This episode is the continuing story line from the other side. I really enjoyed this episode, I had so many visceral reactions to the sequence of events that I can only be amazed at the depth of feeling this show is able to elicit. I liked that this episode brings back some of the unique characters to the alternate universe and explores the dynamics between all the characters, which are slightly different than the original characters. But I really, really would like to see some more of Anna Torv as the original Olivia, what is happening with her and Peter?
*SPOILER ALERT* This is a play by play re-cap of last weeks episode in time to catch up before tonight’s episode.
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Fauxlivia is getting blood drawn because she is afraid that her chances for VPE (viral propagated eclampsia, which is not a real disease) is 80%. She is especially nervous as her sister died giving birth because of this disease. As she enters her apartment after the doctor’s visit she tells Agent Lincoln that she feels she is being followed. He sends a security team to her. Invaders zap Fauxlivia. Fades out on two indistinct faces.
Bug Girl is back! At least in name. Her scenes in the episode Immortality were quite delightful, and I had a bit of a ::squee!:: moment when I realized the actress played one of my all-time favorite female characters on the show Supernatural. I think she is just absolutely stunning, and she’s a redhead, so she gets extra brownie points in my book. Charlie and Lincoln discuss Charlie’s date with Bug Girl, and have a bit of a tete-a-tete over Charlie’s refusal to call Lincoln, sir.
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Walternate makes himself clear, again, he will not experiment on children. This is one of the twists in the show that makes it hard to root for one side over the other. Each character, and each alternate, has both disappointing and redeeming personality traits. Here, Walternate proves he is not all evil because he refused to experiment on children while the original Walter clearly did such a compunction.
Feauxlivia has been kidnapped and her tracker ditched. Soon we see her strapped to a gurney and about to be injected with some blue liquid. Between playing to characters who are continuously experimented on, Anna Torv spends much of her time tied down. I can’t decide if that would annoy me after a while, because I really like the freedom to move my limbs about, or if I would be grateful that I was getting paid to lay still and close my eyes. Tough call there. What’s with the black surgeon’s masks? I’ve got a bad feeling about this, besides the whole kidnapped and unexplained medical procedure.
Fauxlivia starts to wake up. “She’s a fighter,” says the black masked doctor in admiration. “No Shit Sherlock” moment of the week. Black masks and black gloves, I’m official creeped out. The nurse places a pill in Fauxlivia’s mouth sending her back to twilight zone. Homeopathic, melts in your mouth, anesthesia? WTF? Let’s make her pass out by her choking on a pill while she’s mostly unconscious, I bet that would work swell. It gets worse. The nurse places a target of light on Fauxlivia’s belly. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this, beyond the whole kidnapping and pill choking attempt. First images of Peter and Fauxlivia’s fetus, Awwness. Fauxlivia fades away.
Lincoln and Charlie discuss the improbability of tracker’s being known. Now, if I lived in the alternate universe such a thing would be something I would supsect the government of having, I suspect our government of such stuff and I’m living in neither Fringe universe. Lincoln whispers, “There is only one way the person knew about the tracker. Either it’s an inside job or someone sold the information.” Dun Dun Dun.
Wait a minute, I count two ways right there. I’m loosing my faith in the alternates abilities to count here. Lincoln and Charlie are approached by AlterAstrid and told of a commercial vehicle that has circled Fauxlivia’s apartment many times in the past few weeks, more times than it should, according to the statistics.
Que my favorite character new to this season, the taxi cab driver, reading the funnies. I loved Andre Royo’s portrayal of “Bubbles” on “The Wire” and this character has a lot more redeeming characteristics. His belief in Olivia as she tries to escape the alternate universe was touching. Lincoln and Charlie arrive on scene guns drawn and question Henry Arliss Higgins, the cab driver, as to Fauxlivia’s whereabouts. He’s worried about Olivia after witnessing her breakdown and paranoia (rightly so, paranoia). Again, Awwness! Higgins reveals he knows more than he should.
Doctors with Black Masks reappear and shine a light in Fauxlivia’s eye telling her not to move. You have a Fringe agent strapped to a gurney without her permission, shine a light in her eye, and ask her not to move. Really? Really? I realized something, the only decent man in a black mask that I can think of is Wesley from the Princess Bride, the rest are ninja’s and Jet Li characters that don’t usually mean a peaceful end to a science fiction story. Surgeons with black masks, doubly bad. I’ve got a bad feeling about this other than a kidnapping and physical restraint of a deadly Fringe agent.
It’s a boy! Mazeltov. The nurse reveals the baby is a boy. Then it’s sleepy time some more for Fauxlivia. Higgins gives the low down to Lincoln and Charlie about Olivia’s break down and quest to get back to Peter. He helps Olivia escape, so when he sees Fauxlivia walking around acting like she doesn’t know him, he gets worried. Again, Awwness. Higgins reveals that he knows about an alternate universe, shocking this alternate universe’s Lincoln and Charlie with his in depth knowledge. Knowing too many details to be lying. Lincoln brings up his past suspicions that Olivia’s stint in their world was real and that Fauxlivia had been on the other side during that time instead.
Feauxlivia’s mom receives the bad news that Feauxlivia does have the made up illness of VPE. My first thought is HIPPA violation, but what do I know. Maybe the alternate universe doesn’t have HIPPA (though everything else is named the same, cities, people, pets (ok, I’m guessing on that one)), or maybe Feauxlivia put her mom down as an emergency contact or that the doctor could release her medical information to her mom. Maybe I’m over thinking this. But I find something fishy about the obstetrician, maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s the fact they never show her lower body. For some reason when the camera doesn’t pan out, I’m always wondering what they are hiding.
Fauxlivia tries to escape from her restraints. I’m *shocked.* The choking pills are no match for this fighter. But the pain, the pain is what does the body in, it is always the betrayer.
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Lincoln confronts Walternate with the information that the Olivias had been switched for several months. Walternate drops that bomb that Fauxlivia is pregnant, and with his grandchild. Lincoln works to not show emotion at this information, and it is crystal clear that Charlie’s remark earlier was correct, Lincoln has feelings for Fauxlivia. Walternate also believes that the reason people are after Fauxlivia, is because they are really after him. I’d consider this narcissistic, but it probably is true.
We pan back to the black masked doctors and Feauxlivia strapped to a gurney with a HUGE belly bump going on. Wonder if that bull’s eye made of light had anything to do with this, just a thought. Poor Feauxlivia, I realize all of this is done to her while she is out to help manage the pain, but the recovery for this going to be a bitch, and I’m not even talking about the psychological effects of kidnapping, belly bump acceleration, or Waternate as the grandfather. Next we find Feauxlivia, so preggers is almost cute (it’d be actually cute if it was the natural progression of a normal pregnancy) trying to pee. I thought this was something that happened automatically when pregnant, multiple times, in a short span of time. Fauxlivia informs the nurse in the black mask that she probably has VPE, a real risk, and an attempt to play on the nurse’s sympathies. Feauxlivia tells the nurse, you don’t have to actively help me, I just need a minute and I can help myself. The nurse is a hardliner, she just yells at Fauxlivia to pee. Pee damn it.
Charlie offers to talk to Fauxlivia’s mother. He gives the pat line, “We are working every lead.” This reassures her mother about as much as it reassured me. Of course, I know there are surgeons in black masks. So, I’m gonna need a lot more reassurance than that, Charlie. Fauxlivia’s mother tells Charlie about the obstetrician. I’ve been wondering from the beginning if she had something to do with the kidnapping. Or this could be a red herring. That’s the beauty of this show, I never quite figure out how the episode is going to end. (Unlike last week’s Grey’s Anatomy, totally saw that ending coming a mile away.) Fauxlivia’s mother tells Charlie that there is no way Fauxlivia can have the baby.
Feauxlivia acquires a scalpel, and even though pregnant she gets drop on the nurse. This is why I just love Feauxlivia, she waits for no man’s rescue. Feauxlivia goes into labor outside of a restaurant closed for the evening, not only is the place closed, but the one person that could help her is vacuuming. This show is evil. Her stomach moves. Those do not look like normal belly movements or normal labor pains. This show is really evil. My womb just contracted up behind my lungs.
If I have to suffer, so do you!
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Lincoln is walking Higgins out when Fauxlivia phones home. Well, she phones Lincoln with her whereabouts as best as she can. Wow, how convenient a cab driver is near by, does he get to save the day? Fauxlivia explains about the accelerated pregnancy and that she will need a medical doctor.
Higgins says he knows a short cut, “I’m a cab driver,” he says, “I know every short cut.” Did I call that one or what? AlterAstrid traces the phone call to the phone booth. Charlie gives Lincoln the bad news, Fauxlivia wont make it through the delivery. After Lincoln and Higgins arrive, Higgins assures Fauxlivia that he has some back seat baby delivery practice. Did I CALL that one or what?! Ok. Not exactly that, but I said he would save the day. How more savior can you get than delivering a baby?
Lincloln hold Fauxlivia in his arms as she gives birth. Awwness. He tells her that he loves her. Again, Awwness. Fauxlivia asks that no matter what Lincoln takes care of the baby. This does not bode well. The baby makes it, and begins to cry. Lincoln looks down at Fauxlivia, she appears unnaturally gray and dead. I was getting ready to throw many things at the t.v., she rallies. This show is REALLY REALLY evil. Both of them are fine.
We see Fauxlivia is sitting in bed rocking her baby. She explains to her mother that the accelerated pregnancy was actually what saved her and the baby from certain death. Sometimes I forget this is a science fiction show. (I know, I know). I had no trouble accepting Gabrielle’s accelerated pregnancy as part of the cannon of Xena: Warrior Princess, or Cordelia’s day long pregnancy on Angel, or vampire Darla’s birth of a human boy on Angel, but I’m having trouble with Fauxlivia’s pregnancy. Then I realized they can’t spend the rest of this season with Fauxlivia getting more and more preggers. So they do it in one episode. Clever.
Charlie and Lincoln sneak off to talk about the newly revealed information. And recap for all the latest viewers or those who have forgotten the different story threads. Which is good because I loose track of some of the story lines between the two universes. The Olivias switch, Burrows disappearance, “Makes you wonder what else we don’t know.” Lincoln muses.
Fauxlivia wonder if she is ready to be a mom, most women have 9 months to come to grips with the thought, or not as the case may be. Fauxlivia has had 45 minutes, I’m sorry, I’ve had 45 minutes, she has had about a day, with most of that in twilight zone. They poke the baby’s foot to draw blood. This brings back horrible memories of when I went with my sister to take my niece to the doctor when she was a month old to get more blood work drawn. My sister had to leave the room and I had to hold my baby niece down while the nurse drew vials of blood from her tiny arm. Ugh. In the Fringe universe, the orderly/nurse who took the blood hands it off to a stranger in a big black coat. We can’t see the stranger’s face. I have a bad feeling about this, beyond the whole accelerated pregnancy and Lincoln professing his love to Fauxlivia who is still in love with baby’s daddy Peter who is now finally dating Olivia.
The observer appears, “It is happening.” He says into his cell phone. Walternate shows up at Fauxlivia’s hospital room with flowers. Alt Brandon appears next to Walternate, I don’t trust this guy, he’s been pushing for experimenting on children. He questions that Walternate has told Lincoln so much of the truth. Walternate says that Lincoln would have become suspicious if they kept lying, besides, he continues, I knew you would not fail. “We didn’t.” Alt Brandon reassures Walternate. He hands Walternate the blood sample taken from the baby. Apparently it’s not ok to experiment on children, but it is ok to experiment on pregnant women and accelerate both pregnancy and birthing. It’s at moments like these, when Walternate does his little smirk that I am both reminded of John Noble’s acting ability and that Walternate is just a little evil. Hell, this show is more than just a little evil.
Because I’m not evil.
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Absurdly Nerdly 