{SPOILERS AHEAD}

Uh. WOW.

Two nights ago I saw the Sharks, after letting a goal score and an icing, win a face off, work it up the left board, hit the point, hit Joe Thornton streaking in the middle, he passed it back to Demers, and KILLED a one timer to the left of the net as Chicago goaltender shift to his right. All done in like 3 seconds. And my jaw dropped. But I picked it up quickly to stress out during the final minutes of the tense game.

But, when I watched the finale of Season 1, "There's More Than One of Anything", my jaw was floored and I held up both my hands with three fingers up to make that "W - O - W" thing. Yes, WOW!

Reveals! Resoutions! More mysteries! More questions!

[[[[ ONE LAST SPOILER WARNING ]]]] (some of the following refers to the last two episodes, not just the finale)

Advancement of Plot
Okay. Season finales are supposed to kill this part. FRINGE did. Massive Dynamic isn't the archetypical evil corporation. Well, not yet. Although, they are responsible with the freak happenings: William Bell, cortexiphan, etc. David Robert Jones was the real enemy behind everything in this season, but now that he has opened various windows to the other side there will be massively dynamic problems. Yes. William Bell doesn't seem to be evil and Walter believes this in his old friend. William Bell is muthaeffing Spock!

Character Development
Walter has been able to resolve some issues with the Jacksonville kids and disrupting this first go at rifting through spacial planes. Walter also has connected with Peter. And vice versa. They all had major roles in resolving this episode and season's problem: Olivia worked her skills as an agent, Peter reached out to Walter as a son, and Walter remembered - something extremely important. We also had the Observer say something. He's Walter's friend.

And, Peter Bishop died in 1985! The original Peter Bishop. The one we know and love is the doppleganger from the other side. Walter used his research to reclaim his son (Peter was a sickly boy - as we were told earlier in the season).

Olivia's abilities have expanded. This goes beyond the season finale, but during the final quarter of the series the cortexiphan in her started triggering expansive abilities. She began seeing the other side in brief episodes - maybe some sensitivity to Dr. Jones' windows. But, we find out at the end that it goes beyond visions but actual teleportation - physical teleportation. Maybe it was by invite?

Broyles and Olivia shared a moment where Olivia rambled on about fighting through beauracracy (very Sydney-like) and Broyles asked her to hush because she essentially had him at hello.

Astrid, in the pen-ultimate episode, gave herself and the audience a solid when she said something to the effect of her not being affected by what she sees in the lab anymore - took the charred and severed jaw and said, "someone hasn't been flossing". Funny.

Empathy Level
By this point, if we don't care about what happens to our cast, then why would we watch? Everyone was on and every piece was essential to each.

Intelligence/Wit
Quirks. Nods. See tv notes below.

Charm/Initial Reaction
Initial reaction? Fuckin' WOW, dude. That's it.

Standalone Strength
Although this episode easily could've been a part 2 from the previous, this season finale rocked as a singular piece of episodic television. Set up, levity, resolution, and openings for more.

FRINGE has skyrocketed to the top of my DVR sched. Fa' sho.

NOTES From the last two eps:
The Road not Taken:

Easter eggs and other shit:

the cereal that walter likes was also in susan's cupboards
Susan's bookshelf included: arthur c. clarke: childhood's end (some sci fi thing) and some other allusions to scifi/fringe related stuff.
olivia's breaks into the house (very sydney bristow)
star trek nutjob played by Clint Howard (nice!) (obviously)

walter's explanations - in layman's terms:
combustion - he used the cereal box
pliability of space and time - deja vu - the road not taken (physically) - he used chalk and the idea of decisions and alternate decisions that take place in other realms
peter explains his music thing - father son - peter really evolving into Walter - Astrid makes not of this.

shadows: olivia walking into susan's apt.. entering, shifting over

There's More Than One of Anything:

Wizard of Oz - Sci-fi easter egg (and alter-universe nod, also)

peter had a childhood memory - important because it's usually Walter. AND, we now know why Peter doesn't remember a lot of Walter's memories.

reiden lake - reiden didn't amass much on google (a volcanic ridge on one of jupiter's moons; city in Switzerland)

shadows: walter telling peter that he had to go to other side to replace something dear to him that he lost. peter is halved by the shadows. symbolism.

posted by breakfast boy@ 12:14 PM