Subject 13 (315)

[GateWorld]

FRINGE SEASON THREE SUBJECT 13 EPISODE NUMBER - 315 In 1985 Walter conducts experiments on a young Olivia Dunham in the hopes of finding a way to cross between worlds and return Peter -- who is convinced that Elizabeth is not his real mother. In the other universe, Walter and his wife grieve the inexplicable loss of their son. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >

[hellrasinb]

... So the follow up to Season 2s "Peter" picks up 6 months after Walter took Peter from the other Universe. In this return to 1985 we learn several "key" plots that both worlds Olivia Dunhams have the ability to cross over but that our worlds Olivia ability to cross between worlds was activated through Cortexophan. Both Olivia's had abusive fathers and its obvious that both Olivias during the 6 month period had contact with peter on Earth 1. And once Walternate sees Olivia's drawing of her and Peter Walter realizes where his son is....

[DigiFluid]

The little girl who played Olivia in this one was fantastic. It's really no secret that I have no love for child actors, but I thought she did a wonderful job of capturing Anna Torv. Loved the retro intro credits too

The soft focus all episode long though, good god. I don't know if there was something wrong with my FOX reception tonight or if it was a stylistic choice to do a 'memory effect', but either way I felt like my eyes were going to bleed by the end

[Aussie_86]

Both Olivia's do not have the ability to Cross-Over. When our Olivia ran into Walter's Office, she crossed over to the other side. She then told Walternate that she crosses over into the other universe when her dad hit her. She then went back to our universe (that is why Walter went from sitting at his desk, to standing at the doorway, asking Olivia what she was doing). That is why, a few scenes later, Walternate rings his wife saying "I know what happened to Peter" - because OUR Olivia accidentally crossed over and told him. She also gave him her book of drawings from our side - which had a picture of her and Peter in it.

[DigiFluid]

Both Olivia's do not have the ability to Cross-Over. When our Olivia ran into Walter's Office, she crossed over to the other side. She then told Walternate that she crosses over into the other universe when her dad hit her. She then went back to our universe (that is why Walter went from sitting at his desk, to standing at the doorway, asking Olivia what she was doing). That is why, a few scenes later, Walternate rings his wife saying "I know what happened to Peter" - because OUR Olivia accidentally crossed over and told him. She also gave him her book of drawings from our side - which had a picture of her and Peter in it.

Indeed. I didn't quite catch this at first, I had to think on it before I realized this.

[MattSilver 3k]

... So the follow up to Season 2s "Peter" picks up 6 months after Walter took Peter from the other Universe. In this return to 1985 we learn several "key" plots that both worlds Olivia Dunhams have the ability to cross over but that our worlds Olivia ability to cross between worlds was activated through Cortexophan. Both Olivia's had abusive fathers and its obvious that both Olivias during the 6 month period had contact with peter on Earth 1. And once Walternate sees Olivia's drawing of her and Peter Walter realizes where his son is....

Both Olivia's do not have the ability to Cross-Over. When our Olivia ran into Walter's Office, she crossed over to the other side. She then told Walternate that she crosses over into the other universe when her dad hit her. She then went back to our universe (that is why Walter went from sitting at his desk, to standing at the doorway, asking Olivia what she was doing). That is why, a few scenes later, Walternate rings his wife saying "I know what happened to Peter" - because OUR Olivia accidentally crossed over and told him. She also gave him her book of drawings from our side - which had a picture of her and Peter in it.

Congratulations, you both know how to summarise the episode we just saw...

Great episode, nice bit of exploration into the past which I always love, some awesome John Noble stuff (As expected, of course!), and I'll do my hivemind thing with Digi again and say that the girl playing young Olivia was fantastic. I swear she did that same shy Olivia hair movement thing I've seen Anna do, in the exact same way. Props to her for that.

Oh, and the return of the 80's credits! Good stuff.

[Commander Zelix]

Great episode this week. The little girl playing young Olivia was great too. She even had some of our Olivia/Torv mannerism. The episode was not as pivotal or as good as "Peter" was, but it was a solid sci-fi story about people, choices and dilemmas. Personally, I think season 3 is hitting the stories on all cylinder. While a completely different story (with more answers and new mysteries), the story telling remind me of Lost more and more. Hopefully, they'll keep developing the mysteries and storyline in a logical way (unlike Lost which ended in a confusing way too trapped up in it's own mythology to make a logical ending). It's when the storyline is solid (and not a jumbled mess) that the character reactions makes more sense and have more impact. If not it becomes melodramatic scenes after another with no logical progression, no impact because we can't feel and understand their dilemma (a bit like Lost toward the end). Sure a mother crying with her death child in her arms is sad, but it's much more compelling when it's part of a logical progression of the story. Let the story drive the show while studying the impact on the characters (and people, groups, society, governments, etc).

[pjt]

It was a great episode, but now they need to make another one and tell us, why they don't remember this. Peter meeting a girl named Olivia in a white tulip field, and Olivia meeting a boy whom she told about her burning the tulips is something you would remember.

[MattSilver 3k]

It was a great episode, but now they need to make another one and tell us, why they don't remember this. Peter meeting a girl named Olivia in a white tulip field, and Olivia meeting a boy whom she told about her burning the tulips is something you would remember.

There are three options here: The first is that it's just trauma. Think about what they go through after all this - Olivia nearly murders her step-father and is haunted by that all through her teens, her mother dies, Rachel starts going through her stuff, and then by the time she's in the pilot she's dealing with the whole John trauma. Peter, meanwhile, probably spends the next few years convinced he's crazy about the whole other universe thing, and then has his mother drink herself to death over the course of his teenage years.

That, or it's another mystery to be answered.

That, or writer's retcon. I'll let this one slide, personally. I don't exactly watch the show for the attention to detail on the tiny things, really.

[Ian-S]

good episode, but the fake-3d-blurring in some of the scenes in the log cabin really gave me a headache, I don't remember tv being that bad quality in 1985, maybe if you're aerial was pointing on the wrong polarity, but not under normal circumstances.

[DigiFluid]

I don't think it was fake 3D-ing, they were just going for that fuzzy poor 80s video quality and 'memory effect'. I hated that, it made my eyes hurt.

[the fifth man]

I don't think it was fake 3D-ing, they were just going for that fuzzy poor 80s video quality and 'memory effect'. I hated that, it made my eyes hurt.

I did not catch that. I honestly thought my reception was kind of bad.

[DigiFluid]

I did not catch that. I honestly thought my reception was kind of bad.

That's what I thought too, watching it on TV. So I went and 'acquired' it in 720p, and it was still there. Definitely part of the episode

[Sp!der]

I thought as well this episode was fantastic, I waited for such an episode to explain the past. Too bad we didn't get to see William bell. Other than that it was really good. John noble is awesome and the little Olivia as well!!!

[Eternal Density]

What Sp!der said.
This was an awesome episode, and I hope that Olivia and Peter will remember this some time.
I wonder whether Olivia will ever learn that her accidental crossing over is what tipped off Walternate and enabled the whole war to start. Ouch.

It was very interesting to see the interactions between the Walters and their respective wives. Especially how and the end Peter's not-mother couldn't handle having successfully lied to him and took to drinking. We know how that turned out...
(and Walter warning Olivia's step-dad to not hurt her again, we know how that turned out...)