Fringe - Jacksonville, 2.15

Hooray for mythology!

I can't believe we're already fifteen episodes into the second season. It seems like much fewer, because the vast majority of the aired episodes have been case/monster/disturbing spectacle-of-the-week, which I usually have no problem with on any show I watch. The X-Files, in particular, had very strong MOTW episodes that rivaled its myth-arc ones in terms of both plot and craft. Fringe, on the other hand, struggles with stories that are not tied to the Pattern and/or alternate universes. In my opinion:

The Observer, Leonard Nimoy, shape-shifters = A compelling Fringe episode.

Small towns with suspicious characters, science experiments gone wrong = Not as much.

So, Thursday's episode made me pretty happy. Not only did it have the outrageously disgusting details I love so much (man from alternate universe has his head in his chest. Awesome!), it finally directly addressed Peter's otherworldliness. Viewers knew he was from the other side from the season one finale, but now a character other than Walter or William Bell knows as well. We'll have to wait until April 1 to see if Olivia honors Walter's request to not tell Peter his secret. Or maybe the next week, because the series' return looks to be a mostly flashback episode.

Other things:

• The combination to the school in Jacksonville, 05-20-10, is the date of the season finale.
• Anna Torv is great with kids (the little Observer from season one's Inner Child, Ella, etc?) so it was nice to see her with her mini-me, who was super adorable.
• I loved the composition of the shot of Olivia, crouching in the corner of the room she burned when she was younger, as Peter walked in. (Holy sentence structure!)
• Peter and Olivia's almost-kiss, hmm. Certainly reminiscent of a believer and a skeptic interrupted by a genetically-altered bee. Except with less spark. I know JJ & co. are trying to make Peter/Olivia work, but I don't know if I'm in favor of it.
• Any ideas why the alternate universe's Manhatan is spelled with one T? And why coffee seems to be a luxury?