TV Review: Fringe 4.20, "Worlds Apart"
With our anxieties laid to rest, we can get down to enjoying the last few episodes of Season 4.
rating: 5
First things first, as you may have heard by now, the Fox executives clearly read my review last week and saw my prayer for a 13 episode fifth season of Fringe! Well they responded with just that. We can officially relax and enjoy the conclusion to Season 4 without having to worry about how many loose plot threads would be lost in the wind. 13 episodes should be enough to bring in all those threads and tie them off in a satisfying series finale, provided they dont filter it with more monster-of-the-week monotony. In this respect Im glad the fifth season will only be 13 episodes and not the standard 22. Spoilers follow: With our anxieties laid to rest, we can get down to enjoying the last few episodes of Season 4. This week is the final episode before the two-part season finale, and things have started to reach a crisis point in the fight against David Robert Jones (Jared Harris). Walter (John Noble) addresses both sides with his theory on Jones final plan. He believes that Jones is going to simulate a much larger scale version of his amphilosite experiment in Episode 12. Back then, he used the amphilosite to merge a small town together with its counterpart in the other universe, destroying both towns but leaving a small safe zone in the middle. Walter believes Jones is planning to do this to both worlds, re-tuning them as it were, to a mutually destructive key. He would survive in the safe zone and then be able to build an entirely new universe whose physics he could control. To do this, Jones coordinates a group of people all over the world on both sides to stand in specific spots at a synchronised time, and then somehow he uses these links to generate the energy that will re-tune the universes. At each spot, a small-scale earthquake occurs, alerting the Fringe teams to his activities. You may have noticed what Olivia (Anna Torv) later confirms, that the people Jones is using are none other than the Cortexiphan trial kids, including old favourite Nick Lane (David Call). So hes not using amphilosite, apparently. What does he need the amphilosite for then, if Cortexiphan subjects can generate the same effect? As far as I see it, there are really two possible theories. Either; the experiment in Westfield (Ep. 12) was done using Cortexiphan subjects and not using amphilosite as we were lead to believe (unlikely), OR; the current plan is only designed to look like the Westfield experiment, specifically, to trick the Fringe teams into thinking that Doomsday is upon them, so that they take the only course of action they can: shut down the bridge between the universes, thereby severing the link that allows for the re-tuning. When asked how long they have until the collapse, Walter says, Frankly Im surprised it hasnt happened already. Does this suggest that it isnt going to happen at all, that its only a diversion? Remember Jones tried to use Alt-Broyles (Lance Reddick) to plant a device on the machine and Walter later said that the device would have destroyed both universes. Maybe it had another function; to shut down the machine Since Broyles failed to plant the device, perhaps these latest attacks are just Plan B; designed to trick the Fringe teams into shutting down the machine for him. Of course these are just theories, and it still begs the question of why Jones would want the link between the universes to be severed, and just what hes intending to do with the amphilosite. Assuming Jones ultimate goal is the destruction of both universes: a) We know that before the bridge was created, the two universes were on a collision course of destruction caused by Walters first crossing in 1985. b) By opening the bridge and linking the universes, the damage on the other side began to heal, and Armageddon was averted. c) Jones intends to shut down the bridge to reconvene the degradation of the fabric of the universes. d) He could use amphilosite to amplify this process. The only problem with that idea is that Walter claims in this episode that shutting down the bridge wont make the universes any worse off; they just wont continue to heal. Hmmm It all seems to suggest that we really have no idea what Jones is truly planning to do, and how he is going to do it. Most of this episode is spent with Olivia trying to convince Nick Lane to give up Jones, so they can stop him without having to sever the bridge. According to Lane, Jones has been telling him that he is a solider in a war with the other universe, and that the earthquakes he is helping to create will help to destroy the other side. In the end Nick leads Olivia on a wild goose chase to stall them before the next series of earthquakes. With time running out, they decide that the only course left for them will be to shut down the machine and close the bridge. Theres a really touching moment here between the two Walters. Walternate comforts Walter, who is afraid that Peter (Joshua Jackson) might disappear when the machine shuts down. It brought him here; its only logical that it can take him away. In the end though, Walter does what he believes has to be done, and shuts down the machine. After some heartfelt goodbyes, the other side disappear, along with Lincoln (Seth Gabel) who decides to remain with his Olivia. Peter doesnt disappear, and that comforts Walter. So the stage is now set for the two-part finale. Both sides are now on their own against David Robert Jones who seemingly has tricked them into shutting down the bridge. Now that there is no contact with the other side, Im hoping that wont mean no contact for the viewers, because I still want to see what happens to them. Just as Walter says at the end, I think I shall miss them, more than I imagined.