Fringe: What Lies Below Rewatch

November 9, 2014 4:47 PM - Season 2, Episode 12

A man visits a petrol company but doesn't seem to be feeling well. His spectacular collapse gets the Fringe team involved, but first Astrid has to get Walter away from telling kids some historical truths about the survival of the least curious. Just as well, since the building is quarantined with Peter and Olivia inside. Walter is able to figure out the virus's personality (ENTJ) and come up with a tox screen. But who's been infected? And is there a cure?

"When you open new doors there is a price to pay." You can't say Walter isn't giving us enough hints to make his shocking slip of the tongue a bit less shocking. Astrid noticed, too.

Some interesting developments in the theories about Mount Toba's eruption.

I'm calling this episode 12 because that's what it says on my DVD. Fringepedia and Wikipedia both refer to this as episode 13. Unearthed threw a spanner in the works.

posted by Athanassiel (5 comments total)

Of all characters in every medium, I think Walter is most qualified to speak on the dangers of discovery.

So it's not just DHS and FBI that have secret protocols. Broyles shows some depth of feeling that his stoic nature was hiding.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:10 PM on November 9, 2014

(Opening scene) Pointedly at Sonny Jim: See that's what happens to you when you leave the dehumidifier on overnight.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 11:56 AM on November 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

Never run to get into a lift in Fringe. You'll regret it for the remaining miserable, bleeding from the insides minutes of your life.

Walter would have been a phenomenal undergraduate lecturer. He's blowing those elementary school students' minds there with his nightmare Magellan/monster under the bed/evolution lecture. I bet they all grow up to be evolutionary biogeographers.

Broyles rivalling Peter there in the "awesome coat" stakes. I bet they go on to have a fight about it.

Wow. Mobile camera. Either they're going for total cinema verite or the key grip totally forgot to bring everything to the set and the cameraman had three cafe grandes before he started work.

"Do you want to call your sister?" Peter totally has an ulterior motive there #PeterandRachelUpATree

This episode reminds me of that episode of Felicity where they all get stuck in the subway and Julie has her guitar. Gruesome.

And it also kinda reminds me of Smilla's Sense of Snow and that one X Files episode featuring old bugs that live in the snow. No, voice in my head, not the bad special effects one set in the forest with the tree bugs and the scary webs. The other one.

"This is our virus!" Our virus is a very, very, very nice virus! With two RNA strands in the yard. Life used to be so hard. Now everything is easy 'cos of youuu ...

I must say, there's some very dubious paleontology in this episode, even by Fringe standards. 75000 years ago, a virus wiped the planet clean? And was only stopped by a ... volcanic eruption? And the active ingredient was ... sulphur? Pure sulphur. Hmm. Seems legit. Reminds me a dubious and inappropriate anecdote told by my fifth form science teacher, Mr Schmidt, about the aftermath of a teenage party, which I won't repeat here due to its controversial and earth shattering nature.

Wow. Peter needs a nap.

Oh cool. Peter took that nap. Everything's better now. A quick lie down can work wonders.
posted by Sonny Jim at 12:33 PM on November 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

7:00 That happens on the tube all the time.

8:00 "I don't know, Elaine!" Could these day players be any worse?

You know who has a great deal of experience with pathogens? Me. -cough-

13:00 Oh no, someone pretty is dying! Make it stop!

15:00 Walter viruses are people too! That's anti-virus man. Not cool.

This reminds me of when I get the flu and towards the dying embers of the fever I decide I want to make everyone a big delicious cake. And I get out all the recipe books and fantasise about all the cakes I want to make. Even though ordinarily I would never give anyone a cake, or even bake one, I am driven by overwhelming desire to do so. I have long espoused my theory that the virus wants to get out, in the privacy of my own home among a close circle of intimates. Therefore: JJ reached into my brain and stolen my thoughts. Again.


Why does this always happen to me?

And now Fringe has become another X Factor/American Idol/Dance Your Socks Off style show called "Swab my Virus" as Olivia tells a potential contestant "we'll call you". Peter is clearly the Paula Abdul of this panel.


"Put my virus in a cake and judge it" You heard it here first. The next hot reality show.

36:00 Oh yeah, I swear by wasabi as a cure for everything. Maybe not piles. But most things.

This guy from CDC is pretty like "let's kill everyone". I will sleep soundly knowing he's out there.

42:00 "Hey everyone, I'm sorry for wanting to make you a cake"


Again?
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 12:36 PM on November 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

This episode certainly landed differently in the middle of an actual world-wide virus outbreak. Nice that they can make a cure from some old condiments in the office fridge.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:23 PM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]