S2E20 Northwest Passage
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Returning to the main Fringe canon, we find out where Peter went after disappearing at the end of “The Man from the Other Side” – none other than the literal northwest, Washington State! Here he meets Sheriff Ann Mathis (one of the show’s best episodic characters played wonderfully by The Goonies’ Martha Plimpton) as he helps her investigate a string of murders that feel uncomfortably close to Newton’s M.O. Meanwhile, Olivia and Astrid help Walter deal with the aftermath of Peter leaving. Our guest host, Rachel, helps us untangle all of the references that this episode has to the classic show Twin Peaks!
S2E19 Brown Betty
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Geoff (xforce11) joins us for this episode to discuss the first of four especially whacky Fringe episodes, Brown Betty, (of which we would get one each season from here on out). In this one, Walter, deeply troubled after the disappearance of Peter, tells Ella a story in which Olivia is a noir detective investigating the disappearance of Peter after he stole Walter’s mechanical heart, except, as Walter tells Ella more than once, things are not quite as they seem. We talk about our thoughts on the short musical numbers, the noir atmosphere, and the many anachronisms.
S2E18 The Man From the Other Side
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The Man From the Other Side is (at least in correct people’s opinions) one of the best episodes of the entire series of Fringe! Something that we had been anticipating for such a long time – the culmination of the secret that Walter has been keeping for so long and it finally being exposed to Peter. In this climactic, pivotal episode (which really, in a lot of ways, leads fairly directly into the incredible two-part season finale in a few episodes), Peter finally inadvertently discovers that he is from the Redverse, and the scene that follows is one of the best acted, most emotional scenes of the entire series, with absolutely top-notch acting from both Josh Jackson and, of course, John Noble!
S2E17 White Tulip
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Damon (not Lindelof) joins us this week to discuss this beloved fan favorite episode “White Tulip,” co-starring the talented Peter Weller as Dr. Alistair Peck! The episode follows Dr. Peck as he tries repeatedly to travel back in time to the day his fiancée was killed in a car accident so that he can be reunited with her. It’s a beautiful episode with a powerful ending that sets the stage for Peter finally learning the truth of his origin in the next episode. Listen in as we discuss the different rules of time travel depending on the story and what rules Fringe seems to be establishing, the phenomenal acting bounced off back and forth between John Noble and Peter Weller, and so much more!
S2E16 Olivia. In the Lab. With the Revolver.
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This is another great episode on this roller-coaster of Fringe episodes as we near the incredible season finale! This time, we are returning to the topic of Cortexiphan subjects as we meet a new one – James Heath, and we are joined by Marianne this week as we discuss this episode so obviously inspired by the board game and film Clue! We discuss the references to Clue as well as the amazing performances in this episode, especially from Anna Torv who we all seem to agree is the MVP of this episode. We also share our enthusiasm around Sam Weiss and how happy we are to see him again, while also lamenting that his enigmatic lines in this episode about his origins are never satisfactorily explained.
S2E15 Peter
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We are so excited to finally be talking about this phenomenal episode of Fringe – the highly anticipated episode in which we finally get the story of how and why Peter was abducted from the Redverse. When last we left our heroes, Olivia’s “glimmer” ability kicked in just before she and Peter went on their very first date, leading her to realize that Peter is originally from the Redverse. Walter pleads with Olivia to not tell him, and in this episode (which features a fun, synthy ‘80s rendition of the theme music), we are taken back to 1985 as Walter sits down with Olivia to tell her the story.
S2E14 Jacksonville
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We have finally arrived where Fringe is arguably at its absolute best, a block of episodes that even the showrunners referred to as a “rollercoaster.” Olivia’s Cortexiphan ability comes back into play in this episode when she travels to the titular Jacksonville, Florida where the Cortexiphan trials took place. She must confront fear on so many levels, ultimately temporarily saving the day but making a horrifying discovery.
S2E13 The Bishop Revival
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Join us this week for our discussion of “The Bishop Revival” as we unpack a little bit of the Bishop family history in this very purple episode about a Nazi scientist who somehow has not aged since the 1940s and is carrying out deadly experiments to advance the Nazi agenda. It’s an episode with a fascinating fringe science behind it, and we dive into the colors that we see in this episode as well as the several lines of dialogue that are so multilayered on rewatch. We also share some truly awesome feedback from several listeners.
S2E12 What Lies Below
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We are rediscovering what lies below this week on the show, which includes a seemingly sentient virus that comes from ten miles underground, the feelings that are obviously blooming between Olivia and Peter, and Walter’s long buried secret. We discuss dialogue that we may or may not have caught the significance of back in 2010 and our thoughts about whether this standalone episode has any staying power. (Spoiler alert – yes, it does, especially because of that intense final scene!)
S2E11 Johari Window
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Join us as we journey to the fictional small town of Edina, New York and look through its Johari Window! Joining us this week is special guest Robert who co-hosts Entering the Fifth Dimension (a podcast about The Twilight Zone) with Darrell, who shares how the theme of this episode and its title resonate with him. You’ll also hear from regular feedback contributors ShelkyBean, Eric, Geoff (xforce11), and Rory!