In episode 2.02, “Night of Desirable Objects,” there is at least the back-story involving Olivia's return to this reality. This episode, however, bears only the aforementioned development between Walter and Astrid. Jasika Nicole said in her interview with The Fringe Podcast that in an upcoming episode, there would indeed be development between the two of them, and I definitely think that it is safe to assume that this is the episode to which she was referring. Like I said, apart from their development, this episode doesn't really have much to offer. I do like seeing Walter coming out of his shell, striving for independence and for the ability to make up time that he lost during the seventeen years that he was in St. Claire's. I have been saying for quite some time now that it is interesting to see how Walter and Peter often switch roles, whereas Walter becomes the child, and Peter becomes the father, and obviously, Walter is well aware of this. Usually, even the “stand-alone” episodes have really good endings, and this one really doesn't. I do think that it is very cool of Walter to implant a tracking chip in his neck so that Peter and Olivia know where he is, and I see that as Walter's way of trying to show Peter that he can be trusted. Most likely, this chip will come in handy in the next episode, but I won't say any more than that.
That last scene is incredibly heartbreaking to watch, though, because Walter says to Peter, “I've been out of the institution for a year now, and I've just begun my journey back towards being whole.” I think that a very major part of what Walter is talking about here is the fact that he is finally getting Peter back in his life. Peter is finally beginning to warm up to Walter, and their relationship is escalating to places that it has never been before. However, soon enough, Peter is going to discover the truth, and when that happens, only time will tell how angry he is going to be. I would imagine that there will be a sudden split in their relationship. If I lived in Fringe's world, I honestly could not possibly imagine how I'd feel if my father told me that he kidnapped me from an alternate reality and has been lying to me ever since, not only about that but also (most likely) about my mother being dead. I think that my primary sense of betrayal would come from the fact that I'd feel completely out of place, like I wouldn't belong. Seeing Peter learn the truth is something that is going to be very difficult to watch.
I do have to give this episode credit for having such a massive gross-out factor. I don't think that Fringe has ever made me want to throw up like this episode does. One of the first lines in this episode between Olivia and Peter really does help sum it up. Olivia asks Peter when he arrives at the scene whether or not he has eaten, and when he tells her that he has, she says, “Well, that's unfortunate.” I think that that line was thrown in there as a way of speaking to viewers as well, not just Peter, because it was indeed incredibly unfortunate that I had eaten prior to watching this episode. I did not throw up, but I certainly felt like it. One observation that I did make in regards to this episode, by the way, is that this is the fourth time (of which I can recall) that Fringe has dealt with some sort of worm-like parasite. The first time is in episode 1.07, “In Which We Meet Mr. Jones,” when the large worm-like parasite attaches itself to Loeb's heart. The second time is in episode 1.11, “Bound,” when victims are killed by incredibly large, slug-like creatures which they cough up. The third time is in episode 1.16, “Unleashed,” when Charlie is impregnated by the chimera and therefore has little worm-like creatures growing inside of him. “Snakehead” is therefore the fourth time we have seen this theme recur in the series.
Speaking of the title of the episode, “Snakehead,” I was in complete confusion as to why the episode is titled as it is, so I did some quick research. According to Fringepedia, “Snakehead is a term for organized criminal gangs in Southeast China that smuggle people (human trafficking) to wealthier Western countries.” At first, I couldn't understand it because my initial reaction when I found out what this episode is titled was that I thought that it was going to deal with snakes, but obviously, as we now know, it has absolutely nothing to do with snakes, so that makes a lot of sense now. Something that still confuses me about this episode, however, is how the immigrants on the boat are being used. What I do understand is that immigrants are being given pills that they are told will help them with seasickness, when in reality, it is being used to infect them with the worm. Therefore, when the immigrants dock, the worms are removed (which, in the process, kills the immigrants) and used to aid people who have immune deficiency disorders. However, was Matt's mother fully aware of what she was doing? Did she understand that what she was doing involved killing so many people but figured that saving her son was worth it? Also, how does the Triad retrieve the worms? How does Lan, for example, know to go to Ping-On Street at the beginning of the episode? I know that Olivia says to Broyles at one point that they are too late and that the second shipment of immigrants has already been taken, but what about Lan and the second man that we see visit Ming Che? How come they find their own way to Ming Che seemingly without being taken?
Another observation that I would like to make, even though this one is not nearly as constructive as the one I previously made pertaining to worm-like parasites seemingly being a recurring theme in the series, is that the noise that the creatures make uncannily remind me of the noise that the mandrakes make in Harry Potter. It is a similar shrill, an incredibly high-pitched screaming noise. Like I said, that really is not helpful at all but instead merely a random observation that I want to make. I have to laugh at Walter, as I do quite often, when he has that mischievous look on his face after pointing out that the worms most likely have a narcotic effect. It's easy to see, merely from that look, that he is seriously considering it, that he would like to try, and of course, Astrid is fully aware of this, which is why she says to him, “Walter, you are not smoking this thing.” As I said, what is funny is that he probably would. Speaking of Walter, I have to ask why it is that he never seems to have any money on him. Doesn't the FBI pay him for all that he does? My guess is that since Peter is a “civilian consultant,” he gets paid, but it seems to me as if Walter should be being paid as well. After all, I don't think that a lot of what they accomplish would be possible without his lab work.
Speaking of Walter, by the way, he has quite a few incredibly touching moments in this episode, one of which I have previously mentioned (pertaining to his statement at the end of the episode, saying that he is finally beginning to feel complete). I feel so sorry for him when he is trying to reach Peter but can't remember his number and then sits on the bench waiting for the bus even though he has used all of his change on the pay phone, crying to the Chinese woman who feels sorry for him, therefore taking him home with her. I have also mentioned the development that we see between Walter and Astrid. For example, Walter is incredibly worried and concerned when he discovers that Astrid has been followed back to the lab by the Triad (therefore singing the same song that he sings in 1.16, “Unleashed,” when he is in the sewer trying to locate the chimera, this time singing it when he is outside of the shop, in the car, both worrying about Astrid and Peter, since Peter has entered the shop unattended), and when he sees her, he says, “Oh, dear God,” apologizes to her for leaving her when they were together in town and then hugs her. Like I said, Jasika does say in that interview that the two of them would have some touching moments in the near future, and this had to have been the episode that she has in mind. Walter really does seem to care for Astrid, and it's getting to the point where it seems as if he doesn't really forget her name nearly as often anymore.
We see further character development from Peter and Olivia as well. It has been discussed amongst the Fringe community whether or not Peter is a Cortexiphan child, and the clues continue to pile up. Most frequently, he dressed in blacks and grays, just like Olivia. Also, in episode 2.07, “Of Human Action,” he is able to successfully maneuver Tyler's mind control abilities and shift his aim toward Broyles' arm instead of his head, which, to me, suggests advanced intellectual ability. After all, is it any coincidence that he has an IQ of 190 (which, by the way, is off the charts as far as what is considered genius, typically 140 and above)? In this episode, we see advanced observation skills from him, something that we typically see from Olivia. When he and Olivia are speaking to Elizabeth Jarvis, Matt's mother, he notices the atypical amount of bottles of hand sanitizer around the house and also notices the hermetically sealed windows, and instead of merely throwing that to the side and figuring that it isn't important at all, he factors it into the equation and discusses it with Walter, a fellow genius. In other words, if Peter had not accompanied Olivia to the Jarvis home, the case most likely would not have progressed so quickly.
We also see some development, as I said, from Olivia. As I have said before, a recurring theme that we consistently see in Fringe is Olivia's communication skills with children. She is incredibly good with children, especially her niece, Ella, and it seems as if whenever a case involves a child in one way or another, she is especially sensitive. At the end of the episode, she brings Mei Lin's daughter her butterfly toy that she loses (which she somehow knows belongs to her), and this brings utter joy to both the child and her parents. Previously, we have seen the bond that she shares with the Child (presumably an Observer) in episode 1.15, “Inner Child.” As I have said before, I am pretty sure that eventually in the series, Olivia will be a mother, either by becoming pregnant herself (something that is possibly hinted toward in episode 1.02, “The Same Old Story”) or by having to raise Ella. Speaking of the Lin family, however, if Peter could understand Mei Lin during the scene near the beginning of the episode when the team first speaks to her, then why do they need an additional translator? That is something that crossed my mind as soon as I saw that he could both understand and speak to her. Anyway, perhaps I am being a bit too harsh when I talk about how much I really didn't like this episode. I'm not a fan of the episodes that have very little mythology, and this one has practically none, only character development (which, don't get me wrong, is good). I did enjoy it more my second time watching it than my first, but I am really looking forward to the next episode, episode 2.10, “Grey Matters,” in which we will most definitely be returning to the mythology. Until then, stay on the fringe.
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