'Fringe' recap: Using balloons to steal bowling balls

Many people said that when "Fringe" moved to Fridays, it was heading into the feared "death slot." Heck, even "Fringe" said that. But why is Friday considered the last stop on the train to the television afterlife? Is it because everyone goes out on Friday nights? Kicks off their weekends? Maybe has dinner, sees a movie. Who has the money to do that anymore? Times are tough. Better to stay home on Friday nights. "Fringe" is better than any movie you're going to see in the theater right now anyway. 

"Red Riding Hood"? "Limitless"? "The Lincoln Lawyer"? I bet they're not all that great, and by that, I mean none of them start with Walter Bishop and Hurley getting high and laughing at stories about waking up in bed with Yoko. Though I probably shouldn't be dissuading you from supporting advertisers of "Fringe" if I want it to survive the Friday death slot, so go check them out this weekend. 

Friday night's little science crime unfolded with surprises around every corner. It all started with a robbery at the Massachusetts Metal Depository that felt slightly like the old 1970s "Batman" show. The escape built up to a crazy twist. Literally. The camera spun to show everything was upside down the whole time. These thieves are floaters. Their ropes were to pull themselves to the ground, and their boots weigh them down enough to walk. But one thief takes a bullet and is left tethered to the ground, a situation that summons the Fringe Division to show up and investigate.

The anti-gravity people trace back to an aerospace engineer named ... Alan Ruck. I don't think I ever caught the character's true name. He's just Alan Ruck to me. You probably remember him as Cameron from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Or maybe as the Dan Fielding-type character on "Spin City." Though he also took over command of the starship Enterprise in "Star Trek: Generations." Let's just say Alan Ruck has been around. And you can see why. He plays another "Fringe" villain you can almost sympathize with. 

At first Dr. Ruck seems evil. He has been experimenting on these men, making them defy gravity. Then he sends them out to steal heavy metals. He seems even worse after the next unexpected twist. These men all were previously confined to wheelchairs. Dr. Ruck recruits them at murderball games. I almost expected him to run into Jason Street from "Friday Night Lights" at some point. 

But Dr. Ruck only wants to help his son, who's also in a wheelchair. Dr. Ruck figures he’ll perfect the formula on these strangers before trying it on his own flesh and blood. The irony is that when his son finds out the lengths to which his father has gone to "fix" him, it ruins his already happy life. 

Throughout all this, our friends in Fringe Division deal with their own lives. Peter and Olivia are now a couple. They've managed to put the whole Fauxlivia issue behind them and give being happy a shot for a change. They're going to street fairs and holding hands and being overly cheerful when running into Nina Sharp ("Whatcha doin' here?" Did Olivia really say that?). It even gets to the point of full disclosure. Olivia admits she doesn't like it when Peter rubs her back, and Peter (eventually) admits he's hiding information from the FBI and studying the memory discs from the shape-shifters he secretly killed. Honestly, I think Olivia really got the better end of the whole disclosure concept. 

Meanwhile, Walter seeks out any connection to his former partner William Bell (former in both the sense that they broke up the partnership and that Bell is dead). Walter digs through Bell's office and finds his research, including a file on soul magnets, which could easily be the coolest band name. Walter figures he just needs to find the person Bell set up with these soul magnets and he'll be able to bring his old friend back from the afterlife. I'm hoping for that myself, mostly because I'm getting tired of Emo Walter. He's always crying and cursing himself for ripping the universe a new one. Hopefully, now that Bell is back, we'll see more of the inspired, energetic Walter.

That's right, William Bell is back. Not played by Leonard Nimoy. Instead this time Bell's soul takes control of Olivia's body. Now I'm not sure If I liked how quickly that played out. Walter figures out Bell's plan and that same day Bell takes control inside Olivia. Even if it was triggered by Walter ringing the bell Bell gave Nina, you'd think someone would have rung that bell before that moment. It really doesn’t matter. I'm just excited to see Anna Torv play Olivia possessed by Bell. That should be a fun time next week.

Product placement -– Now, I'm fine with a little product placement. I don't mind that we see the brand name of the phone when Peter is receiving a call from Olivia. Or the extra long pan over the dashboard of whatever Ford vehicle they're driving, but I don't need to hear the actual chime the car makes when you get a text while driving. I especially don't need to hear the car voice read Broyle's text message. It’s Lance Reddick. Why waste that great voice when you have it? 

Astrid action -– Astrid really got it tough this week. First, she gets treated to the delightful story of William Bell trying to perfect the bowel movement. Then she gets the direction to dispose of all the excess blood Walter drained from the thief's corpse. And finally, she has to mop up after Walter dropped mints in his two-liter bottle of soda. Astrid has really earned the focus of her very own episode. When are we going to see that?

Spot the Observer -– Observer just can't resist those crime scenes. You might have noticed him wandering in the background as the Fringe crew questioned the security guard at the Metal Depository. Or you might not have. He was kind of blurry, but I know he was back there.

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-- Andrew Hanson

Photo: The Fringe team (left to right, Lance Reddick, Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson) investigates a case in which the thieves have managed to defy the laws of gravity. Credit: Fox

 

Comments

[Roberto]

I think Astrid gets "her episode" in two weeks. I agree, the Bell/Olivia possession was a bit strained and rushed. I love Anna, but not all aboard yet on her impersonation of Bell. But, as said, it could be fun. Unless this leads to another bout of depression. On the Friday move... in retrospect it makes sense. If you are limited to a small but devoted following that looks decent ratings wise only on 'death night', then that's the place to be. FRINGE was not going to make it any other night.

[Babs Johnson]

Fringe has become the favorite show that I (or anyone else) can recall happening on Friday nights. The last two episodes were not in my top 10 votes. There seems to be a little waffling going on in the script writing. I can only hope that a more intense episode is coming next week with William Bells return. I wonder if they laughed on the set when Walter rang the Bell bell and looked at Nina? Why did Walter and Nina look at the door after the bell ringing? Were they expecting the Avon lady? Did they laugh again when Olivia started mouthing Bell?

[Alter-Lisa]

I agree- a Friday night movie is no match for the writing and direction of a Fringe episode- especially this latest onslaught of movie releases! I was concerned when they moved the show to Fridays, but 2 weeks ago it had it's highest ratings in a very long time. As for our beloved Walter, I'm hoping that once he regains his missing brain segments (is he still drinking the juice?), he will go back to his old self; which from what he have seen in flashbacks wasn't a nice doctor. This will turn up the heat. The episodes are almost always brilliant, but I feel like they need to pump it up a bit. The only negative feedback that they got at Comic Con 2010 was that it was turning into a monster of the week show. It looks like they took the feedback to heart and are keeping some of the 'pattern' in each episode. One last observation, Anna Torv has seemed tired, unenthusiastic since the middle of the second season. It could be just me, but it may have coincided with her real - life divorce. Yeah, yeah so you were tested on as a child and you never knew which world you were in.. get over it, grab your gun and kick some a$$.

[Cathy]

Right on about the lousy movies they're making these days. Fringe's storyline and actors put all the big budget pictures to shame. Actually, if they made movies that were even close to the quality of Fringe, I might head out to see them more often.

[LMT]

Don't complain about the product placement. Ford is keeping FRINGE on the air. Plus, American car manufacturers need all the help they can get.

As for the episode, I'd rate it a B. I am concerned about Bellivia. This could either be really cool or really corny. I'm praying for cool.

[dgrant]

William Bell and the BELL!! Okay, its not that outside what you expect from Fringe (as in the opening bong shot, featuring Cream playing in the background - does Walter Pick the elevator music at MD?). Still, this was set up a good long time ago - recall when Olivia visited alt-New York the first time, and in Bell's office in the world trade center, he rang the very same BELL to send her back to...here I guess, through the windshield anyway.
Sadly, the plot was pretty light on how this supposed lighter than air thingee actually worked, perhaps another sign of the collapsing universe is a flagging imagination in the writer's room. And I really felt a lack of this when "dad" runs off and leaves "sonny" in literal mid air - a great opportunity for him to fly out the open skylight, for example, hit a passing zepplin maybe, and really frost the cupcake for evil "dad." I almost expected Walter to make one of his "I have a son too" speeches.
On the other hand, what a pure delight, anticipating Peter and Olivia in bed together, with her channeling Mr. Spock.. "No Perter, that is not logical, put your hand here..." W can only hope.
Speaking of the observer - did you notice another casualty of the move to Friday, no more cow in the background, although one less "chore" for Astrid to tend to in between blood disposal and corpse lifting. Somehow all she needs is a olive green apron and she too could be channeling, Tim Curry form Rocky Horror comes to mind.

[Em]

"Now I'm not sure If I liked how quickly that played out. Walter figures out Bell's plan and that same day Bell takes control inside Olivia. Even if it was triggered by Walter ringing the bell Bell gave Nina, you'd think someone would have rung that bell before that moment."

Bell's soul possessing Olivia WAS triggered by Walter ringing the bell. As Olivia is turning to look at the glass object in Peter's hideout, you can hear the vibrations or a little tinge of a bell sound just before she speaks as Bell. :)

[jophan]

"I'm hoping for that myself, mostly because I'm getting tired of Emo Walter. He's always crying and cursing himself for ripping the universe a new one. Hopefully, now that Bell is back, we'll see more of the inspired, energetic Walter."
I hope so. Much as I love John Noble's work, Walter has been getting on my nerves all season. Perhaps he resents not having enough of Peter's attention. As usual, he gave no thought to the feelings of whoever would be Bell's host. Well, we haven't had a real fit of temper from Peter in a while, and boy, would it be justified.

[Shelby G. Spires]

Batman ran on ABC-TV in the mid-60s ... I bet grad student W. Bishop watched ever episode.

[Caitlin]

Why do you start so many sentences with conjunctions? There's something about that that bothers me.

[Nicky]

It was really moving for me when Walter said "When you're mother and I were courting..." to Peter. Peter seemed to accept that statement, I guess he's not mad at Walter anymore. I absolutely love Peter/Walter dynamics.

[Idiot in socks.]

Re: Movies vs. Fringe, how about what it takes to get an Oscar nom vs. what it takes to not get an Emmy nod? If the performances on Fringe appeared at your local multiplex, Noble and Torv would be the big news on the red carpet.