Fringe - this time it's the military
Wow, thanks, Fringe. We thought we had seen every version of the standard secret evil military experiment plot, but we rather liked the Fringe take on it. We like that they actually sent Olivia to Iraq. We liked that they saved the sympathetic mother at the end. We like that the mystery project started out with good intentions, then got twisted into badness, then got abandoned, then got subverted by a rogue agent. Most of the standard sci-fi secret evil military experiment plots only include one or two of those twists. Go Fringe.
Right, so ultimately we blame Saddam Hussein for the "suicide bombers" here in the USA, because he first exposed the American soldiers to a nerve agent during "the war." (They're unclear about which one.) Then the doctors tried to find a cure and stumbled on a daily injection of a serum - but they then discovered the injections had an unpleasant side effect. If you get exposed to a particular radio frequency, your body crystallizes and you explode. Very messy.
Walter replicated the experiment with a watermelon in his lab. This upset Astrid, as we finally discover how she spends most of her time - cleaning up after Walter.
We also get to see a few "sessions" with Olivia's new.... therapist? He helps her with tying her shoes, basic math skills, and warns her that the headaches will start soon. Apparently they're like having a knife shoved in her temples - WHILE SHE REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!
Ahem. Sorry, we just needed a minute to collect ourselves there. We heart the slow-mo walk-through on our DVR remote. Look! It's Dr. Bell! Sigh.... we can't wait for next week, where it looks like more of her missing hour will be explained.
Interesting Factoid
Our own secret contacts with experience in Iraq tell us the Arabic wasn't bad and the Iraqi teacups were correct.
Minor Plot Points
Just as Olivia starts to figure out how to use her cane as an asset (she bashes the evil technology with it at the end to make it stop) her personal Yoda cures her of needing it. Oh well. I guess next time she'll just have to shoot the evil technology with her gun.
Major Plot Point Reveal!
Couriers are bringing black briefcases full of "data" to the Observer(s). They're everywhere. So thanks Fringe. We've been cautious about quiet, bald men for months. Now we get to stare suspiciously at every guy in a black trench coat carrying a black briefcase. Trips through major airports trying to catch our connections will never be the same again.
Lines We Loved:
Peter: Four words that should never show up in a sentence: Classified Experimental Military Project.
Olivia: Maybe I should wait outside.
Peter: Then what would I do? You're the one with the gun.
Olivia: You gonna tell me what that was about?
Peter: No.
Astrid: Doctor Bishop, what did I tell you about experimenting with fruit? I just cleaned this lab up yesterday.