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- Introduction
Nothing As It Seems is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of FRINGE. It first aired on 30 March, 2012. Olivia's neuropsych evaluation threatens to keep her on the sidelines while Lee and Peter investigate the mysterious aftermath of VertusAir Flt 718. This is Peter's second exposure to the case, and his foreknowledge sends the Fringe Task Force chasing after a cult determined to manipulate the evolutionary process and mankind's future.
Synopsis
- Prologue
On
VertusAir Flight 718, things are going along alright, except for the holding delay they are experiencing at the end of their trans-Atlantic journey from Paris to New York. The wind and turbulence at the destination airfield are delaying the arrival and landing, so the cabin crew are making another pass through with the snack cart. The delay isn't going well for one passenger though - Marshall Bowman wasn't planning to be away
from his luggage for so long and develops a slight nose bleed as a result. In the lavatory, he swabs his throat and runs a quick chemical analysis to check on his status. With the results, he corners the flight attendants with a priority demand. He needs them to collect as many sedatives and tranquilizers as they can from the rest of the passengers and deliver them to him in the restroom. His agitated state alarms the crew and gains him a severe warning about the FAA protocols he appears to be violating with his aggressive posture. Bowman doesn't care about the warnings - he is headed to the bathroom, he needs those drugs - and he is not to be let out... particularly if he isn't the
same man that went into the lavatory. The aircraft commander and the co-pilot catch word of the incident, but their landing delay of forty minutes may be too long to quell Bowman's apparent panic attack. Bowman's physical distress alarms the passengers in earshot of his loud convulsions and violent thrashing. An Air Marshal on the flight confronts Bowman and demands he exit the restroom. The disturbance ceases and, after a few tense moments, Bowman willingly leaves his self-imposed exile - seemingly no worse for the wear.
After the flight, Bowman sits and attempts to justify his irrational behavior to two Federal Transportation technicians in an isolated
inspection room. With an appropriate amount of remorse and 'big picture' reasoning,
Marshall Bowman explains the unfortunate outburst as a panic attack. He has hated flying since he was young... and the in-flight delay must have set him off. Bowman's luggage catches-up to him in the holding area and is searched accordingly. Bowman's medical issues resurface and he hunches forward in pain as his nose starts to trickle blood again. He is excused to the adjoining restroom in the secure venue to look after himself. The agents find what Bowman appeared to be concerned for - a small zipping valise with vials of liquid and the paraphernalia he needs to inject the liquid. The call to an arresting authority is made to start an investigation into the questionable drugs found in the luggage. In the restroom, Bowman's health rapidly degrades and he drops to a knee and starts to transmogrify. Long quill-like hairs pierce through the back of his shirt. Completely unrecognizable in his mutated state, Marshall Bowman crashes through the door and returns to his interview. Six inches taller, fifty pounds heavier, grizzled and covered with hair and quills - he
roars at the agents with his horrific new monster face.
In her office,
Doctor Anderson continues her extensive
neuropsych evaluation of top Fringe Task Force performer, FBI Senior Agent
Olivia Dunham. Anderson has been tasked to determine Olivia's fitness for duty following recent events, and Olivia's absorption of a second set of memories from a timeline she never physically experienced. Olivia is fine with the fact that she has newfound emotions and a 'soul-mate' bond with Peter - she is happy and has never felt better. What Olivia is having trouble with is her senior supervisors and their unwillingness to let her return to her primary investigative duties with the
science team. And right now - that means getting back to the mission of capturing, or killing,
David Robert Jones. Anderson can't guarantee anything for Olivia - particularly since she isn't even familiar with the basic structure of her own immediate
family.
After the psychiatric interview, and the subsequent supervisory review are complete, Olivia is summoned to
Broyles' office to get the verdict on her operational status. She can tell by the look on his face and his body language that she is not going to hear the answer she wants. Broyles confirms her worries - if she were suffering trauma, depressed or stressed-out, they could deal with that. But nobody has a solution for her situation, and his superiors want her off the casework for now. Defending her situation, Olivia points-out that she is still fit to do field work, even if she doesn't remember every fine detail from previous cases... she can re-learn those details. Broyles points-out a glaring error from her interview process that exemplifies her situation, and supports the supervisory ruling from the
Tenth Floor. Her sister
Rachel is not divorced from Greg. Her niece
Ella is not an only-child, she has a little brother Eddie. Big details like that, along with about forty percent of her general memory, seems to
have been superceded in recent weeks. That is more than enough justification for the senior executive staff to pull her from her functional duties... because she doesn't seem to be the same person they originally assigned those duties to.
Olivia returns to her apartment, sullen and a little bitter. Peter can see the disappointment in her face when she walks-in, so uses some charm to put a positive spin on things. A glass of wine helps the cause too. Peter is certain this will only be a short lay-off from work for her... maybe that will give them time for a romantic trip to Vermont. Before he can get a commitment on a lover's get-away, Peter gets a call from FBI Agent Lincoln Lee. Lee can't task Olivia to help him, but Peter sure is still on the job - and has to go. A little melancholy as the reality of being 'side-lined' sinks in, Olivia assures Peter she will be fine. Go!
Back in the lab, Walter tends to Agent Lee's first-aid needs and concentrates on getting his shoulder sutured-up. Bacterial infection is a major concern of Walter's, considering the source of the injury. Lee is fine that, just so long as Walter stops his annoying humming. Olivia returns to the lab and joins the
group as Peter sits and studies Marshall Bowman's corpse. Peter has a question - did anybody report seeing the
thing that injured Lee get away? Olivia hasn't heard of any reports that would answer Peter's question. Are there any theories about Bowman and why he dropped dead? Peter repeats what Walter suggested to him - it is possible that cellular failure is to blame because of the rapid mutation. Bowman's internal organs never had a chance. Olivia is also curious about the zip valise with vials of liquid drugs. Peter reports that they have started a series of tests to determine the chemical composition of the liquid, but don't yet know what it is. He points-out the hypodermic needle marks on Bowman's arm where the drug had been repeatedly injected. Olivia looks closely and also notices something else... a tattoo? Walter leaves Lee holding the suture needle and clamp sewn to his to back so he can inspect the tattoo, while Olivia slides over for a quick word with her FBI partner. She is sorry about her unannounced visit at Hick's place. If she hadn't just dropped in on his investigation, violating Broyles directive, he may not have been attacked and injured. Again, Lee is fine with it - don't worry. Astrid approaches with new information. The name that Olivia remembers from Peter's timeline
Conrad Moreau, and the Bowman case he worked on three years earlier, well the name and profession match what she remembers, but Moreau has been dead in this timeline for five years. Peter remembers that Moreau was the guy behind the drugs back then. Lee also points out that the deal with Bowman is different too... he died when VertusAir 718 crashed. Now the big question is - if Moreau isn't responsible for the bizarre genetic manipulation, then who is? Walter finishes with the corpse and has an idea who - the Sumerians. Well maybe not the ancient people, but the person responsible for the Sumerian Cuneiform tattoo on Bowman's arm. Peter knows one man that can probably identify, with some certainty, the meaning of the Cunieform logo. Olivia probably remembers him to, even though the man has never met either of them in this timeframe. Lee is anxious to get out of the lab too and ready to get back to work. Not according to his doctor - Walter needs to finish stitching him up first. Lee reluctantly remains, allowing his grounded partner to do his field work while he recovers. Call if you
learn anything.
In his very well-stocked, 'rare and exotic' bookstore, Edward Markhan completes a sale and offers to help the new visitors to his shop: Peter and Olivia. Always the ladies-man, Edward's salacious attention focuses on Olivia. Not much different than the previous timeline, Peter knows how to play Markham's interests and mentions an obscure title that he is positive will get them the attention the want on the unidentified Cuneiform logo. When Edward starts to look for the book they are interested in, Olivia and Peter have the not-so-private conversation they rehearsed about the tattoo. 'It is too obscure' - this bookstore owner couldn't know anything about this. Loud enough, and spot on the profile, Markham takes the bait and is keenly interested in their Cunieform logo. Once he sees the logo they are attempting to interpret, he only has one question - are you one of them?
In his lab, Walter sits and listens
from across the room as Olivia, Astrid and Peter ramble-on about Mayan prophecy, aliens, serpent Gods and celestial ships. A broad smile crosses his face when realizes how much he missed having a family, of sorts. Walter comments to himself about how 'perfect' it feels to be surrounded by those he cares about. Agent Lee, sitting behind Walter and waiting to find out if he is going to be the next
homo dorsatum case, gets excited when he hears Walter quietly utter 'perfect'. He assumes Walter is talking about the test cultures from his injured shoulder. No, no. Walter meant the other three on the team as they continue their research and
start brainstorming new ideas. Lee isn't feeling the love coming his way and returns to his seat. Walter senses his social oversight and assures Lee that he thinks he is great too -- it's not every day that a perfectly suited chess partner like him comes along. Astrid finds something and throws it out to the group to chew on... the pitch is about using science so mankind can
gain dominion over everything, and in this case, radical transgenics, hybridization, guided mutation and encoding foreign genomes with retroviral DNA is the science of choice. Walter looks at the file on Astrid's computer monitor,
A Transgenic Approach To Humanity's Future, and recognizes the style of the file's code. He and
William Bell used a similar palindromic style decades earlier to organize their
lab files. Olivia wonders about the connection to Bell. Could
Massive Dynamic be the source of this 285 page document on guided mutation and transgenic manipulation?
Peter and Olivia meet with Nina Sharp to try and get an answer to their question about the corporation's involvement with the file that Astrid isolated. Nina recognizes the code as William Bell's, but Massive Dynamic hasn't used that style since before Bell died. After he was gone, they converted to a more user-friendly coding system. Nina runs a database search to see if anything the company is working on matches what Olivia is looking for - since they are involved in many projects that use hybridization. Nina wasn't expecting an official visit from Olive, she heard from Broyles about the line-of-duty verdict from the Tenth Floor. Nina's quick database check comes back with a positive connection to the company, but their are no contents in the file. Who erased it, a hacker? Probably not. But David Robert Jones was the scientist running the project. Oh boy.
Temporarily out
of commission while he waits in Walter's lab for the test results from his retroviral DNA cultures, FBI Agent Lincoln Lee succumbs to the food cravings that have taken over his focus.
Lee has consumed all of the bacon from the sandwich snacks Walter prepared, and is looking for more. Walter is curious about the sudden 'foodie' aspect of Lee's demeanor... what else is he in the mood for? Agent Lee isn't shy about his fixation, he could really go for some onion rings and maybe a bit of cheesecake. Lee's eyes drop to Walter's waistline and suddenly the issue is clear. Walter grabs the small 'love handle' Lee is drooling over and realizes a key fact in the case - fat! He needs to talk to Olivia and Peter soon. Once everyone has returned to
the lab, Walter shares his breakthrough finding... the transmogrified creatures fuel their metamorphosis with fat - specifically, human fat that has been vacuumed during liposuction procedures. The fat, or lipids, they consume is pure concentrated energy needed for their transformation. Olivia figures they better start researching the local liposuction clinics to determine if any have had a problem recently with stolen medical waste. Peter has an additional concern - if these transformed beings are stealing bags of human 'lipids' to fuel their needs... how are they getting around without being seen?
A few hundred feet above midtown Boston, Kate and Daniel Hicks know how to avoid the evening rush hour traffic, and raising any suspicion. Standing on the edge of a highrise rooftop, Daniel picks-up Kate in his arms and jumps from the building. A few seconds later, the pair return to level flight, powered by Daniel's large, bat-like wings.
In
Walter's Lab, the good doctor returns to the activity that peaked his interest before he was distracted by the mystery of the genetically-altered human mutants... unwrapping decades of gifts that he had been buying for the son that he never had the chance to raise.
Astrid joins him in his office/bedroom and goes into self-loathing mode when she finds she has a
major clean-up on her hands, with wrapping
and packaging strewn everywhere. Walter focuses on one of the toys he was certain his Peter would have loved - had he lived. The
Peter that Walter didn't raise joins the
gift-fest and immediately gravitates towards the toy Walter is playing with... he loves this particular toy that teaches about magnetism and centrifugal force.
Olivia joins the trio in Walter's 'not-so-private' quarters with news from the hospital. Kate Hicks will survive her gunshot wound and Walter's cure for the
transmogrification virus seems to be reversing the influence it has on her genetically-manipulated DNA. According to
Lee, Hicks isn't going to be much help in the investigation though. Her and Daniel received their serum through Marshall Bowman... she has no clue where he got it from. The big question in the science team's mind is - if David Jones is behind all of this... what is his end goal? And how is he recruiting these people to endure such drastic science? Walter suspects that Jones may be a megalomaniac that is intent on taking control of mankind's evolution. SAIC
Broyles joins the gathering and needs a sidebar conversation with Olivia. Olivia steps out for the private chat and immediately offers her humble regrets for getting involved in the investigation after she was directed not to. It won't ever happen again. Broyles has heard that before, but he didn't pull her away from the group to hear an apology. He needs to tell her something. She has his vote of confidence, along with that of the senior executive staff on the Tenth Floor. He has known a lot of good agents, and even though she isn't in top form right now with overlapping memories, she is still better than most. The Fringe Task Force isn't the same without her - without saying as much, he has effectively returned her to duty.
Night falls on Boston and a young couple sit contemplating recent events. Melinda Bowman suspects her mate is having second thoughts about the genetic
manipulation they are willingly submitting themselves to. Marco admits his concern following the death of her brother, Marshall. Melinda is committed to the process and dismisses her brother's death - it must have been accidental. She knows what they are doing will help them be 'born anew'... to become
children of the new world. Marco nods
in agreement and watches as Melinda shoots-up with another dose of genetic modification.
In the hold of a cargo ship, two human-hybrid creatures with quilled backs growl softly as their handler locks the door to the barred jail cell they occupy. The man makes his way through the throng of cages, cells, aquariums and containers as a variety of hybrid and genetically-altered creatures sound-off at his passing. Headed for a breath of fresh air on deck, he secures a door behind him bearing the cuneiform logo that the "Children of the New World" have been tattooing on their arms. The open air cargo deck of the vessel is packed with storage containers as it plows through the night fog in the vast ocean.
Quotes
| • "You said that Jones was a megalomaniac, that he has a God complex. Well, the fact that we're here at all, that humanity evolved from slugs in the ocean - - depending on who you talk to - - is either a miracle... or an accident. Maybe Jones is trying to take control of the situation." - Walter (to the science team, getting inside the head of the enemy and proving crazy knows crazy when crazy sees it)
|
| • "Remember you said eventually all this would stop getting strange? In case you were wondering, it still hasn't." - Agent Lee (to Olivia, moments before a mutated man-beast dashes from the shadows and injures him)
|
Trivia
- General
- The Observer walks down the sidewalk behind Peter and Lee after they arrive at Daniel Hicks' house to search for him.
- Literature. Peter entices Markham into assisting him on the premise that he was looking for Lake Of The Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe. That novel, along with three companion novels in the 'Long Sun' series, has subtext and multiple plot threads that parallel many of the underlying storylines in FRINGE
- In his letter, Marshall Bowman wrongly wrote 'ucharted' when he actually mean 'uncharted'.
- Recurring Themes
|
| | The porcupine on the calendar in The Observer's apartment (A Short Story About Love) suggests the emergence of the new hybrid breed of humans amended with porcupine genomes. No year is given on the calendar, but the last time January days and dates aligned as they are depicted was in 2010. They won't realign like this again until 2016.
|
- Time Spent in Los Angeles by Dawes
- I'm Into Something Good by Herman's Hermits
|
- Ritt der Walküren by Richard Wagner - (hummed by Walter)
- Got No Reason by 21st Century
|
|
1) Do not answer the questions here.
2) Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
|
- Is David Jones responsible for the array of mutated creatures?
- Is David Jones responsible for the cult of humans determined to manipulate their own evolutionary path?
- Who deleted the secure files on genetic hybridization archived at Massive Dynamic?
- Is Massive Dynamic involved with the development of these genetically-engineered creatures?
- If so, is Nina Sharp aware of the cargo vessel underway on the high seas?
- Where is the cargo vessel full of hybrid mutations headed, and why?
- Was Bowman working undercover?
