By Rhea Dee
Before I begin this review, there’s something that I’d like to discuss. Do you remember FBI Agent Amy Jessup? The last time we saw her, she looked like she was developing some big Bible theory in relation to Walter’s work and the alternate universes. When I first read about this actress (Meghan Markle) joining the cast, it was kind of implied that she was hired as a replacement for Charlie. Since Charlie was in almost every episode of Season One, I thought we would be seeing a lot more of Agent Jessup. Did they totally scrap her character or something? She was only in two episodes.
Anyway, onto the episode! Robocop was in it! Pretty cool.
This episode kind of served to foreshadow the emotional revelations to come. The truth about Peter is so close to being revealed. Peck’s story of jumping back in time to save his fiancée, the people he was willing to sacrifice, and the future he was willing to change in order to do that, all hinted at the coming emotional storm with Team Fringe regarding the truth about Peter.
Of course, Peck’s story closely mirrored Walter’s own since both were willing to do crazy, universe altering things in order to save a loved one. But Peck benefits from something Walter didn’t have: a rational conversation with another mad scientist about the repercussions of doing something that will change history.
It’s all going well until Walter busts out the G-word. It’s not that I have a problem with God, or characters talking about God (even scientists). But when you bust out the “I didn’t believe in God but now I do cause oh my, I caused PROBLEMS, and wow, this GUILT, and now I believe in God because he is punishing me” you’re going to annoy me quite a bit. Because, really? I’ve been dedicated to you, show. And when you play the God card like this it looks stupid. You can feel guilt without busting out the Jesus, show. It is possible.
Luckily, Robocop manages to save the day by saying that he and Walter are the gods with the way they control science. And it’s this thought that is reinforced: Walter tells Peck how to go back in time, giving him the knowledge, yet providing him with a choice to do either good or bad with it. And it’s Peck who absolves Walter of his guilt in the end, giving him a white tulip. So good job, Fringe. You ended it in such a way that I don’t feel like a total religious outcast (a good thing, since I feel that way all the time).
Peck’s final jump was also interesting to me. In the great scheme of things, he didn’t change anything catastrophic, and yet the small difference he made (giving up his own life to see his fiancée one last time) caused one small difference in the future: Walter burned the confession letter to Peter instead of taking it with him. It seems that even small changes in the past can affect certain decisions in the future.
Last Thoughts: Why do these horrible body horror things happen to Peter Weller? From Robocop, to Naked Lunch, to this: stuffing metal into his chest. Peter Weller! I feel sorry for your body.
Next Time On Fringe: Peter is the one who connects the dots about his origins?!?! Actually, I’m glad about this. Peter is not a dumb person, and I think that eventually, given all the weird things they do and all the weird people they meet, he would put two and two together. It’s just…what’s he going to do with that knowledge? I have this weird feeling in my chest that he’s going to join the darkside. I’m not entirely sure what I mean by that, but I have horrible thoughts in my head that Peter is going to go bad. I hope I’m wrong.
Rhea Dee spends her time collecting vintage junk, daydreaming about Eli Roth, and pondering the genius of John Carpenter soundtracks. She really likes horror films.
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Rhea Dee is a Midwestern fat girl floating through space with a donut and an attitude. She's the co-host and co-creator of the podcast Badland Girls. 
My outcast eyes were a-rollin' with Walter's god talk, too, Rhea. Punishment? Umm. . . no. Everything that's happened to Walter since taking AltPeter have been consequences stemming from the mess he himself caused. But, he clearly needs something else to contextualize the events and to deal with them, so whatevs. It takes all kinds, and it's probably easier to lay it all at the feet of a supernatural being rather than accept that you're the cause of your world's destruction. I get that.
Am I the only one that didn't think what Peck was doing was so horrible? He goes back, saves his girl, the deaths in the current timeline are corrected and technically no one has died. I don't see how this is bad. Is it because of the power? The temptation to use it for evil? Nothing bad ever came out Sam Beckett's quantum leaps, ya know.
And now that Walter knows how to time travel, will he use this to go back to 1985 and stop himself from tearing a hole in the universe?
I felt sorry for Peck, too. I really like these Fringe stories where the people are motivated to do universe altering things for a loved one. They're really good stories, and don't feel overly schoompy like, "I MUST save my wife! I NEVER GOT TO TELL HER I'M SORRY!"
Also, just wanted to point out that just because there's talk of God doesn't mean there's talk of Jesus! No one in this ep ever mentioned Jesus, and there are plenty of people who believe in God who DON'T believe in Jesus. So, no one, in fact, was "busting out the Jesus." Except you, of course.
Hmm, good point! Although in shows like these (actually in most shows) whenever there is talk of God in any sort of vague way, I always feel like they mean "vaguely Christian God." It doesn't have to be read that way, of course, and I usually don't read it that way, but I can't ignore it pressing against me.
And ha, if people in high school knew that I was the one busting out Jesus, their hair would turn white.
I just watched this ep tonight!
What I thought was interesting about the God talk was that in the end, Peck was proved right. God IS science, in that science allowed Walter to receive his long-awaited sign from God. I've always thought that God and Science were one in the same, and that people make them polar opposites for no good reason, and I was intrigued by Fringe also seeming to take this tack. Who's to say that Walter confiding his need for a sign to this guy who travels in time wasn't "prayer." Who's to say that his prayer wasn't answered by science? I'm really interested in that idea.
As far as what was wrong with Peck's actions – as we learned in the Father's Day episode of Doctor Who, and as we've also learned from Peter being alive, it's never a good idea for someone who is supposed to be dead to be alive in the world, and it causes repercussions that we can't even imagine. It changes the balance of everything. The only reason why this episode "ends well" is that the fiancee, as well as the guy who kept messing with traveling in time, die. It's good that she's dead, because she was supposed to be, and it's good that he's dead, because he can't affect different times anymore. (and if you're asking what about the repercussions of someone who's not supposed to be dead dying, I'd say that he died the moment he started caring more about other times and less about his present.)
I have to say, the line Peter has when they're talking about deja vu where he says "I guess I'm not living my destiny" gave me chills! CHILLS!
This episode was so good, and I can't wait for next week!
"Why do these horrible body horror things happen to Peter Weller?"
My guess is because he doesn't mind wearing massive prosthetics for a week or three. From what I understand, such things can be quite uncomfortable, so the few guys who are good at it get to do it a lot.
I'm sorry, but I didn't like the gawd thing at all. It would have been at least as good—and most likely way better if they didn't bring that crap up at all. It irritates me that I have to bend the story somehow to reconcile cutting edge science with superstition. I tire of the apologetic way science is presented in relation to religion. Ugh. However, on a scale of 1-10, this episode rates about a 1 on the religious smellometer.
That being said, this story was a top notch yarn. I really like the way it was resolved. Very clever and satisfying. And the story of Peter is very interesting!
What can one say about Peter Weller—he deserves to be in the Tom Savini-Stan Winston hall of fame. I mean, he's Buckaroo Banzai, man!