Fringe: Peter
November 20, 2014 3:12 PM - Season 2, Episode 15 - Subscribe
Walter is telling Olivia a story: It's 1985, and Dr. Walter Bishop, addressing a group of Army generals, shows them the docking station of the Empire State Building. He introduces us to the other side, and has even given his doppelganger a name: Walternate. They are researching a cure for Peter, who is dying from a congenital disorder.
I loved the intro! This whole episode is just full of little gems. Back to the Future starring Eric Stolz is my favourite.
I think the young Peter actor looks uncannily like Joshua Jackson. They did a really good job finding him. And I also really like that Orla Brady (Peter's mum) doesn't fake an American accent. Last saw her in the Brannagh Wallander and she was great there too.
Dr Carla Warren intrigues me, and not just because she seems like a Scully to Walter's Mulder. I gather she makes her last appearance in S5 (which I haven't seen yet) but there's not really a lot more about her. She gets some awesome lines, like "For the sake of one life you will destroy both worlds". And bloody Walter tries to paint her as some kind of religious nut job when actually she's just right.
I really don't understand why Walter didn't use a plastic bottle to carry the magical medicine over. They did have plastic in 1985, for those of you who are too young to remember. Obviously it would have ruined the plot point, but still. Maybe it was just subsconscious self-sabotage, since although he was obviously telling himself he just wanted to save the other Peter, he really did want to steal him all along.
I also want to know what magical future technology September used to get their clothes and hair instantly dry after rescuing Walter and Peter from the lake. That would be handy.
I also think it's interesting that even though the 1985 Walter hasn't had the bits of his brain removed and is being all Denethor (that's how I think of it when he gets all hard and mean), he's still quite different to Walternate. He's much more haphazard and undisciplined brilliance rather than the structured, ordered, relentless, merciless intelligence of Walternate.
posted by Athanassiel at 5:01 PM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
I think the young Peter actor looks uncannily like Joshua Jackson. They did a really good job finding him. And I also really like that Orla Brady (Peter's mum) doesn't fake an American accent. Last saw her in the Brannagh Wallander and she was great there too.
Dr Carla Warren intrigues me, and not just because she seems like a Scully to Walter's Mulder. I gather she makes her last appearance in S5 (which I haven't seen yet) but there's not really a lot more about her. She gets some awesome lines, like "For the sake of one life you will destroy both worlds". And bloody Walter tries to paint her as some kind of religious nut job when actually she's just right.
I really don't understand why Walter didn't use a plastic bottle to carry the magical medicine over. They did have plastic in 1985, for those of you who are too young to remember. Obviously it would have ruined the plot point, but still. Maybe it was just subsconscious self-sabotage, since although he was obviously telling himself he just wanted to save the other Peter, he really did want to steal him all along.
I also want to know what magical future technology September used to get their clothes and hair instantly dry after rescuing Walter and Peter from the lake. That would be handy.
I also think it's interesting that even though the 1985 Walter hasn't had the bits of his brain removed and is being all Denethor (that's how I think of it when he gets all hard and mean), he's still quite different to Walternate. He's much more haphazard and undisciplined brilliance rather than the structured, ordered, relentless, merciless intelligence of Walternate.
posted by Athanassiel at 5:01 PM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
Dr Carla Warren intrigues me
I was disappointed that she did not become a reoccurring character. Then I thought, did that Dr Warren somehow transform into Nina?
posted by sammyo at 5:41 PM on November 20, 2014
I was disappointed that she did not become a reoccurring character. Then I thought, did that Dr Warren somehow transform into Nina?
posted by sammyo at 5:41 PM on November 20, 2014
Wow, thanks Athanassiel. You just blew my mind. I somehow never noticed that John Noble had played Denathor. I started remembering Denathor and going "Yeah, those actors sure have a similar sounding voice! Wait a minute, who played Denathor? Oh my god!"
posted by Green With You at 11:18 AM on November 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Green With You at 11:18 AM on November 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
I know, I had pretty much the same reaction when one of my friends pointed it out to me. Mind you, I had trouble remembering much about Denethor apart from how much I hated what the film did to him, but that wasn't John Noble's fault. Man can act!
posted by Athanassiel at 2:24 PM on November 21, 2014
posted by Athanassiel at 2:24 PM on November 21, 2014
I never really cared for Dr. Carla Warren.
Not so much now but when this aired originally I thought it was great that this was the backstory on Nina's arm.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 6:25 PM on November 22, 2014
Not so much now but when this aired originally I thought it was great that this was the backstory on Nina's arm.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 6:25 PM on November 22, 2014
My favourite season of Fringe isn't 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. My favourite season begins with this episode and runs through episode 3x15, "Subject 13".
posted by crossoverman at 6:44 PM on November 22, 2014
posted by crossoverman at 6:44 PM on November 22, 2014
I'm not sure I like Dr Warren, but she interests me. Where did she come from? What was her role in, say, the cortexiphan trials? What has she been up to all these years? I don't really remember her from my first watch of S1-4 so it's possible some of these questions get answered. But I gather from judicious dipping into the Fringepedia that she remains rather mysterious.
posted by Athanassiel at 1:10 PM on November 23, 2014
posted by Athanassiel at 1:10 PM on November 23, 2014
I love the weird wig and Vaseline lens thing going on with 1985 Walter. He looks uncannily like Richard Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds.
So, if Carla Warren was already well established as a postdoc in Walter's lab in 1985 and was still there in 1991, just how long did this postdoc go on for? I thought the academic job market was marginally better in the 80s? Or is that just a fairy tale they tell young academics to get them off to sleep at nights?
Oh, September. You always screw things up. How's this going to look in your annual Observer performance review?
Man. This is the first episode of Fringe I've watched since we've lost Leonard Nimoy. Such a bummer.
Where is Nina's arm? #WhereIsNinasArm?
Elizabeth: "Bring him back to me." Freaking heartbreaking.
posted by Sonny Jim at 10:46 AM on April 12, 2015
So, if Carla Warren was already well established as a postdoc in Walter's lab in 1985 and was still there in 1991, just how long did this postdoc go on for? I thought the academic job market was marginally better in the 80s? Or is that just a fairy tale they tell young academics to get them off to sleep at nights?
Oh, September. You always screw things up. How's this going to look in your annual Observer performance review?
Man. This is the first episode of Fringe I've watched since we've lost Leonard Nimoy. Such a bummer.
Where is Nina's arm? #WhereIsNinasArm?
Elizabeth: "Bring him back to me." Freaking heartbreaking.
posted by Sonny Jim at 10:46 AM on April 12, 2015
This post comes from BAKERSFIELD! (a.k.a FAKERSFIELD!) in the other universe and is in italics. That's how *you know*.
05:00 I so want Dr Warren's hairstyle to make a comeback. My hand hovers over the telephone to my hairdresssers in anticipation. Or perhaps I could achieve this look at home?
11:00 This boy is very convincing as a young Joshua Jackson, so much so I wonder if he was made to have a love child ten years earlier just for this scene
13:00 There are more chauffeurs at this funeral than there are attendees and that is really sad
23:00 Don't cross the line, "don't cross the streams" "Across this line you do not ... also Dude Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature..." #Ghostbusters #rug-pee-ers
28:00 BAKERSFIELD! would harp on an on at this point about what parents do for their children and JJ Abram's obvious daddy issues but that's in another universe. I'm just really confused about exactly where Nina's arm is right now.
Athanassiel I agree I don't think Orla Brady ever attempts an American accent, but I do think her accent changes between universes. She seems to be Irish in one universe and English in the other!
35:00 Peter knows something is wrong as soon as he lays eyes on Walter and this is so heartbreaking.
37:00 Peter is sad because that's not his dad. Walter is sad because he broke the whole universe and he knows even now he won't take Peter back. September is sad because he cannot say "important" properly. I am sad because I have to get up early and go to Belfast tomorrow morning. :(
40:00 Elizabeth is definitely Irish in this universe.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 10:46 AM on April 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
05:00 I so want Dr Warren's hairstyle to make a comeback. My hand hovers over the telephone to my hairdresssers in anticipation. Or perhaps I could achieve this look at home?
11:00 This boy is very convincing as a young Joshua Jackson, so much so I wonder if he was made to have a love child ten years earlier just for this scene
13:00 There are more chauffeurs at this funeral than there are attendees and that is really sad
23:00 Don't cross the line, "don't cross the streams" "Across this line you do not ... also Dude Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature..." #Ghostbusters #rug-pee-ers
28:00 BAKERSFIELD! would harp on an on at this point about what parents do for their children and JJ Abram's obvious daddy issues but that's in another universe. I'm just really confused about exactly where Nina's arm is right now.
Athanassiel I agree I don't think Orla Brady ever attempts an American accent, but I do think her accent changes between universes. She seems to be Irish in one universe and English in the other!
35:00 Peter knows something is wrong as soon as he lays eyes on Walter and this is so heartbreaking.
37:00 Peter is sad because that's not his dad. Walter is sad because he broke the whole universe and he knows even now he won't take Peter back. September is sad because he cannot say "important" properly. I am sad because I have to get up early and go to Belfast tomorrow morning. :(
40:00 Elizabeth is definitely Irish in this universe.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 10:46 AM on April 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by sammyo at 4:29 PM on November 20, 2014