Fringe - S04E18 “The Consultant”

Fringe is a show that grows on you but you still have to be in the right mood to watch. But I’ve stuck with it because JJ shows are my crack. However, recapping it will be a challenge - it is probably one of the more complex shows on television right now as far as plot.

The Episode

Some things are coming to a head this episode. Alt-Broyles is in over his head - we find out he has made the deal with Jones because Jones is providing his son with a life-saving serum. Ah what we will do for love. Treason? No biggie, my son is alive.

The case is this: Someone (read: Jones) has engineered a way for people in both universes to be connected so that when one person dies in one universe that person’s doppelganger in the other universe will die too. This is demonstrated by a particularly unlikeable CEO getting thrown to the roof and then collapsing in a pile on his desk with injuries consistent with a plane crash. What a sight that would be to see.

In order to solve the case, a particularly adventurous Walter decides to go over to the other side to see the bodies and investigate there. He’s getting so much better! While there he stays with Alt-Olivia who is all choked up about Alt-Lincoln’s murder. She gets quite amusingly drunk and they have a good convo about her attempts to find out who the mole in Fringe division is. Being a smart little cookie Walter names the one person who - ta-da - actually is the mole. Broyles. Alt-Olivia investigates and gets the truth out of Alt-Nina.

Jones attempts to get Alt-Broyles to mess with the machine and we have one of those typically Fringe-like chase scenes where our heroes must stop a bad thing from happening and they get there just in time. Turns out, the chase wasn’t even necessary in the end because Alt-Broyles turns himself in but what’s an episode of Fringe without a chase scene? Nothing, I tell ya. Nothing good.

Meanwhile, Lincoln is staying in the Alternate universe for the time being under the guise that he wants to find Alt-Lincoln’s killer. Come now, we know you’re just avoiding seeing lovey-dovey Olivia and Peter.

Our cliffhanger: Walter discovers what it is Jones has been up to all this time. He wants the two universes to collapse into each other and become one. Dun-Dun-Dunnn.

Thoughts

I forget sometimes why I like this show and then I watch an episode, with it’s twists and turns, with it’s complex characters, with it’s sciencey mumbo-jumbo that actually sounds complex enough to be real and I remember.

This is obviously set-up for the big finale that’s upcoming but it’s not a boring set up episode. The case itself, or its logistics anyway, is sufficiently interesting. Plus it puts Walter on the other side with Alt-Olivia. Who has grown on me over the seasons, she really has. I’m so impressed with all the Fringe actors for their ability to act dual roles week in and week out. It’s probably acting heaven for them but it must also be extremely hard work. I’d be interested to see whether or not they film just one set of characters then the other so that the actors aren’t constantly having to go back and forth. Obviously they must because hair and make-up for that would be a bitch.

Fringe is filmed in Vancouver by the way. British Columbia represent!

Favourite Things

Alt-Olivia’s drunken facial expressions and hand movements. Even though the subject matter was kinda serious I couldn’t help but laugh.

Also, Walter pulling out a human hand from his bag like it was no big deal.

Lincoln: You couldn’t bring over a casserole, but a severed hand is OK?