Fringe Finale: I Knew It, Sort Of

For once, I got it right. For the first time since I began watching Fringe, I figured out the twist before it happened. I owe myself a cookie — a really big one with lots of chocolate chips — because normally I walk away from Fringe more confused than not. But not this time. Let’s talk about Peter and Walter.

For weeks now, the writers have been leaving us clues about Peter’s past. We had Walter referencing Peter’s serious illness and allusions to experiments that were conducted on the boy. But more telling were all the times that Peter insisted Walter was the one with the faulty memory when ever they talked about his childhood. We were supposed to put this off to selective memory enduced by the trauma of his illness, but I didn’t buy that for a minute. The one that got me was when Peter was looking through a box of toys that Walter claimed were his but he said they weren’t his toys. I said, hmm…it feels like maybe Peter isn’t really Walter’s son. Well, I was close, right?

It all came together when Peter didn’t remember the coin. I could hear The Observer say there are two of everything, and then there was Walter making vague references to losing something so precious to him and the idea that things move both ways through the reality portals . . . I stopped the DVR right there and said to my husband — Peter’s not Peter! He’s the Peter from the other reality and Walter brought him here to this reality to replace his lost son and that’s messed up the balance of things!

My husband’s reply was, ‘huh?’ Then he asked me who was the guy with the bandages on his face. And even though I knew the answer to the question, I couldn’t explain it. I am still a little fuzzy on the whole, it was Jones not William Bell, thing. Obviously it can’t be Jones alone, since the series is going to go at least one more season. I did love the introduction to Leonard Nimoy as Bell, I just wish it had been a surprise, that would have been extra cool.

Other things I wish? I wish we’d get an Astrid story. I really like her and she’s way under used. I want to see her and Peter in mortal danger and I want her to rescue him. And what happened to the cow? We haven’t seen her in a while, have we?

On a grander scale, I must say I’m surprised that we didn’t lose any of the major characters this season. I really thought Charlie would be a goner and that would have made me sad. So kudos to the writers for keeping our freaky little Fringe family in tact.

On a completly random note, I felt that Peter and Walter’s situation this week were very much like that of an adult child caring for a parent with Altzheimers. I thought it was an interesting choice to have Peter stay very calm while Walter was having his frustration fits. It’s a difficult spot to be in, wanting to help but not knowing how. And I can only imagine how it must feel to have those gaps in your memory.  John Noble does a fabulous job portraying the many sides of Walter. He was particularly compelling in this finale episode as he tried so hard to set things right.

So where does this leave us? We still don’t have all the answers about Olivia and the testing that was done on her as a child. If Peter finds out the truth about his origins, what’s to be done about that? It’s not like he can go home again. And what about a meeting between Bell and Walter? It seems to me that Bell was at the core of many of the unethical actions when they were younger and yet it was Walter who lost his sanity and spent most of his life under lock and key. There has to be some resentment there, right? And just why is Bell living in the alternate reality? Purely to hide from Jones? If so, that threat is over, so he can come back now, can’t he?

Hmm….and to think I started this piece all excited because I was ahead of the game for once. Looks like I’m going need a few more clues if I’m going to solve this puzzle.  Olivia, I’d like buy a vowel, please.

Fringe the Complete First Season is due out on DVD but there has been no official word on the date as of yet.