Immortality
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| Talk | Immortality | Theories |
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| Immortality | |||
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| Season: | 3 | Episode: | 13 |
| Air Date: | 11 February 2011 | ||
| Written by: | Ethan Gross David Wilcox | ||
| Directed by: | Brad Anderson | ||
| Starring: | Main Characters | ||
| Guest Cast: | Alon Aboutboul as Armand Silva Joan Chen as Reiko Seth Gabel as Lincoln Lee Kirk Acevedo as Charlie Francis Philip Winchester as Frank Stanton Ryan McDonald as Brandon Fayette Julie McNiven as Mona Foster | ||
| Next: | 6B | ||
| Previously: | Concentrate And Ask Again | ||
| Transcript — Additional Images | |||
- Introduction
Immortality is the thirteenth episode of the third season of FRINGE. It first aired on February 11, 2011. The absence of Colonel Broyles from Fringe Division is felt when an obsessed scientist infects citizens in an attempt to develop a key vaccine. Bolivia reunites with Frank. Secretary Bishop questions his willingness to cross certain ethical boundaries.
Synopsis
In the waiting area, Bolivia stares at a dirigible airship as it approaches the Empire Docking Station. Bolivia is delighted to reunite with her boyfriend after his two month stay in Texas. Frank surprises Bolivia by covering her eyes and the two tease each other, then finally kiss. In the docking station bar, Armand Silva opens up a conversation with a stranded man. He asks the man to pass him the salt and then swaps glasses.
At Frank and Bolivia's apartment, Bolivia hands Frank a drink after his warm shower. Frank notices that his girlfriend seems a bit distant and not herself. Bolivia blames her work and stealthily closes Peter's files. Bolivia explains that Broyles is missing. There is no lead to his disappearance and Lincoln will take over his position. Frank feels bad about the situation, and they make out.
Back at the Empire Docking Station bar, the stranded man rushes to the restroom and begins to vomit. Armand follows him to the stall and ignores his pleas for help. Armand walks out the stall with a bottle of bugs. Several beetles scurries on the floor.
ACT I
Bolivia gets dressed and prepares to go to work while Frank, still in the bed, enjoys watching his girlfriend. Frank invites her to a weekend getaway to Annapolis, like they used to do. Bolivia agrees to that.
At the docking station, the Fringe Division investigates a dead man named Harry Millman, who has suffered what Lincoln calls a spontaneous bug eruption. Charlie and Lincoln teases one another with regards to Lincoln's recent promotion. The team has limited information on the insect.
At the Department of Defense, Secretary Bishop is delighted to receive the piece stolen by Agent Dunham from the parallel universe. Brandon remarks that the piece is functional and can be integrated at the end of the week. Brandon also shows the Secretary a video of an experimental subject treated with the chemical synthesized from Olivia. The subject exhibits a telekinetic ability but after awhile, he collapses. Brandon deduces that the test subject was youngest in the group and recommends they proceed in experimenting on children. Secretary Bishop vehemently disagrees and warns Brandon that testing children is not an option.
In his lab, Dr. Armand Silva dissects his newly collected beetle sample. He extracts the beetle's epigastric tissue and tests for the presence of the enzyme. Finding that the test is negative, he goes ballistic.
ACT II
At the Fringe Division headquarters, Lincoln takes charge in checking the status of the zeppelin crew, passengers and personnel. Frank assures the team that the food is uncontaminated.
Frank explains that the beetles have a symbiotic relationship with sheep, but with a human host they act as a parasite, eating their host. He cannot explain, however, why is this happening. Agent Farnsworth suggests that a Fringe Alert be released so that information could be collected from the public.
In a diner, Jerry sits beside Armand who is busy with his chemical analysis. In a small conversation, Jerry knows Jonas Salk, Watson and Crick, but fails to recognize the name Armand Silva. Armand assures him that he will. An announcement in the diner television reminds the public to inform the Fringe Division if they have any information on skelter beetle. Armand asks for the same hot drink as Jerry.
In Broyles's former office, Frank asks Lincoln if he could give Bolivia time off for the weekend -- he is planning to propose to her. Lincoln approaches Bolivia and immediately tells her Frank's secret. Bolivia is surprised.
In a parked car, Jerry is dead in the driver's seat. The door is open and several skelter beetles drop out. Beneath the car, in a lower level of the parking garage, Silva catches the falling beetles with a large tray.
ACT III
The Fringe team investigates Jerry Bissell's demise. They find that the beetles that killed Bissell are much bigger compared to the first bug eruption incident. They also failed to find the whereabouts of Dr. Silva. Bolivia notices something wrong with Lincoln. He feels that he is missing something... something that Colonel Broyles would have seen. Bolivia assures him that they will catch the culprit.
At Bolivia's apartment, Frank tells Bolivia that he received information from the CDC on Dr. Silva. Silva applied for a grant in 1997 to find a vaccine for the Avian Flu based on the enzymes produced by the skelter beetle. If he had been successful, he could have saved millions. Frank thinks that Silva could have cloned DNA from the preserved specimen of the extinct beetle, and re-engineered it in order to live in a different host: humans. Bolivia calls Lincoln and provides list of equipment that Silva could have purchased in order to make his research possible. On her way out, Frank reveals a ring in his hand... he cannot wait for the weekend and asks if she will marry him. Bolivia accepts Frank's proposal. Lincoln interrupts the couple: they got a hit on a warehouse in Brooklyn.
While trying to open the door to the warehouse, Bolivia confesses that she agreed to Frank's marriage proposal. Once inside the warehouse Bolivia hears something, and the two split up. Lincoln walks in and investigates the cold storage room. The door shuts and he is locked inside. He tries to call for help, but with no luck. Bolivia continues investigating the warehouse. She is startled by a caged monkey, falls down and breaks through the floor. She lands down on a table covered with broken glass and skelter beetles crawling around.
ACT IV
Silva makes Bolivia drink some water. She later realizes that she is handcuffed to the chair. In the cold room, Lincoln tries to find a way to escape.
Silva
← Lincoln flashes liquid nitrogen onto the lock keypad and breaks the door open. He calls for a tactical unit.
Silva continues on explaining to Bolivia his work. He only need one human host to bring a queen beetle to term. The queen will be able to produce a legion of skelter beetles, which will be enough to produce Silva's vaccine. Bolivia realizes that Silva could have dosed her with the water he gave earlier. She begins to feel sick and vomit. Lincoln runs in. Bolivia asks him not to shoot Silva. She's been infected.
ACT V
Lincoln takes off Bolivia's handcuffs. The Fringe tactical unit moves in. Frank rushes to Bolivia and brings Bolivia to the ambulance. Meanwhile, Lincoln questions Silva how to save Bolivia.
In the ambulance, Frank wants to use a powerful anti-parasitic to kill the bugs before they hatch but it will be too much for her body to take. The EMT sees movement on the ultrasound. When Frank is about to inject Bolivia with the anti-parasitic drug, the EMT stops him.
At the warehouse, Lincoln sets up the panel as instructed by Silva. Silva confesses that Bolivia is not the final host. The queen beetle moves out of Silva's neck. He pulls out the beetle and places in the box. He asks Lincoln to make sure to spell his name right.
Frank visits Bolivia in the hospital. She informs him that the baby is healthy. Her fall and adrenaline triggered the sickness she felt in the warehouse. She tells him that she's been pregnant for six weeks. Frank asks her if she is in-love with the father. Bolivia fails to answer the question. He turns away and left Bolivia, on her side, hugging her pillow.
On a rainy night, Secretary Bishop receives a call from Brandon. He informs the Secretary that he has another means to bring Peter back to their side.
The next morning, Bolivia arrives at her apartment with a few boxes around. Bolivia opens the door and surprise to see Secretary Bishop. He knows about her pregnancy. Her position in the Fringe Division will remain intact. She can have anything she needs. After all, Bolivia is carrying his future grandchild. He smiles.
Quotes
Trivia
- General
- The Observer looks out of the window at the Empire Docking Station while Bolivia waits for Frank to return home.
- Word Play. The species "Mansohnium Boogliosus" or Skelter Beetles is word play on "Manson" and "Bugliosi" and alludes to the book "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson and his associates for the multiple murders they committed. Manson also had an affection for Beatles music.
- Recurring Themes
- Human Host Parasites. Genetically engineered beetles were introduced into human hosts to foster reproductive experimentation. A similar situation (Unleashed) happened when Charlie was impregnated with the eggs of a hybrid creature, and genetically engineered hookworms (Snakehead) were ingested by illegally trafficked Asians.
- Cultural References
- Cone of Silence. Refers to the late 1960's television spy comedy/spoof Get Smart. The clear, cumbersome cone made it hard for those inside to hear one another, while those outside typically learned the secrets that were supposed to be kept - a parody on Lincoln Lee's inability to withhold Frank Stanton's pending marriage proposal to Bolivia.
- Episode References
- Stolen Component. Secretary Bishop receives the stolen component by Agent Dunham from the parallel universe. (Entrada)
Music
• I Want You To Want Me by (originally by Cheap Trick) 
Previously
 | The passing VW Beetle (Concentrate And Ask Again), and the subsequent focus on it, foreshadowed the Beetle-related nature of this episode |
Glyphs
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| — Plot Relevant Questions — | Address theories about questions on Immortality/Theories Ask minor questions on the Talk Page |
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1) Do not answer the questions here. |
- How was the stolen Wave Sink Device component transfered to the alternate universe?
- Why didn't Doctor Silva infect Bolivia with beetle larvae?
- Does Frank have any suspicion who the father of Bolivia's child is?
- What is the breakthrough that leads Brandon to believe Peter can be persuaded to return to the alternate universe?
- Does Secretary Bishop intend to use Bolivia's pregnancy to lure Peter back to the alternate universe?
- What is the status of the relationship between Secretary Bishop and Elizabeth Bishop?
