Season 4, Episode 10-11
“I have found that anger is usually joined with emotional investment.”
Two weeks ago, I responded to the presence of an obvious standalone case appearing right when things with the master plot where starting to get interesting just as one might expect me to – glibly. My thoughts on the current state of the show have been made explicitly clear throughout the season, and while “Enemy of My Enemy” still gave us very little reason to care about the people in Earth Without Peter, it at least gave us something that had been sorely lacking for most of the season: momentum. So to see the show give us something to derail that momentum for the sake of a standalone case was disheartening, especially given how disconnected from the master plot “Forced Perspective” ended up being.
Yet it most also be mentioned that Fringe is always surprisingly good with its character work, albeit more fitfully than I would like, and “Making Angels”, while also being a standalone episode, delivered well on that front – or at least as well as it could do in a season full of people we technically don't know. This raises some interesting question about where we are with this show, that the show can have two standalones back-to-back, and only feel the need to have one even try to connect with the audience.
Over the past two weeks, we have met two Freaks of the Week. Emily has the ability to see a death before it coming. Neil has discovered a way to “flatten” time, and can see all event past, present, and future simultaneously. Both try to use their future visions to help those who deaths they see, Emily by trying to warn the soon-to-be dead (even though she believes her predictions are inevitable), and Niel by killing people now so that they can avoid greater pain down the road. Both end up dead by the end of their respective episodes, and while the show tries to get us to care about their fates, neither is entirely successful. Emily's self-predicted death is the type of dramatic irony that's so on the nose as to feel decidedly calculated, and Neil's suicide is the result of so many factors (the death of his father and brother, his mother's emotional distance, society's rejection of his idea of benevolence) that it was too hard to get a read on the character.
So what makes these two episodes stand apart from one another? Mostly the stuff around the edges, and how it was meant to connect to both the audience and the season-long arc. “Perspective” is meant to deal with the Olivia's knowledge that she must die soon, but given that that is the momentous kind of even that won't happen until the season finale (or close to it), it unsurprisingly led to nowhere, and any attempts to drum tension in the mean while fell flat. “Angels”, in contrast, revealed to us something that actually feels like legitimate plot development, as it is hinted that September (“our” Observer) is actually working against all of the other Observers and not only brought Peter back from non-existence, but is also trying to return him to his own timeline. This of course explains that mysterious scene with him from earlier this season, but that was so long ago that the revelation wasn't a strong as I believe the show was going for.
(I suppose I should also point out that “Angels” had the plot that I found to be far more Fringe-ier, given that it dealt with something a little more scientific, and there were a few different layers to the plot. I'm not saying complexity it always the need of a good Fringe case, but it helps, especially by keeping the mystery going. I mean, that's what a good standalone case is supposed to do, at least in part, right? Keep us guessing?)
That leaves the character beats to entertain us for the rest of the hour. “Perspective” had very little, as it was mostly just Olivia worrying about her imminent death, and again, the show just couldn't raise the necessary stakes. But what “Angels” did was both much more satisfying (in relation to the episode that came before it) and much more irritating (when seen as the result of this disappointing season).
The largest focus of the episode, and the one that I think will make sure that this is one to stick in viewers' minds for years to come, was the meeting of the two Astrids. Jasika Nicole has had such a thankless role on the show over the years, to the point where I wasn't really sure that she had the acting chops. Sure, when Alt-Astrid was introduced a few seasons back, that proved that Nicole was adept at playing two different notes, but again, the show never focused on that character enough either that I could be sure of her skills. Well, apparently the show has been hiding her from us, because seeing the two versions go up against one another and reflect on death and loss in two unique ways helps to highlight the nuance that Nicole brings to both versions of the character. (It helps the Nicole actually has a sister with Asperger's, which she uses to fuel her own depiction of Alt-Astrid.)
However, as good as those performances were, they didn't really amount to much in the ways that the best emotional beats do. In episodes like “White Tulip”, “Marionette”, and “One Night in October”, the emotional beats connect with the case and give both elements more relevance, and while at this point it's a narrative trick that the show has used enough times that it should feel calculated, it's surprisingly still effective. Which only makes me wonder why this wasn't the case here, why Alt & Astrid's storyline seemed to exist almost entirely separate from the standalone case. I get that there were some parallels, but I don't think the episode played them up strongly enough for them to mean anything.
And yet even in an episode that had all of that going on, there were still other moments left over for the other characters as well. “Angels” represented what I believe to be the best use so far of the connection between the two universes. While “Enemy” had the two Fringe Teams (somewhat) working together, “Angels” gave us what I've always wanted from this setup – a storyline that allows the various personalities to bounce off of one another. Which means that seeing Fauxlivia trouncing around Walter's lab and generally getting on everyone's nerves was perhaps the most fun I have had with the show this entire season.
Unfortunately, it also brought up some irritating questions, as we had to see Walter hold contempt for Fauxlivia, for an incident that we don't actually know about. Now, if this was taking place in the prime timeline, Walter would be mad at her for trading places with Olivia, and it would be understandable. But in EWOP, without Peter having made it past childhood, there seems to exist no logical reason for this to have occurred, since Walternate never would have crossed over to take Peter back, thus meaning that Olivia didn't go chasing after him, and she and Fauxlivia wouldn't have changed places, and so on and so forth. So what is the reason that Walter doesn't trust Fauxlivia in this foreign timeline? The show doesn't say, but rather expects us to take our knowledge of the prime timeline and transport it over here, even though it makes no sense to do so. Once again the show is trading in on out past affection for a different version of these characters, instead of doing the work to make us care about them specifically.
And speaking of things that don't make enough sense (at least not yet), we also got a few different reminders of how Peter's presence in EWOP is once again causing fundamental change in a timeline that isn't his own. Olivia calls him a “good partner”. Fauxlivia thinks he looks cute. And Walter and Astrid both feel themselves marginalized as Peter shows proficiency at tasks that they're usually responsible for, even as Walter finds himself warming to the idea Peter staying with him, thanks in no small part to Alt-Astrid. This is the “waking the characters up” theory that I discussed two weeks back, and while I have no problem with it theoretically, the show has yet to make in a concrete part of the narrative, let alone explain why this is answer to the timeline situation, and why it couldn't have been cleared up a hell of a lot sooner.
Next Week: Things get epic, or at least superficially. Expect either one of the best episodes of the season, or one of the stupidest.
So what makes these two episodes stand apart from one another? Mostly the stuff around the edges, and how it was meant to connect to both the audience and the season-long arc. “Perspective” is meant to deal with the Olivia's knowledge that she must die soon, but given that that is the momentous kind of even that won't happen until the season finale (or close to it), it unsurprisingly led to nowhere, and any attempts to drum tension in the mean while fell flat. “Angels”, in contrast, revealed to us something that actually feels like legitimate plot development, as it is hinted that September (“our” Observer) is actually working against all of the other Observers and not only brought Peter back from non-existence, but is also trying to return him to his own timeline. This of course explains that mysterious scene with him from earlier this season, but that was so long ago that the revelation wasn't a strong as I believe the show was going for.
(I suppose I should also point out that “Angels” had the plot that I found to be far more Fringe-ier, given that it dealt with something a little more scientific, and there were a few different layers to the plot. I'm not saying complexity it always the need of a good Fringe case, but it helps, especially by keeping the mystery going. I mean, that's what a good standalone case is supposed to do, at least in part, right? Keep us guessing?)
That leaves the character beats to entertain us for the rest of the hour. “Perspective” had very little, as it was mostly just Olivia worrying about her imminent death, and again, the show just couldn't raise the necessary stakes. But what “Angels” did was both much more satisfying (in relation to the episode that came before it) and much more irritating (when seen as the result of this disappointing season).
The largest focus of the episode, and the one that I think will make sure that this is one to stick in viewers' minds for years to come, was the meeting of the two Astrids. Jasika Nicole has had such a thankless role on the show over the years, to the point where I wasn't really sure that she had the acting chops. Sure, when Alt-Astrid was introduced a few seasons back, that proved that Nicole was adept at playing two different notes, but again, the show never focused on that character enough either that I could be sure of her skills. Well, apparently the show has been hiding her from us, because seeing the two versions go up against one another and reflect on death and loss in two unique ways helps to highlight the nuance that Nicole brings to both versions of the character. (It helps the Nicole actually has a sister with Asperger's, which she uses to fuel her own depiction of Alt-Astrid.)
However, as good as those performances were, they didn't really amount to much in the ways that the best emotional beats do. In episodes like “White Tulip”, “Marionette”, and “One Night in October”, the emotional beats connect with the case and give both elements more relevance, and while at this point it's a narrative trick that the show has used enough times that it should feel calculated, it's surprisingly still effective. Which only makes me wonder why this wasn't the case here, why Alt & Astrid's storyline seemed to exist almost entirely separate from the standalone case. I get that there were some parallels, but I don't think the episode played them up strongly enough for them to mean anything.
And yet even in an episode that had all of that going on, there were still other moments left over for the other characters as well. “Angels” represented what I believe to be the best use so far of the connection between the two universes. While “Enemy” had the two Fringe Teams (somewhat) working together, “Angels” gave us what I've always wanted from this setup – a storyline that allows the various personalities to bounce off of one another. Which means that seeing Fauxlivia trouncing around Walter's lab and generally getting on everyone's nerves was perhaps the most fun I have had with the show this entire season.
Unfortunately, it also brought up some irritating questions, as we had to see Walter hold contempt for Fauxlivia, for an incident that we don't actually know about. Now, if this was taking place in the prime timeline, Walter would be mad at her for trading places with Olivia, and it would be understandable. But in EWOP, without Peter having made it past childhood, there seems to exist no logical reason for this to have occurred, since Walternate never would have crossed over to take Peter back, thus meaning that Olivia didn't go chasing after him, and she and Fauxlivia wouldn't have changed places, and so on and so forth. So what is the reason that Walter doesn't trust Fauxlivia in this foreign timeline? The show doesn't say, but rather expects us to take our knowledge of the prime timeline and transport it over here, even though it makes no sense to do so. Once again the show is trading in on out past affection for a different version of these characters, instead of doing the work to make us care about them specifically.
And speaking of things that don't make enough sense (at least not yet), we also got a few different reminders of how Peter's presence in EWOP is once again causing fundamental change in a timeline that isn't his own. Olivia calls him a “good partner”. Fauxlivia thinks he looks cute. And Walter and Astrid both feel themselves marginalized as Peter shows proficiency at tasks that they're usually responsible for, even as Walter finds himself warming to the idea Peter staying with him, thanks in no small part to Alt-Astrid. This is the “waking the characters up” theory that I discussed two weeks back, and while I have no problem with it theoretically, the show has yet to make in a concrete part of the narrative, let alone explain why this is answer to the timeline situation, and why it couldn't have been cleared up a hell of a lot sooner.
Next Week: Things get epic, or at least superficially. Expect either one of the best episodes of the season, or one of the stupidest.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
That Nissan electric car product placement probably wouldn't have been so jarring if such charging stations were in fact readily available in our own imeline.
“Really? You get her name right?”
“Check his crotch.” “Really?” “Don't be a prude.”
“Well, everybody has somebody who wants to kill them.”
“Deceive or betrayed anyone today? It's almost lunch time?”
“You may posses positive qualities that I previously overlooked.” “Are you flirting with me?” “In your dreams.”
That Nissan electric car product placement probably wouldn't have been so jarring if such charging stations were in fact readily available in our own imeline.
“Really? You get her name right?”
“Check his crotch.” “Really?” “Don't be a prude.”
“Well, everybody has somebody who wants to kill them.”
“Deceive or betrayed anyone today? It's almost lunch time?”
“You may posses positive qualities that I previously overlooked.” “Are you flirting with me?” “In your dreams.”
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