Friday, March 23, 2012

Fringe: "A Short Story About Love." Episode 15 (3/23/2012)

This episode of Fringe is about a man who targets his victims based on love. I first must start off by saying Fringe is a deep TV show and there are different layers to this case, which leads to the bigger picture. I will try to be as through as possible to illustrate how this episode reveals a major piece of the puzzle.

If you're a long time follower of the show you'll be familiar with what's about to be said. However, there's those who are not familiar or may be just getting into Fringe. At the end of Season 3 Peter Bishop was transferred into limbo -- a place of chaos, or nonexistence. Then at the beginning of Season 4 a couple of episodes into this season Peter returns to a timeline. It then appears that Peter is on a different timeline as he tries to figure out ways to return back to his timeline and back to his "Olivia" (Actually my Olivia).

Now this episode of Fringe reveal a major piece of the puzzle and this peace is Peter never actually left his timeline. This is brilliant. Let me explain what happen. If you have a person you love and you had someone erase that person that means the people in control would have to erase every aspect of that person including the memories of that person you love. What would be the repercussions of this act? This person you loved influenced you and others around him and those he interacted with. He may have gave someone hope, made someone try to be a better person, or simply put a smile on someones face, which caused them to do a "random act of kindness" for another person. So if this person was wiped off the face of the Earth -- no longer existed -- then all the people he interacted with would actually be different people and make different decisions.

This is what is happening in the Fringe universe, because Peter was erased everyone changed. Walter was checked out by Olivia instead of Peter. Peter had died years ago. Agent Lincoln Lee is geeky and actually more active in this version of time than in the original timeline. Walter is agoraphobic. And keep in mind Peter being erased doesn't just effect our universe, it effects the alternate universe, because in the original timeline or version of time our universe was at war with the alternate universe. Because Peter didn't exist, they're in alliance. Why would this be? Because the reason our universe was in conflict with the other universe, was because Walter crossed over and took a young Peter and brought him over her. Now since Peter was erased, Walter never crossed over and Walternate (Walter's alternate self) isn't angry at his alternate self.

Now the interesting thing is Olivia is having memories of things she's never had. It was proposed that she's having or fusing with another Olivia from an the original timeline, which is the reason why she's having memories she can't recall and she's forgetting the memories she had when Peter was erased. Now, why is this happening? Because the Observer said "I have a theory because the people who cared about you couldn't let you go and you them, it kept you from being completely erased. I think this is what you humans call 'Love.'" Of course I'm paraphrasing it but he said that is in so many words. With that said it means this: Because Olivia, Walter, Walternate, maybe Broyles, Astrid et. all care about Peter and some loved him, and this is the same for Peter, he loved them, their loved for each other prevented Peter from being completely erased.

Now is Olivia losing her mind? Absolutely not because if you seen the movie It's A Wonderful Life, you'll see that the main character said something about wishing he was dead. An angel showed him how life would be if he were dead or never existed and everything was worst. This made it him appreciate life even more. With that out there, the reason Olivia never knew Peter or had no memory of him was because he was erased from the timeline and so was the love and feelings she had for him and that goes for everyone else who knew Peter. But since deep down the loved him and he loved them, and Peter actually returned into the timeline he was always on, he's starting to influence and touch peoples lives again. So in other words Peter returning to his universe caused everything to slowly return to normal. Olivia getting her memories back. Walter becoming more caring etc.

So let me try and make it more clear. Because Peter returned to the timeline from limbo this set in motion a set of events that would put the timeline back in place and cause everything to slowly return to normal. His return slowly caused Olivia to realize she knew him from somewhere. And because she's starting to get her old memories back from a time when Peter influenced her, her new memories -- memories from a world where Peter didn't exist -- would vanish because Peter offset everything and cause her old memories to return. This should be happening to everyone, but Olivia is the one in love with Peter.

Another thing I would like to point out is, the reasons why Peter thought he was in a different timeline. He believed this because he no one knew him and everything was virtually different. However, when Olivia started to get her old memories of Peter back, the universe started to unfold differently now that Peter was in the universe influencing people etc. leaving his mark in the world.

So at the end of Season 3 Peter went missing Peter was in Limbo caught in between two universe or caught between existing and nonexistence. So I hope this helps you understand the world of Fringe. It's such an engaging TV show and I look forward to it every week. Also, even thought I know this is a Film Rant, I'll still rate this episode of Fringe. Four starts out of Five!

-- Connor Murphy

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