Fringe (TV Series) Marionette (2010) User Reviews

The Eyes

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 12 March 2017]

A man removes the heart of another man and calls asking for medical assistance. The paramedics arrive and find that the victim is still alive without his heart. The Fringe Division is assigned to investigate the case and Dr. Bishop realizes that the body is practically not decaying. Further, they find the heart was transplanted and there are other transplanted victims in similar cases. They conclude someone is harvesting the organs from the donor Amanda Walsh Meanwhile Peter discloses to Olivia his relationship with her alternate version and she apparently receives well the information. But when Olivia returns to her apartment, she is upset with everything the alternate Olivia used. After the investigation the Fringe Division comes to the name of Roland David Barrett and they break in his house. Olivia arrests the man that tells that he has rebuilt and revived Amanda, but something came instead since her eyes were different, deeply affecting Olivia.

"Marionette" is an episode of "Fringe" with the story of a modern "Frankenstein". The episode is intriguing, but outside of the mainstream of the parallel universe. The major intention of this episode is to call off the commitment of Olivia and Peter, at least in this moment. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Marionette"

Enigmatic and horrific story, Peter and Olivia awkward reunion, brilliant intertwined writing, touching performances, Waltercimore

[igoatabase · 9/10 · 15 January 2011]

Surgical and disturbing. Two words to describe the aftermath of Entrada. The last time I felt so uncomfortable was after watching Dexter season 5 premiere, My Bad. The "Dexland" scene was just incredibly shocking and smart. Dark humor at its finest. Revealing what Marionette is about would definitely spoil its intrigue. Indeed until the very end you shouldn't know what the villain of the week is up to. An other episodic investigation ? Yes and even if the script is actually based on a well known story there were plenty of things to appeal the audience. First there was something quite enigmatic about what was going on. In fact we almost discovered the facts with the characters involved. Second some scenes were shocking and disgusting but as often Walter still managed to make us smile with his twisted humor and unconventional methods. Third and not least the writers focused on Peter and Olivia. Now she's back they had to deal with what happened between him and Fauxlivia. Anna Torv's performance was conflicted and emotional. I still believe she could have done a better job but the apartment scene was almost heartbreaking. Moreover her interaction with Peter finally gave Joshua Jackson the opportunity to play out of his comfort zone. But the strongest pro was by the far the brilliant way their own story was connected to the episodic one. Many subtle references linked both arcs and unmasked the cerebral mechanics behind our beloved puppets. I also remember a touching scene between Olivia and her boss, Philip Broyles. Lance Reddick's performance was bold, as always, and after what happened in Entrada he should grow on you even more. As expected the end was the inevitable cliffhanger before the winter break but after all what happened in nine episodes I can't see anyone who could be disappointed by the outcome so far. From its chaotic machine to its characters the show has a lot to offer and if the upcoming episodes are as good as most of the ones we have seen so far then it's going to be one hell of a season !

Balanced

[rwk2 · 8/10 · 14 December 2010]

This was a really well balanced episode. A guy is going around taking back donated body parts from a suicide. To do so he's using a serum that slows the body's natural decomposition rate. So much so that after he removes the heart from one unlucky individual the man regains consciousness enough to beg the paramedics who arrive on the scene for his life. You really get a feeling for the double loss: the family and friends of the dead girl who donated her body to regenerative science and, obviously, the living people who are getting "repossessed" of organs.

At the same time, Peter confesses to Olivia that he was romantically involved with Fauxlivia. At first she claims she's cool with it but after breaking down over seemingly trivial things like laundry and Peter's shirt in her apartment she can't keep the charade up. Which struck me as incredibly human. Not that I thought she wasn't, I just wasn't thinking at all about the readjustment someone would have to go through AFTER a double has lived their life for awhile. And convincingly lived it too, to the point of dating the man she probably thought she would end up with eventually. Is my whole world that transparent, that easy to step into and be me? What is my real worth to my family, friends, and coworkers if they can't spot an impostor? Maybe they just like the actor better than the original. It makes you think is my point here.

And that's why I liked it. A balance between thought provoking plot, driven characters, a dash of goriness (a lot of open wounds are shown), and a conclusion to the episode that adds to the greater saga of the series. Exactly what a television show should be, a good chapter of a great book.

a tour de force

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 18 October 2015]

I will be honest with you.

After the last episode, it was clear that the writers would try to revive the short arc. But the brilliance of the long arc (see prior reviews) was such that I felt -- as is the case with most shows that try this -- they would end up cutting off their own nose to spite their face, so to speak. In other words, the short arc would be boring compared to what came before.

I was wrong. I am thrilled to admit I was wrong.

In perhaps the best "transition" I have ever seen for show that strayed so far afield, they re-spun the short arc, NOT ONLY CREATING THE BEST MODERN UPDATE ON THE FRANKENSTEIN STORY I HAVE EVER SEEN, but adding emotional elements to the Peter-Olivia arc that literally every man and woman on the planet could relate to.

This series is not merely good, and not merely the best thing JJ has produced, but is one of the best series of all time. If you going to a deserted island -- or to prison, or to an alternate universe -- for an uncertain period, you would want to bring the DVD collection with you,

So Painful

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 9 November 2023]

There are two distinct story lines here. The first is the bizarre activity of a man who fell in love with a fragile dancer who committed suicide. He decided he could re-animate her by returning the body parts that had been harvested when she died, taking them from the sad recipients. He even set up a set of strings on pulleys that lifted her up and made her dance when he pulled levers. The other, more personal thing, is Olivia's adjustment to her return. Peter is at the center and, of course, he fell in love and had a relationship with Fauxolivia. She had what our Olivia didn't, a kind of charm and spontaneity that was attractive to her. She comes to realize that she would not be able to replace the replacement now that she is back. Fauxlivia has ruined her life by wearing her clothes, living in her apartment, on and on. This is really sad and now she has to continue her life with deep heartbreak. Peter means well, but he can't automatically fall in love with a stranger.

Extremely well done but I still hate it

[Jackbv123 · 11 June 2019]

I listed several things in my review of Entrada as to why I am hating this season of Fringe. One of my points regarded brain theft.

This episode brings out with stunning impact that what they did to our Olivia is far more than brain theft or control. I don't have the words to compare to the impact of this episode or to describe the horrific crime against her anywhere close to as well as the episode itself

Not only did they steal everything at an emotional level, they ruined it. Tarnished it in an obscene way. Again I don't have words to express how obscene this is. Of all the atrocities we've seen in Fringe, they pale compared to this.

Most people would have someone to turn to for comfort. They have even taken and despoiled that potential comfort.

It is brilliantly conceived and executed, but I hate it.

Re-Animator: "I'm Not Vomiting"

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 12 June 2012]

Roland David Barrett ("Russian" Actor Mark Ivanir) is a very ingenious but depressed individual who is attempting to correct a wrong: His friend Amanda Walsh ("Possibly Russian" Actress Anja Savcic) had taken her life, and all he wants to do is give it back to her.

Which he may have been able to do much more easily, except for the fact that Amanda's body parts had been transplanted into several other people- And Barrett must get all the pieces back before he tries to "turn her back on."

This Episode begins with Barrett harvesting Amanda's Heart from the person in which it is now beating: Barret is a Genius, he knows how to prevent tissue from decaying. He applies this to the gentleman he had taken Amanda's Heart from, who was alive without a heart! And Fringe Division is called in. Meanwhile Barrett has Amanda's Body at his house and he's been piecing it together for the last year.

As Walter Autopsies the corpse of the victim, he asks Pater if he notices anything about the body: Peter says "I'm Not Vomiting." Barrett had used a chemical that had kept the victim alive, preventing tissue decay.

Amanda was very much interested in Ballet: And so Barrett exercises Amanda's Body by attaching it to a huge apparatus that he controls, making her "Dance" along to Ballet Music: His "Marionette" - He moves Amanda around like a huge puppet! Which is fairly disgusting and disturbing: Typical Fringe Fare.

Barrett gives the initial impression he is a kind of Mad Scientist, Like Walter: In fact there is a relationship between Barrett's work and Walter's, Walter never knew how far along the experiments down this avenue had gone, he was in St Claire's (The Place where he Lived for 17...). But as we go along we see that Barrett has true remorse for harming the people he is taking Amanda's organ's from, apologizing to them as he kills some of them.

Fringe Division tracks down Barrett as they investigate the bizarre murders and organ removals: One poor bloke lived, but Barrett had removed his Corneas, leaving the poor bleeders Eye Goop running down his face.

But mainly, this episode is about Olivia dealing with Fauxlivia's invasion of her Personal and Private life, as well as the damage she had done to her work space, Fringe Division. At first she claims she is OK with Peter, after Peter tells her had had a relationship with Fauxlivia: Who he thought was Olivia.

But when Barrett finally gets all of Amanda's parts back, he "Re-Animates" her, and the person looking back at him, is not Amanda: He can tell by Looking in her Eyes: Barrett tells this to Olivia and she immediately applies this to herself and Peter: blaming Peter for not figuring out that "Olivia" was really "Fauxlivia"-she was very unfair to Peter in this.

The question is, if the person who Barrett brought back was not Amanda, who then was it? This Episode homages the X-Files episodes where they talk about "the Walk-Ins" - People who have died and have come back in other people's bodies, this was dealt with in Season 7 of The X-Files, and mentioned once or twice before that- And also, in "The Ghost Whisperer."

If it was not Amanda, was it Amanda from The Other Side, if she also had taken her life? But whoever it is, Barrett KNOWS it is not "His" Amanda, and Olivia feels that Peter would have known that Fauxlivia was not "His" Olivia.

But in the end, Fauxlivia was not another totally different person than Olivia, she *is* Olivia, and it would have been much more difficult for Peter to figure out that Fauxlivia was not "His" Olivia: Because we have seen Peter and "His" Olivia later in the series, and the way they are together, is just like how Fauxlivia and Peter were when they were together.

On the other hand, I do not blame Olivia for being upset about Peter, but she should have been upset with him from the start, instead of pretending she was OK with it.

Criminal Minds?

[Jinx-to-Ennien · 5/10 · 28 March 2020]

This would have made a great Criminal Minds episode. As a Fringe episode, it wasn't great.