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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Fringe Recap - Worlds Apart - 4x20

Fringe ... Worlds Apart ... Season 4 Episode 20 ... Original Airdate Friday April 27, 2012

I am still basking in the afterglow of epicness that this episode left me in.

We are back in 2012 for this episode. Walter is all snazzed up in a nice jacket and tie to go head up a meeting with his team and the key players of the Other Side. In attendance are Peter, Broyles, Olivia, Lincoln, Walternate and AltLivia. I briefly wondered where Colonel Broyles was during this meeting when I remembered he must still be in the pokey for being a traitor. I'm wondering why the Astrids weren't in on the meeting?
 
Walter says that he believes that "Jones is trying to collapse our universes in order to create a gravitational singularity." With the help of a slide projector Walter explains "as our worlds contract, the force becomes greater and greater and as matter and energy compress to a point the density is so great that it has no recourse but to rapidly expand outwards again, creating a Big Bang. Mutual destruction of our side and yours." (I tried to paraphrase that but gave up after three false starts.)
 

Walter thinks that Jones is trying to create a universe that is all his own, one where he controls all laws of physics and nature. Basically Jones has one giant God Complex. After Walter mentions that he stumbled upon this theory during a dream, his credibility balloon starts to deflate. The most unlikely of all allies comes to his defense in Walternate who speaks up and says "given what we know about Jones' actions so far, what Dr. Bishop suggests should not be overlooked."
 
Walternate's gaze in this scene was so heavy. Whether it's all the turmoil he is facing or has faced, I don't know. His right eye looked like it was closed also, not sure if that was a trick of the lighting or if that's a John Noble trick to differentiate their characteristics.
 
Peter just has to go and ask doesn't he? He wants to know how Jones would make this happen. We are then taken to Sydney, Australia where a young woman stands consulting a map, then she checks a watch-like device on her arm that is showing a countdown.
 
In Beijing, China a man consults a map and checks his matching timer. This action repeats in The Himalayas in Nepal. Each subsequent check of the timer devices shows the countdown getting lower and lower.
In Manhattan, New York a young man hops out of a cab with 20 seconds left to go. In all the locations the human time bombs stake out their spot and then close their eyes and start to concentrate. Their veins collectively bulge and just when I think their heads might explode the ground under and around them starts shaking as tremors wrack the areas they are in.
 
That was our teasing opener and now it's time for the credits.

Friday, April 27, 2012

FRINGE - Season Five Video

This video is awesome and gives us some teasers as to what will be coming up in Fringe Season 5.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

It's Official - Fringe Renewed For Season 5

The news came out today ... Fringe has been renewed for 13 episodes for Season 5.  It is a relief to many in the Fringedom to find this out as we've all been on edge waiting for the announcement.  This will bring the series to the coveted 100 episode mark which will allow for future syndication. 

So everybody get ready to see what kind of mind-blowing, epic, probably disgusting stuff that Fringe has in store for us coming up!!!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Fringe Recap - Letters of Transit 4x19

Fringe Season 4 Episode 19 ... Letters of Transit ... Original Airdate Friday April 20, 2012
 
This episode of Fringe starts with some back story scrolling up the screen. It foretells of a bleak future and what happened to make it be that way. The beings that have always been referred to as Observers remained true to their name, only watching key events in human history until 2015.
 
In 2015 they were no longer content to just watch events unfold before them and they took over. Although there were citizen revolts they led nowhere and resulted in much bloodshed. The people who made it through this period were dubbed "Natives."
 
Some of the Natives, after they swore their allegiance to the Observers, were given markings and branded as "Loyalists."
 
The original Fringe team fought against the Observer takeover but they were not able to overcome them.
 
Afterwards, the Fringe Division was cut down to lower numbers and their surviving function was to police the Natives.
 
The resistance was short lived.


***

Or was it?
 
In Boston 2036 a young blond haired woman raps on a door in a back alleyway. A man answers her knock and upon seeing her he greets her with "Agent," swinging the door outwards so she may enter the building.
 
She descends a staircase slowly looking inconspicuously around at the other occupants in the room. A vast majority of them are men who are pale, bald and dressed in dark colored suits. One of them is sitting in a chair and as a lady walks by him he forcefully grabs her arm and jerks her into his lap.
 
Another man walks over to the encounter he just witnessed. He does not have Observer qualities. He tells Mr. Handsy that his girl has another shift. Apparently the Observers have been "borrowing" the ladies at this Studio 54 for Observers and must not be returning them.
 
The seated Observer jumps up and flings his lady friend back into the chair. When he turns to face the other man he receives a punch in the gut and doubles over. Two men dressed in green military type uniforms run over and wrangle the guy who is getting out of hand. They both have writing in an unknown language on their right cheekbones so this marks them as Loyalists.
 
An older Observer by the name of Captain Windmark comes over and states that the Native is agitated. The Native furthers solidifies his remark by spitting in his face.
 
The Observer fixes him with a stare and the Native begins to tremble and his eyes seem to bulge out. Blood drips down the side of his neck. Suddenly there is a goopy sound and then the side of his neck is covered with blood. He slumps forward, being held up by the Loyalists.
 
The blond agent comes into view behind him and apologizes for his behavior. The Observer doesn't seem pleased about what just happened but the agent reminds him that since the man is a Native he is her jurisdiction and besides that if he is wiped there is a lot of paperwork involved and less kick backs for her.


He starts to give her the stink eye but when he tries to read her thoughts he just says, "I must say Agent, you are always exactly as you seem."
 
She takes the Native and they leave the club. He regains some of his composure outside in the alleyway, and through the conversation that takes place it appears that the Observers are not able to read what this Agent is really thinking, only what she wants them to hear.
 
The Native called her there to show her something and he leads her to the back of a van. She looks under a covering in the van and is surprised by what she sees underneath. The Native tells her that there were two more at the place where this one was, a younger man and woman but they couldn't all be moved at once. He is starting to tell her where the other two are when a popping sound is heard behind him and blood spews on the Agent's face. He collapses in the street. She grabs his keys and drives the van away.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Fringe Live Tweet Along During "Letters of Transit" (4x19)

Fringe producers Jeff Pinkner (@JPFRINGE) and Joel Wyman (@JWFRINGE) will be on Twitter tweeting with the Fringe fandom during this week's episode, "Letters of Transit" - Season 4 Episode 19.  They will be on during both the East and West Coast feeds. 

Remember to watch Fringe Live at 9:00 PM on Fox Friday April 20th. 

Video: John Noble Talks About "The Consultant" - Season 4 Episode 18

Fringe Cast Talks About Letters of Transit - Season 4 Episode 19

Fringe always brings something a little extra mind-blowing to the table for the 19th episodes of it's seasons.  This year looks just as likely to melt our brains with "Letters of Transit."  In this video the cast talks about this upcoming episode.



Monday, April 16, 2012

Still Waiting for News about Fringe Season 5

In regards to whether Fringe has been renewed for Season 5 --

Joel Wyman tweeted late last night (or early this morning depending on your time zone)


JOEL WYMAN@JWFRINGE
We might hear something tomorrow. I know you're all anxious.


Kind of just like a Fringe episode, leaving us restless and wanting to know more as soon as possible.  Fitting in a way.  For me it's become of those I want to know but do I really want to know issues.  If the answer is Yes then of course I want to know.  If not, I think I would like to continue trudge that tried and true path of ignorance is bliss.  Albeit anxiety-inducing, fingernail chomping, suspense filled "bliss."


UPDATE:  Fringe was renewed for a 13 episode run for its Season 5.  This will be the final season.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Fringe - Everything In It's Right Place Recap (4x17)

My apologies for the lateness of this recap.


Everything In Its Right Place ... Season 4 Episode 17 ... Fringe ... Original Airdate Friday April 6, 2012

This week on Fringe we learn that Gene has S.A.D. which is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sort of a depression-like state due to not being outside in the sunshine. Gene shouldn't be depressed though because she is the bovine who's the most fine as she rocks her FBI blanket, hat and sweet ass combat boots. Peter Walter, and Olivia talk in hushed tones as they explain to Lincoln that it's "Grazing Day" and they are taking Gene to her favorite pasture out in Warwick.
 
Olivia presents Lincoln with something she found in her apartment and is unsure of why she had it in the first place. It's a Native American token that Lincoln's now deceased partner, Robert Danzig, gave him a long time ago. It has a round quarter sized object attached to a piece of braided leather. Engraved on the object are swirls that symbolize a maze with a person at the edge. The maze itself is representative of the trials and tribulations of life's journey, illustrating that if you make the right choices you will eventually find your way to the center of the maze, and the center of the maze is symbolic of being home.
 
Robert had given this to Lincoln after they became partners because as Lincoln says, "Danzig knew I was never much for putting down roots. I never really stayed in the same place too long. He used to joke that if I kept living like that that one day I would float off into space." So in order to let Lincoln know that he would always belong and be accepted by Robert and his family Robert gave him the token. Robert referred to it as Lincoln's tether.
 
After one of Lincoln's early cases with the Fringe Division, after Olivia had saved his life, Lincoln passed the charm on to her as a thank you and a reminder of their friendship. However, Olivia remembers none of that now, which is yet another kick in the head to poor Lincoln's inner stability.
 
The somber moment is broken (for Olivia anyway) when Walter calls her over to tell her that Gene's anxiously waiting.
 
Lincoln is thankfully distracted when Astrid comes in lugging two boxes of case files and he goes to help her with them. The Other Side wants to be debriefed on all the information This Side has on David Robert Jones. Astrid has been picked to go since not all of Olivia's memory cylinders are functioning. The unexpected foray Over There is causing Astrid to have to postpone some plans she had made with her father.
 
Lincoln, disheartened at the prospect of getting a blow by blow recount of Grazing Day later offers to go in Astrid's place. At first Broyles resists, but after realizing that Lincoln needs some away he decides to let him go.
 
Next we universe hop and are in Belmont, New York. This has been confusing me a little the entire season. In all the other seasons when we universe jumped the little flash would help to distinguish where our destination was. This season it seems like when we go Over There there is a blue flash, and now honestly I'm not sure what it does when we come back here. But I wonder why it flashes blue for the other side? This being Fringe I'm sure there is a reason.
 
It's night, it's been raining., a woman exits an elevator into a nearly deserted open parking area. Anyone want to place bets on something bad about to go down because this is the perfect recipe for trouble. The woman walks over to her vehicle and just as she gets to it she drops her keys. She retrieves them and a voice behind her says, "Hi." It's a man and they stare each other down for a moment before she tries to run. He grabs her and hauls her back to him. She manages to sock him in the face and split his lip. He's not happy now. She's on the ground and he pulls out a knife and approaches her. He gets a fist full of hair and leans over her but she sees something over his shoulder that scares her worse than her present situation.
 
He turns and silhouetted by the light behind it is a being about the height of a human with white scraggly hair. It grabs the man by his shirt front and lifts him into the air. My mind works in mysterious ways and this reminded me so much of the scene in Scrooged when Frank Cross's dead boss holds him out the window. However, this time our villain (meaning the would-be woman attacker) doesn't get dropped off a skyscraper. The unknown thing tosses him to the ground before leaning threateningly over him as the woman escapes.
 
Perfect time for the Fringe credits, don't you think?

Fringe - The Consultant Recap (4x18)

Fringe Season 4 Episode 18 ... The Consultant ... Original Airdate Friday April 13, 2012
 
It is a rainy day on the Other Side as Captain Lincoln Lee is laid to rest. Our Agent Lee and AltAstrid watch the proceedings from inside a car at the graveyard. Astrid shares with Lincoln that she doesn't like funerals because "I never know what I'm supposed to say." Lincoln assures her that at the time of someone's death there really are no right words to say.



Lincoln's flag draped casket is carried to what will be his final resting place as Liv promises his grieving parents that justice will be found. Colonel Broyles looks stoic and sad.
 
Later back at the Fringe Division in Manhattan, Liv is now with Nina in her jail cell. She is offering to help Nina plea bargain her sentence down if she will give up some information on who David Robert Jones's mole at the DOD is. Nina refuses to sign the offer Liv has brought to her.
 
When Liv tells Nina that DRJ's little ring of cronies will be brought down and "will find themselves rotting in a cell, just like you." Nina sneers at her telling her not to worry her pretty little red head because soon there's going to be bigger fish to fry, she's confident she won't be caught up in jail very long and "it's your world you ought be concerned about, because as bad as you think things are now, things are gonna get much worse."
 
There's a flash and now we are in the Amberverse. In an office in Manhattan a meeting is being held in which an angry man, Mr. Bowers* is reaming out one of his employees for not having a presentation done on time which caused him and a colleague to not board the plane they were supposed to. He starts to say, "It should come as no surprise to anyone in this room, especially you Mr. Dellman* you're fi--"
[* I don't know if these names are right.]
 
Suddenly his body flies up in the air and he is plastered face first to the ceiling. Imagine The Exorcist meets The Apprentice, except Donald Trump never did stunts like that. As the rest of the people in the room watch his body jerks around a bit as he yells for someone to get him down. Then with a thud, he lands on his back half on and half off the table. His ankles look like they have been shoved up through the bottom parts of his shins and he is completely still.
 
Hello Fringe Credits.
 
Walter and Astrid arrive on the scene with Walter sniping at Astrid about her driving skills. He tells her "most automobile fatalities occur driving between work and home." She replies back, "Yeah, so does most driving."
 
"Ascot" is saved from more lecturing when Walter sees Peter and Olivia walking over. As the original Polivia shipper (although he forgot he was for awhile) he is deliriously happy that Peter and Olivia have been spending time together.
 
Astrid brings back the focus to the case at hand by asking for the details. Olivia explains that in the office building they are about to enter there were two deaths. Both victims were lifted up into the air and then thrown back to the ground whereupon they died on impact. The witnesses said these actions were caused by some unseen force.
 
I'm not sure where the second victim came into play because we weren't shown that, but as the team examines the bodies they are in the same room. Walter is looking at Mr. Bowers's body and notes that most of the lower half of his body has been shattered, with his spinal column being shoved up through his torso. The injuries seem to be consistent with what would be sustained during an impact. But to cause the type of bodily harm they are seeing the fall would've had to been from a height much greater than just the ceiling of the room. When pondering why only two men from out of the whole building were affected Walter quotes Romans 1:18 "The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteous men."
 
Both bodies have matching red marks across their stomachs which in any other circumstances would make it seem as though the two men were showing signs of seat belt constriction marks. Olivia comes over to say that Broyles has given her some more info and there's another body to add to the list. This person was in an apartment building in Brooklyn and the time of death and the details of the case all match what they are looking at now. To add to the mysteriousness the newest member of the death by unknown reason club was a pilot.
 
When he hears this Walter says that the injuries in front of him coincide with what would be seen in the event of a plane crash. Peter says, "Walter, how could these people have been in a plane crash if neither of them was in a plane?" Walter concurs, "Well, there is that." I'm sure that question had to be asked, but sometimes it surprises me that things like this surprise the Fringe team anymore. I guess when the day comes that they don't question that kind of stuff will be the day it's time for new agents. Maybe that's what happens when the series ends.
 
Walter spends a moment looking at the reflection of himself in the television that's mounted on the wall and apparently it triggers something in his genius brain because he says, "I might have an idea."
 
We flash to Over There and in Col. Broyles's office AltAstrid confirms that per the request of the Amberverse Side she checked and there was a plane that crashed right after take off on their side. The casualties were two men and the pilot. Liv comes in and Broyles sends Astrid off to get custody of the bodies.
 
Liv hands Broyles an iPad looking device and tells him that she has come up with 108 names of possible people who could be the leak to Jones. Broyles seems hesitant to act on Liv's wishes of running background checks and surveillance on these people because of their ranking and because of all the red tape involved. Then after a moment he sighs a little and says, "I'll cut through it."
 
Broyles tells Liv that in the meantime he needs her to go pick up some of the Fringe Division from the Other Side (The Other Side in this instance being the Amberverse, it makes sense when watching and I'm hoping it's not confusing when being written out.) The plane that crashed was carrying the doppelgangers of the people who just died over in the Amberverse so the two Fringe Divisions are going to work together to figure out what is going on.
 
After she leaves he looks at the information she left him and seems pensive. To be fair, Broyles always seems pensive about something.
 
At Liberty Island in the Amberverse Olivia is getting ready to take Walter across through the bridge room. Even though they are just essentially walking through a door Walter makes sure to empty his bladder first as "it's better safe than sorry."
 
The admitting officer asks Walter a few questions ending with, "Are you on any medications?" Walter smiles as he answers, "Several. Mostly recreational." Afterwards he and Olivia are scanned through and they enter the bridge room.
 
Olivia offers to stay with Walter during his time in the alternate universe but Walter says he will be fine, citing that Peter will need Olivia's help examining the bodies and throwing in that the two lovebirds (Peter and Olivia) could use some time alone. Then he says, "Thank you, for trusting me. This is a really big step for me." I'm so glad that Walter is no longer the withdrawn agoraphobic that he was when this season first started.
 
AltLiv and OurLincoln (just to add more confusion to the "Ours", "Theirs", "OverHere", "OverThere" conundrum) come to pick up Walter. Walter calls AltLiv his escort but clarifies that he doesn't mean prostitute.
 
Olivia and Lincoln have a short conversation about AltLivia's well-being with Lincoln saying considering the circumstances the is doing as well as can be expected and wants to get answers. Here I had a bit of a revelation, for me anyway. Smarter people probably realized it way before now. Skip the next paragraph if you just want recap and not revelation details.
 
I realized that Lincoln can probably relate to AltLivia a whole lot better now since he lost Robert and she's lost her Lincoln. Originally he was relating to Olivia because they had similar pasts because she had lost John. This revised version of Olivia also lost John in the past but I'm still not quite sure of how the details about that settle into the big puzzle and plus part (or most) of Olivia's emptiness is being filled in with warm and fuzzy Peter feelings. And yes, you can read whatever double entendres into the words emptiness and warm and fuzzy in the previous sentence that you would like.
 
On the pier of Liberty Island there is an electronic board flashing names of areas with the words Red or Green beside them. Liv explains to Walter that it shows where the damage is the worst. Walter contemplates this for a moment with a sad look and Liv says, "It's getting better though. The bridge is helping to heal our world."
 
The checker-inner at the pier gives Liv his condolences on Lincoln's death. Walter pipes up that he was going to bring a casserole because during times of grief people need to eat, but food is something that is on the not allowed list when crossing universes.
 
Walter mentions that even though he and Belly did some experimental things involving the two universes they never did anything like what's happening now. Liv brings up the possibility of these events being engineered by a person, specifically David Robert Jones. In true Walter fashion he agrees that "anything's possible, even Santa Claus."
 
With the help of a few tests he runs using tuning forks, one of the dead victims from Liv's side, and the severed hand of one of the victims from his side (severed body parts are allowed to cross the universal plane, just not perishables) Walter concludes that Liv's universe vibrates at a 'G'. The hand from the Amberverse also vibrates at a 'G'. However, the two universes normally vibrate at different frequencies with the Amberverse's usually being 'C'. In the case of the victims in the office and apartment buildings on Walter's side they were somehow made to vibrate at a 'G' so when the plane crashed on one side the people in both universes were effected.
 
They decide to listen to the recording of the cockpit chatter going on before the crash. It turns out that Over There planes don't have black boxes but all airplane communications are recorded by satellites. The transmission confirms that shortly after takeoff the airplane underwent some kind of electrical disturbance and then crashed. I think the pilot says an electrical disturbance but the recording is garbled.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Fringe Recap - Nothing As It Seems (4x16)

Fringe ... Season 4 Episode 16 ... Nothing As It Seems
 
This episode is a throwback to Season One's episode The Transformation. (Episode 1x13) The beginning has some differences. The pilot advises them that they will remain in flight a bit longer as they are trying to avoid turbulent weather. An announcement says the staff will be coming around to offer snacks for $5.00 a pop and advising that if you left home without your American Express your screwed because they don't accept cash.
 
A man scribbles notes onto a sheet of paper. His nose starts to bleed, dripping tiny scarlet puddles on his handiwork. The older lady beside him tells him about an old wives tale to stop bloody noses that had to do with putting keys on your back. I don't even understand what that means truthfully. Which I guess doesn't matter because she says after testing it herself she can tell him it doesn't work. He excuses himself off to the restroom.
 
In the bathroom he pulls out a vial of liquid that he had concealed in a small zippered case. He runs a cotton swab along his tongue and the inside of his cheeks, then dips it into the liquid and swirls it around. The contents inside begin to turn red.
 
He leaves the restroom and finds a flight attendant, interrupting her while she is helping someone else. When she doesn't respond quickly enough to his polite request of her attention, he snaps, "No, now!" But then he tacks on a quiet, "Please," at the end, so it's all good again.
 
She talks with him in the back and he says he's got some problems that he can't explain, due to both time and authority. He says he needs as many sedatives and tranquilizers from the other passengers as possible. Thinking he is on the edge of a panic attack the flight attendant tries to get him to take a deep breath. The man replies with, "This isn't a panic attack. This is real. We will die, all of us, if you don't do what I say." The other flight attendant reminds him that it's a no-no to talk about such things while in flight.
 
His nose starts to bleed again and he sequesters himself to the bathroom. Before doing so he tells the male flight attendant to get the drugs, bring them back there and knock. However, if there is no response, or if there is a response but he no longer looks like himself the door is to be kept closed.
 
The female flight attendant gets the captain on the phone with her portion of the conversation being, "Yes sir, but I think forty minutes is too long." From the lavatory there are loud thumping and rattling sounds interspersed with cries of anguish that echo around the plane.
 
The female flight attendant announces to the cabin, "Ladies and Gentleman, we have a passenger that's having a hard time." Sounds like the understatement of the century. I'm sure they are all hoping that they didn't have the same in-flight meal as he did.
 
The Air Marshal goes to the door of the bathroom and advises the man that he will have to come in. The noises on the other side of the door stop and the occupied sign flips over to vacant. The door opens and the man peeps out, no worse for wear than when he originally went in.
 
The next scene has him in some kind of conference room speaking to TSA officials at an airport. The man explains his behavior on the plane as a panic attack because he is terrified of flying. One of the officials starts to search his luggage which makes him uncomfortable and he says, "Don't you have to ask permission before you do that?" The other man replies, "Not since Bush 2."
 
As they begin searching his bag he doubles over and his nose starts bleeding again. He once again retires to the nearby bathroom. The search of his suitcase turns up a black zippered pouch full of vials with solutions and syringes. The two TSA officers conclude that it is drugs and their boy in the bathroom is going through withdrawal.
 
In the bathroom, the type of withdrawal this man is going through consists of his teeth falling out and plinking down into the sink along with drooling blood from his mouth. Then as he hunches over to the floor numerous quills sprout out from his back tearing holes in his sensible button down shirt. Drycleaners going to have a hell of a time fixing that.
 
The teeth falling out part skeeved me out more than the spikes shooting up. I didn't even see any teeth, it was just the noise they made. Heebie Jeebies.
 
One of the officers gets on the phone to call the police, telling the person on the other end that these drugs were none like he's seen before. At right about that time the bathroom door comes exploding outward, with splintered pieces flying everywhere. In the doorway stands a creature that looks like something that escaped from a radioactive lagoon. That scene actually made me jump, it was perfectly timed.
 
Now for the opening credits. I saw on Twitter that some people speculated that the credits might be back to blue this week, but they are not. I personally think that even though Peter is "home" that it's still an altered timeline so they do deserve their own background color.