Reply With QuoteAs I recall, Walter checking Peter's eyes (and later in the car, his blood pressure), were all hints at Peter's illness as a child, which Walter, in his madness, was concerned might have returned once again at some point during his incarceration.
The Message in Peter's Eye
Remember in the pilot of Fringe when Walter checks Peter's right eye? The message was in his right eye as well in this episode, could there be a connection here?
As I recall, Walter checking Peter's eyes (and later in the car, his blood pressure), were all hints at Peter's illness as a child, which Walter, in his madness, was concerned might have returned once again at some point during his incarceration.
I don't think there is a coincidence here. Walter hadn't seen Peter in MANY years back in the pilot and he only grabbed at Peter's eye to make sure he was healthy--remember, Walter was still concerned for Peter's health at the time (residual complications to the illness, effects of growing up in a different universe, etc).
OJ, you're fast like lightning!!
Last edited by Rekka; 03-23-2012 at 11:59 PM.
I've pointed out the weight of that scene before as seeming significant, and it was met with a general consensus that it just had to do with Peter's illness.
This episode does give me a bit of vindication though, because even if it's not related, I have more grounds to speculate. I don't see what eyes have to do with Peter's illness, to be honest.
I think that even if it was not a reference to this disk, but recognition. Eyes have become really important to the show, and the Pilot is loaded with foreshadowing. Many perspective shifts are introduced with Peter's eyes.
I actually included this motif in this week's *Twitter promotion vid* (that I couldn't actually use to promote because my computer conspired against me and the quality is so screwed up).
In Saint Claire's, Walter was quite unstable. He had memories that had been removed. He had experienced the timeloop several times and was involved with the machine in some way, probably. So at some level, it may have been instinctual. I think that after spending years in isolation, having such a hodgepodge of memories, years of drug use, and all of the guilt and suffering...spending time with the Peter that we got to know helped bring parts of his personality the surface while suppressing others. If that's the case, I think it's quite reasonable the Walter would react to seeing Peter by checking his eyes, even if he didn't really know why he was doing it.
Last edited by fragaria x phile; 03-24-2012 at 01:09 AM.
So much happened here. And so much is about to.
^^^
As I recall, Walter noted something about pupil dilation; this, coupled with the blood pressure remark later on in the Pilot, lends further credence to the eye examination being linked to Peter's medical history than lingering memories of eye disks.
There's also the problem that the S4 timeline happens "after" the S1-S3 timeloop (the former a causal consequence of events in the latter). And lastly, I wonder if the writers would have planned so far ahead while writing the Pilot; we know they've changed their overall master plan several times over the years, after all.
The question is, what's in Walter's eye(s).
John Noble has had cataract surgery at one point, so sometimes his eyes have a weird refraction property when the light hits at a certain angle.Originally Posted by itaintrite
Other than that, the character of Walter doesn't have anything in his eye(s) (insofar as we know).
Sticky: About Walter's Eye...
Thank you for reminding me about that point with the BP and pupil dilation. With that, I agree that the illness is more likely.
I still cannot shake the weight of the scene. There are certain lines and shots on Fringe that stand out as being a bit meta or out-of-place for me, and they usually turn out to be some sort of in-joke or foreshadowing down the line...they stick with me until they become relevant. And so I maintain that there may be something else behind this moment.
As for the the time issues...the series is not over yet. It is possible that Pilot Walter had memories or indelible marks or something. This would idea would have had greater legs if we didn't learn that the Observer planted them in Peter at that time. Can you imagine? "he had it on him the whole time?"
So much happened here. And so much is about to.
Cataract. One eye only.
Happens with age sometimes.
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