Contributor: John Keegan
Written by J. H. Wyman
Directed by P. J. Pesce
With Etta’s death, the trajectory of the final season arc takes an abrupt shift into darker territory. Everyone is grieving, but none so more than Peter and Olivia. This latest blow to their relationship threatens to destroy what so many of us had wanted to see happen over the previous four seasons, yet it feels like the only direction these characters could have taken at this point.
Olivia’s grief is more internal, which stands as a reference point for the exploration of Peter’s rage and the momentous choice he make by the end. I love how the writers left the effectiveness of Peter’s body language analysis a bit vague. Was the Observer being honest in how he played Peter, or was Peter on the right path, just not taking it far enough?
Regardless, Peter has taken the first step on a very dangerous path. Many fans wondered if Peter was going to come back at the beginning of the fourth season as the first Observer; instead, we see what might be the beginning of the Observers in one of those wonderful little self-fulfilling time paradox loops. It turns out that the Observers are the “Fringe” version of the technomages from “Babylon 5”, which fits their previously discussed origins fairly well.
It also appears that the Observers’ tech is designed to integrate itself, so one can only guess what is going to happen to Peter over time. And I’m still not sure that the Observer didn’t push Peter to those lengths on purpose. After all, the Observer could read Peter to some extent, and could have known who he was dealing with and what role he was meant to play.
The title of the episode seems to validate this speculation. In the very isolated point of view, this is the origin of Peter-as-Observer, someone that can fight the Observers in way they have never been challenged. On the other hand, it could also have the more vast meaning, in which Peter is the origin of the Observers, at least potentially. Regardless, Peter’s status as a living weapon against the Observers brings the fight to a new level.
It’s just one way in which the broad interpretation of the previous episode’s title, “The Bullet That Saved the World”, comes into focus. As predicted, it wasn’t just referring to Peter’s pet name for Olivia’s headshot memento, but the bullet that killed Etta. It didn’t just push Peter into action; Etta has become a martyr to the cause of the resistance. And as noted, no matter what Team Bishop might do, it’s going to take allies and mass support to overthrow the regime.
As simplistic as this episode was, for the most part, Peter’s battle of wills with the Observer made for some compelling material. Other shows have demonstrated the innate drama that can come from interrogation (a recent episode of “Homeland” comes to mind), and it all comes down to how well the writers maintain characterization during such a highly charged scenario. A successful interrogation sequence will reveal as much about the interrogator as the subject, and in this case, that was beautifully realized.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Score: 8/10