# Fringe Series Finale January 18 2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645 "2013-01-18T19:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/41 "2013-01-20T16:12:20Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > The machine still existed in timeline B. It’s just that either Peter didn’t set it off, or setting it off in his own timeline set it off in the new timeline that he didn’t exist in (originally). Right, what I’m saying is that’s it’s not necessary to send the machine back in time AGAIN in timeline B. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/42 "2013-01-20T20:43:18Z")
OK, I understand now. But here’s what I’m trying to say. When time got reset and Peter was erased, it also undid the future where Walter sent the machine back. Thus, for all intents and purposes, Walter never sent it back in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/43 "2013-01-20T21:18:14Z")
Just before Olivia headed back home, Fauxlivia should have told her, “Wow … you guys half-ruined our world the first time you visited, and once we had had a chance to enjoy a little peace, you guys decide to alert the Evil Future People to our very existence so THEY can invade. Are you just determined to screw with us or something?” Of course, that certainly wouldn’t have been very heartwarming. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/44 "2013-01-20T21:37:33Z")
The way Oliva and Lee kept looking at each other, it’s like they still had feelings for each other. I kept waiting for Fauxlivia to tell Olivia, “Back off! He’s mine!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/45 "2013-01-20T23:35:11Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > The way Oliva and Lee kept looking at each other, it’s like they still had feelings for each other. I kept waiting for Fauxlivia to tell Olivia, “Back off! He’s mine!” 😃 She almost did, when telling Lee, “Stop looking at my young ass!” ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/46 "2013-01-20T23:39:42Z")
Ah, I didn’t quiet hear what she said. I thought I heard the word ass, but didn’t think anything of it. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/47 "2013-01-21T03:43:28Z")
Aaaand it’s over. I admit that I hated the program when the first few episodes of the first season aired. By the end of the first season, I thought, hey, I’ll give this another shot. By mid season two, I was hooked. Over the years, there’ve been good episodes and bad. There’ve also been moments when I really wanted to throw my TV out the window because of the stupidity. All in all, however, with all the freak-of-the-week episodes and a few nonsensical Nimoy episodes, it was just the right mix of science fiction and humanity for me. I grew to love the show, and Walter, and Peter, and Olivia, and Broyles, and Nina, and Astro, I mean Astrid. 🙂 I will miss Fringe. ☹ Bad Wobot! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/48 "2013-01-21T07:43:45Z")
I thought it was a pretty satisfying ending. Plenty of suspense and action and heroism and nostalgia and emotion. Yes, some things felt rushed and could have been explained better. I’m just so glad that we basically got a final season that was planned and written as a final season, rather than some non-ending. [ul] [li]I loved the moment with Walter and Astrid in the lab by the amber.[/li][li]It was fun to see them using more of the “fringe event” stuff to attack the Observer compound.[/li][li]Glad we got to see Fauxlivia again. Maybe in her universe they’ve developed some anti-aging medicines? :)[/li][li]Windmark causing himself injury while trying to “read” Michael was pretty great![/li][li]Olivia picking up Etta’s bullet and then taking out Windmark was great, too.[/li][/ul] It’ll be interesting to see how \*Fringe \*is viewed in years to come. Personally, I think it maintained a high level of quality–in writing and execution–more \*consistently \*than most of the other big science fiction shows. There is now something of a void of good serious science fiction on television. There’s _Doctor Who_ and what? ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/49 "2013-01-21T16:23:26Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > There is now something of a void of good serious science fiction on television. There’s _Doctor Who_ and what? I watched the first episode of _Continuum_, a U.S. premiere. It was underwhelming, but I’ll watch a few more to see how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/50 "2013-01-21T17:15:05Z")
So this Michael, who looks like a kid but is actually about 30, has intellectual capacity far beyond that of the observers, and apparently can see the future (or versions of it anyway), needs Walter to help him find a doctor in Oslo? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/51 "2013-01-21T17:44:28Z")
> [@wonderlust](#): > > I watched the first episode of _Continuum_, a U.S. premiere. It was underwhelming, but I’ll watch a few more to see how it goes. I looked that up - thanks. It’s a [Canadian series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_%28TV_series%29) and in August was renewed for 13 episodes over the 10 for season 1. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/52 "2013-01-21T17:54:03Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > So this Michael, who looks like a kid but is actually about 30, has intellectual capacity far beyond that of the observers, and apparently can see the future (or versions of it anyway), needs Walter to help him find a doctor in Oslo? He can’t talk. Who would make the formal introductions, and explain the purpose of the kid popping up in future-scientist’s lab? > [@Tangent](#): > > Olivia picking up Etta’s bullet and then taking out Windmark was great, too. She did what? No no, Michael killed Windmark. Olivia’s Cortexiphan had both timed out and been used up by interdimensional transit, she certainly didn’t have enough power left to cause a blackout and psychokinetically hurl a car. She grabbed the bullet because she was about to die, then Michael killed Windmark and put his finger to his lips, rather creepily. One of his incromprehensible powers, no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/53 "2013-01-21T17:58:46Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Actually, I buy D-Bear’s reasoning. > > However, there are a few unanswered questions for me) > > 1. Walter couldn’t save Earth-1’s Peter in time (he develops the cure–it turns blue for a split second, that’s how you know it works–too late). He builds the window and sees Walternate doing the same cure but September distracts Walternate for the split second the cure turns blue. Walter goes over to cure Peter, but after the fight with Nina on the ice, finds that the cure is destroyed so he kidnaps Peter, brings him back, falls through the ice and September saves them. > > a) What was September doing on Walternate’s side? We KNOW he didn’t intentionally distract Walternate as part of a bigger plan, so why was he even over there? Observing. He said when he was talking to the other observers. Important moment. > [@](#): > > b) Since this is where everything started, why didn’t the timeline reset here, without Walternate being distracted by September (since there are no more Observers)? I can accept D-bear’s (and RikWriter’s) reasoning, but it should have been in the episode. Maybe it did reset there, except for Peter, Olivia and Etta, and the first two were from a different timeline to begin with, and Etta was their child. So a resetting timeline might not effect them. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/54 "2013-01-21T18:05:07Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > She did what? No no, Michael killed Windmark. Olivia’s Cortexiphan had both timed out and been used up by interdimensional transit, she certainly didn’t have enough power left to cause a blackout and psychokinetically hurl a car. She grabbed the bullet because she was about to die, then Michael killed Windmark and put his finger to his lips, rather creepily. One of his incromprehensible powers, no doubt. Funny. Others have compared this season to “The Matrix”, with Peter starting to realize that he was, “the One”, but it did seem that the closer to the final episode each show got, the similarities became stronger. The Observers were reminding me more of agents, Windmark interrogating Broyles reminded me of Smith interrogating Morphius, and Olivia’s Cortexiphan powered killing of Windmark certainly seemed Neo-esqu. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/55 "2013-01-21T18:08:00Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > He can’t talk. Who would make the formal introductions, and explain the purpose of the kid popping up in future-scientist’s lab? Can’t, or won’t? Maybe he didn’t have a good enough reason to. Anyway, they could have pinned a note to his jacket or something. No, I get it, Walter needed to sacrifice himself, and this was a good way to do that. > [@](#): > > She did what? No no, Michael killed Windmark. Olivia’s Cortexiphan had both timed out and been used up by interdimensional transit, she certainly didn’t have enough power left to cause a blackout and psychokinetically hurl a car. She grabbed the bullet because she was about to die, then Michael killed Windmark and put his finger to his lips, rather creepily. One of his incromprehensible powers, no doubt. Totally missed that. I thought it was Olivia as well. I need to go back and rewatch that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/56 "2013-01-21T18:16:55Z")
I think it’s kind of funny that we never really see Michael’s superior intellect or emotions. Yeah, he can see the future, but then so can all Observers. He’s almost like a living Mcguffin. We don’t really see him demonstrate what’s said about him. We just have to take the other character’s word for it. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/57 "2013-01-21T18:35:49Z")
It was definitely Olivia that killed Widmark. I’m surprised that there’s any other interpretation of that scene. She had just enough Cortexiphan juice lingering in her system. I think Michael’s weird finger to his lips was him saying “this is why I got captured, so you would get your powers back.” ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/58 "2013-01-21T18:37:40Z")
I could be wrong, but I think that **blindboyard** was just being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/59 "2013-01-21T20:28:53Z")
Fringe had gone off the rails in seasons 4 and 5. At least the finale, while far from perfect, had some great moments. All of them involved Walter. Shows like this and Supernatural work better as monster-of-the-week adventures for me. The overarching story of both shows has made them just a bit too weird. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645/60 "2013-01-21T20:54:29Z")
^Completely disagree. The well-told long-arc stories are what have made _Fringe_ so great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fringe-series-finale-january-18-2013/647645.md?page=4)