sofiab

Episode 4x19 – Letters of Transit

tvfreak

Hooray! I'm so excited for this episode!!

Those previews have me all jittery. It looks like a promising episode!

Can't wait for tomorrow night! This will be the first episode in a while that I'm watching live instead of of my PVR so I'm going to make it a nice treat, with popcorn and the works. YES.

There's also this preview teaser... it was a hidden youtube video that you find using codes from the other 3 previews. Good on them!

Secret teaser

Still no word on a season 5... I read an article where JJ said that if the show is renewed, there would be hints of what the next season would be about in this episode.

galesgirl645

I thought it was an okay episode, I felt like it was missing something. I have to rewatch it in any case.

tvfreak

The ending! I can't believe it!

I thought this was a cool episode. Lots of references to other classic SF stories (1984, even star wars). I think the writers just adore this show, and I think we should give them another season let them play with the characters and story.

I wonder how the other Universe plays into that future. Did they still exist? And how did Bell come back? And what exactly happened to Olivia?

Must. Have. More.

Wild Pikachu

Woah.

sofiab

Is that a good or bad "woah"?


Lately Fringe has been one step forward and two steps back for me; this episode was like 10 steps back. They probably didn’t intend for this to be integrated in the current SL anyway, but did we really need this with a show that has no future guaranteed and is three episodes away from its season ending? Do we need more questions? And now all of a sudden the observers that we've been following for four seasons and that had no problem in erasing people to maintain the balance of the universes are these despicable creatures that destroy everything and everyone around them? If this post apocalyptic world is where season five will take place if we get it, my enthusiasm for the show is not great; not because I don't trust them to write a good story, but because I hate post apocalyptic scenarios, even more those that deprive people of freedom.

This was by no means a bad episode, it simply didn't fit; there was no context like the previous "19" episodes and it looks like next week we'll get back to business, and also because it brought more questions when we've been so deprived of them this season; and those they've given us are not satisfying for me. And the way it ended? Really? That was it, see you in another season… maybe.

The guest stars where amazing, they really were. I could just see them as another version of Peter and Olivia, only in different circumstances.

Why do I ship Peter/Olivia? They say it's fate, I would say it's becoming more like a curse. All the futures that we've seen they can't be happy together; they're like ten minutes happy and then the world around them collapses again.

I really hope next episode will cheer me up, I really need it.


ETA: What was that thing that Simon and Etta were trying to build?

pruedens_!!

I have mixed feelings about the episode. I didnt really bitch all season didnt i ? I guess its time for me to rant . I guess i have the right since i supported every decision the writers had in s4 but now i don't know .

I liked the guest stars ( hey its Henry Ian Cusick ) I liked their characters. But the context bothers me. I always was in the "observers are evil " but i always assumed we could deal with 2 teams the August team aka we observe but now we left to assume all of them were evil except September. The notion of they seek the life out of the world and destroyed it aka last people who destroy the planet not to mention

1. Read Minds
2. Kinky Observers
3. Get high with Water
4. Violence
5. A very violent world with soldiers around and control everything
6. NO COFFEE (how you live with pills of coffee? )

I almost screamed in the Bell return but the whole (he did something to Olivia) was bad. I knew he wasnt up to trust.
I dont find the connection to the rest of the eps disappointing . Its 19 ep nothing is to connect. But this episode is not a dream or LSD trip. Is not a fiction story. The interviews of the cast lead that s5 will continue with this storyline. And guess what i knew it but inside me i was 50% we had timetravel scenario. But we didn't the ep ended in a way that doesnt give options to change that future most likely suggests that if indeed we get a s5 and we get a future 2036 scenario

The team with Etta plan to create (beacon?) a device maybe to lock the observers out of the universe like September was locked out in ep 15? The episode raises too many questions

1. How Bell is alive ? (i guess he faked his death but what did he do to Olivia and why)
2. Is Olivia dead or lost ?

I think the only answer to all of this? If we dont get a s5 the episode will have zero connection to the rest.

What bothers me most? Olivia's death. Since last season . Im tired really. I hoped they will be fringe wise enough to prevent it but now i think her death is inevitable. And they can go there for real !!! I guess ill keep it to myself and rant in my head because if you think about it they will never give her a break. Since episode 1 she is been tortured. Since she was a kid . Im frustrated mostly because the ep gave zero hope and zero answers it seemed a build up episode for s5.
The episode was awesome but it could give a different ending or beginning. It seemed a spin off material work and despite how awesome it was it gave me nothing to look for .

ale-la-pazza1

My mind is still trying to process everything.

So in the end the Observers are all so bad that they take over the world

Olivia died and Bell had something to do with it. How did she die?

Walter, Peter & Astrid had been in the Amber for 20 years
Why? What happened?

Etta & Simon are part of the resistance and they're both in Fringe?

Why did the Observers take control? What happened?

So many questions, next to zero answers.

Jazzed

No offence but this episode really sucked.
So many unanswered questions and unresolved and unsatisfacory elements.

The role the Observers took makes no sense with what they proclaimed to be in the past (hence the name). Ok Spetember was an exception, but still none of them seemed to be of ill-intent sofar.. So what happened??

This whole thing makes so little sense with so few episodes to go before the end anyway. I don't get why they bring this to us i.e. people still watching the show?

I feel like I am losing the plot a slight bit more every episode - in fact what is the plot? I thought Olivia and Peter would be in the end, but I don't even know who they are or aren't anymore at this point.

I really do like this show and its potential but right now I'm feeling kind of adrift.

Wild Pikachu

I liked the episode, but I'm not sure I want a whole season of it, which is what we might get.

I'd forgotten that this was a 19th episode, and thus it wasn't supposed to have any obvious connection to the rest of the season.

Technically, it was very well done. I wonder how much of their budget they blew on this one.

We might have gotten a glimpse of the Observers' real agenda, though. I was struck by Windmark's remark to Broyles: "I like animals." Maybe that's how the Observers think of us.

I think we'll find out a lot in the finale. The Bridge is obviously key to the Observers—the sole purpose of Peter's existence (from the Observers' point of view) was to create the Bridge. I wonder if they'll end up shutting it down as a way to stop Jones and the Observers.

Ah, William Bell. A nice touch, there—remember that in the original timeline he sacrificed himself to let Peter and Olivia cross over, so in this new timeline there's no reason to believe he's dead. Presumably he's still in the AU somewhere, maybe in that office in the World Trade Center. Although when I first saw him, I figured that they couldn't actually get Leonard Nimoy back, so it wasn't a great surprise that they didn't rescue him.

Also, very nice work by John Noble, especially after the parts of his brain that were cut out were restored. We got to see the kind of man he was afraid of becoming—very much like Secretary Bishop on the Other Side. Notice that he didn't even look when the MD building got vaporized. You can always tell someone's ruthless when something goes kablooey behind them and they don't even bother to look.

sofiab

Yes, it wasn’t the episode itself, it was the context and when it happened. I never thought of the observers as evil, never. I saw them as these creatures who were observing to make sure the balance of the universes was guaranteed. That’s why they wanted Peter to be erased and went after September. These ignoble creatures they are now presenting us are something that I would never imagine. And is there a reason why they're all men, white and bald?


I don’t agree with you. Brown Betty was about Walter coping with the loss of Peter and LSD was the way they found to get rid of Bell’s consciousness in Olivia’s body.

Apparently they end up destroying the planet and go back in time to take over and start again. The observers, their role, how they are, this was what really bothered me in this episode. I don’t want to spend a season with these people.

They are pawns, plot devices. I’m all for throwing some obstacles but this has reached ridiculous proportions.

Absolutely, I don’t want a season of this; I don’t want to spend a season with these observers, in this world. Why can’t the future be a message of hope, something that our characters would envision and want to reach? Why does it always have to be so grim? I hope the solution won’t be stepping into the machine again to prevent this from happening; Fringe could go on forever if they always present us with a bleak future that has to be prevented.

My mind went back to the flying porcupines

pruedens_!!

what i meant by connection i mean in origin.

Brown Betty despite the story dealed with Peter continued from episode 18 Olivia was looking for him while Ella was with Walter in the lab.

LSD had continued with Bell being in Olivia's body continued from ep 18 again

The context was there to lead the episodes. With this episode we jump to season 5 ahead. As it goes there is nothing from episode 18 to continue here . Thats my point is like what happens in episode 19 comes after season 4 finale. The episode is not crazy is not story or fiction or anything weird. Its connected in the after DRJ time not before. Thats my not linked context. Its pure 2036 time with no mention of the 2 universe no mention on anything . It stands alone . Completely.

im not looking forward to this kind of future only to try and make the machine lock the observers out and thats it

Musickat18

Hmm...I seem to be the only one here, but I loved this episode. Then again, I like post apocalyptic scenarios. I did figure out right from the start that what's her face was going to be Peter and Olivia's daughter though. But aside from that, I would LOVE a season that either focused on how they got to that point, or the resolution. To be perfectly honest, for the bulk of this season I have been relatively unimpressed....it's only been since the past couple of episodes that I've enjoying the season.

If we just forget that there might not be another season, then what the writers are setting up is potentially really freaking awesome. And just because we don't understand it now, doesn't mean we won't get explanations. (again...under the assumption that there's another season) Obviously this episode was going to have a "WTF" feel to it, because it's 24 years in the future...but what I loved about it, is that it left me wanting to know more about what's going to get us there. And to be honest, now I think I'm starting to understand a little more what Jones' possible end game is...It seems to me that that either (a) he's working for the observers, but is playing a double agent to gain power himself or (b) he doesn't know/care about the observers but they're letting him do whatever he's doing to collapse both universes so that they can take over.

sungbyagirl

I liked the episode, but I agree with everyone that said it doesn't fit. I find it strange that they put this episode so close to the finale, unless their intention is to finish the season in the future. I could see them doing this a few ep's ago, but not now.
What bothers me about it, is everything we've missed. How the Observers came to take over, what changed, etc. I feel like I just started watching the show mid-season and I don't like it! GRR!

If the team is wiped out in 2015, does that mean they intend to end the show in a few years?

Hmmmm.

Seersha

As an episode viewed as a standalone piece of television, I think the episode was great. I liked Etta and Simon, which given we only had one episode of them, says a lot. The actors were great, their dynamic was well written, they're both very likeable. My favourite moment was the end scene between Peter/Etta which I think was well done. John Noble, as always, was fantastic.

All of that said, I do agree with the point that it doesn't really fit in the S4 Fringe storyline. It did feel a bit random, especially with such an abrupt ending (I felt like it should have been part 1 of a 2 parter, but then I guess that is another point in the favour... I wanted to know what happened next). We spent a fair decent chunk of time on "set up" (introduction of characters, getting a feel for this 'new' world), and then got no pay off. What is the point?

A teaser to S5 is only really valuable if we get an S5, no? But if we don't, then this could be looked back on as just a filler episode that added no real value (story-wise) to the final season of Fringe. We already know many futures are possible, so 4x19 isn't set in stone by any means. We have only 3 episodes to go, so to have 4x19 stuck right on the end of this season, taking an entire episode away from the S4 story arc, frustrates me. It frustrates me more because we don't even know if we're getting a S5 yet.

I feel like there are a lot of threads this year that still need to be resolved, though I honestly am not entirely sure I even think I know where they're going.