After the countless speculations Fox officially announce that Fringe will get a final season of 13 episodes.[Fringe so far]So it this means we are getting a big cliffhanger and the future children invasion. That's the replacement for the other Universe that they just sent away today. I suppose it will make it easier to film as no more doubles and scene repeating. They tied that up very neatly including removing Lincoln so all the traces connecting to that storyline can be gone after the big finale. And if you don't think about that all of them going to die it's like it never happened.
Since I really liked exploring the other side, I will miss the whole experience - the other team, the little differences, the other Olivia smile. The best part of episode was how they all became almost friends. I know it had to happen - happy cooperation doesn't make good TV. However, I'm pretty convinced that turning off The Machine was actually the plan all along and that's what David Robert Jones was trying to make Colonel Broyles do.