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| Friday, April 24, 2009 08:13 PM |
| On the Viewer - Fringe (Episode 16 - "Unleashed") |
 by Fëanor |
Peter calls Olivia's cell late at night - but he just wants to talk to Olivia's sister, Rachel. And clearly this is not the first time they've talked. Olivia is taken aback. Then kid asks her if monsters are real. Olivia has to lie and say no.
Hey, now they're reminding me of a recent episode of Dollhouse! A bunch of idealistic teens break into a lab and start letting loose all the experimental animals. Problem is they take it too far, go into a super secret room in the back, and release some big, nasty beastie into the world. I like that the guy who shows up to check on the alarm is not a villain or a ridiculous caricature; he's just frightened about the thing getting out, and tells the kids to run for it.
Walter is growing an ear in an omelette. Good old Walter.
Naturally Olivia and friends quickly find themselves investigating the deaths of the teens who released the dangerous beastie. It's obvious right away, this was no boating accident!
Peter: "We're looking for Big Bird."
Walter: "Don't be ridiculous! It could be a pterodactyl..."
Astrid: "So this thing had the claws of a lion and the fangs of a snake?"
Walter: "Reminds me of a woman I once new in Cleveland."
Reminds me of a manticore! Or a chimera.
Olivia finally asks Peter about his call to Rachel the night before: "So you two are friends now?"
Peter: "Does that bother you?"
Olivia: "No." Although what she really means is YES! YES IT REALLY DOES A LOT!!!
Walter's seen something in the body that's really disturbed him, and apparently reminded him of something in his files. Now he's looking secretive. Uh oh...
A couple of animal control guys answer a call about a monster sighting. Charlie shows up, too, but animal control guys are already dead. Be careful, Charlie! I love you!
Whew. Charlie got stung, but he's okay. Uh... let's just pretend I didn't say the "I love you" thing, okay? Okay.
Unsurprisingly, the chimera turns out to be based on work Walter did years ago. Like nearly everything else they've run into.
One of the bodies of the animal control guys starts moving, and turns out to be full of monster larvae.
Walter: "We must collect them. Peter, petri dish."
[Body breaks open, revealing many more larvae.]
Walter: "Make it a bucket."
Astrid: "I'm gonna be sick."
Walter: "Two buckets!"
The monster plants eggs in you when it stings you. Oh no, Charlie!
Weird; we're seeing Charlie at home with his... wife? He's married?! There go all my hopes and dreams. I mean... nothing. I didn't say anything. Hmmm, Charlie's totally lying to her about how he got his injuries. Also, it's going to be a total turn-off when monster larvae start crawling out of him.
Luckily they get him to the lab before anything tears its way out, but unfortunately he's already full of the little creepy crawlies, and Walter's not sure how to get them out. All kidding aside, I am going to be really upset if they kill Charlie. I really enjoy his character.
Oh, the monster's hiding in a jungle gym at a playground - where kids are playing! That's just wrong, Fringe.
Walter's really cracking up over this whole thing. He's really upset about people dying because of work he did. It's kind of odd! This kind of thing has happened before and he never got so upset.
As it turns out, the monster isn't really based on Walter's research after all, but on prior, independent research. And now it's time to go monster hunting!
Walter just sneaked some poison into his pocket. Hmm...
Charlie calls his wife. She tells him a really lame joke. WTF, Charlie's wife? You're not good enough for him.
Walter enacts his secret plan, drinking some poison (to make himself deadly, should he be eaten) and going after the monster himself. He's really been developing as a character, and is beginning to feel painfully responsible for these scientific horrors they keep coming across. He feels he personally has to clean this one up - at the cost of his own life, if necessary. Peter has also changed a lot; it's clear he can't bear the thought of losing Walter.
That is one big, ugly monster!
Walter: "When I mentioned the poison would kill me within the hour, did either of you happen to notice the time?"
Walter: "You were right. What you said before, about the consequences. I don't figure them; never have. I don't know if I can. It's not who I am."
Peter: "I know. But you were brave today."
A pretty moving and telling final scene sees Olivia unable to sleep in the dark, with the wind howling. She has to turn the light on.
The science was, once again, very questionable in this episode, but there were some strong character building moments, some tense action and suspense, and a few classic, funny Walter moments. Not the best Fringe episode ever, but pretty decent. |
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