on the quantum mechanics of emotions. What would it take to convince me? The best episode of “Fringe” to date?

I probably could have been convinced with a lot less, but if “Fringe” is ready to pull out all the stops, than I’m not complaining.

The big guns are at work here. Show runners J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner wrote “Subject 13” with help from Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman. And they’re after you right out of the gate. That opening sequence was incredible. We’re back in 1985, a month after Walter snatched Peter from the other universe, and Peter wants to go home -- a home he thinks is at the bottom of Reiden Lake -- and he has the big concrete key to get there. Then, just when Elizabeth Bishop pulls Peter out of the water and you’re breathing heavy, just like they are, cut to the 1980’s “Fringe” intro. (It’s been fun to bounce between the blue and red intros, but the synthesizer intro will always be my favorite).

In 1985 Walter crossed over into the other universe to keep that side’s Peter from dying like his Peter did, but crossing over had consequences. The scientific consequences ravished that universe and only recently started trickling into ours, but the emotional consequences echoed on both sides. 

On this side, Peter is nearly suicidal in his desire to go home, Walter hides in his work with the children at the Jacksonville center, trying to find a way to cross back over, and Elizabeth struggles to build a bond with this boy who is her son yet isn’t while at the same time sticking to Walter’s lie. They repeat the mantra that Peter got very sick and that’s why he doesn’t remember things quite right. 

On that side, the Dodgers still play in Brooklyn, the Star Wars missile defense system worked, and Walternate is a wreck. He was the nation’s defense czar and his own son was kidnapped. His marriage is falling apart because he comes home every weekend and interrogates his wife about the man who looked just like him who stole their son. 

John Noble and Orla Brady give outstanding performances as two different versions of the same couple. It was amazing. Even without the flash of light, you could easily tell which world you were in, and you sympathize with each couple. It's probably easiest with Walternate and Elizabethnate (OK, that’s a horrible nickname). Walternate never hesitates believing his wife’s implausible story as he wracks his brain trying to figure out what happened. 

Speaking of great performances, how about Chandler Canterbury and Karley Scott Collins as Young Peter and Young Olivia? Young Olivia had Anna Torv’s line delivery down perfect, and Young Peter had some heartbreaking moments when he insisted he wasn’t crazy and first caught himself referring to this side’s Elizabeth Bishop as "Mom."

But yes, this was the episode that sold me on the “Fringe” emotional science. I found it hard to swallow that Peter and the ancient machine would destroy one of the universes based on which Olivia he loved, and I’ve already mentioned my issues with the old grieving couple. For some reason it was harder for me to buy than the creations we’ve had in the past 3 1/2 seasons.

The one aspect of emotional science that I didn’t even realize I had accepted was Olivia’s dimension-leaping ability triggered by fear. For some reason, that just made sense. So tonight, when 1985 Walter dug into her emotional responses on his old Betamax tapes, it opened the door to great emotional science for me. Even though I found his cinematography a little strange. (You could see other cameras in the footage but it never seemed to cut to those angles). 

Plus all that built up to my favorite moment in the episode. After Young Peter finds Young Olivia in the white tulip field and her stepfather comes to pick her up, she runs into Walter’s office and finally tells him what’s going on, not realizing that she jumped between universes and was really talking to Walternate. What a great twist. Now we see how Walternate found out the truth about Peter’s disappearance. That’s “Fringe” at its best. 

So now I’m on board. Let’s see where this emotional scientific roller coaster takes us.

Go grab a toy -– Anyone born in the late 1970s probably watched this scene with the same level of glee as I did. Peter wandered the joyful mall toy store. (Are there happy mall toy stores anymore? The ones I’ve seen have been very depressing.) He glances over “Ghostbusters” Waterzappers and the “Battlestar Galatica” board game. He passes on Atari. Joust even! And I had that G.I. Joe personnel carrier that was on the bottom shelf. It’s probably in my dad’s basement. The set decorators really outdid themselves on that one. Though over all that, Peter picks a model of a DC-3? Come on. That woman’s trying to buy your love. At least make her pay for it.

Astrid action –- No Astrid. How old would Astrid have been in 1985? How old is Astrid now? Never mind. That’s not a question a gentleman asks. 

Spot the observer –- The Observer wasn’t really doing much to hide this week. He walked right out of a hallway in Bishop Dynamics to watch Walternate stroll in wearing his hangover sunglasses. Maybe he wasn’t as good at Observing back in the '80s. I shouldn’t tease the Observer or he’ll hide somewhere I’ll never find him next week. 

RELATED:

'Fringe' recap: Good Grief

'Fringe' recap: Bugs, and a Game Changer

Complete 'Fringe' coverage on Show Tracker

-- Andrew Hanson

Photo: More of Walter's (John Noble) past is revealed. Credit: Fox Television

Comments

[Jeff]

Great recap! I agree when Peter "caught himself referring to this side’s Elizabeth Bishop as mom" was a great moment. Great twist at the end too. Superb episode

I guess the big question now is why Olivia and Peter don't remember each other?

:( Going to have to wait two weeks for the next new episode

[KC]

Agreed - fantastic episode. I think young Peter was fascinated by the DC-3 toy because in his universe zeppelins are the norm.

[eric]

Peter's universe doesn't travel by plane so it makes perfect sense he finds that toy interesting as an oddity.

[David Connolly]

I 100% agree with you - though I have always been on the Fringe/emotional joy ride.
And with all those toys . . .they seem much better than todays toys, and I'm only 17!
Amazing show with amazing actors!

[Eric Whitenack]

I admit I was a little sleepy by the time I watched this on DVR, but I still think I would've had to rewind a couple of times to figure out which universe Olivia was in. I actually had to ask my daughter!

"OK, so she was in her universe in the hallway, but in between there and Walter's office she jumped to the other universe?"

"Yes"

"And after she told Walternate her stepfather hit her, she jumped back to her universe, and that's why Walter was behind her?"

"Yes"

"OK. Just wanted to be sure!"

I think I've been spoiled by the light flashes tipping me off!

[Stephen]

This episode gives "Fringe" its best chance at reeling in potential viewers to one of the best programs on television. For the sake of us loyal fans and for others who are looking for well-acted, highly entertaining television, I hope your readers who are not fans of the show go to the "Fringe" website or Hulu to watch this episode and previous episodes that are still available. It would be a shame for a show of this caliber to be canceled. The writing, production and acting on "Fringe" combine to give most television viewers that which they seek. Unfortunately, I fear many viewers are wary of the scifi genre and have missed the chance to be thoroughly entertained. I hope your excellent review piques the interest of your readers with the result that Season 4 follows next fall.

[Roberto]

I agreed on your previous problem issues, because they were just poor writing that didn't ring true. Not the dumping of science for emotion. I think there needs to be a blend of both. "13" did an excellent job. But, I wouldn't call it one of the best episodes for technical reasons. The pacing was glacial, lots of seeming filler. Maybe just a tad too much hand wringing. But a solid B. Two small corrections, they were white tulips, not lilies, important since it ties in with an earlier episode. And technically, the series has been on 2 1/2 years, not 3 1/2. More like 2 2/3 now. You did get Karley Collins name right. Someone else called her Kaley Collins and I repeated their error. "It" happens. Nice insights.

[SF]

This was one of the best episodes so far of Fringe, for me too. It's been a while since I cried, but Olivia when she finally breaks down and tells Walter/nate about her stepfather, and then she has to go back to her stepfather, and knowing what her future holds (shooting him), was so horribly heartbreaking and real. I'm so glad they didn't fudge on this storyline, and made Olivia's fear so real that that was what sent her over there. Really cool that it's her drawings that tell Walternate where her son is, though my friend Fin did wonder how he knew it was his Peter.

I did come to the conclusion that her stepfather whisks her away from the cortexiphan trials after Walter's warning to him, and that's why the cortixitots never get to send Peter back. The groups doesn't work without Olivia. How fun is it that 20-odd years later the cortexitots are Walter's way over to get Peter again?

I do wonder why Olivia doesn't remember Peter, though I know understand why Peter doesn't remember her - his memories of her are tied up with the lies Walter and Elizabeth told him, and he doesn't know what's real anymore. It really explains why he couldn't tell the difference between the two Olivias in a much more satisfying way, because Peter's innate logic has been screwed up since Elizabeth lied to him. I hope we get to see Peter unwinding these lies so that he comes to a better sense of trusting his intuition again.

Exellent episode, I really enjoyed your review too.

[Geoff]

I'm wondering if a lot of the damage on the other side is Walternate trying to find ways to get over to this side.

[Richard Chung]

Nice recap! I was just wondering how Walternate got a copy of Olivia's drawing of Olivia and Peter together? She was only "over" the other side for less than a minute.

[jen]

I wonder if that incident led to Walternate recruiting Faux-livia. Is it possible that he found the alternate version of her on purpose? He's always (in both universes) been good at playing the long game.

One thing though. if this was his original purpose in experimenting with the kids, when did Walter decide that they needed to be an 'army for the war against the other side'?

[dana]

This was an amazing episode, just what the show needed. Fingers crossed for a season 4! Nice review too,

[Jacksprat]

Red Universe seems to be a world of paradoxes.
No planes but look, there's the space shuttle.

Love how Walternate got his answer handed to him.

[Rich]

Does anyone know why neither adult Peter or Olivia seem to remember what occurred is this episode? When did Peter 'forget' that this is not his world? When did Olivia 'forget' she could cross universes? When did they forget they met?? Is there a mindwipe by Walter in there future?

[SD Teacher Lady]

"I probably could have been convinced with a lot less, but if 'Fringe' is ready to pull out all the stops, than I’m not complaining." Than?

[Caitlin]

Seriously, Andrew, please check your grammar! "if “Fringe” is ready to pull out all the stops, than I’m not complaining." THEN!

You have several missing commas and other errors. Come on, you're a professional writer!

[haumed]

Did anyone else notice the "white tulip" connection to the time-traveler episode? The "forgive yourself" part may be common to both, and means a lot when all the characters have so much baggage.