FRINGE Recap: ‘Os’

So, um, that just happened on FRINGE.

Unlike the last few episodes, Friday’s hour seemed to focus a fair deal on the “case of the week,” which was an issue we could tie back to the characters we love — what a father was willing to do to “save” his son — while paying less attention than normal to the blossoming Peter and Olivia relationship. (Yes, there was plenty of cute moments for the duo, but the spotlight wasn’t on them as much as it was in episodes like “6B” or even “Subject 13.”)  But by the final moments, I think we can all agree our minds are firmly on what the heck will happen next.

A few weeks back, the concept of soul magnets was brought up and I wrote in my recap that “I really hope[d] the concept of ‘soul magnets’ (the captured energy from a deceased person) is explored in greater depth later.” In “Os,” Walter became obsessed with using the soul magnets to bring back William Bell. Despite Nina’s hesitation, Walter realizes the bell William left her is the key to bringing him “back” from the dead, so he rings it, hoping his dear friend will appear. He is disappointed when nothing happens.

What Walter doesn’t realize is that at Harvard, William Bell has returned…in Olivia’s body. And as such, Bell-livia is born! (Props to my friend, A, for that AWESOME nickname. I want him to stick around for a bit so I can continue to use it.) How great was Anna Torv (Olivia) in that final scene? She channeled Leonard Nimoy’s William in such a believable manner.

And based on the previews, it doesn’t seem that Bell-livia will be going away anytime soon. FRINGE executive producer J.H. Wyman teased that William Bell “will definitely be integral to a several episode arc,” so I’m wondering how long this mashup will continue for. In the meantime, I can’t wait to see how Walter and Nina react to Bell-livia being around. What secrets might be revealed?

Of course, that does pose a fairly large question: where is Olivia while all this is going down? Is she a “hostage” in her body as Bell takes control? That poor woman has been through a lot this season.

Quick thoughts about the rest of the hour:

• Dude! Jorge Garcia! Yes, we knew it was happening — and there’s no denying it would have been even cooler had it remained unspoiled — but man, was that a fun scene to watch. Both Garcia and John Noble (Walter) seemed to be enjoying themselves, and one can only hope the rest of the LOSTies are there toiling away at Massive Dynamic, just waiting to be seen by us. (What? A girl can dream!)
• It’s adorable that the fringe division crew still gets excited by the freaky weird cases. Walter can and will get excited over anything, but the grins on Peter and Olivia’s faces as they tried to not let the floating body get out of control was unexpected and sweet.
• Any time Noble and Blair Brown (Nina) share a scene, I am instantly happier. Sure, watching Walter and Nina interact never fails to bring a dozen questions to the forefront of my mind, but there is no denying they are both wickedly talented actors whose characters bring out a vulnerability in each other which is always unexpected. Yes, Walter can be incredibly vulnerable with Peter, but he opens up about so many of his fears and regrets to Nina. I can’t wait until we learn more about their history, because I feel like we are just barely scratching the surface of their bond.
• Nina’s obvious satisfaction over Peter and Olivia’s relationship was perfect. I’m sure she was happy for them on a personal level, but she is the only one of our guys who knows right now that who Peter picks will impact which universe survives. Right now, she’s probably thinking things are looking up for our side.
• So William Bell left his company in the hands of the Walter and left the possibility of his return in Nina’s. Guess his will is a bit less one-sided now.
• I appreciated that Peter was honest with Olivia about his room of machine-related research — which included the memory cards of the shapeshifters he killed. Sure, it took him a while, but now that they are in a real relationship, in the interest of total honesty, he told her the truth.
• Speaking of Peter and Olivia’s newfound total honesty, since when do they watch TV where Peter rubs her back? I guess it’s fair to assume there might have been a little jump in time? It didn’t seem like her complaint was a one-time occurrence.
• Broyles has been MIA lately.

What did you think of “Os”?

Related:

FRINGE: Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman Tease ’6B’ and the Latest Twists in the Love Triangle
FRINGE’s Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman to Fans: Don’t Worry About the Ratings
FRINGE: Should Peter Pick Olivia or Fauxlivia? Anna Torv Weighs In

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