[review] Fringe S2 E20 - Brown Betty [mild spoilers for the episode]
This episode was basically Fringe on crack. This is also the perfect introduction you should show people to persuade them to watch the show.
Summary:
Walter tells Ella bed-time story after he smoked something called "Brown Betty". He retells events from Fringe, but set in the atmosphere of a film noir.
The plot is almost the same, the characters are the same (with a name alteration for Astrid, poor girl) with similar jobs (except Olivia is a private eye, not a fed) and places like Massive Dynamic already exist. Except that in Walter's mind, they had cellphones and computers in the 1940's (that or it takes place in the alternate universe which is much more advanced?). Immediately following the events of the previous episode, Olivia is searching for Peter, but for different reasons.
This episode is partly so wonderful because it presents things from Walter's perspective. Peter "stole his heart", Olivia kicks so so much ass, Astrid is not really useful (OMG did anyone else catch that vaguely homoerotich thing between her and Olivia when she was treating her wounds? Frigging shipping it now). To Walter Nina Sharp is personified Evil, the observ- err the "Watchers" are evil too and Broyle's gets in Olivia's way. And Walter is such a hardcore Peter/Olivia shipper it's frigging everywhere! (to the point of killing off Rachel because she might have gotten in the way, just like we thought there might be something between them in S1). Walter is probably a fanboy on the internet, writing badfic about his OTP. You know it's true.
/digression
Peter struggling with his identity, his place in the world and with life in general are Fringe's srs bzns themes that are here dealt with in musical style. Every character gets to sing at one point, even at the most unfitting times.
I also appreciated the little references, such a John Scott's picture at the beginning, him being the man who broke Olivia's heart (and apparently also Anna Torv's. Baww.) The pattern exists, and it's caused by walter (but for different reasons) and I think the children whose dreams turned into nightmares must be the cortexifan children? The Massive Dynamic lab assisstent is there too, only he's working in a patent office. "Our" observer claims he's a man "who won't let his emotions get into his way". Reference to August? Olivia drowning in the wooden casket could also refer to the S1 trips in the tank at Walter's lab.
The saddest part is that even in a fictional story, Walter and Peter can't have a happy ending. You'd think that in his fantasies, Walter would fix things, be delusional about the bad things? Or maybe he's just coming down from Brown Betty. But thanks to Ella the story is saved!
But no "Mr Gemini", I don't remember your warning either. My memory is filled with crap like linguistic theories, sorry.
Here is the promo trailer for the episode, because it's so well-done: [youtube won't let me embed]
Summary:
Walter tells Ella bed-time story after he smoked something called "Brown Betty". He retells events from Fringe, but set in the atmosphere of a film noir.
The plot is almost the same, the characters are the same (with a name alteration for Astrid, poor girl) with similar jobs (except Olivia is a private eye, not a fed) and places like Massive Dynamic already exist. Except that in Walter's mind, they had cellphones and computers in the 1940's (that or it takes place in the alternate universe which is much more advanced?). Immediately following the events of the previous episode, Olivia is searching for Peter, but for different reasons.
This episode is partly so wonderful because it presents things from Walter's perspective. Peter "stole his heart", Olivia kicks so so much ass, Astrid is not really useful (OMG did anyone else catch that vaguely homoerotich thing between her and Olivia when she was treating her wounds? Frigging shipping it now). To Walter Nina Sharp is personified Evil, the observ- err the "Watchers" are evil too and Broyle's gets in Olivia's way. And Walter is such a hardcore Peter/Olivia shipper it's frigging everywhere! (to the point of killing off Rachel because she might have gotten in the way, just like we thought there might be something between them in S1). Walter is probably a fanboy on the internet, writing badfic about his OTP. You know it's true.
/digression
Peter struggling with his identity, his place in the world and with life in general are Fringe's srs bzns themes that are here dealt with in musical style. Every character gets to sing at one point, even at the most unfitting times.
I also appreciated the little references, such a John Scott's picture at the beginning, him being the man who broke Olivia's heart (and apparently also Anna Torv's. Baww.) The pattern exists, and it's caused by walter (but for different reasons) and I think the children whose dreams turned into nightmares must be the cortexifan children? The Massive Dynamic lab assisstent is there too, only he's working in a patent office. "Our" observer claims he's a man "who won't let his emotions get into his way". Reference to August? Olivia drowning in the wooden casket could also refer to the S1 trips in the tank at Walter's lab.
The saddest part is that even in a fictional story, Walter and Peter can't have a happy ending. You'd think that in his fantasies, Walter would fix things, be delusional about the bad things? Or maybe he's just coming down from Brown Betty. But thanks to Ella the story is saved!
But no "Mr Gemini", I don't remember your warning either. My memory is filled with crap like linguistic theories, sorry.
Here is the promo trailer for the episode, because it's so well-done: [youtube won't let me embed]