(no subject)
One of the things I like a lot about Fringe is its cheerful juxtaposition of skeptical hardheadedness with whopping nonsensical bullshit. Everyone says, "That is bullshit!" and then five minutes later is totally onboard the Atlantis brain vibration space aliens train. It's so cute.
Astrid was aces, and as with Janelle Moloney on West Wing season 2, the gearshifts of her being sped up to greater relevance are very loud and crunchy. I mean, I don't mind! She had a contract and nothing to do! And now she has shit to do, shit so complicated that even Walter can't do it, and she wins all internets and possibly the world.
Following internal logic of the show, let's see:
A) number-transmissions come all the time, including before Walter(nate) was born.
B) Walternate had Henchmen go fetch the Eyeball Machine part in Milton, so presumably knows where at least some of them are.
C) Walternate engineered the Amnesia Boxes to blank out the memories of people who might be cracking the code.
If B and C, I would say D, that Walternate doesn't want the parts to be found, and is working against whoever broadcasts the numbers. But this seems to contradict my understanding that he does want the parts to be found, and assembled, and the Eyeball Flambé Extravaganza. Which tends to be indicated by his prior behavior, and by the implementation of Phase Two.
So.... the only reason to do Amnesia Boxes appears to be to draw Peter's attention to the numbers, and make him (or ASTRID!!) the one who cracks the code and finds the parts, instead of random people on the internets. And Walternate wanting the parts to be found means he's not the one who put them there, but we can always blame confusing shit like that on the Observers. They have those giant burrowing glowy footballs at their disposal, after all. And presumably access to radio waves in a manner we wot not.
(I wonder if Walternate is conscious of the Observers? I mean, he's met one, but that doesn't mean he's ever put it all together. The Statue of Liberty to polish, a universe to destroy, there just simply isn't time!)
Walternate and indeed the show itself little realizing that random people in Argentina really don't appreciate having their swimming pools dug up on artifact-finding missions. A well-placed lawsuit could pull down the whole elaborate conspiracy!
One of the things I appreciate about the show is that Walter, the man whose ethics have historically been lacking, is the one sounding the ethics alarm. He's been there; he ate the T-shirt. Listen to him, people!
Another thing is the portrayal of curiosity overcoming caution: Astrid and Peter alike approach their respective problems like puzzles, and look for keys and solutions, never wondering whether it might not be a puzzle at all. Peter at least has that vague "But I might be able to save both worlds" outside-the-box intention, but his absorption in the Eyeball Machine and its parts is very able to distract him from the otehr problems right in his midst.
I wonder whether it's ever occurred to Alternalivia before this episode that the two worlds aren't in a war at all, that there might be some non-oppositional solution. I suspect not, based on her behavior; and I wonder what it would take to convince her of the possibility. I really want her tied down with emotional connections, and enjoying Peter immensely is not quite cutting it yet. (Though they are fun together, pleasantly ordinary rather than vampily passionate.)
We're to presume she didn't call Ella on her birthday. Surely everyone would have remarked if Olivia had called her twice.
In unrelated news, given my enmity with the AO3 database, I'm still considering whether to sign up for Yuletide after all. I am very enthusiastic for the idea, and that might overcome my thorough hatred of the implementation, but we'll have to see. If the main pleasure of the thing (for me) is to find the unexpected stories, and the implementation is such that I cannot find said stories, then that's a pretty big strike against signing up, no?
This entry was originally posted at http://vehemently.dreamwidth.org/20658.html. Comment wherever you like.
Astrid was aces, and as with Janelle Moloney on West Wing season 2, the gearshifts of her being sped up to greater relevance are very loud and crunchy. I mean, I don't mind! She had a contract and nothing to do! And now she has shit to do, shit so complicated that even Walter can't do it, and she wins all internets and possibly the world.
Following internal logic of the show, let's see:
A) number-transmissions come all the time, including before Walter(nate) was born.
B) Walternate had Henchmen go fetch the Eyeball Machine part in Milton, so presumably knows where at least some of them are.
C) Walternate engineered the Amnesia Boxes to blank out the memories of people who might be cracking the code.
If B and C, I would say D, that Walternate doesn't want the parts to be found, and is working against whoever broadcasts the numbers. But this seems to contradict my understanding that he does want the parts to be found, and assembled, and the Eyeball Flambé Extravaganza. Which tends to be indicated by his prior behavior, and by the implementation of Phase Two.
So.... the only reason to do Amnesia Boxes appears to be to draw Peter's attention to the numbers, and make him (or ASTRID!!) the one who cracks the code and finds the parts, instead of random people on the internets. And Walternate wanting the parts to be found means he's not the one who put them there, but we can always blame confusing shit like that on the Observers. They have those giant burrowing glowy footballs at their disposal, after all. And presumably access to radio waves in a manner we wot not.
(I wonder if Walternate is conscious of the Observers? I mean, he's met one, but that doesn't mean he's ever put it all together. The Statue of Liberty to polish, a universe to destroy, there just simply isn't time!)
Walternate and indeed the show itself little realizing that random people in Argentina really don't appreciate having their swimming pools dug up on artifact-finding missions. A well-placed lawsuit could pull down the whole elaborate conspiracy!
One of the things I appreciate about the show is that Walter, the man whose ethics have historically been lacking, is the one sounding the ethics alarm. He's been there; he ate the T-shirt. Listen to him, people!
Another thing is the portrayal of curiosity overcoming caution: Astrid and Peter alike approach their respective problems like puzzles, and look for keys and solutions, never wondering whether it might not be a puzzle at all. Peter at least has that vague "But I might be able to save both worlds" outside-the-box intention, but his absorption in the Eyeball Machine and its parts is very able to distract him from the otehr problems right in his midst.
I wonder whether it's ever occurred to Alternalivia before this episode that the two worlds aren't in a war at all, that there might be some non-oppositional solution. I suspect not, based on her behavior; and I wonder what it would take to convince her of the possibility. I really want her tied down with emotional connections, and enjoying Peter immensely is not quite cutting it yet. (Though they are fun together, pleasantly ordinary rather than vampily passionate.)
We're to presume she didn't call Ella on her birthday. Surely everyone would have remarked if Olivia had called her twice.
In unrelated news, given my enmity with the AO3 database, I'm still considering whether to sign up for Yuletide after all. I am very enthusiastic for the idea, and that might overcome my thorough hatred of the implementation, but we'll have to see. If the main pleasure of the thing (for me) is to find the unexpected stories, and the implementation is such that I cannot find said stories, then that's a pretty big strike against signing up, no?
This entry was originally posted at http://vehemently.dreamwidth.org/20658.html. Comment wherever you like.