3x06: 6955 kHz

[kerithwyn]

Writer: Glen Whitman, Robert Chiappetta
Director: Joe Chappelle
Originally aired: 11 November 2010

Synopsis:
The science team investigates mass amnesia among shortwave radio operators on the same frequency. Against Walter's wishes, Peter continues to re-engineer the Wave Sink Device components needed by Secretary Bishop. Bolivia continues her subterfuge and strengthens the emotional bond Peter has developed toward her.

Most Memorable Quote:
BOLIVIA DUNHAM: If you knew that only... one of our worlds could survive and if it was up to you, and you alone, to defend your side... You'd have no choice, right? I mean, you would have to do what you had to do... no matter the cost to protect... our world.
PETER: There are billions of innocent people over there... just like here... people with jobs, families, lives. I got to believe there's another way. And whatever my part in all of this is... I got to believe there's another way. There's always hope, right?

Links:
Episode transcript
AV Club
Polite Dissent
Pop Culture Nexus

Fanfiction:
Note in comments if you know of any.

Comments

[sprocket]

"If you end up breaking the universe, this time it's on your head."

Yes, Walter, we'll be revisiting this concept. Does it sound like "The Day We Died" was already in the playbook?

I'm thrilled someone remembered Astrid's cryptography background from the first season, and writes her in appropriately.

"You'd have no choice, right? I mean, you would have to do what you had to do, no matter the cost to protect our world."

Well look, there's those cracks in red!Olivia's conviction. Not before time.

Thoughts on the First People? Knowing what I know now, it's hard to recapture my original irritation at another big worldbuilding element thrown into a season that struck me as plenty busy. Instead of smoothing over the wacky mysterious Machine, the First People added unnecessary complexity. Discuss?

Fringe is one of the rare shows that kept me glued closely enough to the screen to notice cinemetography. "6955 kHz" is mentally dogeared as "that one with the carefully composed reveals and 'wham' moments." Good directing didn't get me over my First People "meh", but I appreciated the shiny in its efforts.

[wendelah1]

I had to watch this twice and I still don't understand it. I don't think it's me. I took notes and I can't makes sense of them either!

The first time through, I do remember feeling a sense of impending doom. The suspense part works as long as you don't think about it afterwards.

Some observations: Altlivia makes a terrible spy. We already know that Peter has noticed all of the little differences--and likes them! Her lack of training and aptitude show up in every episode but it's pretty egregious in this one. Maybe the writers are having fun just messing with Peter's head?

This is just what I picked up in this episode.

1. Early in the episode she forgoes Blue Olivia's customary black pantsuit in favor of tight jeans and a leather jacket. She has never looked more like her real Redverse self but no one here gave her so much as a second glance.

2. Nina notices a change in how she deals with Walter. "Why don't you ask him yourself? You're usually much more direct with Walter."

3. She doesn't remember the bookseller. Come on, Peter. It's because she's never seen him.

4. She has trouble remembering the numbers when Peter asks her to recite them. Big red flag there! Blue Olivia always remembers numbers and she told Peter that last season!

5. She's never where she says she's going to be in this episode because she's the one who's overseeing the whole thing, probably because Newton isn't around anymore. She's got a lot of balls in the air.

And for all that, Red Olivia only gets found out because Blue Olivia gets the cleaning lady from the gift shop on Ellis Island to call Peter and tell him that she's trapped in the alternate universe!

Numbers stations are a real thing, and are probably a covert method of transmitting data between spies. Philip and Elizabeth Jennings of The Americans use them! The spooky world of the numbers stations. But I don't think they've been around since before human beings had invented a method of transmitting them. LOL.

The kind of amnesia in these victims reminds me a little bit of the selective mind wipes in The X-Files. These people can't remember who they are or recognize their families but they can still walk and talk and speak their native tongue. "Mulder! That's pure science fiction!" Exactly.

The only way that the numbers in the First People Book could match the first amnesia-inducing numbers broadcast is if Waternate and his minions somehow broadcast them along with the amnesia pulse itself. But how would Walternate know that Peter knew Markham the bookseller and that he had a copy of the book? How did The First People know about latitude and longitude? Maybe The First People are really the Observers? As an aside, this whole First People business seemed really bogus to me and I don't think the writers ever manage to sell it.

I really enjoyed watching Nina and Walter get high. "I have a prescription." "So do I."

The Red Olivia quote: "If you knew that only one of our worlds could survive and if it was up to you, and you alone, to defend your side... You'd have no choice, right? I mean, you would have to do what you had to do. No matter the cost to protect... our world."

I think she is questioning herself here but I also think she's unconsciously telling him why she's here. She knows her mission is nearing completion, and that their time together is almost up. She's assuming she's not going to get a chance to say good-bye, let alone justify herself in any way to him. "I do care about you, Peter and I'm truly sorry we're planning to destroy your world." But in her mind, she's a soldier behind enemy lines, they're at war, and she's going to complete her mission (or die trying). And given where she comes from, that siege mentality makes perfect sense. But--Peter does plant a seed of doubt when he talks about the billions of innocent lives on both sides and tells her there's got to be another way. There's always hope.

And here's The Art of the Fugue in case anyone is curious.