Mark Watches ‘Fringe’: S03E13 – Immortality

In the thirteenth episode of the third season of Fringe, the alternate Fringe division investigates a fatal bug infestation that will have disastrous results for people in BOTH universes. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Fringe.

It seems that the writers of Fringe are interested in drawing parallels, in taking this alternate world and building drama and tension that reflects in either identical or inverse ways.

I have to keep reminding myself that this show will never escape its serial format; it seems virtually impossible at this point and the last two episodes are proof of that. Again, I worried about the monster-of-the-week format that we were shown at the end of last week’s episode, but I must start giving the writers credit: they are not ignoring all of the information and drama they’ve dumped on us this season. If anything, they are rapidly answering our questions in a way that I believe is going to leave us utterly unprepared for where the story will go in the season finale. I wonder if they’re also worried about being cancelled, so they’re laying the groundwork just in case, but I’d rather not think about this fantastic show being taken off the air.

For the first third of season three, we’ve been trained to feel ire and distaste for Fauxlivia. In my case, it’s hard not to: Fauxlivia stole our Olivia’s life, ruined her chance at finding love again, and willingly helped Walternate’s plan on DESTROYING ANOTHER UNIVERSE. (For the record, I don’t disagree that there are certainly things to like about Fauxlivia, so STANS, I WON’T FIGHT YOU ON THAT ONE.) Walternate and Brandon are largely the more “evil” characters (to an extent) in the parallel world, while the other characters are much more subtle in their differences. (Astrid fits into neither of these descriptions, actually. That’s because she is FIERCE and THE BEST CHARACTER EVER) So, having said all that, this episode was so well-written that now I feel completely and utterly sorry for Fauxlivia. I don’t necessarily excuse or forgive her for what she did to those on our side, but that image of her in the hospital, clinging to her pillow as she cries, was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve seen in a long time. The irony here, which exists as a direct parallel to what’s going on with Olivia, is that the effects of what either Walter has done in their respective universes has left their respective Olivia feeling alone in the world. We’ve got Walter and his cortexiphan subjects, of which Olivia is one, and Walternate and his desperate plan to get Peter back on his side and to use the doomsday device. And now we’ve got two women who are broken and depressed because of their actions.

What interests me about this relationship is how these two women, who are so similar now, will act out to those around them. How is Olivia going to deal with Peter’s feelings for Fauxlivia? How is Peter going to react to learning that Fauxlivia is pregnant? (I CALLED IT. I TOLD YOU.) Is Fauxlivia going to accept Walternate’s crrepy, objectifying offer to take care of her and his grandson, knowing that she serves a means to an end for him?

I have virtually no idea where this episode is headed.

It was nice to have Scarlie and Lincoln back, especially since they don’t seem to have any creepy, ulterior motives. Well, accept for Lincoln’s inability to keep a secret, that is. But I feel less and less antagonism towards anyone but Brandon and Walternate, who continue to work towards synthesizing Cortexiphan and working on the doomsday device. (What does that extra piece do exactly?)

Plotwise, it was hard not to think of The X-Files while watching this. Take the humor out of “War of the Coprophages” and mix it with a heavy dose of “Leonard Betts” (no, seriously, if you’ve seen that episode, this one is SO CLOSE TO THE SAME THING) and you get “Immortality.” That’s not to say it wasn’t interesting or well done. Bugs are creepy. Bugs that gestate inside your stomach and rip out of your body are horrifying. And having a scientist using human hosts to ironically create a method to cure avian flu and save millions? It’s a nice touch, as it brings up a common dilemma: Do you sacrifice a few to save millions?

We don’t necessarily find out that answer, but in the episode’s big shocker, Fauxlivia turns out not to be infested with Dr. Arman Silva’s modified skelter beetles. He actually made himself the final host and produced a pure specimen of the skelter beetle from his own neck. He whispers to Lincoln as he is dying: “Make sure they spell my name right.”

Does he earn that immortality? Will he be lauded as a hero? Maybe we’ll find out in the future, but I found this twist to be completely disturbing and not only because of what happens inside the ambulance. Would a society accept a murderer as a savoir if his murders produced a viable, life-saving vaccine?

I have no idea. My only complaint about this story line is that I loved it, but the events in the ambulance completely upstaged it. I MEAN, THAT IS PRETTY OK, RIGHT? FAUXLIVIA IS PREGNANT. Oh god, shit is so goddamn real guys.

THOUGHTS

• Omg alternate Broyles. ::sad face::
• THE BUG GIRL. Oh my god, I don’t even remember my name, but she was fabulous.
• So. Walternate is cheating on his wife with Reiko. UGH. Is there anything about him I don’t hate?
• Wait, yes there is. He won’t experiment on children. Did not expect that, honestly.
• “I bet she drives a Beetle.” “You’re—you’re not funny.”
• I really, really like Lincoln a lot. I have a feeling both he and Scarlie will play a larger part in the story near the end of the season with regards to our side.
• The preview for next week looks absolutely ridiculous.