2020-12-17

I have to say, I found this very trying to write! Fringe is a complex show, so many details, that and the fact this is only the 3^rd time I am watching Fringe. So it’s definitely a different than my usual re-watch blogs. I hope you still find it an interesting read, although perhaps a bit long and probably too much in detail!

Fringe is one of those exceptional shows which oddly enough did not have big ratings in case of viewers but still is immensely popular among the sci-fi community. By the time Fringe started its 3^rd season, the ratings have dropped considerably, and it was considered a miracle it did not got cancelled after season 2. Season 2 ended with a cliff-hanger, the Olivia from “over there” went back with Peter and Walter to “over here” and acted like she was our Olivia, while our Olivia had been captured and locked up by Walternate. (Dr. Bishop from over there). What more is so special about the 3^rd season. For 8-9 episodes each episode we switch from one Universe to another. We see complete episodes over here or over there with sometimes a short scene in the other Universe (still follow? 😊).

That’s were we start the 3^rd season, Fauxlivia, as Walter likes to call the Olivia from “over there”, has blended into life over here and although Peter sees some differences, he does not automatically assume that this is not his Olivia. At the end of season 2 Olivia finally gave in to her feeling towards Peter so in the beginning of the 3^rd season the are a couple. Of course, in reality he now is a couple with Fauxlivia.

Fauxlivia needs to infiltrate the Fringe team and needs to keep an eye out for developments which can be disastrous for their world and at the same time she is looking for a device which Walternate needs for the Machine which should destroy our world. Here she works together with Newton in secret. The prime universe Fringe team has learned of a Wave Sink Device, with this machine Walternate attempted to destroy the prime universe. Fauxlivia helps to identify the components hidden across the globe for a similar device in the prime universe. Meanwhile over there, Olivia pleads to be released but Walternate has plans for her. She’s being altered so that she at some point believes she the Olivia from over there because she has the gift to cross-over universes and Walternate wants this advantage for his own world. He wants to know how she’s able to cross-over. “Over there” is in worse shape because prime universe Walter crossed-over some 25 years ago to save Peter from the same illness where his own son died from. But after bringing him home, he could not bear to bring him back to the alternate universe because his wife could not let Peter go for a second after she lost her own Peter.

Soon it becomes clear that Walternate has several operatives in our Universe working for the alternate universe. They are called shape shifters, they work for Newton, at least before Fauxlivia came to our universe because Fauxlivia makes it clear that she’s the boss now. The shape shifters wear a data disc inside of them. Those shape shifters can be inactive for years, living among us but can be activated at any time. They are discouraged from bonding with people from this universe because ultimately, they have to be eliminated.

Following Peter's rescue from the parallel universe, the prime universe Fringe team comes to learn of the Wave Sink Device, the machine that Walternate was attempting to use to destroy the prime universe. They are unaware that Fauxlivia has replaced Olivia, and she works to help the Fringe Division to identify the components hidden across the globe for a similar Wave Form Device in the prime universe.

When the team investigates a case where people are affected with amnesia by a broadcast, they find a mysterious box. Peter takes Fauxlivia to his friend Edward Markham, who has a rare book for them called “The First People” which apparently is from an advanced civilization. They found out that the numbers that were being broadcast, were also in that book! When Astrid deciphers the code, they discover that these are coordinates. Meanwhile Peter is studying the Doomsday machine, against Walter’s wishes because it’s a dangerous machine. But Peter feels he’s being drawn to it and this drawn seems to suggest Peter is the one who can operate the machine.

In the alternate universe Olivia, who is more and more realizing she does not belong there, meets taxi driver Henry and asks him to help her get to Liberty Island to use the deprivation tank to return to her universe.

Peter who still unknowingly lives together with Fauxlivia receives a phone call from a woman in New York who says she just saw a woman disappear before her eyes, the woman was called Olivia and she claimed to be stuck in the alternate universe! Peter realizes that he has been living the Olivia from Over There! She quickly knows her cover is blown and escapes and lets the other side know she needs an extraction. Meanwhile she picked up an important item which is needed to complete the machine. In the alternate universe Broyles decides to help Olivia from over here and he pays the ultimate price.

Olivia has made it back and she soon goes to work again. Peter has to tell prime Olivia that he had a relationship with Fauxlivia, that he saw some differences but that he did not think anything of it. Olivia takes it well, although so it seems because later, she tells Peter she no longer wants to be with him. Meanwhile the observers are closely monitoring Peter and Walter’s movements. One of the observers makes contact with Walter. The observer makes sure Walter understands that it’s very possible that he has to sacrifice his son in order for this universe to survive. The observers now believe Walter understands what’s at stake. Meanwhile Walter has created a potion to get himself smarter, in the hopes he can help Peter so that hopefully he does not need to sacrifice him.

Peter, who desperately wants answers, is killing of shapeshifters, and once Walter finds out, he deduces that Peter is changing probably due to contact Peter had with the machine at Massive Dynamic. Somehow the machine has weaponized him. Meanwhile Oliva is going through the files of Fauxlivia and concludes that she loved Peter, really cared for him. It seems that Peter still on some level also misses Fauxlivia. Nina is researching the books of the First People and everything points to Sam from the Bowling alley, it looks as if he wrote all 4 books! How is that possible!? Fauxlivia still has feelings for Peter, when she’s back for several weeks in the alternate universe, her boyfriend asks her to marry him. She accepts although she knows she is in love with Peter and on top of that she is 6 weeks pregnant so her boyfriend cannot be the father because he was on a business trip for several weeks. No, the father is of course Peter. Once her boyfriend knows about the pregnancy, he breaks off the engagement.

Meanwhile Walternate’s scientist has made the piece of machinery, Fauxlivia brought with her from the prime universe, activated. In episode 6B Olivia finally opens up herself to Peter after much struggling with her feeling about his relationship with Fauxlivia. Episode “Subject 13” does not pause the ongoing ark but does a sidestep by showing Peter as a young boy after he was kidnapped by Walter Bishop. Peter is not happy; he wants to go home to his real parents. Walter and his wife are desperate seeing Peter so unhappy. Walter thinks young Olivia can cross-over and Walter thinks she could take Peter with her. At one moment it succeeds but Prime Walter is unaware that for a moment young Olivia is talking to Walternate. At that point Walternate knows where his son is. Meanwhile young Peter finally seems to adapt to his prime universe parents.

Walter thinks William Bell can help him with they are facing with war against the alternate universe. He reaches out to Nina and on his request, she retrieves Bell’s research called “the soul magnet” with intent of bringing back his friend from the beyond. Meanwhile Peter decides that there can no longer be any secrets between him and Olivia and shows his laboratory where he works in secret to find out about the machine because he knows Walter would only be worried. He also tells Olivia that he was the one who killed the shapeshifters to retrieve their data disks but did not come much closer to an answer and at that point. Meanwhile Walter is in Nina’s office and they both notice the brass bell William Bell gave her and Walter thinks the harmonic vibrations from the bell will bring the energy from William's soul. He rings it. Nothing happens. Walter says he thinks William will find them. But at that point Olivia is occupied by another soul…William Bell’s soul!

In the alternate universe the observers keeping an eye out for Fauxlivia. She’s pregnant with Peters child but there is only a 20% she can deliver the baby because she has the same condition as her mother, VPE (viral-propagated eclampsia), that’s what her sister died of during her mother’s pregnancy. Then Fauxlivia gets kidnapped and these people accelerate her pregnancy. She escapes and delivers the baby in the street with the help of the cab driver Henry and Lincoln. By now Team Lincoln know their Olivia had crossed over, so that they were working with Olivia from the prime universe. Meanwhile the observers get a blood sample of the baby and let someone on the phone know: it is beginning.

By entering Olivia’s mind, Peter and Walter with William Bell help drive out Belly’s soul. While in there Peter meets a man who was locked up. When she wakes up again without William Bell occupying her body, she tells Peter that the locked up man is going to kill her! Bell is now definitely gone, he knew it would work out like it happened, he just wanted to save Olivia.

Walternate attacks the prime universe, he does this with the DNA from Peter’s and Fauxlivia’s son. Fauxlivia does not agree with Walternate’s plan to destroy the prime universe and wants to cross-over to ask Peter for help. But her plan fails and she gets locked up. Peter thinks he can help by going into the machine but the machine rejects him and he is being launched from the platform and having severe injuries. Oliva is searching for Sam from the bowling alley because according to Nina, he knows more. Sam however finds Olivia.

Peter checks himself out of the hospital, writes a note saying he is going home. He goes to Liberty Island. Walter and Astrid are trying to slow down the destruction of the prime universe. Olivia and Sam Weiss are looking for a key. Olivia takes Sam to the machine and he does not understand that this could have happened because the machine was built for him. He concludes that the machine is hardwired to think that Peter already is in the machine. Sam thinks he can disarm the machine safely for Peter so it’ll let Peter in safely. At the Saint Arthelais Cathedral Sam has on him the manuscripts the “First Peoples” books were based on. Sam explains to Olivia that he’s not the first Sam Weiss; His great-great-great-grandfather discovered the manuscript. The fifth wrote the "First Peoples" and third and fourth searched for the missing sections. He’s been prepped for this his whole life. Meanwhile Walter thinks the destruction will go slower if the Machine is on the same spot as in the alternate universe, so they move it. Walter believes that Olivia can stop the machine with telekinesis. This works and Peter, who was going home, went to Liberty Island because he was confused because Walternate is there, steps into the machine. Next moment Peter wakes up in a warzone, at least 10 years into the future.

Peter now lives 15 year in the future, the alternate universe is destroyed, Walter is sent to prison because he is ultimately responsible. Walternate is now in prime universe and is weakening this universe with electrical explosions. He wants to destroy this universe also. He does not forgive his son who asks him to forgive him. Walternate tells Peter he’s going to feel sorrow because he’s going to kill someone he loves. He shoots Olivia. Walter figures out that he himself is one of the first people and that he sent parts of the machine far back in the past. If Peter goes back into the machine, makes a different choice, there maybe is a chance to fix it. Back in de machine in present day Peter brings Walternate and his scientists over to the prime universe, there is a way to solve it, to heal both universes. At that point Peter disappears. Outside you see the observers. One states to the other that indeed they do not miss peter, then the observer says; that’s logical because he never existed.

Screencaps taken from: kissthemgoodbye.net/Fringe 

Next up: Stargate Atlantis Season 3 and Stargate SG-1 the complete series.