Quick Take: Fringe, “Welcome to Westfield”
"We can't leave." - Walter
Review: Fringe, “Welcome to Westfield”
(S0412) One of the responses to my review of last week’s “Making Angels” complained about Fringe’s shallow exploration of its characters lives and back-stories. Again, I blame this on Fringe’s unique status as one of the more mythology-driven shows on network television, with a structured subtlety that Fox’s average audience might miss.
The changes in this timeline, for example, aren’t immediately pertinent to Peter, the only constant from the past three seasons that we can be certain of. Even then, it’s safe to assume that, for the most part, everything happened the exact same way as we remember, excepting Peter and including David Robert Jones. DRJ’s presence is so far the singular explanation for every change in the timeline that we’re aware of: under his command, Nina raised and continues to medicate Olivia, and alternate Broyles may yet prove to be dead and replaced by a shapeshifter.
But there will be time later to explore the extent of the ramifications of September’s meddling in the multiverse’s course of events. With Walter accepting Peter and his return with fervent enthusiasm, he can’t wait to get out in the field – and then finds himself stuck there. When the Fringe team “over here” heads to Vermont to investigate a plane crash caused by a mysterious power failure, they find themselves trapped inside a pocket between universes.
The small town of Westfield has apparently become David Robert Jones’ ground zero for testing his physics-shattering weaponry. Inside the pocket, the two universes are gradually merging – an attack we’ve seen before, but on a much smaller scale. Those without counterparts to overlap with become the survivors that Peter, Olivia, and Walter have to save from getting caught in the impending cataclysm.
“Welcome to Westfield” has a very real horror-movie feel to it, or even Stephen King, reminding me a lot of Silent Hill insofar as the “inescapable town” motif is illustrated. Though Fringe has yet to haunt my nightmares in the same way, the same can’t be said for Olivia. In fact, she very vividly remembers herself, Peter, and Walter investigating a similar small-town crisis with mutated residents – except this iteration of her was never there.
Whatever Peter’s status is in this new universe, it’s clear that he isn’t the only one experiencing the ramifications of the past three seasons. The Olivia we fondly remember from Peter’s timeline appears to be bleeding through, and by episode’s end, is greeting Peter with a passionate kiss when he drops by to check in on her. I’ve postulated before that Peter has nowhere to go back to, and this new development seems to speak to that. No matter where or when he goes, the past is bound to catch up with Peter, and Walter may not have to lose his son yet again.
I do not agree with your comment about the backstory.
We know everything in overkill about the Bishops family or soap, this season alone I have lost count of the scenes with Walter going on about his wife and son, Peter about his mother and even Elisabeth came to visit. And that is this season so far, let alone all previous seasons.
Olivia Dunham has never had a scene like that at all, even with the sister flimsy storyline, all they could think off was her exhusband, instead of their parents. Itis a choice made by Jeff Pinkner, bad one IMO. More information and similar scnes from the start would have given the audience a bond with Olivia from the start.
This episode for me made clear that we will never get a decent backstory episode for Olivia Dunham, let alone the overload the Bishops had.
Olivia seems to be like the boy in Wallflower; a tool for Nina to experiment on, probably having something special as a baby or little child, stolen, no family reference, and voila, no backstory needed. So since season 3 Olivia Dunham has been Peters girl and especially the victim, brainwashed, posessed, replaced, and brainwashed again, not very healthy, are the drugs X or is peter X?
Last week we had Astrid an before that in 8 and 9 a lot of Bishops family sentimental tearjerker lines/scenes , Walternate telling me he has changed, and Walter once again has to be forgiven, everywhere the actors were given praise, as sentimental scenes that stir emotions are often confused with good acting.
In this episode 4.12 I saw Anna Torv subtle and nuanced as old Olivia and new Olivia, merged, separate, but so easy recognizable at once, just through beautiful acting, only praise from those who know great acting when they see it.
So Nina/Jones want Olivia to remember, why? Next week a schizophrenic , mirror for Olivia? Glyphs :Death march empath Olive , so when will Olivia die? Without her Fringe will crumble, but death marches have an end, usually with death.
I do apologiize, but I find your observations mostly incoherent, and when they're not, ultimately self-defeating.
I suggest you rewatch the series, because to say that we know nothing about Olivia is ignorant, or maybe just forgetful on your part. We have literally gone inside of her subconscious in the pilot (and on four serparate occasions afterwards) exploring the very traumas that have created the character that you apparently know so much about, in spite of apparently bad writing (according to you).
Which isn't to mention that her character "over here" - as a child recruit for ZFT - was conditioned not to build emotional connections, remain low-key, wear only blacks/greys, etc. Olivia's character is finely crafted - her story is there for those willing to acknowledge it. Anna Torv's acting wouldn't be so stellar if she didn't have something to work with.
..."sentimental scenes that stir emotions are often confused with good acting."
Good acting is what makes a scene emotionally stirring.
..."only praise from those who know great acting when they see it."
I do appreciate your complimenting my awareness for good acting, but Anna Torv hardly goes unnoticed from the world of network television, either. And may I remind you that we've already watched Olivia die. The season three finale still matters - I'd wager that we're watching everything unfold that leads to that very same point when Olivia dies - or at least, is supposed to.
Don't even bother responding to her. she is a big troll who goes everywhere and spew her utter hatred against the other castmembers on the show. She only cares about Anna Torv and only her. She is not worth talking to.