# Fringe Nov 4 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757 "2010-11-07T02:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/21 "2010-11-08T06:14:19Z")
> [@simster](#): > > If they have spies, and clearly they have been able to send over dopplegangers, why do they need olivia at all? There was dialogue explaining that in this very episode. All of their other methods of travel involve either non-humans, or have severe side effects. If they can understand how Olivia does it, they can send real humans over without side effects. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/22 "2010-11-08T14:14:21Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > They have spies on the other side. I imagine they found out a good spot to put a tank. Ah yes, I like the way you think. So the spies measured the position of the shelf and the snowglobe to the millimeter and had Agent Farnsworth calculate how Olivia would flail her limbs during teleport. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/23 "2010-11-08T14:57:26Z")
The “science” on Fringe has always been the weakest aspect of the show. Remember the one where Peter explained that a window in a room could be made into a record that would play back sounds that recently happened in the room? And it hasn’t gotten any better. My eyes roll out of my head during most of the science talk, but you just have to go with it like you would if Mr Spock said that the bisoactivators needed to be recizigated to conform to the fizzbin blogoforms in the actometalo shields. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/24 "2010-11-08T15:05:35Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > There was dialogue explaining that in this very episode. All of their other methods of travel involve either non-humans, or have severe side effects. If they can understand how Olivia does it, they can send real humans over without side effects. Sure - fine - but Walternate is interested in waging war - which seems to me that the best soldiers for would be the ones he already has. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/25 "2010-11-09T02:33:17Z")
It just occurred to me I haven’t seen an Observer yet this season. Or have I? They must be sidelined for now, until Olivia can get back over to our side. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/26 "2010-11-09T02:57:37Z")
One was sneaking out of the subway station just before the dwarf shattering kaboom in The Box, and I think there was one on the footbridge the pen murderer jumped off in the pen murderer episode. But I just deleted both, so someone else has to hit the Wiki ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/27 "2010-11-09T03:10:15Z")
I have suspicion that both universes were at one point the same and that some kind of event split the original in two. That would explain why _the Peter powered mystery machine_ has parts in both universes. I’m also thinking that what we think of as our universe isn’t our reality at all. At some point someone from the alternate universe will mention a real historic character, Buddy Holly for example, and Olivia, Peter, or whoever wont know who that is. > [@simster](#): > > Sure - fine - but Walternate is interested in waging war - which seems to me that the best soldiers for would be the ones he already has. I’m thinking mercury fuelled super soldiers aren’t cheap. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757/28 "2010-11-09T06:24:41Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Sure - fine - but Walternate is interested in waging war - which seems to me that the best soldiers for would be the ones he already has. Well yeah maybe. Especially since they can look like people they kill, so that eliminates the advantage of the normal alt-doppelgangers. I’m not sure Walternate wants to wage war per se. My best guess is that he wants to use the technicolor Peter device to destroy our universe in the hopes that it will save his. And/or also give him emotional satisfaction. OTOH it seems that the Peter machine isn’t something he invented, since the pieces have to be sought out. Maybe being able to send humans over safely isn’t a huge key critical thing to his plans. But it’s still something useful. And even on a purely theoretical level, it’s interesting. Walternate is still a scientist and would want to know. Plus, he switched the Olivias, so he might as well make use of the one he has. > [@cmyk](#): > > It just occurred to me I haven’t seen an Observer yet this season. Or have I? They must be sidelined for now, until Olivia can get back over to our side. They haven’t been part of the plot yet, but there’s an ‘easter egg’ observer in every episode. I suspect they will appear in the foreground rather than background of whatever episode explains the Peter machine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-nov-4/559757.md?page=1)