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2x18 White Tulip
Sep. 5th, 2014 02:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wendelah1Nearly all the way to its powerful conclusion, "White Tulip" looks like nothing more than Fringe's obligatory scifi time travel episode. It had been years since I'd seen it, so I'd honestly forgotten the ending. I didn't see it coming the first time around. I was surprised and moved by it this time as well. But it's much more than the sum of its mostly familiar story elements.
The highlight of the episode before the big reveal is the conversation between Walter Bishop and Alister Peck. Walter does his best to talk Peck out of going back in time to try to save his fiancé. "You'll never be able to live with the consequences," Walter pleads.
But of course, despite what he says to Walter, Peck has no intention of living with the consequences. He's going back so he can tell Arlette that he loves her. He'd rather die at her side than live on without her. Deep down, he knows he didn't cause her untimely death--he merely escaped the same fate.
Even though he doesn't want Peck to time-jump, Walter frees Peck to end his life by telling him where his equations went wrong. Peck's last act before he makes his fatal time-jump is to try to give Walter what he asked for: the white tulip as a sign of forgiveness from God. Even if you don't believe as I do that God is working through Peck as he creates that drawing, his act is one of redemption and grace.
Writer: J.H. Wyman and Jeff Vlaming
Director: Tom Yatsko
Originally aired: 15 Apr 2010
Synopsis: Fringe is called to investigate the strange deaths of a carload of passengers aboard a commuter train. The passengers appear to have died simultaneously, as though a switch was flipped and their energy was drained. Meanwhile, Peter worries about Walter, who is struggling to keep his terrible secret.
Most Memorable Quote:
WALTER: Until I took my son from the other side, I had never believed in God. But it occurred to me... that my actions had betrayed him and that everything that had happened to me since was God punishing me. So now I'm looking for a sign of forgiveness. I've asked God for a sign of forgiveness. A specific one, a white tulip.
ALISTAIR PECK: Tulips don't bloom this time of year -- white or otherwise.
WALTER: But he's God. And if God can forgive me for my acts then maybe... it's in the realm of possibility that my son, possibly, may be able to forgive me too.
Links:
Transcript
IGN
A.V. Club
Sarah Stegall
Fanfiction:
With an episode this powerful, surely there must be fic? Share it in the comments, please.
The highlight of the episode before the big reveal is the conversation between Walter Bishop and Alister Peck. Walter does his best to talk Peck out of going back in time to try to save his fiancé. "You'll never be able to live with the consequences," Walter pleads.
But of course, despite what he says to Walter, Peck has no intention of living with the consequences. He's going back so he can tell Arlette that he loves her. He'd rather die at her side than live on without her. Deep down, he knows he didn't cause her untimely death--he merely escaped the same fate.
Even though he doesn't want Peck to time-jump, Walter frees Peck to end his life by telling him where his equations went wrong. Peck's last act before he makes his fatal time-jump is to try to give Walter what he asked for: the white tulip as a sign of forgiveness from God. Even if you don't believe as I do that God is working through Peck as he creates that drawing, his act is one of redemption and grace.
Writer: J.H. Wyman and Jeff Vlaming
Director: Tom Yatsko
Originally aired: 15 Apr 2010
Synopsis: Fringe is called to investigate the strange deaths of a carload of passengers aboard a commuter train. The passengers appear to have died simultaneously, as though a switch was flipped and their energy was drained. Meanwhile, Peter worries about Walter, who is struggling to keep his terrible secret.
Most Memorable Quote:
WALTER: Until I took my son from the other side, I had never believed in God. But it occurred to me... that my actions had betrayed him and that everything that had happened to me since was God punishing me. So now I'm looking for a sign of forgiveness. I've asked God for a sign of forgiveness. A specific one, a white tulip.
ALISTAIR PECK: Tulips don't bloom this time of year -- white or otherwise.
WALTER: But he's God. And if God can forgive me for my acts then maybe... it's in the realm of possibility that my son, possibly, may be able to forgive me too.
Links:
Transcript
IGN
A.V. Club
Sarah Stegall
Fanfiction:
With an episode this powerful, surely there must be fic? Share it in the comments, please.
