FRINGE RECAP 9
Season 3: Episode 11 “Reciprocity”
“Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie, and one to listen.” “What does that mean??”
Another week, another win in the ratings, and another extensive entry into the FRINGE universe. Though I will admit that this seemed like a bit of a bridge episode, I still enjoyed the character development within and look forward to next week’s outing.
As for terms, it seems Fauxlivia wins as the show’s answer to what we’re calling Olivia’s alt universe self, which means I’ll no longer be calling her Bolivia. On a production note, its kind of a weird season for all the episodes that don’t involve a case or Walter using Fringe science to figure something out – the show seems to be becoming much more action/adventure sci-fi, which I think I’m ok with.
THE MAN WITH THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE
OK, to start off, what’s the deal with Peter? Was anyone else wondering if he’d maybe been working for Walternate all along? Why didn’t he just let the FBI arrest the shape-shifters and interrogate them?
I made the prediction last week that we’d see changes come over Peter this week due to his ingestion of Walter’s brain serum, but though I was correct, it seems it was for different reasons than the serum. Throughout this episode I wondered about how quickly Peter had agreed to come back Over Here, how quickly he had forgiven Walter, and just jumped right back into the Fringe team, except for his obsession with the machine. I just can’t help but wonder if perhaps he is still working with Walternate. Even if he’s not, I can’t help but ponder if maybe he only came back to our side to test this machine out himself, and that he may not be entirely decided on whether or not he wants to help Walternate (who is, after all, his real father.)
WALTER, GET SMART
Personally, I thought the monkey DNA in Walter’s brain was an odd choice for FRINGE, maybe just an idea they had to add some comic relief this week. But I didn’t like it. Plus, it was just another way to stall the whole Walter rebuilding his brain issue, and I want to see where they are going with that.
If William Belle made an antidote to restore Walter’s brain, than I have to ask why? If Walter was afraid of who he was becoming, he clearly didn’t want to leave a way to return to that person. Maybe Belle only developed the anti-dote because he knew Walter would be needed again against Walternate? And would Walter become the same person once more even though the regenerated brain pieces would not contain the same memories of the original pieces?
THE SPY (FROM OVER THERE) WHO LOVED ME
I am fascinated by this odd love triangle between Peter, Olivia and Fauxlivia. And I’m actually a little disappointed in myself for not coming up with the logic that Olivia expresses in this episode for why Fauxlivia was falling in love with Peter. They are the same person, and everything Olivia loves about Peter would obviously be appealing to her doppelganger.
The real question is: Does Peter now have feelings for Fauxlivia? Especially with
Olivia giving him the cold shoulder these days, I wonder if Peter ever thinks about returning Over There to be with an Olivia who loves him, as well as his true family. It’s kinda tempting, especially if Fauxlivia turns out to be pregnant, a theory I presented last week.
ASTRID POWERS
I am only including this section because I want to point out how essential Astrid is becoming to the team for her deciphering abilities, especially as this is the second episode of the season that her research was more important than anything Walter was working on.
However, I am not too sure on the whole O-L-I-V-E code, and why Fauxlivia was even using a code like that in her own journal. I’m no spy, but I would think that a journal that was for one’s own use and was not meant to be broadcast would not need ciphers and encryption like that. What worries me is that it almost seems like they’re working really hard to show how important Astrid is, and how much everyone on the team relies on her…. which is an early sign of a show getting ready to kill off a character.
THE BELLE IDENTITY
What exactly did Belle know about the First People? Why was he also actively seeking out the First People Book? Could one book be different? Are there books about the first people Over There?
I have recently heard a rumor that Belle might make reappear on FRINGE, which I truly hope for, as he could shed the light on some of this First People business, and I’m sure he knows something about that infernal machine.
MISCELLANEOUS
Why wouldn’t they just tell Olivia what was going on at the end? Isn’t it pretty clear that eventually they’ll figure out it was Peter?
Why does Olivia keep saying that it feels like they’re two steps behind? Is that some kind of clue from the producers?
Also, when Nina Sharp says that Peter should see a professional to help him cope with everything that has been going on, did anyone else wonder if they were laying the foundation for Peter to meet Sam Weiss, who we all suspect is a First Person? I certainly hope so, for Weiss’s absence this season is suspicious, and I don’t know how else they would tie him back into the show.
That’s it for today. Keep watching on Fridays and keep those numbers high, and please comment below if you have any of your own theories or problems with one of mine!
NICHOLASGRAFF.com 