Fringe - "The Bishop Revival" (2.13)

“The Bishop Revival” is far from being a terrible episode, but it's also far from being a good episode. It's a good detective story, and it also makes a connection with the comic book series, which I think is really cool, but there's just something about it that leaves me unsatisfied. Perhaps, it is the lack of closure at the end of the episode. Normally, I love a lack of closure, because it makes Fringe less like House and more like Alias and LOST (which I ultimately think that it is, anyway), but this time, I am apprehensive. I am worried that the purpose of this episode's ending is to leave us to draw conclusions of our own, never tangibly returning to the story at a later time, and that is simply no good. Anyway, I'll talk a lot about this episode's strengths and weaknesses as well as the story itself. Also, I would like to warn you that some of what I will talk about has already been discussed amongst The Fringe Podcast, and I apologize for that. I don't want anyone thinking that my ideas are not original because most of them are but are coincidentally also those of the podcast. If that is ever not the case, then I try to attribute credit. If you have not yet seen this episode, by the way, then please don't read any further, since this does contain spoilers.
 

Near the beginning of the episode, Walter and Peter arrive at the crime scene in a rather funny scene, with Walter attempting to drive unsuccessfully. Walter mentions Peter's mother to him, something that I don't believe that he has done since the ending of episode 2.07, “Of Human Action.” He once again mentions Peter's mother's beauty, but this time, he mentions the wedding, saying that he always dreamed of a day that he would have a son who would wear his purple tuxedo, and to make the story short, Walter brings Olivia's name into the conversation, rushing to the question, “Do you think she would call me dad?” What I find really interesting about Peter's response is that he simply says, “My guess would be no.” He does not say something to the effect of, “I don't feel that way about her.” It's interesting not because it clues us in to the possibility that Peter has romantic feelings for Olivia (although it does, I think that that is something that we have seen since season 1) but because he didn't deny that he does. He just played along as if it's already out in the open, which obviously, it is not. I suppose it's just me gentle heart, but I think that it would be so awesome if Peter and Olivia eventually do get married, and lo and behold, Peter wears Walter's purple tuxedo. If that isn't sentimental, then I don't know what is. I mean, Walter does say that “the day may come sooner than you think.” Were the writers speaking to us through that line, perhaps?

All right, well, here is the main complaint that I have about this episode. The previous episode, “What Lies Below,” ends with Astrid being clued in to the possibility that Walter has a very serious secret in regards to Peter. She may not know exactly what it is, but she does know that something isn't right, and in this episode, she acts as if nothing happened. She doesn't mention it to Walter again, and she doesn't even behave any differently around him. It is, as I said, as if that last scene in “What Lies Below” didn't even happen, and that is something that is difficult for me to grasp. How could she just carry on and pretend like nothing ever happened, like he didn't say what he said? I mean, perhaps, she has worked with Walter long enough to know that he doesn't always make sense, and I could understand and even support that argument if he had said that he didn't know what he was talking about or something to that effect when Astrid approached him, but he basically told her that it isn't any of her business, which did not debunk his hint that Peter is not from this side. Perhaps, she is so disturbed by what he said that she can't bear to talk about it, and so psychologically rejecting it, she still behaves the same as before. Speaking of Walter and Astrid, by the way, I love how he calls her Ostrich in this episode, and she doesn't correct him. Perhaps, that is an example of her behaving differently, because normally, she does correct him.

Speaking of Walter's Walterisms, I also love how when at the restaurant, Olivia suggests that the toxin originated from a cup of tea, asking, “How about a cup of tea?” Walter misunderstands her and thinks that she is offering one to him, so he says, “Oh, yes, thank you.” Every time that I watch the episode, that line makes me laugh for two reasons. First of all, I love how the team is at the crime scene where there are dead bodies, yet Walter is so easily distracted by his thinking that Olivia has offered him a cup of tea, and second of all, it's as if Olivia would even do that. Again, they're at a crime scene where there are dead bodies. There is very little lighting at the restaurant (something that I think is frequently pulled off very well inFringe, as Caleb Braudrick points out in the podcast), and Olivia randomly asks Walter if he wants a cup of tea? I don't think so. Like I said, I love that line, and it is probably my favorite line from the episode, clearly demonstrating Walter's Walterisms, and since I am on the topic of that scene, I was very happy to see that that adorable little girl was not dead, but how could she not be? How did she escape? Did she run out of the restaurant? It seems to me like it would be too late at that point, since she would have already inhaled the toxin. I am happy that she survived, but I would like to know how she did. I mean, the little girl that we see receiving attention outside of the restaurant is the same little girl that was sitting so close to the cup of tea, the girl that was with her mother, correct?

The Fringe Podcast does mention the old-fashioned typewriter on Hoffman's desk, and I have to say that, because I didn't even notice that, to be honest. That is one of the many reasons why I love that podcast, though. It gets me thinking about topics that I would normally probably not think about, and this is an example, since I didn't even notice the typewriter. I did, however, return to the episode to look for it, and I did find it. Obviously, what it suggests is that Hoffman might be from the other side, since we see the Shapeshifter making contact with the other side using an old-fashioned typewriter in a couple of episodes early this season. Is it possible that Hoffman is a soldier from the other side and that that is why he has not aged? That could be why he is taking people out, but then, I don't understand the Nazi connection. Also, there doesn't seem to be a mirror with the keyboard. Hoffman is very old, even though, for some reason, he doesn't look like he is (perhaps Jacob has given him a “gift”?), so perhaps, the old-fashioned typewriter is simply to fit the old music which sounds to me like it's being played on a turntable, or something very old, anyway. There is also another possibility, although it does not do anything to explain his age or the typewriter. We know that ZFT has German origins, and obviously, Hoffman was German, so is it possible that he is ZFT? This is also something that I cannot claim as my own thought, since I didn't even think about it until the podcast mentioned it.

In the very first episode of the series, Broyles says something like, “it's like someone is experimenting, only the whole world is a lab,” to Olivia, and that is one reason why I do like this episode. It is very representative of what Broyles says in that episode, since Hoffman really was conducting experiments on people to try to find an effective way of eliminating “inferior” races, so it really is “the whole world.” That brings me to the same thought process to which I have been brought throughout this whole season, though. What happened to the Pattern? Are we still seeing the Pattern? What about the aforementioned ZFT? This season, we have only heard the other reality mentioned, while meanwhile, what about the mole-baby living underground (2.02, “Night of Desirable Objects”), the doctor who is addicted to dreams (2.05, “Dream Logic”), the Chinese Snakehead that infects people with an incredibly large and terminal worm (2.09, “Snakehead), the disfigured people of Edina, New York (2.11, “Johari Window”) or the ancient virus with which Peter becomes infected (2.12, “What Lies Below”)? Are these incidents all part of the Pattern, and if not, then what are they, exactly? Why are they happening? I want the mythology of the Pattern and of ZFT to come into play again. Don't get me wrong; I love the parallel universes arc of the mythology, but the Pattern and ZFT haven't even been mentioned this season, and it's frustrating.

Well, now discussing the ending of the episode, first of all, during the scene in which Walter inhales the toxin in Hoffman's basement and Peter notices Walter's sweater right before Walter begins choking, how did Peter not see that beacon of boiling purple liquid when he was in that area, when he noticed the sweater? That really annoys me, because I know that I would certainly notice that before I notice a sweater. Also, at the conference itself, when Olivia and Hoffman nearly brush past each other, how did Olivia not see him? I replayed that scene two or three times, and she definitely would have seen him, and I don't understand how she doesn't. She knows what he looks like, yet she walks right past him in proximity consisting of less than a foot, and speaking of the conference, it makes perfect sense for Hoffman to have targeted a World Tolerance Conference. If one is trying to eliminate races that he or she sees as “inferior,” what better place to go? It's a really good thing that Walter stopped Hoffman when he did (I would like to just say, by the way, that I agree with the podcast. If Walter continues going rogue and taking matters into his own hands, Broyles isn't always going to be so forgiving), because the body count at that conference most likely would have been incredibly high. Then, there is the final scene in which Peter asks Walter how Hoffman got a hold of the formula if not from the books, and before we see the photo (The photo, by the way, really confuses me. Is that Walter or his father in the photo?), Walter says to Peter that “perhaps there are some mysteries that are destined to remain unsolved.” This line reminds me so much of what he tells Astrid at the end of “What Lies Below,” which is that “some things are meant to be left alone.”

Lastly, I want to briefly talk about the comic book connection. Those fans who have read the six comic books that take place prior to the pilot episode of the series are definitely rewarded in this episode, since a connection is made. In the fourth comic book (the one with the seahorse on the cover, of course), we learn that Walter's father was a Nazi spy (something on which is then elaborated in the fifth comic book), so, for me, learning that in this episode was no surprise, but it was rewarding for that connection to be made, anyway. In the comic, however, Walter's father's name is Hans Froehlich, not Robert Bishoff, and although The Fringe Podcast brought that up and talked about it for a bit, I see it as a relatively simple equation. Since he wasn't actually a Nazi but was instead a spy, trying to bring about the Nazi Party's destruction by learning its secrets, he most likely would have used an alias. I do have to admit, however, that it is indeed odd that Walter does not clarify this to William Bell in the comic. In fact, he seems to immediately know that Froehlich is his father just by hearing his name. Perhaps, Walter's father told him this story later, and Walter was therefore aware of the alias. That still doesn't explain, however, why he wouldn't have mentioned that to Bell. Anyway, “The Bishop Revival” is an okay episode but nothing fantastic. Leaving me drastically dissatisfied, I give it six cinnamon candles. If nothing else, it makes a really good detective story, as previously stated.

Fringe - "What Lies Below" (2.12)

I will kick this blog entry off with a spoiler alert; if you haven't seen this episode but would like to see it, then please, don't read any further, as this entry does contain spoilers. “What Lies Below” is a decent episode, and I think that I would give it eight little glass vials (kudos to those of who you immediately understood the Repo!reference). The plot line isn't really anything spectacular; basically, an age-old deadly virus is somehow unleashed from deep inside the earth, and as Walter points out, it is ultimately the top of the food chain. It is smart, forcing people to go outside, because that is where it can spread. Walter gives an example of a virus that cannot survive in water, so it gives its hosts a fear of water. The virus ultimately takes total control of its host. It's definitely really interesting stuff, but although I skipped over the “Science of Tomorrow” part of that particular podcast (for the particular reason that I don't want the magic to be debunked), Clint of the Fringe Podcast claims that apparently, very little of this episode's science is accurate. Part of this show's magic, however, is that it allows you to imagine and to ask yourself the age-old “what if” question. He also claims that the ending of the episode is not a big deal at all, with which I wholeheartedly disagree, but I'll elaborate on that a bit later.

The scene in which Peter finds himself convinced that Olivia has betrayed him was a really interesting scene (one reason of which I will not discuss until the “Jacksonville” entry). It was exciting and got my heart pounding. If this episode has anything to offer, it's the action; my heart was racing throughout almost this entire episode. My major fault with this episode, however, as it seems to be with a lot of Cortexi-Fans, is that at first glance, it does not appear to be tied to the major mythology of the series. There are ways, however, in which it could be, and although all of these ways are ways that I thought of myself shortly after the episode aired, Fringepedia presents a lot of possibilities. For example, we don't know whether or not Vandenkemp was aware that he was infected before entering the building. If we bring ourselves back to the pilot episode of the series, for example, I think that it is more than acceptable to assume that Morgan Steig knew what he was doing when he injected that pen into his arm.

The site also questions whether or not the attack was deliberate, and I think that it definitely was, regardless of who initiated the attack. It is very possible that it was ZFT. As I have said before, it is likely that ZFT's efforts are to wipe out the Observers, as is suggested at the end of episode 2.03, “Fracture.” If this is the case, then it is likely that the Observers just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, since the attacks are targeted toward them. However, the problem is that the possibility offered at the end of “Fracture” sort of conflicts with what we learn in “August,” which suggests the possibility that Gordon was lying. Anyway, is it possible that Solum Oil Corporation intentionally unleashed a deadly virus, and if so, why? Was it working for ZFT? If that is indeed the case, then why would ZFT unleash this virus? What would it have to gain? Does this return to the possibility that its primary goal is to take out the Observers, and again, if so, why?

Like I said, although, at first glance, the episode seems to be entirely “stand-alone,” we don't know for sure that it is. For example, episode 1.05, “Power Hungry,” seems to be “stand-alone,” but I don't think that it is because the advertisements trying to gain the attention of Joseph Meegar promise to help him “unlock [his] hidden potential,” and does this or does this not resonate with what Cortexiphan is supposed to do for those on whom it is treated? Is it possible that Meegar was being dosed with Cortexiphan, that like Tyler Carson (2.07, “Of Human Action”), a soldier was being formed? Is it possible that Fischer was working for Massive Dynamic and/or ZFT? Anyway, I know that I am talking a great deal about other episodes, but I think that sometimes, a lot of the time, in fact, episodes can be tied into other episodes, especially to help demonstrate that not all of the “stand-alone” episodes are truly “stand-alone” episodes, that they can probably be somehow tied into the mythology. I do, however, agree with the complaints that nothing is offered, but you never know; perhaps, something will eventually be offered that will help us understand these little occurrences. What I would really like to know is what happened to ZFT, why we have so far heard absolutely nothing about it this entire season.

Going a bit off topic yet again, I would like to briefly discuss a couple of videos that I recently watched, courtesy of Fringe Insider's Tumblr profile. In both of the videos, executive producers J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner discuss secrets of Fringe, and in the first video, they discuss the Observers. I wouldn't say that a whole lot is offered, which is good because I wouldn't want what they have planned for the storyline to be spoiled, but anyway, they talked about how they'd like to think that the Observers are not from either reality but are from a reality of their own. Granted, I think that that is a pretty major point to unleash, but I think that that is something that, for some reason, they want us to know because Pinkner said this after the season 1 finale, too. They also touched upon the green, green, green, red color sequence, saying that it definitely means something but that they haven't yet decided when they're going to reveal what it means, just that it definitely seems to have something to do with the Observers. It's all very interesting information, I think. In the second video, the two of them discuss the episode “Jacksonville,” but I won't talk about that until I get to that entry. More news relating to Fringe is that my friend David recently mixed the theme, which is called Omen's Epic Dreamscape Mix, and it is indeed epic; if interested in hearing it, let me know.

I don't always touch upon the title of the episode. In fact, I rarely do, but I do find it helpful to discuss this one because I definitely think that there are a number of ways to interpret it. There is the obvious meaning, relating to the virus which “lies” below. However, this episode also touches upon something else which “lies below.” This episode really displays the love that lies below the surface, and I don't mean romantic love; I mean family-like love. The Fringe Team really has become a family, which is funny, because if you once again bring yourself back to the pilot episode of the series, you'll recall the reception that Olivia receives from Broyles, Olivia, the “liaison.” Now, she's like his daughter, and the same is true of Walter and Peter. The pilot episode (and most of season one, for that matter) displays a very scorned Peter, angry with his father for so many reasons. Now, the two are very close, which, as I say all of the time, is sad, only because we know what's coming. Broyles even says that he can't allow the team to die inside of the quarantined building, since they are like family to him. There's also Walter's secret, which has lied below and continues to lie below, until, of course, the ending of the episode.

All right, well, about the ending of this episode, into which I promised to dive, as I said, I think that it is ridiculously epic, and when I first saw it on TV, my jaw dropped, and I'm not kidding. As I said previously, I don't care what Clint says (although he is entitled to his opinion), this is not the tenth time to which we've heard Peter's death alluded. I mean, it is the tenth time, but this time is different because now, Astrid is aware of the possibility that Walter either cloned Peter or brought alter-Peter over from the Other Side. Of course, we don't know as a fact that she is thinking one or the other, but the point is that she is now suspicious of something not being right. Walter accidentally let it slip, which I think is a very interesting route for the show to be taking. I am certain that Peter will find out what happened to him by the end of the season, and my guess is that we won't find out what he will do as a result until season 3. Overall, it's not a terrible episode; it loses points for not having any obvious connections to the mythology but then gains points back for being action-packed and, most notably, for that ending, earning it the aforementioned score of eight out of ten.

Fringe - "Johari Window" (2.11)

This episode is much better than Monday's episode, and that could be because it gets us back into the second season swing of things. I also really like the story, and the acting is good, too. That is not to say, of course, that the acting that we see in “Unearthed” (1.21) is not good, but I like the story of “Johari Window” much better. The science behind the episode is explained with a bit more precision, and although I am not sure how accurate it is, I think that it is a really neat idea. However, the point of this entry is not to compare the two episodes. I just figured that since there were two episodes that aired this past week, I would briefly discuss which episode I prefer over the other. As usual, I warn you that if you haven't seen this episode yet or have not even watched Fringe at all but would like to watch it at some point in the future, then please don't read any further, as this entry will contain spoilers that pertain both to this episode and to the series in general.

 

This episode tells the story of a small town in upstate New York called Edina (I actually did some research to find out whether or not this city is real, and not surprisingly, it is not), in which a small but entire population of disfigured people who appear “normal” has, for years, been taking extreme measures to keep its abnormality a secret, extreme measures that include murder. The team learns that the people of Edina appear “normal” even though they are disfigured because of an electromagnetic pulse that manipulates vision, causing people to see objects differently than they actually appear. For example, Walter sees a butterfly, which is actually a moth, because of the pulse. As I said, I am unsure of the validity behind this kind of “science,” but even if it is not possible, it is a really interesting idea, and perhaps, it is something that will be possible one day soon if it isn't already.

 

What I don't understand about the first scene of the episode is why the cop suddenly sees the boy in his real, disfigured appearance after just having seen him appearing “normal” moments before. I understand that the pulse causes people to see the people of Edina as “normal” people, but what exactly causes the change? What made the butterfly alternate between being a moth and being a beautiful butterfly? Is distance involved? Perhaps, once you travel a certain distance from the pulse, it stops having an effect, which is why the young boy seems to suddenly change in the cop's car. This would also explain why the moth once again becomes the butterfly; Walter and Astrid get close enough to Edina for the pulse to start taking effect. However, how exactly does the pulse work? How does it determine what people will see? For example, how does it determine that the moth will be seen as a butterfly?

 

I find it interesting how, during the first season, Peter was easily annoyed when it came to Walter. He would become frustrated, and he would spew off vehement sarcasm in response to Walter's wildly scientific explanations. Now, however, Peter is not annoyed but instead seems to think that he's funny. He also seems to be a lot more patient with Walter. For example, during the scene that takes place at the lab, Peter calmly explains to Walter that he understands that the moth and the people seem to be transforming but that “I just don't see how that's possible.” Last season, I think that he would have said something more along the lines of “You are out of your mind!” It's nice to see their relationship developing to such lengths, but as I have said before, it is also heartbreaking, because it's becoming more and more obvious that it's not going to be too much longer before Peter learns the truth about his past, and time will only tell how he is going to react. The final scene is especially heartbreaking; Peter tells Walter that he is proud of him for standing up for the people of Edina, and Walter says, “I'm glad you choose to see me the way you do, very glad.”

 

Numbers play a somewhat important role in this episode. Firstly, after paying close attention to Edina's Census records, Peter points out that since a particular year in the past (I don't recall the precise year, but I believe that it is during the early 90s, such as 1991 or such), seventeen people died, and forty-seven people were born, information that he later uses to conclude that the entire population of Edina is disfigured, since no one has moved into the town, and no one has moved out of the town, and of course, this is where the frequent use of the number forty-seven is placed. Additionally, Olivia remembers that the town's total population, according to the Edina sign that they see when entering the city, is 1,943. This reminded me of episode 1.10, “Safe,” when Olivia tells Peter that for as long as she can remember, she has been very good at remembering numbers, and as I am sure that I have pointed out before, I wonder if this is a result of her Cortexiphan trials. We do know that Olivia is incredibly observant and that that is most likely a result of her Cortexiphan trials, so it is not far-fetched to assume that her ability to remember numbers is, too, especially since such an ability is technically an example of an observation skill. She observes details to which most people probably wouldn't pay much attention, including, if not especially, numbers. I found this to be worth mentioning, anyway.

 

Before I discuss the title of the episode, I should disclaim any credit that would most likely otherwise be understood as my own, for I am not the one who initially did the research; the credit goes to David Wu of the Fringemunks, who first did the research and then shared what he discovered both on his Facebook profile and on the latest episode of The Fringe Podcast, which he co-hosted. He retrieved the information from Wikipedia, so I am merely going to quote the Wikipedia article. “A Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships.” Basically, the “window” helps people better understand themselves in regards to what they know about themselves, what they don't know about themselves, what other people know about them and what other people don't know about them. In an effort to help explain, pictured below is the “window” provided by Wikipedia.

The title of the episode fits well with the theme of the episode. For example, the people of Edina were the same people regardless of how others saw them (literally and figuratively), and this entire episode is based heavily on perception. Returning to the final scene of the episode, Walter tells Peter that he is glad that Peter chooses to see him in such light, and the key word here is “choose.” Bravery could very well be a blind spot for Walter, because Walter may not see himself as brave, which could be why he uses the word “choose.” Additionally, Peter does not know that he was abducted from the other side, but Walter does, and this therefore serves as a blind spot for Peter. It also serves as a façade on Walter's part, because he knows that he abducted Peter from the other side, but no one else knows this. I find it interesting how one can make these connections based merely on the title of the episode. For those of you who are not aware, the episode was originally titled “Edina City Limits,” and not too long before it was aired, the episode title was changed to “Johari Window.” The original title would have worked, as well, since the people of Edina are confined to the limits of their city, but I think that this title is a lot more interesting.

I did not catch this when I watched the episode, but according to Fringepedia, the colors red and green are featured in the episode. Quoted directly from Fringepedia, “A red and a green tractor are outside the barn when Peter and Olivia are running from the Sheriff and his Deputy.” What I did catch, however, is that the Wizard of Oz references that have been provided throughout this season has finally been completed. In “Night of Desirable Objects” (2.02), the scarecrow that stood on Andre Hughes' farmland serves as a motif throughout the episode, and in the following episode, “Fracture” (2.03), the project that causes people's bodies to crystallize is referred to as Project: Tinman. Now, in this episode, Walter refers to the Cowardly Lion when he expresses his fear of again being kidnapped by Newton. We have not yet seen or heard of a direct reference to Dorothy, but perhaps, Olivia having traveled to another world and then returning home was the intended reference to Dorothy. The question is whether or not these obviously intentional references are going to mean something in the end; I mean, there has to be a reason why they are being presented.

Anyway, I think that that is about all that I have for this episode. Overall, it was a decent episode. As David Wu stated in the latest episode of The Fringe Podcast, this season, the “stand-alone” episodes have been “hit and miss,” and this one is definitely a hit (as opposed to “Night of Desirable Objects” and “Snakehead” which, in my opinion, are both misses). Overall, I give the episode seven and a half Operation games, which seems somewhat low, I know, but it's only because it's a “stand-alone” episodes. It's very rare, if ever, that I will give a “stand-alone” episode anything above a seven, so a seven is very good. Next on Fringe is “What Lies Below” (2.12). It would appear, based on the promo clip, as if an ancient virus surfaces and infects Peter, who is therefore quarantined, so it ought to be interesting. It's not always easy to determine whether or not an episode is going to be “stand-alone” or not, because sometimes, a seemingly “stand-alone” story later relates to the Fringe mythology somehow, as are the cases with “'Fracture” (2.03) and “Of Human Action” (2.07). Anyway, in the meantime, stay on the fringe.

Fringe - "Unearthed" (1.21)

Fringepedia has this episode numbered as 2.11, but I refuse to do it that way because this is not truly a season 2 episode. As I'm sure those of you reading this already know, this episode was filmed during and for the season 1 run but was later cut due to a time constraint. Thanks to American Idol, it was simply necessary to cut an episode, and I'd say that the right choice was made, since this episode is completely and entirely "stand-alone," having nothing whatsoever to do with the overall scheme of the series. It honestly annoys me that it appears to be being given a “2.11” production number, because the episode confused a great deal of people. A lot of people could not understand how and why Charlie was still alive, which is something that I expected to happen. FOX failed to advertise the episode as an episode lost in the shuffle of the first season and instead merely recognized it as being aired on a special night, so people who are not Fringe fanatics and therefore don't bother to look into details were confused. However, this is all material that I will dig into throughout this entry. I give this episode five possessed Lacey Mosley lookalikes, and, as usual, please be advised that if you don't wish to be spoiled with details pertaining to this series (which, if you don't, I apologize for those that I have already given), then please do not read any further.

As I said, this episode has nothing to do with the mythology of the show and is probably the biggest prototype of the “stand-alone” format that the series has seen so far. That automatically lowers the score, but even then, the series has seen some decent “stand-alone” episodes, such as episode 2.05, “Dream Logic.” This one is decent, and the acting is exceptional (especially that of Alice Kremelberg, who plays the role of Lisa Donovan), but I am not happy with the fact that there is absolutely nothing to connect it to the overall scheme of the series, as I've already said. With the exception of the discovery that Olivia is apparently not a “religious woman,” we don't even get a lot of character development. The primary purpose of this episode seems to be to bring religion into the ring, but as I said at the beginning of the second season, I really don't think that that is necessary. The X-Files is very heavily focused on the battle between fact and faith, and I really don't want to see Fringe venture in that direction, too, and I am not, by the way, attempting to draw comparisons between the two series. In fact, I am merely hoping that action is taken (or not taken, for that matter) to avoid having the comparisons be drawn any further. Fringe is an incredible show that is much better when it sticks to its own ideas.

There are a few observations that I've made about the episode in general, and for starters, I find it interesting how the episode's intro is the season 1 intro, yet it's still being given a season 2 production number. Also, during the season 1 run, episodes were of extended length due to shortened commercial breaks, but this episode was of normal length like episodes during the season 2 run. The only answer to the latter question that comes to my mind is that a few scenes were cut in order to fit the episode into the allotted time. I also really find it interesting how the theory that this episode isn't even an episode cut from season 1 but is instead an event from an alternate reality quite interesting but not because it has any validity to it; I, in fact, find it so interesting precisely because it does not. Quite a while ago, we were told that Fringe would only be dealing with two realities, so the theory that this episode takes place in the alternate reality is not possible, or else Peter would not exist. Additionally, there is proof that this episode is an episode which was cut from season 1, proof which I provided so long ago; I provided a link to a promo video for season 2, aired at the end of season 1, that shows clips from this episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ_WbL49OqE). The only way that clips would have been available that early is if the episode had already been filmed.

That promo was one clue that led me to believe that we were missing at least one episode from season 1, one of three clues. The second clue is that just before the series returned from its spring break last year, promos first advertised the return as an initiation of the final seven episodes of the series, and we ended up only seeing six (“Inner Child,” “Unleashed,” “Bad Dreams,” “Midnight,” “The Road Not Taken” and “There's More than One of Everything”). I'm not quite sure where “Unearthed” falls into the lineup. Initially, I figured that it takes place between episodes 1.18 (“Midnight”) and 1.19 (“The Road Not Taken”), but that's what brings me to the third clue. In “Midnight,” Rachel is on the phone with Olivia, crying because her ex-husband wants custody of Ella, and that is an issue that has yet to be resolved. I assumed that, since at the end of the season finale, we see Olivia sitting on a bed with what appears to be a packed suitcase, the missing episode dealt with what ended up happening to Rachel as far as that issue is concerned, but, as you know, Rachel is not even in this episode, so I guess that I was wrong about that. It's just frustrating because I don't understand the purpose of that scene in “Midnight,” and I won't understand the purpose of it until some closure is provided.

All right, well, this episode centers itself on seventeen-year old Lisa Donovan, who after experiencing an aneurysm and going brain dead, suddenly wakes up and spews off a Russian code after being pronounced dead just after five in the morning. Lisa's mother is a closed-minded Christian woman who simply wants to put all of this behind her and Lisa, but Lisa keeps seeing a man named Andrew Rusk, who is closely linked to the Russian code that she shouts out when she awakens. Olivia and the rest of the team want to help her, but Lisa's mother refuses, not wanting to subject her daughter to any scientific experiments. She feels that the explanations that the Fringe team are offering are ridiculous and are outside the realm of possibility. At one point, she asks Olivia if she is “a religious woman,” and when Olivia replies that she is not, Lisa's mother tells Olivia that she therefore probably casts judgment on those who use faith to help guide them through decisions that need to be made for their loved ones. It ends up being discovered that the moment at which Lisa was “resurrected” was the moment at which Rusk was murdered, and the diverted energy was moved to Lisa, causing her to share consciousnesses with him, which is why she is seeing him (a similar idea to one we see earlier in the season, when Olivia keeps seeing John Scott due to his consciousness sharing her mind with her own). Rusk's consciousness did not pass with his body because right before he was murdered, his murderer told him that it was Rusk's wife that arranged his murder, so Rusk wants revenge.

It was nice although also odd seeing Charlie in this episode after not having seen him in such a long time. Additionally, Peter's attitude toward Walter is a lot more like attitude toward him in season 1, which is also odd to see. Walter suggests that perhaps Lisa's spirit floated over Andrew's when she died, and Peter's typically dismissive sarcasm then comes into play, something that we haven't seen much this season. He says to Olivia, “You tell me the U.S. government is covering something up, I'll tell you it must be Tuesday,” which I find funny because the series aired on Tuesdays last season. Then, of course, there is Astrid's hair, which is long like it was last season. Needless to say, the episode is most definitely an episode that was cut from season 1. Something that I do find worth mentioning, however, is that according to Fringepedia, “Lisa Donovan's FBI file states her birth as 19 November 1982, placing the majority of this episode in late 1999 or early 2000 – is this evidence of the alternate universe?” Needless to say, this really complicates matters a great deal, and it's frustrating, although that was most likely just a production error.

There are a number of unanswered questions in this episode, but they are not questions pertaining to the overall mythology of the series. Instead, they were questions pertaining to this stand-alone story. For example, did Tusk's wife really have him killed, or was this a fabricated story made up on the Navy's part to cover something up? Additionally, how is Rusk's consciousness jumping bodies? Does it select random people, or is there a specific reason as to why Lisa shared his consciousness? What about the man at the end of the episode? Is he important at all? If Tusk's wife did have him killed, then is he going to try to kill her again? Is that why, even at the end of the episode, his consciousness still has not crossed over with his body? Speaking of the end of the episode, I find that scene to be really creepy. The man appears to be dead as a result of the crash, bloodied up, and directly after the paramedics declare that he has no pulse, he awakens, much like Lisa does at the beginning of the episode, and he says something in Russian in a rather dark and sinister voice. I just find that ending to be really creepy and disturbing, even. Overall, I think that this episode is very disappointing, and season 1 does not need it at all. I would have rather it have been placed on the season 1 DVD set instead of awkwardly aired halfway through the season 2 run, confusing people.