The only downside to Fringe's current dual Olivia storyline is that eventually it's going to have to end.
For now, we can enjoy the ride, cherishing the knowledge that having Fauxlivia/Thomas Jerome Newton in the equation can take a pretty standard Fringe story -- weird box makes people's brains melt -- and make it part of the show's larger mythology.
I'm looking forward to next week's episode, where we return "Over There" and see what Olivia 1 is up to. But there was a lot to like about "The Box," beyond general weirdness. I enjoyed Fauxlivia's attempts to blend in (During Newton's tutoring session, I had the same thought Peter eventually did: Olivia doesn't make a lot of pop culture references), just like I enjoy anything that allows Anna Torv to play something beyond "by the book."
And I liked how the episode gave Walter and Peter time to grapple with their roles as the once and (possibly) future destroyers of worlds. Even though they save the day at the end, it's clear from the final scene that Walternate has them both right where he wants them.
Other thoughts:
- Speaking of the final scene, that parallel dimension typewriter has yet to stop being creepy.
- I'm not sure what to make of the Walter-inherits-Massive-Dynamic plot twist. At this point, MD doesn't seem like the menace it once did, so the show has -- thankfully -- retired the "Massive Dynamic just happens to be working on this very technology" trope that seemed to pop up every week in season one. Maybe it's just a way to keep Blair Brown in the picture, which I have no objections to.
- After spending last week with Walternate, it was a comfort to have goofy John Noble back this week, playing the Miami Vice theme and attempting to have Jean the cow give chocolate milk.
- Between Olivia executing the deaf thief and the little person -- a member of Howard Stern's "Whack Pack," or so I'm told -- exploding at the subway station, this episode was not kind to the disabled.
Tom Coombe
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