Fringe 4x22 - "Brave New World, Part II" (Discussion, Spoilers)
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WINTER IS COMING!!!
Er...wrong show. It's probably the Observers.
Great finale!
Er...wrong show. It's probably the Observers.
Great finale!
As cliffhangers go, that wasn't too bad.
Great episode, see y'all in a few months!
Great episode, see y'all in a few months!
Great finale!
That it was! Just about everything I'd hoped for, though it's a shame that we never really got to see any of the critters on Belly's Barge.
Not necessarily, they did set up the future timeline with the episode a few weeks go, and they did say that this episode would server as both a series ender and a season ender.
Wow. Like all the previous Fringe season finales, this one ended the season with a bang in more ways than one.
Bell as a delusional megalomaniac was chilling to watch as he spoke about being God and destroying both universes as the price of his delusional fantasy so calmly and without remorse. His reveal that the creation of a new universe was Walter's idea before Bell took out pieces of his brain makes me feel sorry for guilt-ridden Walter and happy that he is no longer the old Walter.
It didn't surprise me that Walter shot Olivia but the moment itself was still shocking concerning the bond between those two. I expected there to be side-effects of Olivia's resurrection that may affect her abilities or her personality or both. There's a Season 5 to further explore that, Thank God. But I have a bad feeling that Olivia's temporary death this episode wasn't the death she was destined to have. The Grim Reaper may still be on her trail.
Olivia's pregnancy, Broyles's promotion, and September's warning "They are coming" which makes me think the other Observers are the "they" have put the pieces in place for the "Letters of Transit" future which I think may be set in stone like the post-apocalyptic future of the show Dollhouse.
Bell as a delusional megalomaniac was chilling to watch as he spoke about being God and destroying both universes as the price of his delusional fantasy so calmly and without remorse. His reveal that the creation of a new universe was Walter's idea before Bell took out pieces of his brain makes me feel sorry for guilt-ridden Walter and happy that he is no longer the old Walter.
It didn't surprise me that Walter shot Olivia but the moment itself was still shocking concerning the bond between those two. I expected there to be side-effects of Olivia's resurrection that may affect her abilities or her personality or both. There's a Season 5 to further explore that, Thank God. But I have a bad feeling that Olivia's temporary death this episode wasn't the death she was destined to have. The Grim Reaper may still be on her trail.
Olivia's pregnancy, Broyles's promotion, and September's warning "They are coming" which makes me think the other Observers are the "they" have put the pieces in place for the "Letters of Transit" future which I think may be set in stone like the post-apocalyptic future of the show Dollhouse.
Now it's 3
Guess it starts up again on September 21, based on the numbers that Walter used a few weeks ago.
Seems like a long ways off, doesn't it?
I'm outta here folks, as usual I'll be checking for overnight comments in the morning.
I've really enjoyed our commentaries this season, even when the season wasn't heading the way many of us thought that it should. Tonight was a good pay-off and we still have 13 more shows to look forward to before it all ends for good.
I've really enjoyed our commentaries this season, even when the season wasn't heading the way many of us thought that it should. Tonight was a good pay-off and we still have 13 more shows to look forward to before it all ends for good.
I'm going to hate it when they do a winter break in January
Coming back in March for 6 remaining episodes
They said they'd prepared two endings for this episode, depending on how the renewal fell, which I imagine meant having something to replace the coda with September. It's well done, because, minus that, this would have worked as a series finale.
Average.
I have to say that for 4 years worth of build up on their mythology it came together in a very unsatisfying and anti-climatic way.--Sam Weiss, Bell''s motivation for collapsing the universes, Bell's back up plan of using Olivia as a power source, the purpose of the porcupine creature from S1, The Machine, The First People, David Robert Jones etc.
I honestly can say what a waste of time if this how it all paid off. Also this episode is a perfect example of why I hate the en vogue use of flashforward episodes--"Letters of Transit" essentially spoiled this episode and robbed it of all dramatic tension. Last week's "dramatic" shooting of Astrid should have put us on the edge of our seats but since we know Astrid survives in amber--big whoopee and the way this episode just sort of glosses over it was certainly anti-climatic--a definite sign of weak writing IMO.
Then you knew Walter would save the day since Future Nina confirmed it to Henry Ian Cusack's character. Any other time September's warning that "They are coming" would have been ominous instead we know exactly who they are--The Observers and why. Also when the writers had September show up at the Opera House to warn Olivia she was going to die in all possible futures I have to say--WRITER CONTRIVANCE. First of all for a being who can travel to any point in time why not go to the point in time that he had left instead of traveling even further back in time and why mislead Olivia to think she was going to be permanently dead--he would have known Walter saved her--Why? Because the writers were trying to gin up suspense.--Boo on them. X is Walter Yawn. Bell knows a lot about the Observers--but how and the device he sets in his office after ending the hologram of the new universe looks suspiciously like the device in 2036 that is suppose to get rid of the Observers.
Rebecca Mader is a horribly annoying actress--which I felt about her performance on LOST and seeing her replicate it just proves it wasn't the role but her acting.
Oh and just what any series needs a baby on the way--cliched, hackneyed.
Average for the episode, Average as a finale, Poor for an episode that wraps up 4 years worth of mythology.
I have to say that for 4 years worth of build up on their mythology it came together in a very unsatisfying and anti-climatic way.--Sam Weiss, Bell''s motivation for collapsing the universes, Bell's back up plan of using Olivia as a power source, the purpose of the porcupine creature from S1, The Machine, The First People, David Robert Jones etc.
I honestly can say what a waste of time if this how it all paid off. Also this episode is a perfect example of why I hate the en vogue use of flashforward episodes--"Letters of Transit" essentially spoiled this episode and robbed it of all dramatic tension. Last week's "dramatic" shooting of Astrid should have put us on the edge of our seats but since we know Astrid survives in amber--big whoopee and the way this episode just sort of glosses over it was certainly anti-climatic--a definite sign of weak writing IMO.
Then you knew Walter would save the day since Future Nina confirmed it to Henry Ian Cusack's character. Any other time September's warning that "They are coming" would have been ominous instead we know exactly who they are--The Observers and why. Also when the writers had September show up at the Opera House to warn Olivia she was going to die in all possible futures I have to say--WRITER CONTRIVANCE. First of all for a being who can travel to any point in time why not go to the point in time that he had left instead of traveling even further back in time and why mislead Olivia to think she was going to be permanently dead--he would have known Walter saved her--Why? Because the writers were trying to gin up suspense.--Boo on them. X is Walter Yawn. Bell knows a lot about the Observers--but how and the device he sets in his office after ending the hologram of the new universe looks suspiciously like the device in 2036 that is suppose to get rid of the Observers.
Rebecca Mader is a horribly annoying actress--which I felt about her performance on LOST and seeing her replicate it just proves it wasn't the role but her acting.
Oh and just what any series needs a baby on the way--cliched, hackneyed.
Average for the episode, Average as a finale, Poor for an episode that wraps up 4 years worth of mythology.
Talk about a shocker, eh?
This episode felt like a good finale for season 4, but most of the action was confined to the last 15-20 minutes of the episode, and that made the first half hour drag a little in my mind (which is weird for me).
I did enjoy seeing Nimoy return to Fringe, this time with a menacing God complex akin to Jones' own persona.
I had a suspicion that there was more to Jessica's character than meets the eye after seeing her in the promo for the finale. That being said, the scene with her eyes going topsy-turvy was both creepy and hilarious. Also, it brings back that tech we heard about in season 1 when Nina questioned John Scott after he died. I wonder what answers she got out of him?
I was really impressed with Olivia's powers in this episode, and they seem very reminiscent of how strong her powers were in 'The Day We Died'. Looks like she's putting her 'jedi mind tricks' to good use.
The most shocking moment was definitely Walter shooting Olivia. I literally yelled at my t.v. when that happened, because one would never, ever think our Walter capable of shooting Olivia. But he does so because he knows that he can save her, which I was really relieved to see. It was also a nice tie-in to last week's episode.
And then we have a great appearance by September. I really liked the tie-in with September's foretelling of Olivia's necessary death (a prophecy that she does fulfill). Plus, his little warning at the end gives us a hint of things to come. The question is: will it pan out in the same manner as 'Letters of Transit'?
The ending with Olivia revealing that she is pregnant was sweet and though predictable, not cliché in my mind. The writers have proven that they can take a baby plot and make something completely different out of it (I know, because I griped about this back in season 3). So I suspect that something interesting will come of it.
And once again... Bell disappears. Does the guy ever truly die?
It was a good finale, but it didn't 'wow' me like 'Over There Part 2' and 'The Day We Died'.
A side note: Since Walter (or a version of him) has been responsible for Olivia's death, I wonder if the man who appeared in Olivia's mind during 'Lysergic Acid Diethylamide' was another version of Walter from Bell's consciousness that Olivia had never seen.
P.S.
Procutus: I feel your pain about Alcatraz
This episode felt like a good finale for season 4, but most of the action was confined to the last 15-20 minutes of the episode, and that made the first half hour drag a little in my mind (which is weird for me).
I did enjoy seeing Nimoy return to Fringe, this time with a menacing God complex akin to Jones' own persona.
I had a suspicion that there was more to Jessica's character than meets the eye after seeing her in the promo for the finale. That being said, the scene with her eyes going topsy-turvy was both creepy and hilarious. Also, it brings back that tech we heard about in season 1 when Nina questioned John Scott after he died. I wonder what answers she got out of him?
I was really impressed with Olivia's powers in this episode, and they seem very reminiscent of how strong her powers were in 'The Day We Died'. Looks like she's putting her 'jedi mind tricks' to good use.
The most shocking moment was definitely Walter shooting Olivia. I literally yelled at my t.v. when that happened, because one would never, ever think our Walter capable of shooting Olivia. But he does so because he knows that he can save her, which I was really relieved to see. It was also a nice tie-in to last week's episode.
And then we have a great appearance by September. I really liked the tie-in with September's foretelling of Olivia's necessary death (a prophecy that she does fulfill). Plus, his little warning at the end gives us a hint of things to come. The question is: will it pan out in the same manner as 'Letters of Transit'?
The ending with Olivia revealing that she is pregnant was sweet and though predictable, not cliché in my mind. The writers have proven that they can take a baby plot and make something completely different out of it (I know, because I griped about this back in season 3). So I suspect that something interesting will come of it.
And once again... Bell disappears. Does the guy ever truly die?
It was a good finale, but it didn't 'wow' me like 'Over There Part 2' and 'The Day We Died'.
A side note: Since Walter (or a version of him) has been responsible for Olivia's death, I wonder if the man who appeared in Olivia's mind during 'Lysergic Acid Diethylamide' was another version of Walter from Bell's consciousness that Olivia had never seen.
P.S.
Procutus: I feel your pain about Alcatraz
Really liked this episode but seemed a bit short, probably because most of the exciting stuff was left until the end. I still don’t understand how Olivia got her memories of the old timeline, it’s probably got something to do with the cortexiphan but it hasn’t been explained. Also I wasn’t completely happy with William Bell’s change in character to an evil genius. Maybe he was always like this but he still gave his life twice in the old timeline to save others, I can’t imagine this Bell doing the same.
Procutus: I feel your pain about Alcatraz
Thanks Vi, glad to see that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed that show. It had potential.
I do have to agree with startrekwatcher in that the writers/producers still have left a number of questions unanswered that in reality, we'll probably never find out. For me, my biggest boggle is the Machine and how it came to be in this timeline, if both versions of Peter died as a child. How did either side power it up?
Beyond how they got it functional, where in the bloody hell did it come from? In the original version of history (Seasons 1-3) Peter learned that after he activated it, the Machine collapsed the Red-verse and then began to affect ours, ultimately creating a temporal wormhole in Central Park that led back to the dawn of time. The future versions of Walter and Peter then come to the conclusion that they, Astro and a handful of others dismantle the Machine and take the various components backwards in time, to become the First People, along with the knowledge of how to prevent the destruction of both universes.
So with this in his mind, Peter creates the bridge between the original universes, promptly vanishes, yet the bridge remains open and intact.
But no one ever heard of an adult version of Peter Bishop.
It gets worse. In this new history, the future version that Peter saw with the devastation of Red-verse and the damage to Blue-verse now won't occur. So if the wormhole in Central Park doesn't open, then how in the name of hell do the pieces of the Machine get buried in the past, in this new version of history?
This has bothered me all season, and it's worse now, because we still don't have an explanation. Nor do we really know if this 'God Plan' was something that Original Bell had in mind as well, or a contrivance of the New Timeline. And if so, then what changed Bell the man so much that he'd turn from being the kinder, more caring Bell we saw in Season 2 to the wannabe god he was in the finale?
OK, time for Proc to get off his soapbox for awhile. I still like the ep a lot, but wish we had answers to the above questions.
That's simply the classic Grandfather-paradox. Don't think too hard about it. It will never make sense anyway. That's why it's called a paradox.
