Welcome to Multiversity Comics’ Summer Binge of Fringe, a series that Parks and Recreation’s own Ben Wyatt once called “airtight.” We get a big mythology episode this week and boy, is it a doozy.
1. Step on the Gas
With its fourteenth episode, Fringe makes some big narrative moves very quickly and to great effect. David Robert Jones appears, there are big revelations about the universe the show inhabits, and substantial personal developments for Olivia. It’s all strong stuff and chock-full of energy which is pretty great given the nature of the last couple of episodes we got. Whether or not this translates into real momentum for the season arc is a bigger question; this is a show that seems to enjoy delivering big moments and then pulling back for a bit. If it follows the usual pattern, hopefully the filler episodes that follow this look more like last week than the week before.
2. Tear My Heart Out Why Don’t You?
In the opening moments of “Ability,” we’re introduced to the best character this show has given us. Tommy the newsstand owner is immediately endearing. He loves movies and two dollar bills and he’s a traditionalist about reading bring media in print. He’s kind to his customers without being overbearing and seems to have at least one regular that really likes him. Then, in the most shattering moment of the fourteen episodes we’ve seen thus far, the show rips him away from us in terrible fashion. The skin growing over his eyes, nose, and mouth is one of the more viscerally scary occurrences thus far in Fringe. When it happens to a Fringe Division agent later, it’s also scary although he’s no Tommy so it’s not quite as impactful. Really I just wanted to give Tommy his due here. Also the makeup department! I officially have some new nightmare fuel and that’s thanks to some extremely talented crew members.
3. The Return of Davy Jones
David Robert Jones is back after a few weeks away and he’s in trouble. Apparently, teleporting is really bad for the human body and he uses our heroes to help him get better. More importantly, we find out quite a bit about his whole deal and what ZFT is. Instead of the terrorist group that had been theorized before, Olivia realizes it’s the abbreviate name of a book whose title translates to “Destruction by the Advancement of Technology.” Davy Jones (this must be what his friends call him, no?) is a follower of the text, which warns that there’s an inevitable war with a parallel universe coming soon. Wow is that an exciting thing to be building up to. For thirteen episodes prior to this, we got plenty of questions and relatively few answers. “Ability” definitely gives us plenty more of the former but this ZFT development is probably the most substantive development we’ve gotten with regard to the overall arc of the series. We’re not just working with a big bad corporation here, we’re dealing with something cosmic and unfathomable. I, for one, love it.
4. HER MIND
David Robert Jones’s greater motive in “Ability” is to recruit Olivia as a warrior in the coming war against another universe. His first test in said recruitment comes in a form of a bomb that can only be defused if Olivia turns off a light board with her mind. And she does it! As fate would have it, she was experimented on with a drug called Cortexiphan as a child and she’s been groomed for this for a long time. This opens up a whole new world for Olivia and it’s one that I’m excited to be exposed to. This section, right here, is a very exciting one to have written because it tells me we’re getting close to the endgame of season one. It feels like we’re like 75% of the way to Fringe becoming Apex Fringe. There’s intrigue and cool science fiction and strong characters and they’re all consistently very good but there’s stuff being held back. Now, that’s not a bad thing; we’re being introduced to and exploring this world along with Olivia and co. and that’s a very effective way to build a narrative. Still, I’m more excited for the end of the introduction than anything else.
5. What’s Up with Walter?
The big reveal at the end of the episode is Walter figuring out (based the letter “y” being offset in the book and on his typewriter) that his typewriter was used to write the ZFT. What exactly that means is currently unclear but much like the above point, it’s really very exciting. It’s another plot point that both feels concrete and introduces questions without reaching the point of being overwhelming. It’s also another thing I hope we’re dealing with in the very near future because good lord, I’m even more hooked than I was before.
