Continuing from yesterday on my Fringe review catchup, I turn my attention to last weeks episode, perhaps the most crazy and unique Fringe episode to air so far. And yes, I say that whilst also considering the musical, cult detective trip that was Brown Betty. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LAD from now on in the review for the sake of my copy and paste key) is one hell of a bold, brave...
OBSERVER ALERT:
...exciting, fresh, unique, original and daring feat for a live action science fiction show to take. Not only did it dare to head into a world most recently seen in Christopher Nolan's Dream-Trip Inception, but it also threw us into the world of animation as Olivia's clouded psyche struggling to envision the true form of Leonard Nimoy's William Bell.
I have read that people felt it was a cop-out and that it was because Nimoy didn't want to return, but the truth behind the matter is that not only did he wish to return but he actually did return and so had the producers truly wanted to do LAD all in live action, I'm 100% sure that they would have. The interpretation I saw in the animation could be viewed in numerous ways: perhaps Olivia's mind, whilst dormant inside a body that Bellie has hold over has mixed and confused itself presenting moments where both are present as a confused and bizarre form of animation. It also could be metaphorically significant in the sense that Bell has always been a man of mystery and so the fact that we struggle to see him as he truly is in real life form is being visually interpreted in such a way inside Olivia's mind.
Evidence to back this idea is that there is only one scene with Bellie not present also in this clouded animation, which is the scene on the Zeppelin when the mysterious man (apparently played by Ulrich Thomsen) with the X on his shirt as he attempts to kill Peter and Walter. The signifance of this furthering the hazy state of Olivia's brain is clearly that we do not really know who he is. It also leaves us excited by having seen a new character who (after the crazy ending) seems to be of importance to the story, yet we haven't really seen him. Prepare for lots of "is that him, no, that's him!"
There were many things we were supposed to interpret from inside Olivia's mind; her uncertainty over Nina Sharp visually shown by her apparent helping of Walter and Peter to the elevator but also having another motive; trying to quite literally shaft them. (elevator shaft them of course :P)
Also the significance of Walter falling onto Eden Lake when he fell from the Zeppelin, a sign of Walter meeting his doom at the place where he caused a lot of pain of suffering. LAD was riddled with exceptional clues and pieces to take forward. Like Brown Betty which gave us Walter's state of mind through indirect and subtle means, LAD did the same for Olivia, leaving us with more of an understanding of the woman beneath her exterior. (Things like this are why Fringe is just so bl%&£y good.)
And talk about some beautiful animation, which whilst not being totally perfect visions of the characters, (Peter especially) it just looked gorgeous and scenic, giving the chance for the writers to see the world and do things in the world which the budget for live action may not have managed. Worthy of note was Ryan McDonald's inclusion in the opening credits; did he actually say anything when his Zombie form raided the roof of the World Trade Center. Pretty easy money for him in this episode, a few "urghs" and I'm sure a nice looking paycheck.
One element of the dream world that worked less well was the mass-person-attack in live action at the start, which although I'm sure looked good on paper didn't quite have the thrills and chills I'm sure it was supposed to bring out. I did enjoy seeing Walter on top of a bus though, and the moment where Peter despairingly asks him if he does actually have a plan was one of the funniest moments of the episode.
Speaking of funny, LAD was full of laugh out loud moments, Peter's LSD tripping moment declaring Broyles an Observer was pure quality, Broyles' shocked look was perfect. In a normal episode that would have been Broyles' best moment, but he was given some blinding moments in LAD, accidentally drugging himself and spending the rest of the episode looking wide eyed and gawping; the word I'm looking for is brilliant. I love seeing Broyles' lighter side.
That being said, there was a moment of dark and foreshadowing; the moment he told Astrid "Death. I saw death. All of it. And it was me" was creepy and spooky. I'm sure he was thinking about seeing his Alternate self's murdered body in his mind, but I felt there was an element to the coming-soon blight. I did however think the Disney bird on Walter's shoulder was a little OTT, I had enough animation in Olivia's mind...
Significant to Walter's story arc was his conversation with Bell inside the Zeppelin, William telling Walter "The decisions you make will be the right ones. The direction you choose to take will be just." Walter always believed he needed his old friend to save the world but actually he has what he needs already. Not the knowledge he lost when his brain was cut up, but the mindset to do what is right; Walter's redeeming quality made clear to him.
Then comes the final few moments as Peter foils Olivia's mind security (He must have had some training from Mr. Charles :P) and finds Olivia in child form, the scared girl sitting around the table with the menacing Step-Father shadowing over her. As her scared subconscious began to ravel in on itself, and Peter, Bell and Olivia tried to find the way to bring Olivia out, everything that scared Olivia from her past confronted her. But then Peter sacrificed himself for her; throwing himself in front of the Jeep to keep her mind alive. It was the moment that she needed to see that she wasn't scared of this anymore. She turned and looked back at Bell who had fallen on the floor and the armies rushing towards her and told them to stop. She had won.
And it was at that moment that Bell's Soul Magnets plan became clear to me. He had achieved what he needed to do so that he could 'move on'. He had always called 'Olive' the strongest of his and Walter's children, but he also knew she was scared and had fears inside herself. No more. The chasing world stopped and vanished, the Olivia that Bell knew our world needed to survive was ready...
And with a final parting word to Walter, "Please tell Walter that I knew the dog wouldn't hunt" he was gone.
I'm satisfied now to say goodbye to William Bell. Whether everything he did was for good is something still to be seen, but I believe his heart was in the right place and he has left an important mark on both Olivia and Walter in this episode. They are both ready to face what is next.
You need evidence that Olivia is mentally where she needs to be? Just watch that final scene. Eating a piece of toast as casual as you like she blurts out the moment Peter must have dreaded, the identity of the mysterious man in the Zeppelin; "I think that he's the man who's gonna kill me."
You bet she's ready...
And judging from my excitement for what is to come next, I'm ready too.
9/10
Adam
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