This is super short for me. Like, almost a sane length for a review. I should be ambivalent enough not to be overly interested in dissecting my ambivalence more often!
Oh, I agree it needed more Olivia! Hello, show! There are only three more episodes. They'd better be chocked to the gills with Olivias, seriously.
I giggled when Walter called Astrid 'Astro' and she called him 'Wally'. Astrid is awesome. And she was so kind and caring. I really miss her in alt!verse when she is so blank.
Philip made me giggle. His eyes! He was like a little boy. I know he was tripping but I didn't get what he was saying about Death. I think it may be important?
Cus like, he didn't say anything interesting to us about anything Well, he did reassure Walter that he can handle the future without him. That's important. Walter needs to learn that fine balance between confidence and humility. He's erred too far on either side in the past. He needs to grow up and not need Qui-Gon so Anakin can fulfill his destiny. I mean . . . well, you know what I mean. ;-)
But for me it just...doesn't work I know I railed at Peter for not recognizing Alt!Olivia as not real!verse!Olivia. And I see that the show is trying to correct that. E for effort. But I didn't get it. What was off about dream!Olivia? I didn't see it. Yeah, I realized she would be Olive. It was a her childhood house and I love kids and I love Olive. But I didn't expect Peter to get that. I wish I could have seen what was wrong with dream!Olivia and then buy that Peter knew her that well, but something was . . . missing. What?
I don't remember the ep (was it in an ep?) where Olivia told him about the red door. So a lot of it was telling to me. Telling me this story of how close Peter and Olivia are. I guess they are? But when I see them together, hear them, talk I don't feel this closeness. Not even as friends. I sensed the closeness with child!Peter and child!Olivia. And even with LSD-ed Philip and Astrid in this ep. Something is missing for me and this pairing. Sigh. I guess it always will be.
the COMPLETE lack of discussion about the shape-shifter killings Dude, it's like Anakin. Ignored until it will do the most damage. Maybe the moment he finds out he's a father, he'll be elbow-deep in shape-shifter blood? Some writers like to reveal things like that. I'm still pissed about Anakin. I fully believe if Padme had talked to him at all or told the Jedi council what he'd done, things would have been very different. Sigh. I don't believe the Fringe writers have forgotten that Peter has been mechanized, though.
don't think she's having a wholesale personality transplant any time soon Hee! I don't think so? I mean we already have a whole other Olivia in alt!world, so I hope this one keeps her personality. Zen is good. But it was weird. The show is weird with her. They create her--real!verse Olivia--but then they take her away. She get injected with alt!memories, or taken over by Bell, now zenned out. Why can't they just let her be the real!verse Olivia I took 40 episodes to get to know? I don't understand that sometimes.
I'm pretty sure the stuff about death was a reference to AltBroyles' death which I think really affected him?
I think that Peter guessed because he saw Young Olivia looking at him and I think he solved it like a puzzle? Like, I think he realised it was too easy given he knew Olivia would be in hiding and also given it was all of Olivia's fears he probably guessed that she'd test him? So I think that was an example of puzzle solving rather than souls? Which is why I hated that line - sooooo cheesy and over obvious. It would have been something I wouldn't have liked anyway, but much more in keeping with the style of the show if he'd just realised and not made a thing of it.
We didn't actually see the stuff Peter was talking about - those conversations must have happened offscreen and I agree that makes it tell not show. Again so much is missing because we never see much of Peter or Peter-and-Olivia. Bah, I don't like the pairing either.
Your comparison of Peter and Anakin continues to entertain me with its aptness. I agree on all counts. I mean even if the show didn't want to have Olivia horrified by his actions (and that would piss me off, but EVEN THEN) she should at LEAST be seriously horrified at the psychological implications of him running off and going vigilante killer on everyone. He needs some fucking help like Anakin did. Bah.
I'm not actually worried about a personality transplant because I was worried about that at the start and she was still "Our Olivia" even when she was brainwashed to think she was theirs. At the end, she felt more like Olivia when Olivia was with Rachel and Ella than she felt like Fauxlivia. So I'm fine with it as long as she doesn't start acting like someone else and I don't think she will. I do wanna know what's up with her though. I'm hoping it'll herald a new willingness to act and step up and use her power (either supernatural or just narrative agency) to really do some epic shit in the finale. We'll see. I may just be perennially optimistic, but I hope they'll play it like self-realisation to unlock the next level of her personal...power and existence. Like Neo at the end of the Matrix. I know that "self-actualisation" is apparently the theme of the series, so I want to see what that looks like for Olivia and whether I like it on her.
I'm pretty sure the stuff about death was a reference to AltBroyles' death which I think really affected him? Yeah? I had no idea his alt's death affected him like that. I thought it had to do with his wife. I know one of the Broyles' wives is dead? I can't remember which one, though.
but much more in keeping with the style of the show if he'd just realised and not made a thing of it. Really? Sometimes the show is so subtle I don't even get it. Thanks for explaining that to me!
We didn't actually see the stuff Peter was talking about - those conversations must have happened offscreen This really pisses me off. It's one thing if I fall asleep in class. Okay. I slept a lot through Fringe 101. But I've made it to Fringe Intermediate! And this is important character stuff! I think the show has seduced itself with its own pseudo-science and alt!verse. It sometimes exposits more in favorite of that instead of the character beats. Not always, but it seems that way with me for Peter/Olivia.
Your comparison of Peter and Anakin continues to entertain me with its aptness. It's clear to me that Bell was Qui-Gon, Walter is Obi-Wan and Walternate is Darth Vader. "Peter I am your father." It's all so clear to me. But like Act 3 of that series, the shit is going to hit the fan and soon.
He needs some fucking help like Anakin did You are preaching to the choir. Thank goodness for other fans. Olivia has gotta react better than Padme in this. She must.
So I'm fine with it as long as she doesn't start acting like someone else and I don't think she will. You're right. Real!verse Olivia is still in there and will make people love and care about her again the way Henry did. I still remember him waiting, like a getaway car, outside of her mother's. He barely knew her but that's Olivia.
Like Neo at the end of the Matrix. Ooh, that would be rather mind-blowing! She's got a lot of untapped power in there. And now she's not as afraid so maybe can use it at will. I also want her to interact with her alt self. On the same side those two would be unstoppable. :-)
I giggled when Walter called Astrid 'Astro' and she called him 'Wally'. Astrid is awesome. And she was so kind and caring. I really miss her in alt!verse when she is so blank.
Philip made me giggle. His eyes! He was like a little boy. I know he was tripping but I didn't get what he was saying about Death. I think it may be important?
Cus like, he didn't say anything interesting to us about anything
Well, he did reassure Walter that he can handle the future without him. That's important. Walter needs to learn that fine balance between confidence and humility. He's erred too far on either side in the past. He needs to grow up and not need Qui-Gon so Anakin can fulfill his destiny. I mean . . . well, you know what I mean. ;-)
But for me it just...doesn't work
I know I railed at Peter for not recognizing Alt!Olivia as not real!verse!Olivia. And I see that the show is trying to correct that. E for effort. But I didn't get it. What was off about dream!Olivia? I didn't see it. Yeah, I realized she would be Olive. It was a her childhood house and I love kids and I love Olive. But I didn't expect Peter to get that. I wish I could have seen what was wrong with dream!Olivia and then buy that Peter knew her that well, but something was . . . missing. What?
I don't remember the ep (was it in an ep?) where Olivia told him about the red door. So a lot of it was telling to me. Telling me this story of how close Peter and Olivia are. I guess they are? But when I see them together, hear them, talk I don't feel this closeness. Not even as friends. I sensed the closeness with child!Peter and child!Olivia. And even with LSD-ed Philip and Astrid in this ep. Something is missing for me and this pairing. Sigh. I guess it always will be.
the COMPLETE lack of discussion about the shape-shifter killings
Dude, it's like Anakin. Ignored until it will do the most damage. Maybe the moment he finds out he's a father, he'll be elbow-deep in shape-shifter blood? Some writers like to reveal things like that. I'm still pissed about Anakin. I fully believe if Padme had talked to him at all or told the Jedi council what he'd done, things would have been very different. Sigh. I don't believe the Fringe writers have forgotten that Peter has been mechanized, though.
don't think she's having a wholesale personality transplant any time soon
Hee! I don't think so? I mean we already have a whole other Olivia in alt!world, so I hope this one keeps her personality. Zen is good. But it was weird. The show is weird with her. They create her--real!verse Olivia--but then they take her away. She get injected with alt!memories, or taken over by Bell, now zenned out. Why can't they just let her be the real!verse Olivia I took 40 episodes to get to know? I don't understand that sometimes.
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I'm pretty sure the stuff about death was a reference to AltBroyles' death which I think really affected him?
I think that Peter guessed because he saw Young Olivia looking at him and I think he solved it like a puzzle? Like, I think he realised it was too easy given he knew Olivia would be in hiding and also given it was all of Olivia's fears he probably guessed that she'd test him? So I think that was an example of puzzle solving rather than souls? Which is why I hated that line - sooooo cheesy and over obvious. It would have been something I wouldn't have liked anyway, but much more in keeping with the style of the show if he'd just realised and not made a thing of it.
We didn't actually see the stuff Peter was talking about - those conversations must have happened offscreen and I agree that makes it tell not show. Again so much is missing because we never see much of Peter or Peter-and-Olivia. Bah, I don't like the pairing either.
Your comparison of Peter and Anakin continues to entertain me with its aptness. I agree on all counts. I mean even if the show didn't want to have Olivia horrified by his actions (and that would piss me off, but EVEN THEN) she should at LEAST be seriously horrified at the psychological implications of him running off and going vigilante killer on everyone. He needs some fucking help like Anakin did. Bah.
I'm not actually worried about a personality transplant because I was worried about that at the start and she was still "Our Olivia" even when she was brainwashed to think she was theirs. At the end, she felt more like Olivia when Olivia was with Rachel and Ella than she felt like Fauxlivia. So I'm fine with it as long as she doesn't start acting like someone else and I don't think she will. I do wanna know what's up with her though. I'm hoping it'll herald a new willingness to act and step up and use her power (either supernatural or just narrative agency) to really do some epic shit in the finale. We'll see. I may just be perennially optimistic, but I hope they'll play it like self-realisation to unlock the next level of her personal...power and existence. Like Neo at the end of the Matrix. I know that "self-actualisation" is apparently the theme of the series, so I want to see what that looks like for Olivia and whether I like it on her.
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Yeah? I had no idea his alt's death affected him like that. I thought it had to do with his wife. I know one of the Broyles' wives is dead? I can't remember which one, though.
but much more in keeping with the style of the show if he'd just realised and not made a thing of it.
Really? Sometimes the show is so subtle I don't even get it. Thanks for explaining that to me!
We didn't actually see the stuff Peter was talking about - those conversations must have happened offscreen
This really pisses me off. It's one thing if I fall asleep in class. Okay. I slept a lot through Fringe 101. But I've made it to Fringe Intermediate! And this is important character stuff! I think the show has seduced itself with its own pseudo-science and alt!verse. It sometimes exposits more in favorite of that instead of the character beats. Not always, but it seems that way with me for Peter/Olivia.
Your comparison of Peter and Anakin continues to entertain me with its aptness.
It's clear to me that Bell was Qui-Gon, Walter is Obi-Wan and Walternate is Darth Vader. "Peter I am your father." It's all so clear to me. But like Act 3 of that series, the shit is going to hit the fan and soon.
He needs some fucking help like Anakin did
You are preaching to the choir. Thank goodness for other fans. Olivia has gotta react better than Padme in this. She must.
So I'm fine with it as long as she doesn't start acting like someone else and I don't think she will.
You're right. Real!verse Olivia is still in there and will make people love and care about her again the way Henry did. I still remember him waiting, like a getaway car, outside of her mother's. He barely knew her but that's Olivia.
Like Neo at the end of the Matrix.
Ooh, that would be rather mind-blowing! She's got a lot of untapped power in there. And now she's not as afraid so maybe can use it at will. I also want her to interact with her alt self. On the same side those two would be unstoppable. :-)
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