Fringe, S4 Ep5 – Novation

The remaining living agent is wheeled away on a stretcher, and Olivia goes to talk to Truss. The paramedics have given him a real splint, by the way. She apologizes for the necessity, but they need a statement from him. He just wants to know if it’s true that his wife is dead. She says she’s sorry but it is true. Truss slumps, and says it’s his fault: “’Some things are not ours to tamper with’,” he quotes. He gets that now. Just then Lincoln summons Olivia away. The dive team is pulling a body out of the water — and it’s the agent they sent away in an ambulance. DUHHHHH. Of course when Olivia sends a team after the ambulance, the shape-shifter, for it is him/her/it!!!11, has escaped.

Back at the Federal Building, an agent hands Olivia some files. She puts them on her desk and then goes to reassure Lincoln that they will catch this thing. After all, they know much more about it than they did even this morning. A subdued Lincoln nods. Olivia asks if he wants to go get a bite to eat, and though there is plenty of worried Peter/Olivia shipper reaction to that online, I really think she’s just being kind. It’s like something Charlie would have done for Olivia. Either way, Lincoln politely declines, saying he’s just going to go back to his hotel. And then that same agent from before hands Olivia the same files again. Olivia’s all, “We just did this,” and the agent is all, “You sure you’re feeling all right?” because there are no files on her desk. Olivia looks puzzled. What could it mean? No, I’m seriously asking, because I doubt it’s exactly like what happened in season one when she kept having deja vu, but it sure is reminiscent of that.

Peter’s lying on his oh-so-comfy cot when the door opens. It’s Walter. Timidly, he asks, “Are they feeding you?” Peter smiles and says they are. Just so you know, I die from the love and angst and awesomeness about seven times every time I watch this scene. Peter then tells Walter he knows this must be so strange for him, but he doesn’t know what else to do — no one remembers him, and Olivia looks at him like he’s a stranger, like she’s afraid of him. Aww, he looks so lost. Then Peter adds fondly, proudly, “I know what you’re capable of.” He swallows. “I need your help Walter. To fix this.”

Awwwwwwwwww.

With an extra sheen in his eyes, Walter comes closer and puts his hands to Peter’s face. Peter just beams, and I melt. “Every day,” Walter says, voice trembling, “for the past twenty-five years, I’ve tried to imagine what you would look like as a man. My son.” (I’ve died again.) He pulls his hands away. “But I don’t deserve this.” Peter starts to look worried. Walter continues that he now realizes that Peter was sent here to tempt him, to see if Walter would repeat the mistakes of the past. He turns to leave. “You shouldn’t be here.” “Walter, no,” Peter tries, but Walter faces him again and says he can’t help him, no matter how he got here. “I tried to help a boy, a version of my son, twenty-five years ago. But that boy was never my son,” Walter says. Then, his voice choked, he finishes, “And neither are you.” And he leaves. And poor Peter sits there alone, stunned, trying to control his emotions, and I’ve died again. Ohh, man. I think it’s very in-character for this Walter to react this way, but the connection between the Bishops is the best thing ever and it needs to be back to full strength, STAT.

We’re at a train station in Boston. “Nadine”, all translucent and gasping, locks herself in a stall (or closet? I don’t know) and injects herself with the serum Truss made. It seems to work — and fast. Next, she goes to a storage locker, opens it up, and removes a typewriter. It’s a Hermes, not a Selectric, but I think we all have a good idea of where this is going. She types “Status report: Dr. Truss located. Serum synthesized successfully. It worked.” Um, yes, isn’t that what “successfully” means? In a few seconds, she gets this response: “Understood. Begin preparations. We’re sending the others.” She smiles.

And there we have it. It seems to easy to suggest that it’s Walternate who’s in charge of these guys, but I don’t know who the other option is. Anyway, the main thing is PETER! Ahem. Basically, having him back restores a little of the balance we’ve been missing this season, although obviously the rest of the team needs to start remembering him — however they’re going to handle that.