FRINGE Recap: ‘Bloodline’

FRINGE Friday!

Savor this one, kids, because after tonight’s episode, we have a mini-hiatus. Boo! But we did get an early season four renewal, so…yeah, I can deal with this break.

Before we start off with the meat of the episode, did anyone else notice the odd camera angles for certain parts of the hour? Before and as Fauxlivia was kidnapped, when Walternate found out about her being taken, etc, the cameras were at a clear sideways tilt, but when Lincoln’s scenes was shown, he was being shot straight on. Anyone have a theory about that? Or am I reading too much into nothing?

Fauxlivia: Tonight’s episode was perhaps the most vulnerable and badass we’ve ever seen either Olivia persona. This is not at all a knock towards the original Olivia, but there is something different in a woman when she is also fighting for the life of her unborn baby. Fauxlivia only had herself to count on after she was kidnapped and doctors accelerated her pregnancy. She tried appealing to one of her kidnapper’s human side, but when that didn’t work, she used her previously mentioned badassery to escape from where she was being held. She did what she needed to in order to make it out of there alive.

What the audience knew but Fauxlivia didn’t was that she was the carrier of a disease that made it virtually impossible for her to deliver the baby without it killing her. When she reached full-term near the end of the episode and started going into labor, her only concern was that her baby was okay. She made Lincoln (who we will be talking about in a minute) promise her he’d save the baby, which he reluctantly agreed to.

For a second there, it looked like we lost Fauxlivia. I’m going to be completely honest — I cried. It was a completely unexpected reaction because I didn’t know I cared that much about Fauxlivia. I knew I had gotten past my dislike of her, had started to enjoy her, but at the same time, logically, things would be so much easier if she was dead. Yeah, her kid would still be around, but Peter wouldn’t have to choose between Olivias (and thus would pretty much secure our universe was safe), he could raise the kid in our universe…things would be simple. But when I thought she was dead, I cared. So…congratulations FRINGE writers. I officially want both universes to survive. I fear this doesn’t bode well for my emotional well-being comes the end of this season.

Speaking of our side and the end of the season, Fauxlivia is now a mother. This alt-baby is now a living, breathing human. Peter has a son that he has no idea about. There is no way this doesn’t change everything.

Lincoln: “Though I do think if she was going to cheat on Frank with anyone…you know what? It’s none of my business.” Poor Lincoln. Quietly in love with a woman who was committed to another man, but showed up pregnant by an unknown (to him) third guy. But instead of pouting and rejecting her, he still stood by her. And when he found out she was kidnapped, he did everything he could to find her.

In many ways, Lincoln was the star of the hour. Yes, Fauxlivia kicked butt and delivered a kid and managed to not die while doing it (thanks to the kidnappers progressing her pregnancy faster than the virus could mutate) but wow, Lincoln. When he found Olivia, we got some of the most emotional scenes this series has produced to date. His silence and heartbroken look after Fauxlivia asked if he talked with her mom about the test results killed me.

As far as I can recall, I always liked Lincoln. Never had a problem with him. But during those delivery scenes, he went from being a cool character to one I don’t want to lose. “Just look at me,” he told Fauxlivia. “Don’t think about an hour from now, you don’t think about a minute. We’re going to focus on this moment, okay? It’s you and me.”

I mean, how can you not fall a little in love with a character like that? How could your heart not break a little for this man as he held the woman he loved as she delivered another man’s kid — knowing very likely she would be dying in his arms during the process? A lovely scene.

Lincoln and Fauxlivia had a very Charlie/Claire (LOST) vibe tonight. Maybe it’s an overly obvious comparison, but I hope this doesn’t mean doom for Lincoln. However, Charlie and Lincoln are now on to Walternate, I fear for both of them. They’ve started to put together the alt-Broyles connection and while Walternate admired their talents as agents, I have no doubt he’d have them both killed if it meant avoiding a conflict with his plan.

Also, Lincoln has an unexpected parallel with Peter: not only do they both love the Olivias of their world, but neither was able to tell when they were in the presence of the other Olivia. So if the two ever meet again, they can bond over that fact they can’t tell their women apart.

Henry: I adore that Henry kept checking up on Fauxlivia. Considering what a vital role he played in getting Olivia home, it’s only fitting he helped save Fauxlivia and her baby. Him teaming up with Lincoln was an unexpected delight, and it’s too bad he can’t be a part of the team on a regular basis. I mean, think of how helpful it would be to have shortcuts to ALL of their locations! No? Not gonna happen? Fine. At least let us meet Henry over here, too.

Walternate: He reiterated his “we are not experimenting on children” stance, but apparently that doesn’t apply to his unborn grandkid? Ouch, dude.

But I bought his act. When he tearfully confessed how Fauxlivia infiltrated our universe to Lincoln and blamed himself for the mess with his unborn grandchild, I felt bad for Walternate. After witnessing in “Subject 13” what the loss of Peter did to him, I wondered what would happen if something happened to his grandchild and he felt he caused the mess. Instead, as we found out at the end of the episode, the entire kidnapping was orchestrated by Walternate.

Is it weird to feel betrayed by the “bad” version of a fictional character? Because I kind of do. I wanted to believe the best of him.

Not to mention, his involvement in the entire thing brings up a ton of questions:

– Was Walternate originally planning on stealing the child until Fauxlivia escaped?
– Did he (and the team) know about Fauxlivia’s condition? If so, was this done to save her and the baby?
– Was this done to give Peter a living and breathing reason to come “home”? I feel like that blood sample was taken so it could be sent back to our side, so Peter will have proof there is a kid of his in his “real” universe.
– Will this kid keep speed growing? (Like we saw in season one’s “The Same Old Story”)

There were a few other non-Walternate related questions, too:

– This is the first time we learned how alt-Rachel died, right?
-Apparently in the alt-world THE WEST WING is in season 12? Ha! Wonder what other shows are still going on over there…
– “It is happening.” Um, who are you talking to Observer? What is happening?

My favorite exchange of the night:

Charlie [to Henry]: “Fringe Division, hands on the wheel!”
Lincoln [to Henry]: “Get out of the car!”
Henry: “Which one is it?”

You know, it’s hours like this that make me so incredibly thankful to Fox for the way they’ve treated this show. FRINGE took its time to find its creative footing. Season one showed potential (and in hindsight, an incredible amount of foreshadowing/groundwork being laid towards what we would eventually see), but it wasn’t fully “there” yet. Season two started off a little rough, but by the 2010 episodes, it seemed like everything had finally clicked into place. And now with season three? It’s been incredible. If season three continues the way it’s been so far, it’s going to rank up there as one of my favorite television seasons of all time. I am just so thankful to Fox for trusting the show, the writers, the cast, the fans, etc. enough to pick up the show early, because I’m guessing a lot of fans watched tonight’s episode with a much lighter heart knowing we’re absolutely getting another season.

Okay, so enough emotion from me. What did you guys think of the hour?

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