Fringe, "Neither Here Nor There": where is Peter Bishop?

Quick Take: Fringe, “Neither Here Nor There”
Where is Peter Bishop? Well, don’t blink, or you just might miss him.

Review: Fringe, “Neither Here Nor There”
(S0401) Created by J.J. Abrams, Fringe tells the story of a secret division of the FBI tasked with the investigation of paranormal, supernatural, and otherwise unexplainable events. Or rather, that’s the story it told. Over the past three seasons, a grandiose mythology has emerged and driven the show to the peak of its storytelling – not to mention its audio and video editing – and back to a new beginning.

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There are a group of bald men in suits called the Observers who are attempting to ensure that the timeline unfolds properly. These men are capable of travelling through time and between universes, presenting themselves at momentous occasions throughout history. An Observer named September (Michael Cerveris) has accidentally altered the universe’s projected course by distracting Doctor Walter Bishop (John Noble) from discovering a cure for a fatal illness. In a universe much more akin to our own, another version of Dr. Bishop has already lost his son to the fatal disease, and – acting upon the hallucinatory epiphanies he had often experienced – creates a window capable of looking into the alternate universe, and watches his counterpart, whom he dubs “Walternate.” Seeing that Walternate has been distracted by the Observer, Walter rips open a door in the universe to retrieve and save his son from the "over there." By doing this, however, he unwittingly unleashes a chain of events that are progressively tearing the fabric of both universes apart.

Fast-forward to the present, our universe: Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is investigating the first of many attacks perpetrated in the name of the inevitable war between worlds. In order to acquire Walter’s help in solving the crime, Olivia tracks down Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and releases Walter from a mental institution. Dr Bishop is slowly regaining what’s left of his memory in order to solve the bizarre and strange events that are occurring due to the universe’s decay, eventually remembering his role in perpetrating the first act.

Except that none of that ever happened. Not exactly.

Before either of the universes can destroy each other, Peter remedies the paradox created by September by using a mysterious machine of superior technology left by a civilization called “The First People” in order to create a stable bridge between worlds, thereby eliminating himself from existence. So, “Where is Peter Bishop?” Apparently he died in both universes as a child... but that can't be quite right.

Even though his memory seems entirely wiped from everyone’s minds – though technically, there is no memory of him for the characters to remember – Peter seems to be bleeding through the fabric of the universes, appearing first in the room that acts as a bridge between worlds, and then again to Walter, in the universe we’ve come to affectionately refer to as “over here.” Walter doesn’t recognize Peter – either in the mirror or in the reflection of the TV – but September and the Observers are aware of this anomaly, and fear for what will occur should Peter’s memory start to re-emerge in both universes.

The episode begins with Olivia and Fauxlivia discussing the circumstances of their truce, and the concept of trust as it relates and is required of them – nobody trusts the other side. Even though the episode takes place “over here,” Fringe has a new amber­-coloured opening theme, signifying the new, bridged multiverse that we’re being introduced to. I really appreciate what the amber has come to represent in Fringe; originally developed by Walternate to plug the vortexes that appeared “over there,” the amber may hold, but it’s not a perfect fix – just like the bridge.

The new (but never otherwise) Fringe team has been investigating cases eerily similar to the show’s pilot, in which the victims have been discovered with translucent skin. Olivia recalls the familiarity, though as we’re constantly reminded, “things are different.” Her investigation eventually catches the attention of Lincoln Lee (new regular Seth Gable) – which is now their first official meeting. Olivia doesn’t seem to recognize him from her time on the other side, which suggests that ordeal may not have happened.

Agent Lee’s partner winds up a victim of the translucent trauma, inciting him to push his way into the active – but very classified – Fringe investigation. Though Olivia first resists Lee’s attempts to get involved, she lets him tag along and, with his help, catch two of the murderers, who are also extremely translucent. Except there’s something peculiar about something inside of them... something like a data storage unit eerily similar to Walternate’s cyber-organic shape-shifters.

Although they don’t bleed mercury, these creatures certainly aren’t human. The new breed of shape-shifters affirm Walter’s and Olivia’s suspicions about the other side, leading them to divulge some of what they know to Lincoln, who is about to become the newest recruit in Fringe Division. Olivia introduces him to the other side, taking him to the Department of Defence “over there” to confront her counterpart, displaying the massive scope of what’s beyond the looking glass.

Although September sets out and assembles a device to “erase someone from time” – assumedly Peter – he doesn’t use the device. Much like August – who appears to have been replaced (perhaps by the young observer discovered underground in season one) – September has developed a particular intrigue towards Peter, who is somehow fighting... death, non-existence, oblivion; take your pick. It’s obvious that the past three seasons haven’t been for nought – the new timeline is a perfect way to bring in new viewers, while providing one of the most compelling twists on cable television that actually appears to be going somewhere.