When all is said and done, I'm not totally sure "6955 kHz" made sense. This week's evil scheme involved an agent from the other side (played by Kevin Weisman, who portrayed a much more benevolent tech geek on Alias) broadcasting a strange frequency that wiped out people's memories.
Eerie, yes, and dangerous (losing your memory while you're flying a plane doesn't bode well for the rest of the trip). But the end result was apparently to get Peter, Walter, etc. to dig up the pieces of Walternate's machine. Wasn't there an easier way?
Still, I enjoyed it a lot more than last week's episode. Goofy or not, the case was pretty creepy (I'm a sucker for unexplained transmission stories), and even a little poignant, as Walter found himself sympathizing with the woman who lost her memory. Plus there were a lot of neat little touches: Astrid basically solving the case, Nina and Walter smoking a joint together and reminiscing about their wild college days, the tension between Peter and Walter, and Peter's resolve to find a third way beyond the "one universe must die for the other to live" theory.
Most importantly: we're ready for the Olivia/Fauxlivia showdown next week. Liv just realized her time "Over There" is almost up, just as her doppleganger is coming closer and closer to cracking. Next week could be a high point for what's already been a fine, fine season for Fringe.
Other thoughts:
- Did you notice that when we saw that woman punch in the numbers to her computer, they were ones from Lost's famous sequence (8, 15 and 42)? A lot of this episode felt kind of like the writers throwing a bone to Lost fans. Peter even talks about finding out "what the numbers mean" at one point.
- Also, numbers station are a real phenomenon. Click here if you feel like being freaked out for a while.
- Cool shot: after the shapeshifter falls out the window, we see the sky/building reflected in the pool of mercury that spills out of him.
- Walter was a bit too freaked out this week to be really funny. Still: "If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake." Astrid: "He really would have. Literally."
Tom Coombe
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