Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Graham Roland
Directed by Paul Holahan
Quite some time ago, the producers for “Fringe” mentioned that the final three episodes would, in essence, comprise the series finale. Seeing this episode, it’s not hard to recognize the truth of it. This takes all of the events from the rest of the season, brings them into context and focus, and provides the springboard for the big finish.
It’s not a minor feat. A lot of genre fans are still deeply divided over the conclusion to “Lost”, wherein thematic and character-centric resolutions were emphasized in favor of plot or mythological box-checking. “Fringe” has often felt like the refinement of the “Lost” storytelling model, with alternative realities and timelines in place of flashbacks and flashforwards. Many find themselves asking: will “Fringe” be able to stick the landing in a way that satisfies all sides of the fandom?
Probably not, but they are certainly trying their best. Setting aside my personal disappointment that William Bell is not, in fact, the “father” of the Observers, the thematic elements that have been threaded throughout the series since the pilot are all right there in the details of Walter (and September’s) plan. In the grand “Babylon 5” tradition, it’s not about physically beating the superior enemy, but rather, “thinking” one’s way out of the problem.
Inevitably there will be those members of the audience that will balk at such a notion. “Is this really what it was all about? All that running around to make a time machine?” But it actually fits the series rather well. “Fringe” has shown, again and again, how scientific progress cannot be halted. It will happen, one way or another; the question is whether or not the human conscience drives the endeavor. Walter himself is the poster child for “science without morality”, and he has spent the entire series trying to make amends for his past errors in judgment.
Walter has also watched everyone in his life sacrifice to correct those past mistakes, and while he may not be directly involved in the creation of the Observers via William Bell, he is a link in that chain. Not only that, but he also recognizes that the potential to become that person again is within him. Walter’s joy is not just at remembering so much of what he has gained in all timelines, but recognizing that he is going to have the chance to make his own grand sacrifice, allowing the others to live.
Fathers and sons have been a huge part of the story, so it is fitting that September’s “son” has been an important piece of the puzzle all this time. It provides September with a solid motivation for his actions with the Bishops throughout the series, but especially that critical moment at Raiden Lake. It also provides the proof for September and Walter’s plan; September himself has seen and understood the benefit of human emotion (something explored with the Observers from the very start, as with “August”).
This notion of sacrifice may be greater than anyone realizes, depending on how the physics of time travel work in the “Fringe” universe. While there has been explicit use of both the “Many Worlds” and “infinite timeline” models for time travel, there is no sure indication of how non-linear effects might propagate. In this case, while experiments in human reproduction may lead to the Observers, and those experiments can be influenced in a different direction, there will likely be consequences beyond the loss of Walter.
While so much is wrapped up in the Bishops and their story, the series is ultimately focused on Olivia Dunham. For obvious reasons, Walter and Peter are critical individuals in her life, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how all of this is going to end for Olivia. It seems clear that Walter is going to be leaving her, barring some unexpected switch for someone else in the end. But that may not be the end of her loss.
If the Observers are written out of the future, so to speak, that means that September will not exist, and therefore he cannot intervene at Raiden Lake. In at least some versions of the timeline, Peter will then drown, since September will not be there to save him. (Things wouldn’t go so well for Walter, either.)
In an infinite timeline model, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Peter would simply cease to exist. The purpose of the fourth season story arc now becomes clear; Olivia herself could prevent Peter from being erased from whatever timeline she happens to inhabit, when all is said and done. Etta may or may not exist, depending on how happy an ending the writers are planning. But it’s not likely that the matter of Peter’s existence will be overlooked.
Ultimately, I think it’s clear that Olivia’s unique nature, as revealed in the series premiere, will come into play for the series finale. Walter and September may have the scientific means to project Michael into the future, but it will require Olivia’s uber-humanness to make all the pieces fall into place. And that is how it should be: Olivia herself is, in essence, the statistical improbability that the Observers, as shown in this episode, cannot fathom.
One final note: kudos to “Fringe” for delivering one of the most subtle and surprising guest appearances in recent memory. I had completely forgotten that Robin Williams was going to be appearing this season, but even if I had remembered, I would have been expecting one of his usual quirky, oddball characters. What I didn’t expect was a nuanced performance as the Observers’ leader. Just another feather in the cap for this episode!
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Score: 9/10
