4x02: One Night in October
Jan. 23rd, 2015 12:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wendelah1 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fringe_rewatchI suppose I should make a confession. I started this rewatch because I needed to research the series for a long crossover fic, which is set during season four, post-"One Night in October." I still haven't written past the opening chapter but now that we've reached this point, maybe that will get me writing again.
The episode fits well into the overarching themes of Fringe. Because they are working the same case, we get to compare and contrast the two Olivias. We find out another divergence from the original timeline: this Olivia Dunham didn't just shoot her stepfather, she killed him. This timeline's Olivia was kidnapped and replaced by the Other Side's Olivia but now I'm wondering if she was experimented on, or if she was, was it in the same way. On rewatch, it's not clear to me if she has a prior history with their Fringe division. Maybe she wasn't brainwashed into thinking she was their Olivia and was simply imprisoned the entire time? Please, discuss. Help me out here, folks.
Since Sarah Stegall's website is offline, I'm just going to use the quote from her SFScope review that's in Wikipedia.
What she said.
Writer: Alison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen
Director: Brad Anderson
Originally aired: September 30, 2011
Synopsis: The Other Side asks for the assistance of Fringe Division to catch a serial killer by bringing over his double--who happens to be a college professor and criminal profiler--to their universe, in the hope he'll provide new insight into the psyche of the murderer. All does not go as planned...
Most Memorable Quote:
PROFESSOR MCCLENNAN: (to Olivia) You know what they say. That even when it's the darkest, we can step into the light.
OLIVIA: (privately. walking the corridors) He knows what she taught him, but he can't remember who she is. How is that possible?
BROYLES: At the risk of sounding sentimental... I've always thought there were people who leave an indelible mark on your soul. An imprint that can never be erased.
Like Peter, perhaps? Subtle writers are subtle.
Links:
Transcript
LA Times Recap
Entertainment Weekly
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 2.0—Fringe's "One Night in October". Sarah Stegall.
Thank God for the Wayback Machine.
Fanfiction:
Intersection by Kerwithyn. Two Olivias in one place is a lot for Lincoln to cope with. This is part of a series.
Threat Assessment by yours truly. Crossover with The X-Files. Hired as a consultant, Mulder meets with Special Agent Olivia Dunham to get some answers about John McClennan.
put your quarter down on me by monanotlisa. This-our- Olivia may play her cards close to the chest. But know this: she does play.
Please leave other suggestions and I'll edit them into the post.
The episode fits well into the overarching themes of Fringe. Because they are working the same case, we get to compare and contrast the two Olivias. We find out another divergence from the original timeline: this Olivia Dunham didn't just shoot her stepfather, she killed him. This timeline's Olivia was kidnapped and replaced by the Other Side's Olivia but now I'm wondering if she was experimented on, or if she was, was it in the same way. On rewatch, it's not clear to me if she has a prior history with their Fringe division. Maybe she wasn't brainwashed into thinking she was their Olivia and was simply imprisoned the entire time? Please, discuss. Help me out here, folks.
Since Sarah Stegall's website is offline, I'm just going to use the quote from her SFScope review that's in Wikipedia.
In what may well be the best-written episode of the entire show, Fringe brilliantly exploits its own alternate-world structure to show us the transformative power of love, a power so strong it can redeem the dark impulses that drive a fiend. And it does so with verve and heart, without sappy sentimentality. There is madness and love and tragedy and horror here, all seasoned by some fine performances and top notch writing.
What she said.
Writer: Alison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen
Director: Brad Anderson
Originally aired: September 30, 2011
Synopsis: The Other Side asks for the assistance of Fringe Division to catch a serial killer by bringing over his double--who happens to be a college professor and criminal profiler--to their universe, in the hope he'll provide new insight into the psyche of the murderer. All does not go as planned...
Most Memorable Quote:
PROFESSOR MCCLENNAN: (to Olivia) You know what they say. That even when it's the darkest, we can step into the light.
OLIVIA: (privately. walking the corridors) He knows what she taught him, but he can't remember who she is. How is that possible?
BROYLES: At the risk of sounding sentimental... I've always thought there were people who leave an indelible mark on your soul. An imprint that can never be erased.
Like Peter, perhaps? Subtle writers are subtle.
Links:
Transcript
LA Times Recap
Entertainment Weekly
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 2.0—Fringe's "One Night in October". Sarah Stegall.
Thank God for the Wayback Machine.
Fanfiction:
Intersection by Kerwithyn. Two Olivias in one place is a lot for Lincoln to cope with. This is part of a series.
Threat Assessment by yours truly. Crossover with The X-Files. Hired as a consultant, Mulder meets with Special Agent Olivia Dunham to get some answers about John McClennan.
put your quarter down on me by monanotlisa. This-our- Olivia may play her cards close to the chest. But know this: she does play.
Please leave other suggestions and I'll edit them into the post.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-24 03:35 pm (UTC)In this timeline, Olivia was kept in a dark cell during her time here. There was no reason to experiment on her, since Walternate didn't know about the Cortexiphan, and she didn't take Liv's place with the alt-team. The "kidnapped" implies the other side grabbed Olivia much like Walternate took Peter in "The Man From the Other Side."
no subject
Date: 2015-01-24 06:57 pm (UTC)There are so many things about this timeline that don't add up for me. If Walternate didn't know about Olivia's Cortexiphan capabilities, presumably because she didn't crossover into his office, how did he find out about what happened to Peter? How did they become aware of the alternate universe in the first place? Was that covered in another episode or just hand-waved?
How did they kidnap her? Walter had his wacky method but Walternate wasn't using that. Alt!livia was substituted for Blue Olivia when they went to the Redverse to retrieve Peter but if Peter died in the lake, there would be no reason for them to crossover to the Redverse. Was she kidnapped by shapeshifters on our side and held prisoner here? How did Altlivia crossover to take her place? Were they swapped like Alt!livia and dead!Broyles were in the other timeline? That would have taken some advance planning, as well as perfect timing.
Probably my favorite s4 ep, not in the least because it's the only time Olivia and alt-Linc work together. *sigh* Also, fabulous guest star.
It might be mine, too, although "And Those We've Left Behind" has a lot of resonance for me as well.
John Pyper-Ferguson is a fantastic actor. Both versions of John McClennan are perfectly realized. Have you ever checked his bio? He's been in everything.
no subject
Date: 2015-02-04 12:35 pm (UTC)One that caught my attention was a future reference in 4x17 where alt!Linc says he's been blown up before. Now, obviously with them never crossing over to take back Peter then alt!Linc never got blown up by Sally's fireball ability in Central Park, so how did he end up burnt to a crisp? A popularly posited alternative for the new timeline is that he got hurt during the Joshua Rose case, at either Olivias were swapped but her superhearing wasn't working due to powers still latent or that there was no Olivia to warn them, either way so Lincoln was still checking out the apartment when it went kaboom. It's actually a shame we can't confer more from that detail but nothing ever seems to add up one way or the other in favour of what happened to Olivia in the new timeline.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-25 01:15 am (UTC)Assume I'm nodding in agreement with most of this. The writers wrote a solid case of the week - not Fringe's native strength - then did a good job with guest casting and directing.
A couple months ago I threw out a few thoughts about the S4 setup. In the absence of evidence, I think we're at liberty to assume any event from the previous timeline that is not named, required, or contradicted by S4 canon is neither confirmed nor denied. The Olivia swap is a great example, see some thoughts below.
The sudden amazing flex in established canon is a gift to fic-writers, but the show didn't always grasp what needed to be reestablished and where to clue viewers to differences when telling the larger story of S4. In my opinion. As someone who thought the S4 revision of William Bell's arc was one of the most poorly executed twists in the show's run.
On rewatch, it's not clear to me if she has a prior history with their Fringe division. Maybe she wasn't brainwashed into thinking she was their Olivia and was simply imprisoned the entire time? Please, discuss. Help me out here, folks.
I'd love to hear other viewpoints, but I think S4 left very vague what happened to blueverse Olivia. After "One Night in October", we know the other side's Olivia spent time pretending to be blueverse Olivia, but it's unclear how tightly this lines up with the two months she was on our side in s3 timeline. It's also unclear what blueverse Olivia was doing during that time: swapped and brainwashed as in S3, held in a black box on Liberty Island, stuck in a basement on our side until... whatever happened in the new timeline. Unless there's more infodumps later in the season that I've forgotten, pick your favorite fic-useful explanation.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-25 08:13 pm (UTC)That makes sense to me, too.
The sudden amazing flex in established canon is a gift to fic-writers, but the show didn't always grasp what needed to be reestablished and where to clue viewers to differences when telling the larger story of S4.
I don't think it's a coincidence that season four is when I started writing fanfic for Fringe. Depending on one's POV, it's a mixed bag or complete clusterfuck. Either way, there's room to write all the wrongs. LOL
I'd love to hear other viewpoints, but I think S4 left very vague what happened to blueverse Olivia. After "One Night in October", we know the other side's Olivia spent time pretending to be blueverse Olivia, but it's unclear how tightly this lines up with the two months she was on our side in s3 timeline. It's also unclear what blueverse Olivia was doing during that time: swapped and brainwashed as in S3, held in a black box on Liberty Island, stuck in a basement on our side until... whatever happened in the new timeline. Unless there's more infodumps later in the season that I've forgotten, pick your favorite fic-useful explanation.
That makes perfect sense to me.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-26 07:04 am (UTC)Ha, that would explain my WiP folder, wouldn't it. There's a lot to fix in S4, mixed bag or unmixed.
Something that is going to emerge later is the ripple effect of Peter's absence, whether because the writers believe no sparrow falls without the universe taking notice, or because Peter is some kind of fulcrum, or because of the tight focus on people affected by his absence.
Which is less important in this episode, where I should be talking all about the Olivias. It's amazing how much venom Olivia can pack into an informational sentence like, "I button my jacket." Their relationship is clearly not very good, at this point in the season.