FRINGE: ‘Marionette’
December 10, 2010 by Marisa Roffman
Though last week’s FRINGE episode “Entrada” brought the culmination of storylines, action and some big revelations, “Marionette” was just as major in a more emotional way.
Olivia is back home, people! Not only is she back home, but Peter proved once again that, despite his past, he is a good guy.
But that case? Creepy. Anyone get the sense that the surgeon who was stealing organs watched a little too much DEXTER? All that plastic…but I suppose it was nice the FRINGE baddie didn’t kill his victims.
However, he did make his zombie marionette girlfriend dance, so I’m not letting him off the creep hook anytime soon.
Blech.
Anyway, let’s get into more detail about why this episode was so amazing…
Things that broke my heart:
- Broyles asking Olivia about alt-Broyles. Anyone else want to hug him? He learned his alt-persona was (still) married with kids…wonder if that will change the man we know from our side?
- Walter wanting Peter to tell Olivia the truth, but acknowledging that he had no room to request honesty. “You’re a good man, Peter,” Walter told him. “She knows that.”
- Olivia’s gradually disappearing smile as she realized the truth of Peter’s relationship with Fauxlivia. She seems reluctant to admit she has just cause to be upset and instead asks him, “We’re good?” Heartbreaking.
- Olivia’s meltdown at home after spotting the tattoo on the back of her neck, something that was branded on her because Fauxlivia had a similar one. (Wonder if Fauxlivia will retattoo herself now that she’s back on her side?) Olivia angrily tears off her bed sheets and rips all the clothes in her closet so she can wash Fauxlivia away — only to find Peter’s clothes in her washing machine. Her tears? Killed me.
- Olivia questioning Astrid about how Peter was with Fauxlivia was…perfect. It is such a natural thing to do, and Astrid is the perfect person to question about it, which made her words to Olivia even more important: “Whatever feelings that Peter had, they were not about her. They were about you. And they were real. They still are.”
- Olivia-Peter. I could really leave it at that because anyone who saw their last scene knows the kind of angst that was there. When Olivia heard that even a crazy man who insisted on repo-ing the remains of the woman he loved could tell it wasn’t really her when he looked into her eyes, that set off something inside of her. Olivia finally got angry. “She wasn’t me,” she says. “How could you not see that? Now she’s everywhere — she’s in my house, my job, my bed and I don’t want to wear my clothes anymore and I don’t want to live in my apartment and I don’t want to be with you. She’s taken everything.” Olivia left Peter sitting there, alone, and his pained “I’m sorry” to no one made me lose it a little.
Reasons why Walter Bishop should rule the world:
Walter Bishop, I love you more than it should be legal. Even in the darkest of hours, you can bring a smile to our faces. When Walter found out about Olivia’s non-reaction to Peter coming clean re: his relationship with Fauxlivia, he asks with 100% seriousness,”Do you think possibly they replaced her with a robot?” Oh, Walter.
[Editor’s note: Ahahahahaha!!]
As soon as Walter stuck his finger into the ashes to taste them, I was aware they weren’t human, but ewwwwww. “I know that these are not human remains!” he exclaimed after he had a taste. Anyone else wonder how the heck he’s so familiar with what real human remains taste like?!
And after a long day at work, Walter doesn’t go for a drink — he goes for strawberry milkshakes and extra whipped cream. I could really use one (or twelve) of those after this episode.
But, more importantly, let’s theorize, FRINGE fans…which Bishop man was the Observer referring to when he said “I’m looking at him…he’s still alive.” Promos certainly made it seem like it was Peter, right?
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What an awesome review!
All the things that had you “lose it” had me, too.
Olivia’s disappearing smile when she understands what Peter is telling her, her trying to mask her pain, Peter’s torment, her break-down after finding his MIT shirt, the way she tells him that the guy he picked out as a possible supsect just doesn’t fit the bill because “he doesn’t love her!”, the way they both looked at each other when the heart transplant doctor said: “we gave him a second chance”.
It was brilliant, all of it. But especially Peter’s and Olovia’s interaction – it was so pitch perfectly delivered by both Joshua Jackson and Anna Torv. I felt both their character’s pain so acutely, I was crying for both of them and the tragicl situation they’re in and praying that at some point they’ll get there again: he came back for her and she went over there to tell him that he belonged with her. TV can’t get any better than that!
I love how Fringe doesn’t shy away from the difficult emotional aspects – it dares to do what other shows – even though labelled dramas – never do: while some character-driven dramas stall to get to the emotionally difficult aspects of the relationships they depict, falsely thinking that this will keep their audience interested – Fringe faces them head on! That is so refreshing AND rewarding I can’t help but love the whole creative powers behind Fringe for that.
Fringe has definitely become my favorite show and I love how, even though it’s so plot-driven, at its heart it feels like it’s really about the people that populate that world, their stories, their fears, their ways of coping, their hearts and minds.
It’s going to be a long winter till January 21.
Kali. You took the words right out of my mouth. I could not agree more, especially this part:
“I love how Fringe doesn’t shy away from the difficult emotional aspects – it dares to do what other shows – even though labelled dramas – never do: while some character-driven dramas stall to get to the emotionally difficult aspects of the relationships they depict, falsely thinking that this will keep their audience interested – Fringe faces them head on! That is so refreshing AND rewarding I can’t help but love the whole creative powers behind Fringe for that.”
I have been saying the exact same thing to my friends. This is what I adore the most about Fringe… it’s honesty and truthfulness in the way it deals with human emotion and relationships. It really is refreshing. 🙂
Marisa- Your recap and comments were great, as usual. LOLOLOL at Walter’s robot comment. Cry cry cry many many tears at Olivia and her various stages of realization/shock/grief/anger. At some point she will hopefully move on to acceptance and forgiveness.
I just LOVE this show!!! Fringe is the only show I have ever watched that has pulled me in so many different emotional directions, and in a good way. Thursdays and now Fridays can never get here quick enough. Last nights episode was my favorite so far (and before last night it was the episode before that, then the episode before that and so on and so forth). I agree with Kali, you gave a wonderful review and all of the epic moments you pointed out from “Marionette” also had me emotional. Especially at the end when Olivia finally let her feeling be known to Peter and Peter so hurt and disappointed for hurting Olivia. It makes me want to cry just by thinking about it now. I can’t type anymore, I gotta go I’m too emotional now!!!
By the way, I am very, very happy and relieved that Joshua Jackson’s personal feelings about the romance between Peter and Olivia didn’t influence the writers or his performance. I pray it’ll remain that way!
Great review! I really enjoyed last night’s episode. The case was really interesting as well as all the drama between Olivia and Peter.
I love that you pointed out the similarity to the guy and Dexter! As soon as the piece of plastic securing the guy to the table was shown me and my dad were both like, oh no, Dexter’s got him! That guy was so creepy though. When he was making her dance I was so disgusted and things rarely bother me on Fringe.
I also loved the end scene between Peter and Olivia. It was so emotional and I love how she finally admitted how she felt, instead of pretending she was okay. I’m really interested to see where their relationship goes from here.
As for the Observer, I assumed he was talking about Walter at first, but it does make more sense that he was talking about Peter. Though it’s not like Peter/Walter have gone anywhere lately, unless the Observers have been busy observing other things and not watching them. xD I really wonder what the rest of the season is going to be like once it finally comes back.
@Kali: I think Josh has actually shifted his opinion on the Peter-Olivia romance now that he’s seen what they’ve done with it.
Glad you guys love this show, too. How are we going to make it until January 21st?!?
OH!!! my goodness what a GREAT EPISODE!!! Peter came out about his relationship with Fauxlivia! My good gravy! Her smile…Olivia’s smile told it all!! She was hurt, she was really and truly hurt. And she tried to play it off, like “we’re good?” No, Olivia, “we’re NOT good!” I wanted to beat Peter with a thorny switch when he pullin’ the moves out on Fuaxlivia. I mean…the woman, Fuaxlivia, came back from the other side, she’s has those subtle differences that he should have been able to pick out and wha? what does he do?? He hopped his happy pants in the bed with her!! Would Olivia do that?? PETER, WOULD OLIVIA HAVE BEEN SO QUICK TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU!! YOU! ?!?! come on! I mean, what prize is he?!?! Anywho! ~sheesh~
When Olivia was talking to Broyles and said that the other guy was honorable…and he had a child…and a wife he was still married to and loved dearly…I…I was like “deeeaaammmmm, no she didn’t just totally make this man question his choices he’s made in life!” I was quiet, my dogs were quiet…the entire neighborhood was waiting for Broyles to bust out a water dance!! He asked! But, the phrase “the truth hurts”, was more like the truth pistol whipped yo’ behind up one side of the street and down the other!!! It was painful like a parent telling their adult kid they’re disappointed in the life choices they’ve made!…like “D’oh!” to coin a phrase.
But, my breath was truly stilled when the Dr. Frankenstein brought the young lady back from the DEAD! and he was looking at her and talking to her and looking at her…and stared at her…and he looked like he just saw the most horrible sight he had ever seen and ran from this girl gasping for air!!! And Olivia questions him and he said he KNEW! He KNEW she wasn’t who he brought back!! It just clicked in Olivia’s mind, like this guy knew the dang difference, why didn’t Peter? She was sitting there crying afterward and she goes into how this impostor came over to her world and lived her life and wore her clothes and she didn’t want to live in her apartment or go to her job… …or be with Peter. I felt sorry for Peter. I was in tears because Olivia has went to Hell and came back with a T Shirt and new do and she she held onto the thought of Peter and this jack wagon couldn’t believe how odd or off Olivia was and chalked it up to being in a different place for a bit?? I felt sorry for him because of his idiocy. I feel sorry for Olivia that her life was being lived without her in it! “I’m sorry…” softly as the scene ends.
Why do we have to wait SOOOOO long!!!! for a new episode!?!? WHYYYYYYYY!
I can’t wait to see it again on Saturday on channel 8. 😀 lol
I don’t want to wait either but 🙂 they need time to find a new place for Olivia.
Just kidding.
That was a creepishly (my new word) haunting and heartbreaking episode. Loved all the Peter/Olivia scenes. Loved when they arrived at the crime scene how Olivia smirked at Peter as they were walking in the house. She also missed Walter’s comments. At the cafeteria Olivia was trying to reason with Peter by telling him what could have happened on the other side. Even in that moment I felt like she was protecting him (for lack of better term), kinda like in “What lies below” when Peter asked her if she called Rachel yet.
And to even say then that Peter belonged with her was unusual for her, letting her feelings talk. Can we get an “Exceptional Expressional Acting Award to Anna Torv. I love how she says everything just with her face.
Loved the scene with Astrid as well. She could be someone Olivia would feel comfortable to confide in. Olivia needs a friend. I thought Walter’s comment about her being replace by a robot was funny.
The fight in the office was hard to watch because pain was written all over her face. And heart wrenching at the end when Roland talks about the eyes. That was almost like a punch in the face. Great scene at the end, she even rejected Peter’s touch. Great acting from both of them.
So I hope that she will get a different place to stay, new clothes and that eventually they can fix their relationship, because I think those two belong together. When you go back to the Pilot and throughout there is attraction between them.
@Marisa Roffman: ” I think Josh has actually shifted his opinion on the Peter-Olivia romance now that he’s seen what they’ve done with it.”
Thank you so much for that info! He has? I’m so glad to hear that. Listening to his interviews describing Peter’s and Olivia’s relationship as being without chemistry and resembling that of siblings rather than lovers had me very worried. And then saying that he could see Peter hitting it off with Bolivia? I decided not to read another interview by Joshua on the topic of Peter and Olivia – I mean, if the actor who portrays Peter doesn’t believe in the romantic potential between himself and the other protagonist? That’s not good news.
I mean, if I watch and listen to the story of Peter and Olivia as Fringe portrays is and I am getting a completely different message and feel than one of the protagonists is? I always feel funky when that happens, wrong, you know what I mean?
SO, thank you for that!
ps: following you on twitter now
Olivia is being so unreasonable I MEAN IT WAS BASICALLY HER!
well, kali, since Peter’s character is ruined because of this romance, why should Josh be a fan of Peter and olivia?