Fringe season 4

[Ryag Han]

so i just saw the new episode "Subject 9" and spoil alert
Spoiler

PETER BISHOP IS BACK!

anyone else who saw it exited about it? the season really kicked now, and i expect it to get even better that the last seasons. last 5 minutes freaked me out.

[Broomstick]

Yeah, I couldn't figure out why he surfaced in a lake, then I saw the name of the lake and went, oh, right, that makes sense.... (sort of)

Poor Walter, I think he's even more screwed up in some ways than he was before.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I don't know why, but as soon as I saw he appeared in a lake I thought 'oh, it must be that lake'. Its kinda neat twist in that he's the one who appeared mysterious and naked, but everyone ELSE has amnesia about him.

[Adrian McNair]

I don't know why, but as soon as I saw he appeared in a lake I thought 'oh, it must be that lake'. Its kinda neat twist in that he's the one who appeared mysterious and naked, but everyone ELSE has amnesia about him.

Technically it isn't amnesia so much as total ignorance. To paraphrase December the Observer, they don’t know that the boy lived to be a man since it never happened.

This was a decent episode. Walter has also been one of the pillars of the series and any episode focusing on him is bound to be emotionally resonant (as was the case here with his trepidation over possibly returning to St. Claire’s, his anxieties in the outside world and revealing that Elizabeth had committed suicide over Peter’s death in this timeline). I've definitely been enjoying the season thus far and I'm glad that Peter has finally returned (I wasn’t expecting it to occur as soon as it did). However, it does feel as though the greater issue of the two universes disintegrating has been swept under the rug in favour of the isolated case of the week format. I understand that they’ve been doing this to shed light on the differences between the new timeline and the original but it's somewhat jarring given how season three ended with the promise of co-operation. I thought we'd see some intrigue (Walternate and Alternate Brandon scheming away for instance) arising from the uneasy alliance between the two universes in the premiere but aside from the two Olivias getting catty with one another that wasn't the case. It’s also strange that Walternate hasn’t made an appearance yet since he’s portrayed by one of the main cast (as opposed to a guest star) and has been a major antagonist in the show’s history.

Hopefully now that Peter is back they can get back to delving into the primary overarching plot.

[Alkaloid]

However, it does feel as though the greater issue of the two universes disintegrating has been swept under the rug in favour of the isolated case of the week format. I understand that they’ve been doing this to shed light on the differences between the new timeline and the original but it's somewhat jarring given how season three ended with the promise of co-operation.

Thing is, that may not be happening anymore, and probably not in the same way. If Walter never went through to the other universe to kidnap Peter, something else must have caused them to come into conflict. Fringe is generally pretty good about stuff like this.

[Broomstick]

Walter DID go through to the other universe to kidney Peter. In the revised timeline Peter drowned in the lake when Walter returned with him in tow. Remember, it was the Observer saving Walter and Peter that changed things in the first place.

That probably also accounts for some of how Walter is now screwed up, he'd have tremendous guilt over getting alternate Peter killed.

[Alkaloid]

Re watching it, that's what I get for not paying attention.

I was getting concerned that they were trying to set up another god damned love triangle with Liv, Lee and Peter, but thats looking less likely now thank god.

[Adrian McNair]

Thing is, that may not be happening anymore, and probably not in the same way. If Walter never went through to the other universe to kidnap Peter, something else must have caused them to come into conflict. Fringe is generally pretty good about stuff like this.

Actually, it did. Aside from what Broomstick mentioned, both universes are in fact still degrading in the new timeline. After Peter temporarily ceases to exist in The Day We Died there's this exchange between the characters.

SECRETARY BISHOP: You shattered my universe. You have any idea how many deaths you've caused?

WALTER: That was an accident. What you have tried to do you've done on purpose!

OLIVIA: Whatever you've both done, we're here now. So maybe it's time we start to fix it.

Plus you can clearly see an amber quarantine zone in the parallel universe during the second episode of the current season, One Night in October. Fringe usually has been consistent and I'm certain they'll start to address it at some point. I just want it to happen sooner rather than later.

I was getting concerned that they were trying to set up another god damned love triangle with Liv, Lee and Peter, but thats looking less likely now thank god.

Well, it didn't seem likely to begin with since Olivia in this timeline is even more of a commitment-phobe than she originally was. She probably isn't going to become intimately acquainted with anyone for a while (unless she somehow regains her memories of Peter).