Fringe returned last night and left us wondering what direction the show is headed. We've grumbled in the past that the overarching story line (or "mytharc" for you fellow nerds) moved slower than a buffet line at an old folks home. Don't get us wrong, it was still a good enough episode -- the mini-Observer filled our week's creepy quotient, Walter delivered classic one-liners, and there was a decent amount of blood. But still, we wonder...
A group of construction workers find a feral child in a room that has been hidden away for decades. The child doesn't talk, but can hear, and they suspect he survived on rats. Olivia, Peter, and Walter is called in to see the child. He says they need to deprive the child of oxygen. Whaaat?
Meanwhile back at the office an invitation comes through from a criminal called "The Artist," who is clearly a recurring case that has yet to be solved.
Olivia tries to make friends with the child. He observes her writing down Coolidge Park. Then he he grabs her hands and writes a name: Sam Gilmore. We find out that The Artist's latest victim is Sam Gilmore. So this child is a psychic? Not quite. They suspect that he is hyper-sensitive.
In a scene that annoyed us because of the cliche factor, a woman helps a man in a wheel chair loading things into a van... uhh. Nobody in this world learned anything from Unsolved Mysteries? Or gets creeped out everytime they hear "American Girl"? No, so of course, please everyone, meet the latest victim of The Artist.
Back at the hospital, Olivia tries to win the child over with candy. Social services agent Mr. Michaels makes a visit and talks to Olivia about the child's future. The boy's heart rate spike we see that Olivia is distressed. As the social services man walks away we see him say "I'm at the hospital. I think we've found another one." Okay, this is our only hint at The Pattern, so far.
Later the boy gives another hint and writes down "547 Marlborough". That is where The Artist's van is parked. Where he is smothering his latest victim. With nowhere else to turn, Olivia pays Walter and Peter a visit. Olivia wants to know how to reach the boy. His electromagnetic field picks up things and a bunch of other sci-fi garble.
Sadly, our favorite moment of the show was not related to the story line. Rather, it was a moment when Walter's penis on the brink of falling out of his robe, to Peter's dismay. Walter responds casually with, "I'm sure agent Dunham knows what a penis looks like."
Back at the hospital the ferel child makes an arrow out of candy. Olivia checks him out of the hospital so that Walter can mess around with him. He wants to use a neuro-stimulator to listen to the child's thought. Mr. Michaels is panicking because the child is missing. Walter does a sensual dance with the Nero-stimulator to put the child as ease. The child is tense because he sense Mr. Michaels has entered the building. We come to find out that he's CIA and with higher clearance than Olivia. They request the boy for one more day to help out with the artist case. The boy senses that something is not right with Mr. Michaels.
Oliva and Peter get a lead that the latest victim had cow's blood under her fingers. Peter tips off that it could be a meat packing facility. The neuro-stimulator works. The child starts to freak out and his body temperature drops. Cut to Olivia in a freezer. OMFG. He feels what she feels. Nice. Olivia finds out that a man came in and bought some plastic from a slaughter house. Walter makes the connection that he's emotionally bonded to Olivia. He's trying to help her because he knows that the information is important to her. Now he doesn't want to help her in the case because he doesn't want to go with Mr. Michaels. She makes a breakthrough.
They go down to the corner of York and Glenway. During their traffic stops The Artist's van pulls up. The little yellow arrow was a recreation of The Artist's air freshner!! Olivia makes a move and the Artist takes off. After they shoot out the tires, The Artist takes off, but Olivia finds him and stabs him to death. Oh, that was over fast.
As Mini-Observer is driven to his new home, we see The Observer standing by the side of the road. And this is a surprise how? You know what a surprise would be... his turning up on American Idol. Oh wait.
For a return episode, we were hoping for more insight into The Pattern,
Massive Dynamics, William Bell (oh btw, THIS!!!), or Olivia's role in it all. This episode was a stand-alone that could've been plucked from any part of the season and could be dropped into any future season. Which has historically been the problem with Fringe -- too afraid to commit to the overarching mythology for fear of losing viewers. Or maybe J.J. Abrams is still confused by one of his own shows? Well, Abrams, et al: you guys did well last night with the viewers. So don't sweat it. Live a little next time and tell us something we don't know.
PREVIOUSLY:
"Fringe": New Episodes Start Tonight, Expect Weird Stuff (Duh)
"Fringe" Moves To Canada; Blame New York
Hey, Is "Fringe" Finally Going Somewhere?
"Fringe": Fox Releases Painful "Best Of The Observer" Viral Video
