Recap - Fringe 2.01 - A New Day in the Old Town

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September 19th, 2009 - (877 days ago)

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 At a hearing in Washington, Broyles is passionate in his explanation on why the government would be foolish to shut down Fringe Division, which look after the X-designation cases.  Unfortunately, a sympathetic senator tells him that without viable results there is no way to support the human and fiscal cost.  Outside the hearing, Ms. Nina Sharp approaches Broyles and informs him that even Massive Dynamics influence can't help.  She gives him a kiss, and it's not a peck on the cheek either.  He must find a way to save the day

 Peter and Jessup check out another body with similar injuries.  They realize that this guy is doing whatever it takes to stay on mission, which happens to be killing Olivia.  Fortunately, Olivia is under guard and only her nurse is allowed into the room.  This episode is all about the security.   Unfortunately, they are a few steps behind Mystery Man, who is at the hospital.  He approaches Olivia's nurse.  Oh, you know this isn't going to end well.

Olivia's nurse (yeah, right) enters her room to check her vitals. (You still have some?  Damn.)  She asks Olivia if she remembers anything about the accident, or what she was doing before hand.  Olivia tries but assures her that it is all a blank.  That's all the nurse needs to hear.  She jumps on the bed and tries to strangle Olivia.  She does a pretty good job of it too, until Jessup bursts into the room and shoots her.  The nurse jumps out a window (about six stories) and runs into the basement.  Jessup radios for Charlie to follow her.

Peter is torn between joining the chase and checking over Olivia, but she sends him away with instructions to "get that bitch."  In the basement, Charlie moves furtively, apparently looking for something that may be hiding near a big-ass incinerator.  The not-nurse is, in fact, hidden in the overhead piping.  Peter and Jessup arrive to the sounds of a fight and the nurse is killed by Charlie. Peter picks up the broken three-pronged  insta-disguise machine.

After all is said and done, Peter arrives at Olivia's room bearing flowers.  Olivia wants to know who her attacker was.  A shapechanging soldier from another universe.  They get a smile out of the fact that they can have this conversation with a straight face.  Peter tells Olivia that Walter believes that Olivia has also been to another universe; that's where she was at the time of the accident.  She can't remember but he promises that Walter will figure it out.  In other weird news, does she remember the gibberish she shouted when she came to?  It was Greek for "be a better man than your father" and it was a code between him and his mother.  She doesn't know where she heard it but I'm sure we'll hear it again.  Olivia asks if they are shutting down Fringe Division.  Peter gives her a decisive "no"

 Peter gives Broyles the damaged device and says it is the proof they need to keep Fringe Division open, since the technology isn't from her.  Broyles is suprised that Peter would give it up.  Peter says that they are done being reactive. 

Junior Agent Jessup continues to review all of Fringe Divisions files, although this time she is cross-referencing the topics with a Bible. 

Peter goes back to the lab where Walter, Astrid and Gene the Cow are all waiting in birthday hats.  Looks like he's getting that cake and custard after all.

And Charlie.  Oh, Charlie.  Charlie seems to still be doing cleanup in the basement of the hospital.  He wheels a bin of dirty linen over to the incinerator, flips down a sheet and reveals... Charlie!  Oh, no, you were a victim of the insta-disguise machine.  Not-Charlie/Mystery Man hefts poor dead Charlie out of the basket and into the incinerator, destroying all evidence.

About
Featherlite is a Canadian writer who graduated from UCLA's screenwriting program in 2010. When she isn't watching procedural crime dramas, she wonders when she became a sci-fi geek and how she can overcome her addiction to SPACE channel. In addition to contributing articles to TVOvermind, Featherlite is busy working her own television and movie scripts.
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(9) Comments - Add Yours!

  1. ebonyrose says:

    Great recap, Featherlite! I think I am going to have to watch this episode again, because I have obviously missed some key points that you mentioned in your recap. What was up with Smishy-faced man, I wonder?

    >because Supernatural (coincidentally running in the same timeslot on the CW)

    Thankfully I don't have to worry about that- however Fringe and FlashForward run concurrently for me. :(

    • Featherlite says:

      Thanks, Ebonyrose.

      Near as we can tell, Smishy-faced man is a soldier from the other side. His mission was to ensure that Olivia didn't make her meeting (presumably the one with William Bell.) Since she did meet Bell, the new mission is to find out what Bell told her and then kill her. But since she can't remember because of her head injury, Not-Charlie has to hang around and wait and see.

  2. ebonyrose says:

    Great recap, Featherlite! I think I am going to have to watch this episode again, because I have obviously missed some key points that you mentioned in your recap. What was up with Smishy-faced man, I wonder?

    >because Supernatural (coincidentally running in the same timeslot on the CW)
    Thankfully I don’t have to worry about that- however Fringe and FlashForward run concurrently for me. :(

    • Featherlite says:

      Thanks, Ebonyrose.

      Near as we can tell, Smishy-faced man is a soldier from the other side. His mission was to ensure that Olivia didn’t make her meeting (presumably the one with William Bell.) Since she did meet Bell, the new mission is to find out what Bell told her and then kill her. But since she can’t remember because of her head injury, Not-Charlie has to hang around and wait and see.

  3. [...] on a whole new meaning after the season two premiere “New Day in the Old Town” where an insta-disguise device  can turn the owner into a doppelganger of anyone he plugs in to.  Charlie has already been taken [...]

  4. [...] a new enemy, a potential new ally and a new mission for Fringe Division.  Get the full recap here. ReTweet And Win! Click Here For [...]

  5. [...] on a whole new meaning after the season two premiere “New Day in the Old Town” where an insta-disguise device  can turn the owner into a doppelganger of anyone he plugs in to.  Charlie has already been taken [...]

  6. [...] York City.  Olivia is being released from the Head Injury Institute after her amnesia-causing accident.   Peter is there to drive her home.  Not-Charlie watches from the shadows.  Peter feels eyes [...]

  7. [...] Federal Building. OMG!! HI CHARLIE!! (For those who have missed a couple episodes… Charlie died earlier this year. Twice.) Toots has requested that they stay away from Lisa. In the meantime, [...]

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