FRINGE Recap: ‘The Consultant’

As we inch closer to the end of the season on FRINGE, so much is going down that it’s understandable there needs to be a significant amount of set-up to get us to there. It’s not a bad thing, per se, but tonight’s episode certainly felt like an hour that will mean more in hindsight — especially since a good portion of it felt like it served to be a puzzle piece being revealed, but not yet fully placed on the board.

So let’s talk about what we learned…

The alt-Broyles of it all.

I know the popular theory for the season was that alt-Broyles was really a shapeshifter, but I didn’t realize how much that would have bothered me until Lance Reddick (Broyles) confirmed it wasn’t actually what was going on. Would a shapeshifter in a position of power been terrifying? Sure. But the vast majority of shapeshifters just seemed to fall in line and do what they were told. This way? There are consequences. Thanks to this narrative choice, there are so many additional character levels here. I’m thrilled they chose to have alt-Broyles be a father deeply conflicted and wanting to save the life of his son, yet getting pulled into doing the wrong thing.(And major props to the one commenter on GMMR who actually guessed that’s what caused alt-Broyles to turn!) Hm, I wonder who that sounds like? Alt-Broyles seeking out Walter and wondering if he’d do it over knowing what he knows now was one of the best moments of the episode. Of course we know Walter can’t really regret his choice, so how can we begrudge alt-Broyles those same irrational feelings?

However, Fauxlivia wasn’t feeling so forgiving. Heck, she just lost her partner, she’s allowed to be annoyed. In addition to her work on this week’s case (where people and their alts Over There were dying in the same manner at the same time, which led to Walter crossing over to help the Fringe Division try and figure out what was going on), her main focus was weeding out the mole whose backstabbing led to Lincoln’s death. Much to her frustration, her attempts to intimidate Meana were fruitless. (How creepy is Meana?!) It actually wasn’t until she got drunk and had a late night chat with Walter (who insisted that no evidence was evidence itself) that the notion of Broyles being the mole ever occurred to her.

In fact, Fauxlivia thought the idea of her boss being behind everything made so much sense that she went to see Meana in lock-up and bluffed that they had the mole — alt-Broyles — in custody. For a second, I thought Meana was going to call Fauxlivia’s bluff, but instead, she insisted that alt-Broyles was just another pawn and that David Robert Jones would be coming to get her out. I wonder if Fauxlivia’s (possibly accurate) statement that perhaps Meana was just a pawn for Jones, too, will have an impact on her.

The latest thing alt-Broyles was required to do was to stick some sort of device in The Machine (you know, the one that Peter got into at the end of last season which causes him to jump forward in time and then get erased from existence). As he headed to do that, Fauxlivia, Lincoln and alt-Astrid try and track him down. When alt-Broyles’ “show me” card was accessed on Liberty Island, Fauxlivia and Lincoln race to get there in time. What they don’t know was that he actually called our world’s Broyles to turn himself in. See? Much more interesting than a simple shapeshifter! And now, he’s locked up, too. Not sure if it would have been smarter to try and turn him into a triple agent, but we’ll see what they do going forward.

Walter’s theory about Jones’ plan.

Walter studied the device that alt-Broyles was supposed to put into The Machine and realized that if he had been successful, Jones could have theoretically collapsed both universes. Uh, no big deal. Just worlds ending and all of that. And it feels like once again we could be faced with the situation we were in last year — can both universes survive?

Here is my question about all sorts of big bads who make these elaborate plans — when you decide you want to destroy the world or make two universes implode…why? Do you not realize that it’s going to seriously frak up your quality of life? All of those shiny things you like to play with, the food you like to eat, etc. could theoretically go away if you survive your own destruction. Why not just take over the world(s)? It seems so much more comfortable and conducive to a nice lifestyle.

A few other thoughts…

• Walter Bishop, the biggest Peter-Olivia shipper in any universe.
• It still hurts my heart seeing a non-blue opening sequence.
• I kind of adore drunk Fauxlivia.
• Domesticated badgers as pets?! Oy vey.
• “Ah, my escort is here! And by escort, I don’t mean prostitute.” Oh, Walter.
• “Frankly, I’m still upset about Nixon.” Of course you are, Walter.
• The score when alt-Broyles was heading to The Machine was deliciously creepy.
• Walter to Olivia: “Keep an eye on this universe, will you? I’ve grown quite fond of it.”
• So, um, where is Lincoln living Over There?
• Once again, very little Peter and original Olivia. Looking forward to returning more to them as we get back to this season’s main narrative.
• I’d be OK if we didn’t have to see Linc get killed in every “previously on” sequence. Doubt that’s going to go away soon, but still. The wound is still fresh, guys.

Plus, just think, we’re days away from episode 19. And yes, if those promos didn’t tease you enough, it’s going to be freaking crazy. I can’t wait to talk about it with you guys next week (and I’ll have a ton of content going up here at GiveMeMyRemote.com in the meantime to hype you guys up even more).

And that’s about it from me. I’m dying to hear what you guys thought of this week’s episode…

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