Fringe (TV Series) A Short Story About Love (2012) User Reviews

The Olivia from Peter's Timeline

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 30 March 2017]

When a serial-killer kills husbands dehydrating her bodies and then their wives, Walter examines the bodies of the wives and concludes that the killer is using pheromones taken from the husband. Soon they discover that the murderer is Anson Carr, who has a skin disease and is needy of love. Meanwhile Walter finds a strange device implanted by September in Peter's eye and he succeeds to contact September and learn where the Olivia from his timeline is.

"A Short Story About Love" is an episode about love: people in deep love; people needy of lover; Peter pursuing his Olivia. The plot is well resolved with another great participation of September. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Short Story About Love"

Unexploited potential, disturbing Freak™, sloppy Peter, abrupt ending, heartbreaking Nina & Olivia (Bonus : Fan fiction idea)

[igoatabase · 7/10 · 24 March 2012]

Was it Fringe I have just seen or some episode of The Twilight Zone ? Don't get me wrong the second is cult but when it comes to the first I expect more than a classic but old story. It's specially true considering pheromones were already covered only two episodes ago, in A Better Human Being. Was it some sort of twisted sequel ? It made me quite skeptical even if I find the topic fascinating. However it wasn't anything we hadn't already seen and the impression of déjà vu had a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I couldn't even relate to the antagonist as he wasn't properly introduced. Did he lose his girlfriend in a fire accident ? We will never know. Still the kisses he shared with his victims were disturbing because they were reminiscent of the complex dual emotions felt during rapes. According to an article I read at some point the victim is unable to control its body, probably because its mind has been weaken or just given up, and therefore takes some reluctant pleasure. It's exactly what we saw this week as one second the widows were attracted to him and the next they were screaming for their life ! Now I realize why these scenes were so shocking !

Otherwise it's not something that could conduct me to watch this installment again. Indeed Peter's arc was way too anecdotic and not carefully intertwined to the main story. I wish it hadn't been longer and creatively edited like in Lost's season 6 for instance. It's very disappointing because it had potential and his quest was quite intriguing. From the message left by September to the gizmos he found in the Observer's apartment I'm surprised all these gems were almost left unexploited. Why didn't they decide instead to mirror it to Olivia's investigation ? It would have made the ending way more moving ! Instead it only last a few seconds when they could have shown them hugging each other in the snow for a timeless instant. Come on Fringe, be romantic !

An other con was how Walter found the writing in Peter's eye. I wish the last had just followed the subliminal message, like an animal irresistibly attracted by the pheromones left by the opposite sex. Last but not least in my opinion an other unexploited element was the freak ability. Once arrested he told Olivia he could smell she was in love so the writers could have used it to bind her arc to Peter's one. For example the antagonist, from the other side of course, could have crossed her path in some parallel street and would have become obsessed by her. He would have abducted her, using a portal left opened by David Jones, in order to lure his prey in his fragrant web ! Then he would have been able to drain his vital fluids and taste how sweet Anna T… Olivia's lips probably taste ! Indeed in the end my favorite parts were by far the moments she shared with Nina Sharp. The development of their daughter and mother relationship was intense, dramatic and emotional. You could feel how much they cared for each other but she just had to make a decision regarding Peter, even if it meant forgetting the memories she had with Nina and breaking her heart in the process.

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.

For Once--A Happy Ending

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 15 November 2023]

This was a weird episode. First of all there is a guy who uses the pheronomes of men he kills so he could make an irresistible perfume. He would come on to their wives and then murder them because it wouldn't have a sustaining effect. While the search is on for these guys, Peter has been given a clue to find the Observers, at least one of them. His search reveals some amazing results. There are times when I get tired of Olivia and her taciturn nature. She is in love with Peter and he is looking for another person in a place he thinks exists. The conclusion to this episode is finally a happy one. Now we can get on with other things, like saving the known universe --or other unverses. An putting a stop to Jones.

Fringe finally brings the chills

[rv-dielive · 10/10 · 24 March 2012]

Fringe is one of my favorite TV series currently on-air. The Science showcased may be fiction but it sure is fascinating. It's pure storytelling if you ask me. I deeply admire J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci for creating something like this. This is director J.H. Wyman's first go at Fringe and it worked wonderfully. Can't wait for episode 22 which is also gonna be directed by him.

This particular episode is very well paced and deeply involving. Technically speaking, the cinematography of Fringe is much more cinematic than say Breaking Bad or similar dramas (which i love in its own way). The Screenplay is tight, the edit is crisp and the acting right on the money. The background score revives some old motifs used in earlier episodes hence giving it a nostalgic feeling.

Emotionally, this episode works on many levels, Olivia's ongoing quest to find love in Peter. Peter's confusion about her memories. Nina's comforting words for Olivia and Walter's worries about Peter. This also answers some important questions about the timeline situation and the disbanded observer. Intriguing case about love again compliments the whole situation.

Overall i felt like reading a book about some of my favorite characters in a wonderful set-up. The story moves forward. I really hope they end it properly. Excited about future episodes!

Be a better man (than your father)

[VladimirSkywalker · 10/10 · 24 March 2012]

Finally we got the proper balance of "monster of the week" and bigger picture plots in a single episode. And both plots speak about love. For the first time we can follow Olivia doing one important thing, and Peter doing the same only in totally different direction, and they meet at last. One can understand this episode as a question: What is Love? Is it a game of human chemistry and pheromones (as Olivia's investigation suggests) or is it a force stronger than time, cosmos, forces of nature and whatever the business of the Observers is, as Peter is to discover in this episode.

This is the very episode that unlocks many mysteries that kept tingling our minds for weeks and months and years back. Sadly, it is obviously the beginning of wrapping up of this wonderful TV series.

This is also the episode that changed my life, inspiring me to pass some important decisions - both through the words of Nina Sharp (A parent should encourage a child to pursue its own happiness even if it takes him/her faraway), and thru the ancient Greek wisdom repeated once again: "Be a better man than your father". Or, to cut it short, be a better man. Walter is proud because Peter has proved to be a better man than him.

The point of all art and literature and drama - therefore, TV series as well, is not to entertain our minds. It is to make us better men, to ennoble our minds. That is precisely what Fringe keeps doing to my mind - making me know more, open my mind and ultimately, helping me make noble decisions. And I believe I am not the only person in the world who benefited the same way from following this wonderful sequence of stories titled Fringe.

Big thanks to all good people who participated in creation of Fringe for making me a better man. God bless you!

So much good stuff

[solonche-637-153706 · 10/10 · 5 May 2020]

I have probably watched Fringe in it's entirety a dozen times and have always thought that season 2 was the best.

But there is do much good stuff here that it brings a tear.

Love the characters. It's do much better than anything else.

Fringe is a gift to all TV lovers.

Watch it again. Feel it.

Mythos vs MOTW

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 24 March 2012]

The X Files had 9 seasons to split the Mythos episodes from the MOTW episodes, and so that show had distinct differences between those types of episodes. Fringe has had four seasons (At this point). I do hope there is more. But from the start, Fringe has blended the Myth and Monster into a unified storyline.

From the start, Fringe has mixed both of these storytelling elements into episodic TV, So there is always a Mythos story told with our weekly serving of Monster.

So is the case with this week's Fringe "Monster" - But in this case the Monster tale is apt for the Myth tale as well - They are always related, but more so here in this particular episode.

Because it has to do with Olivia's inexplicable memory return and her feelings for Peter. Our weekly Monster seemed like he knew all about it. And because of this, he actually causes Olivia to decide what she decides at the end of this Ep.

Both Peter and "The Monster" in this week's Fringe Case are dealing with the same thing - Whereas Peter does not believe he deserves Olivia's affection - Peter feels he is "Cheating" by influencing Olivia somehow- The Monster is cheating by stealing Pheromones from couples who are in love (And, eh, Killing them as well, need to add that little thing in). Both people want Love, The Monster wants to be loved, but his means of acquiring this ever-intangible concept are far from acceptable. Whereas Peter, in his doubt - In the end, he deserves what he is being given. This is Not "The Postmodern Prometheus" - In which we have a lonely Monster who is seeking Love through Songs by Cher - The Monster here is truly a monster - But a Monster we can all relate to, we do understand what he wants. Just as we understand what Peter wants. All the literature that has ever been written about Love deals with both concepts - Wanting Love so badly one would Cheat to get it, or, wanting Love but not feeling worthy to accept it as a gift. The Cheater loses it by Cheating, the unworthy would walk away from it and lose it that way- Unless convinced that he is worthy. Our "Monster" this week is Michael Massee who played "Vernon Ephesian" in the X-Files spisode "The Field Where I Died".

Meanwhile, September has a little talk with Peter, and I get the feeling that this is not the same September that had gotten shot - Or, from Peter's POV has not gotten shot YET. Because, why would it take "The Arrival" of that obelisk-egg to "Release" September, if he had just been with Peter a week before? This September was pre-bullethole or post bullethole? We know at some point, September has taken a Bullet, possibly for Olivia. Has this happened already, or will it happen before the season is finished?

Plus, I was half expecting Jones to abduct Olivia or Peter again. We know he has not been idle, and we can only guess what kind of devilry he's been up to.

Although these "Orange Fringe Verse" stories seem to be coming to a climax and denouement, I'd still like to see a 5th Season.

Criminally underrated episode

[boomminer · 10/10 · 5 August 2023]

This episode was deeply moving in my opinion. Both Walter's "Be a better man than your father" and Nina's "A parent should encourage a child to pursue its own happiness even if it takes him/her faraway" were very emotional and the scene between Olivia and Nina brought a tear to my eye. In the end, as we all hoped, Peter and Olivia got back together and now we can say that the series is finally whole again.

We also got some insight into the observers' inner workings and hopefully Olivia doesn't have to die anymore as the September said a few episodes ago.

I hope that this series will keep delivering amazing episodes like this one. Happy watching everyone!