FRINGE: Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman on ‘One Night in October’ and What’s to Come
October 1, 2011 by Marisa Roffman
So, um, that happened on FRINGE.
Now that both coasts have seen “One Night in October,” there is much to discuss — including, but not limited to, how we’re going to survive the next few days until we get our next episode.
Seriously, though, given the last scene of the hour, I had many burning questions about what the heck we just saw/heard. And thankfully, FRINGE executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman were willing to answer a few of them…
Peter seemed quite anguished at the end of the episode when he was calling for Walter — asking for help, etc. Is he in actual physical pain in his state of quasi-non-existence?
J.H. Wyman: It’s not a physical thing, it’s definitely emotional. He’s displaced and it’s something when everyone who is supposed to know and love you has no idea who you are. It’s tantamount to being dead, but still being here — or even worse, because people don’t even remember you. So, it’s a form of anguish for sure. He definitely wants to figure out how to make things right and to put things back to normal.
What’s really cool to us about this entire story is that in other seasons, there have been secrets. Walter had a secret and that was discovered by Olivia. The audience then had a secret against Peter. Peter was the one who was oblivious. This year, it’s the complete opposite — where Peter and the audience are sort of on the same page, and they know all of the beautiful, great things, and how far everybody came because of all the impact, and the characters, how they brought great things in each other out. So it’s painful for everybody to say, this definitely happened and we know it happened and Peter knows it happened. He has to get things back to normal. He has to do it.
So, he’s sort of invigorated to fix all of this and to try find a way so he can get things back to the way they used to be. And that causes pain, when you see people — or versions of people that you know and love — that a) don’t remember you and b) have not come as far as they did when you knew them. It’s really interesting to us that Walter, it’s a different Walter.
This is a Walter where in this version, both Peters died. The Observer never intervened. So imagine that guy now. This is a place where you’re like, okay, this guy has had different things happen to him. Maybe he didn’t go over to get Peter. There’s a whole bunch of things where you don’t know what happened to Walter. The one thing you do know is that Peter wasn’t a part of his life. So if Walter never went over to get Peter, wouldn’t he be different? If Walter broke the universe for another reason, wouldn’t that make him different? And then all of a sudden, you get a very different man. And when Peter looks at him, and says, “Oh my gosh, I know what you can become. I know what you’re capable of. And you’re not that man.” And he realizes that Walter is so different than Peter remembers, it makes it sad that [Peter] is looking at a man that is less than the person he left, emotionally.
So all these different things, we don’t know. You guys will find out to what degree things have changed, but if Walter never went over there to grab the other Peter, what happens? If Walter doesn’t make it in time and they both die, what happens? If Walter saves him and then all of a sudden you realize there is another Peter, well, that’s something else. It’s how everyone is infected by Peter’s life which makes him so poignant.
It almost felt like we were getting a glimpse of what Walter would have been like if we had been privy to his time in the mental hospital Olivia got him out of in the pilot.
JW: Yep! Yeah. Exactly right.
And we know Peter never visited Walter when he was there, so it couldn’t have been easy for him to see the behavior Walter has exhibited in the first few episodes.
JW: Yeah. We don’t know what Walter’s narrative was like this time. And that’s going to be fun for us to lay it out.
I’m sure it will be! Okay, moving on to another one of the hour’s big shocks: Alt-Broyles is alive! Is there anyone else who may have been dead when Peter was around, but is now alive now that he’s gone?
Jeff Pinkner: A very good question. What we’re playing is Peter’s influence on the characters over here reaches much further back into the past — obviously with Walter and Olivia, and we know he met when she was eight and in the Cortexiphan trials, and he told her, “Don’t run away. Go back and take control of your life.” So his influence on her life, even to the extent that it was a part of her subconscious and she wasn’t necessarily aware of it, but it was certainly a part of her narrative, has been for a very long time.
But his influence on the characters on the other side only dates back to the end of season 2. So things on that side are far less touched by Peter’s presence. Having said that, alt-Broyles was dead because he helped Olivia escape. So we can assume that because he’s alive, that didn’t happen. Elsewhere, without trying to set up a game, there are obvious clues and opportunities for the audience to figure out what’s different and what’s the same because of Peter’s presence. And we’re not trying to be elusive. With the things that are important, we will make very plain. And with the others that are less important, we will allow to color the show.
Specifically will characters be back? Maybe. With a capital “maybe.”
Capital “maybe.” I’m okay with that. It was also mentioned in tonight’s episode that Olivia killed her stepfather —
JP: That’s one of the differences!
So, really, Peter really needs to come back so Olivia doesn’t have that burden.
JP: Killing her step-dad was probably a very, very empowering act, but also one that you could imagine would mess someone up a little bit.
Understandable. And we did hear alt-Lincoln mention Charlie in tonight’s hour, but obviously Kirk Acevedo is otherwise occupied on PRIME SUSPECT. Are there any plans to have him back on FRINGE in the near future?
JW: Nobody’s ever dead on FRINGE! We love Kirk and if the storytelling goes in the direction that he’s going to come back, well, then we’ll address that.
–
What did you guys think of “One Night in October”? Are you hoping Charlie pops back up? Or are you just hoping Peter comes back ASAP?
Related:
FRINGE: John Noble Teases the New Walter-Peter Relationship, Tension Between Universes and More
FRINGE: Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman on the Season Premiere and What’s to Come
FRINGE: John Noble on Walter Without Peter, Walternate and Season 4
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“This is a Walter where in this version, both Peters died. The Observer never intervened.”
Shouldn’t that infer that the “over there” Peter shouldn’t have died then? That’s the biggest problem I have with this entire storyline.
@Saren, I interpreted that as he never tried to right his original wrong by helping them in the car crash. As you can see, they got very coy with the “what happened to Peter as a kid” storyline and posed several different options, so it’s possible that one won’t end up being a factor.
This show is horrible. We are supposed to care about the characters who are gone but no, they bring Lincoln lee and all these pathetic dopplegangers just make people not care about Peter anymore. I hope this show gets a 1.1.
I’m truly confused about what they are trying to convey in this universe without Peter. So far they have showed his influence has ranged from zero to negative. Let’s see, John Scott wasn’t cured, because Peter wasn’t there to get the compounds to save him, but Scott died anyway in the pilot, so he didn’t play much of a role in this case. Zero influence. Altbroyles is still alive, so they are putting the blame on Peter for his death in S3. Olivia killed her stepfather, so now she’s not getting those letters every year on her birthday and that’s why she’s so self-confident, independent and strong now. Negative influence.
Walter he has everything and everyone he needs, so why is he such a mess? Peter never had to coax him out of the lab or out of anywhere, his present state has nothing to do with Peter’s absence.
So what is the purpose of this world without Peter? To show how everything is better without him? If this is an attempt to nullify a character, I have to compliment them, because how thorough are they?
Let’s say they bring Peter back to make Walter feel better. Would it be worth it if it means an insecure Olivia, a dead Altroyles and who knows what other horrible stuff they want to saddle Peter with?
Wow, Wedum, way to make an unconvincing argument. They ARENT trying to make us not care about Peter. If they were, they wouldn’t be hinting at his return. As for all the other characters…what is great about Fringe, is they have the opportunity to use so many different type of personalities that are the same character. This show had a whole different dynamic to it that know other show can claim. Yet I can watch it and not think wow, this is a joke, but wow, this is so cool. It reminds me of X-files. I mean the stuff is so outrageous, yet you still eat it up.
Fringe is amazing because of how crazy and other wordly it is. If I thought they weren’t bringing Peter back I would be upset, but I know they will, so I am more then willing to play along and have fun with what they are doing. I love how Fringe continues to play with the fan’s mind. And as for Lincoln. I LOVE him. I think he is the greatest addition to the show since the original characters.
S
Ignore Wedum, this is just the same one “fan” who keeps posting the same thing over and over under different screen names.
Unfortunately John Noble has already spilled the beans on what happened to Peter in this timeline. 🙂
What can I say? I’m running out of superlatives for this show. Last night’s episode was great on so many levels. I wish I could just watch every episode they have in the can, all in a row.
I’m loving this season. I don’t have to know the answers to everything right now – half the fun is seeing how the story unfolds. I’m a little surprised that people who apparently have watched the show before (because they ‘know’ Peter) are having such a hard time understanding what’s going on now.
Is it painful without Peter? Yes Are the characters different? Yes. Is the backstory different? Yes.
It all ties into the new themes that are being introduced this season. As much as I love the “old” Walter/Peter/Olivia – this is a show that is constantly growing and changing. JP/JW and the cast are always stretching the boundaries – that’s what makes it so compelling.
I agree. I want things to go back to normal, I want Peter back and Polivia and the old team dynamic, but at the same time I have faith in the writers/producers to let the story unfold how they wish it too, because ultimately I think this arc will be quite the exciting journey! My only real fear at the moment is the ratings. People, please, watch Fringe live! It would be horrible to have this be the last season, when the show is so clearly building up to something big.
I love this season and especially the interaction between Olivia/Walter , Olivia/Astrid and Astrid/Walter and Lincoln Lee fits in nicely.
This Olivia proves that Peter did nothing good to her,only made her insecure and dependent. Killing her stepfather was empowering and I think that it allowed her to move on, where as through peter she only wounded him to be haunted by him for the rest of her life, far worse in my view. This is a great Olivia, I do hope she stays.
So I saw 4.02 brilliant acting of Anna Torv and a lot of insight in Olivia because of the interaction with Fauxlivia, besides that Astrid double less asperger, Broyles double, Lincoln double, yet 90% of this conversation with the showrunners is about a few words of peter. The biggest mistake in promotion, the overkill of Peter in each and every interview, it reduces the rest of the characters and actors as if they have no importance to the show at all.
“The biggest mistake in promotion, the overkill of Peter in each and every interview, it reduces the rest of the characters and actors as if they have no importance to the show at all.”
Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this because I am on board with this storyline, the ratings would seem to indicate that maybe Peter *is* important to the audience. I think the episodes are handling it beautifully, but unfortunately I think some fans got scared away by the finale – lots of fans out there who still believe Joshua Jackson has left the show or isn’t really coming back fulltime. I just don’t think the showrunners helped this impression with their deliberately cagey comments over the summer. I know they meant well, but it wasn’t helpful to the more confused fans.
The episodes have been great this season.
Guest, that happened when Olivia got stuck over there at the end of season 2. It was the cliffhanger and they used intense Olivia promotion all through the summer leading up to the beginning of season 3. Only Olivia was mentioned all the time and the other actors/characters didn’t get much of a mention.
That’s how BR do their promotions, leading into the new season. However, I’m sure if Olivia had got all the promotion over this break, then you wouldn’t even be mentioning it.
When Peter comes back, I look forward very much to seeing a new relationship develop between Peter and Walter. Their relationship has always been wonderful and it will be great to see them forge a different one to the one we have seen previously. I also would love to see a much deeper relationship between Astrid and Peter. I’ve always loved what they had previously and it’s one that I think could be developed alot deeper in this new timeline.
Can you not just bring Peter back already and let him have his truly happy days with Olivia (NOT Bolivia) while they solve this insanity brought by the Walternate of the parallel universe?
I don’t see the positive influence on Olivia, either. The Olivia without Peter seems much more confident and empowered. The time travel to prevent Olivia’s death was a huge mistake. Why should we care about anything that happens when they can apparently go back and either fix it or screw it up again (depending on your perspective).
Alt Broyles?
I believe that was ourBroyles in disguise. Listen as some of the minions say “welcome back sir” as he struts into the office..
Saren, you mean “imply,” not “infer.” The listener infers; the speaker implies.
Also, I love Fringe. This season is tasty.
Marisa…thank u so much for the great interwievs realized with the fringe cast and crew! great job ever!!
I am enjoying this season so far. Yeah, it feels weird without Peter around, but things are moving along bit by bit.
(I can’t understand the bickering among some fans about which character’s getting what amount of attention. This must be a small subset of some rather immature fans. Um, I’m embarrassed by some of this…)
Everyone here is missing the point: yes, all the characters are important and how they are being in this new reality is important, but, Peter is the key to everything. His presence in the 2 Universes was the reason everything happened the way it did. Now that he’s “gone,” he is even more the key to putting things back and hopefully righting some wrongs from how things were before.
I think the writers have shot themselves in the foot because the very events they erased by removing Peter are the very events that establish a bridge between worlds in the first place. Technically, the machine could never have existed to have been discovered because Peter was not alive to power it, therefore Walter would never have sent it back in time through a hole caused by the breakdown of both universes that never happened because Walter never made the leap across worlds to save the alternate Peter. If that is the case, there was no need for Walternate to send shape changers across to our world to plan our destruction, and as far as anyone is concerned, the bridge between worlds could never have existed since Peter never established it, therefore both sides should be ignorant of each other and this season will never have actually happened…..Oh dear, ive gone cross eyed!
Oh, and one more thing: I confess. I was one of the Doubting Thomases about the finale last year. I bitched and whined. Now I have to eat crow and tell Pinkner and Wyman: Bravo. Last Friday’s episode was particularly stupendous.
I believe that Peter’s positive influence on Olivia is sutil. She may be more confident and empowered but an experience such as killing one’s stepfather can make someone harder not only in a good sense. I believe she has a havier burden that makes her more isolated, more sad, lonely. She wears an armor all the time that makes her look more confident, but also sets her appart from others.
And Walter had someone to hold on to; now he’s too affraid to leave the lab, its a new mental desorder, and he still has all the other mental problems he had before, so I think that shows a good influence of Peter on him.
We all know Peter will come back, but we need to understand that things have changed! I think that if the writers give a magical solution that brings everything back it will diminish the psychological richness of the carachters.
I mean, when Olivia came back from the other universe and she just couldn’t be with Peter the way she (and the fans) imagined/wanted it brought deepness to and enriched the plot. So I guess I don’t want everything back the way it was, I want to see them grow and build new relationships from where they are now.
(sorry for eventual grammar and/or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language… I live in Brazil)
I need the Peter back ASAP. I really think the show has changed to dramatically. I see the little messages here and there about the impact someone has on peoples lives, but I hate not seeing one of the most important characters on the show every week. It really sucks, and I can’t wait until he comes back! Seriously. Bring him back now!!
Loving this season, as I’ve loved the previous ones. That Peter is missing is torture, but I know his absence has a purpose, and that he’ll be back. And while I’m happy for Kirk Acevedo, I just can’t get into PRIME SUSPECT. Charlie Francis (both versions) are fantastic, and I WANT HIM BACK ON FRINGE! Meanwhile, loving both versions of Lincoln Lee!
BRING PETER BACK NOW. THIS IS NOT A GREAT SHOW WITHOUT PETER
I wish I could put my thoughts down as well as some of you guys. One of the things I can say is that “I love this show!” I don’t get excited about too many TV shows but Fringe grabbed me right away. I miss Peter also but I am ok with the story line as long as I know he is coming back. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. I love Lincoln and would be thrilled to have Charlie come back. Really looking forward to the rest of the season!
“Having said that, alt-Broyles was dead because he helped Olivia escape. So we can assume that because he’s alive, that didn’t happen.”
I do not undertand this statement. Olivia claimed Alt-Olivia about her having stolen her life. It means that Olivia was in the other side in some moment and Alt-Olivia was here. If Olivia is complaining about her stolen life, it is because she was in the other side against her willingness. It would imply that she needed some help to go back. Does not mean that Broyles helped her anyway? This is not clear for me. Could somebody help me to clarify my doubt?
On the other hand, I really love this show, and I am desperately waiting for Peter’s return.
I don’t understand how and why the fans of a show that deals with Alternate Universes and alternate timelines are upset because the producers created a storyline that illustrates Alternate Universes and alternate timelines. It’s like being upset that a detective show has murderers who murder people and detectives who catch them. 🙂
I’m a huge Fringe fan, but with them completely overturning the storyline as we know it in this season, it has me feeling a little uneasy. It’s confusing, and a little boring, because we know they’re going to bring Peter back at some point. I’m just waiting for the point at which it becomes chaotic and/or exciting again. Right now, it’s Season 1 all over again minus Peter.
tl;dr: MAKE THINGS LESS CONFUSING, MORE EXCITING, OR BRING PETER BACK NOW!
I am SO glad that first of all that Peter is back & I have been telling everyone when they have commented on the different sites about not wanting to hang on & continue to watch because the show is not the same & kinda boring without Peter, that it has to be that way for us as fans to feel the impact of the void & sadness without Peter & that everyone’s lives are effected even if its to them, unconsciousable. And I am so glad to see that they are going to finally bring up that Peter & Olivia met when they were children & that he helped her & found her when noone else could & that is when Walternate found out that there was another universe. Being an assumption, I think somehow the lily field that Olivia drew & where Peter found her when they were kids, will be brought up again. I really hope that they don’t disappoint when it comes to the Peter/Olivia relationship. The writers did an awesome job by letting the 2 of them get to know one another & have time to really establish true feelings for one another & being that the 2 of them never let themselves be vulnerable to anyone, be vulnerable to each other so please let it turn out like Josh Jackson thinks it will by making it end up epic.