In Which We Meet Mr. Jones
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| Talk | In Which We Meet Mr. Jones | Theories |
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| In Which We Meet Mr. Jones | |||
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| Season: | 1 | Episode: | 7 |
| Air Date: | 11 Nov 2008 | ||
| Written by: | J.J. Abrams Jeff Pinkner | ||
| Directed by: | Brad Anderson | ||
| Starring: | Main Characters | ||
| Guest Cast: | Billy Burke as Lucas Vogel Jared Harris as David Robert Jones Kenneth Tigar as Johan Lennox Trini Alvarado as Samantha Loeb Chance Kelly as Mitchell Loeb Ian McLaughlin as Joe Smith Lars Gerhard as Prison Guard | ||
| Next: | The Equation | ||
| Previously: | The Cure | ||
| Transcript — Additional Images | |||
- Introduction
In Which We Meet Mr. Jones is the seventh episode of the first season of FRINGE. When a strange, almost other-worldly parasite mysteriously attaches itself to the internal organs of an FBI agent, Olivia rushes to Germany to meet with an imprisoned man who may be able to help save his life. Meanwhile, Peter and Walter attempt to help Olivia by tapping into a dead man’s brainwaves.
Synopsis
In Weymouth, Massachusetts, a special tactics assault team speeds across the water at night on zodiac boats, on their way to a sting. The target arrives, a cargo truck. The team swarms the truck and opens the back -- where they find only oversized carnival bears. The team's been had.
At the Boston Federal Building, Broyles receives a briefing from Agent Mitchell Loeb, who led
In the emergency room, the doctor tries to shock Loeb's heart back into rhythm, but it doesn't work. He opens Loeb's chest, but once he gets a glimpse of the heart, he steps back in fear. Wrapped around Loeb's heart is a large parasite that pulses with every heartbeat.
ACT I
Walter, in between requests for breath mints, is amazed by the parasite. He admires the intricate design; he's never seen anything like it. Loeb is moved to the laboratory so Walter can find a means of removing the organism encircling Loeb's heart. After some examination, Walter suggests that the organism could be something as simple as a common waterborne parasite only much, much larger.
Samantha Loeb arrives and wants to know why her husband has been moved to the lab. Olivia tells Samantha that a member of her team is "uniquely qualified" to save her husband's life. Samantha hands Olivia a document that Loeb brought back with him from Frankfurt, Germany: a sheet of paper filled with numbers. Samantha thinks it might have something to do with what Loeb was investigating.
Walter tries to remove the parasite, but it reacts by further constricting Loeb's heart. Peter quickly gives Loeb an injection to bring his heart back into normal rhythm, as Walter takes a tissue sample of the parasite for
A short time later, Walter shows Olivia the results of a DNA analysis. A specific line of the DNA sequence repeats over and over, in a fashion that is much too organized to be random. Walter posits that it could be a code or message of some kind. Astrid thinks it might be a Caesar Shift -- a kind of cipher Julius Caesar used to send covert messages. Astrid has narrowed down the possibilities to a three-letter combination. Olivia realizes it spells out ZFT - an organization mentioned in John Scott's case files (Power Hungry).
Olivia goes to Broyles and explains her theory: since ZFT was working out of Budapest, where the shipping container that Loeb was tracking originated, they must be behind what happened to Loeb. Broyles tells her that a man named David Robert Jones was arrested in Germany a month ago.
Peter notices that the parasite is growing throughout Loeb's body and is slowly killing him. When Olivia calls to say she's going to Germany, Peter tells her to hurry, there's not much time left.
ACT II
Olivia arrives in Frankfurt, Germany. The Observer is seen waiting for arrivals in the terminal, then turning and walking away just moments before Olivia walks through the gate. Olivia is met by an old flame - Lucas Vogel. Now working in the German government, Lucas knows the warden at the prison where Jones is being held. Olivia persuades the warden to give Jones a message in the hope that he will talk with her.
Back in the lab, Broyles checks on Walter's progress and thanks him for his help. Walter responds by describing a fruit cocktail he had in Atlantic City once. Broyles solicits Peter's help in keeping Walter focused. Peter responds that he is completely incapable of controlling his father. The surreal conversation is interrupted when Broyles receives a call from Charlie Francis, who has a lead on Joseph Smith's location in Boston. Broyles immediately sets up a raid on the location to grab Smith.
In the prison near Frankfurt, the warden informs Olivia that Jones will talk with her, but not until the next morning, and she will only have fourteen minutes. Jones has one condition: he wants to talk with Joseph Smith. Olivia calls Peter to tell Broyles to find Smith, but Peter cuts her off: Broyles is already about to apprehend Smith in a raid.
Peter jumps in the Vista Cruiser and screeches to the raid, hoping to make sure the FBI takes Smith alive. However, the SWAT team is on radio silence and by the time Peter arrives Smith has begun to flee the scene. When Smith pulls a gun on an agent, he is shot and killed.
ACT III
Peter explains to Broyles that Jones would cooperate only if he could talk to Mr. Smith -- the same Mr. Smith that Broyles's team just killed. Walter calls to tell Peter that Loeb's condition is continuing to deteriorate; they need to get Jones talking fast. When Peter says Smith is dead, Walter asks if he still has his head, which he does. Walter then tells him he needs the body, and that "his death might just be an inconvenience".
In the lab, Walter realizes Smith has been shot in the head, which of course is a problem. This means that Walter's procedure for questioning him won't work as planned, because the dead man's brain cannot communicate with his mouth. They will need someone else -- Peter -- to be the dead man's mouthpiece. Walter then reveals that he tried this same procedure for the government back in the 1970s, on a man who (Peter realizes) must have been Jimmy Hoffa. The process was unsuccessful, because when Walter turned on the equipment it fried Hoffa's brain.
Walter tests the device by running a current through Smith's brain to a receiving machine with a light bulb, which is standing in for Peter's brain. To Peter's dismay, the first attempt explodes the light bulb.
ACT IV
In Germany, Lucas and Olivia share a romantic dinner. Lucas sees through Olivia's cold shell. He admits that he failed with Olivia in their previous relationship, and he thinks they should try to make it work again. Just as they share a kiss and it looks like things might progress further, Olivia's phone rings. Peter has good news: Walter might just get the dead Smith to answer some questions. The moment is over, and Olivia leaves.
The next morning, Peter's and Smith's brains are connected by a plethora of wires and sensors in a 21st century Frankenstein lab scene. Although synaptic transfer worked in Pilot, Walter uses a different method to communicate with Smith. Astrid feeds questions to a computer that inputs them directly into Smith's brain, while Walter administers an electric shock. The outcome is a feed to Peter, who acts as the dead man's voice. Before they start, Walter apologies to Peter for the pain he is about to endure. As the first question is asked, Peter cries out in pain. He is not getting answers yet, only extreme discomfort.
Back in the lab, Walter realizes the process is failing because Peter is thinking too much -- a family curse. Walter drugs Peter to block his higher brain functions, so he can "hear" Smith's answers. Once Peter is semi-conscious, Walter says they're ready and they call Olivia.
Jones asks his one question: "Where does the gentleman live?" Each time Astrid poses the question, Walter ups the voltage, and Peter goes through even more excruciating pain but is still unable to hear the answer.
ACT V
Loeb, recuperating in the hospital, talks to Broyles, who asks Loeb why he would be targeted. He doesn't know. Then Loeb's wife Samantha comes in. She is plainly relieved to see him awake and recovering. Once Broyles is out of earshot, Loeb asks her if their plan worked, and if they got the answer. "Yes," she says, "Little Hill". They both smile in victory.
Quotes
Walter's Lab Notes
- Walter describes his efforts to create life. The first, was a lab failure. The second is a veiled reference to Peter - who he refers to as a "hybrid."
- The four lines of poetry are from "Tragedy Of Faust" By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. They appear in the stanza with the first line
- Lo, where a car of fire, on airy pinion
Dare with determin`d will to burst the portals
Past which in terror others fain would steal!
Now is the time, through deeds, to show that mortals
The calm sublimity of Gods can feel.
Trivia
- General
- The Observer is seen at Frankfurt International walking away from the arrival gate.
- The prison that David Robert Jones is being held in, Wissenschaft Prison, roughly translates to Science Prison.
- David Robert Jones is the real name of musician David Bowie'.
- Production Notes
- A faulty press release mistakenly listed Samantha Loeb's first name as Jessica.
Previously
 | The privately-funded science cell was hinted at in The Cure. In the aftermath at Holly's Diner, a thermometer was plunged into one of the victims ears. The thermometer had the initials - ZFT - referring to the covert cell suspected of unleashing an advanced parasite. |
Music
• Let It Be Me by Ray LaMontagne  • Thank You Too by My Morning Jacket
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Glyphs
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| — Plot Relevant Questions — | Address theories about questions on In Which We Meet Mr. Jones/Theories Ask minor questions on the Talk Page |
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1) Do not answer the questions here. |
- Why does Jones need to ask Joseph Smith where the gentleman lives?
- How did Smith know about Little Hill?
