Fringe "The Arrival" (2008)

Fringe is taking a different route than expected and for now it's unclear if that is either good or bad. Originally the premise appeared to be the exploration of pseudo-science areas that had been relegated to the realm of science fiction/fantasy: regeneration, psychic ability, etc. There's been a decrease in focus on this since the pilot and this episode had little to do with the "fringe science" and more to do with extraordinary occurrences of the Pattern. Granted there is a brief torture scene with a mysterious device that can read minds, but this is practically a slimmed down rehash of the experiment from the pilot where Olivia was allowed to merge her mind with the unconscious Agent Scott. It's been stripped down from the drug-induced, surreal experience to painful rods jammed up the noses of unsuspecting providers of information. This is the first episode to break from the standard mold of the team in effect "cleaning up" the mess of someone utilizing Dr. Bishop's previous research and focusing more on general Pattern-related activity providing evidence that it may not just be recent times that have played host to these strange occurrences.

Not to say that this episode doesn't provide some worthwhile material such as giving Peter a reason for sticking around and caring for Walter. Maybe now less time will be devoted to his whining about how Walter kept him up late the night before and how he doesn't have full access to the federal building. Between his complaining and Olivia's moping, the stage is set up so that only Walter looks favorable and John Noble certainly shined again here. Here is a man with an encyclopedic knowledge in areas of expertise that other authorities of the same caliber can be counted on one hand. Yet his eccentricities and endearing child-like wonder, this week it was an obsession about obtaining a root beer float, mask a dark side, one that occasionally creeps out and rears its ugly head. It's almost unsettling how quickly he can shift gears and go from being a lovable absent-minded professor to next injecting poor Astrid (Jasika Nicole) with a sedative in order to sneak out of the lab with the mysterious metallic cylinder, this episode's piece of the Pattern.

The cylinder is an exact duplicate, or perhaps the same, of one that appeared in the Pentagon back in 1987. This appears to be the first reference that this type of activity is not relegated to the past few months or maybe it's becoming more frequent and therefore more noticeable now. It's of an unknown origin and expected to disappear with as little warning as its arrival. For now it's purpose is unknown other that the fact that it resonates on two different frequencies which Walter discovers while analyzing it in the lab. It's also the object of desire for a hit man who is killing everyone he comes across that has had contact with or knowledge of the mysterious cylinder. He carries a strange sonic gun, which resembles the really cool firearm from Minority Report, and also has access to the previously mentioned mind reading, nostril probing machine that he uses on a former mentor of Olivia's and later on Peter. Other than a brief mention about how the cylinder could be related to a project regarding subterranean torpedoes that Walter was involved with and the fact that the hit man that was previously wanted for a double homicide no further origin or purpose is given for either.

This episode also introduces "The Observer" (Michael Cerveris), a strange man who shows up at Pattern-related events and simply watches the events unfold, as far as Broyles and the gang can tell anyway. What they don't know is that he is also reporting these events to someone, perhaps Nina Sharp, who was noticeably absent this week? According to Walter, he first met this man many years before, looking exactly the same as he does today, when he rescued Walter and Peter from a car accident by pooling them out of a frozen lake. They would have died if not for this man, and somehow he gave Walter instructions for the future that would compel him to keep the cylinder out of the hands of the hit man. The Observer even has an effect of Peter, as his simultaneous mimicry of Peter's speech (attention Russell T. Davies: this is stolen from your Doctor Who episode "Midnight") coupled with his mind reading torture finally opens his eyes to the strange occurrences he must have been sleeping through the last three episodes. He is now dedicated to these investigations, even agreeing to remain as Walter's guardian. Now all that is needed is to break Olivia out of her slump, which might not be too easy since Agent Scott appears in her apartment in the final shot. Cue more emotional turmoil!

Favorite moment: Proving that Walter is the definite audience favorite, he gives not one, but two dressing downs to Peter when he simply cannot take, much like us, any more of his griping or ignorance as to what's going on around him. The first in the lab was the most enjoyable as Walter is driven to angrily inquire why Peter must question his every decision. It gets more uncomfortable after Walter has been picked up following his jaunt to hide the cylinder when Peter is constantly questioning his every statement about having talked with The Observer. It seems that even Olivia was becoming annoyed judging by her facial expressions. Peter's incredulous nagging leads Walter to make a scathing and hurtful statement that hits a sore spot with Peter, giving him the excuse he needs to walk away. It's all too familiar when out of anger, something truly hurtful is said that is immediately regretted. The ones closes to you always have the ability to hurt you the most.