Official 4.19 "Letters of Transit" Discussion Thread

[AnimeArchAngel]

Fringe: Season 4 Episode 19

4.19"Letters of Transit"

THE FRINGE TEAM GOES BACK TO THE FUTURE ON AN ALL-NEW "FRINGE" FRIDAY, APRIL 20, ON FOX

The FRINGE tradition of a mind-bending 19th episode continues as the story jumps ahead to 2036, when the Observers and the Fringe team engage in a game-changing battle in the all-new "Letters of Transit" episode of FRINGE airing Friday, April 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (FR-419) (TV-14 L, V)

Cast: Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham; Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop; John Noble as Walter Bishop; Lance Reddick as Phillip Broyles; Blair Brown as Nina Sharp; Jasika Nicole as Astrid Farnsworth; Seth Gabel as Lincoln Lee

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[Ariel]

An intesteresting look at the potential future. Really, really enjoyed this episode; had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I wonder - are some of the Observers we already know part of those who led the Purge?

Glad to see Peter at the end, just sorry we never saw Livia.

[Orion7486]

I'll go ahead and note that the following is a spoiler if someone is reading this thread without watching this ep.



So, has DRJ's entire thing in Fringe been to ready the world to fight off the observers when they invade in 2036? At first, in seasons 1 & 2, I thought he was readying his soldiers to fight off the alt universe. Then it seemed that maybe he was just a egotistical maniac bent on creating a world of his own making with him playing god. I would hate that if all he ends up being is a one dimensional super intelligent crackpot better suited to a super hero comic book.
Hopefully he has been getting ready to fight the observers, just doing it in a way that may not have been the most moral way of doing it. In an ep in a previous season, the one where the ex soldiers' bodies were made into bombs themselves...they were supposed to intercept packages that were surveillance photos and info on the observers. Tonight's ep shines new light on that ep, in my opinion.

[mjjaques]

Ariel, Walter did mention that something happened to September. I'm hoping that he and the others we know were against the purge.

I loved the episode, one of my all-time favorites already. You could definitely see the effect that adding Walter's brain pieces back had on him, he was pretty cruel afterwards. Seeing the future world in this episode was kind of like seeing the alt universe for the first time - just awesome.

[altwally]

Any theories as to why Broyles' right eye was normal, unlike it was in the year 2015?

[BadInfluence]

So what had William Bell done to Olivia that Walter was referring to when talking to Astrid? I recall him telling her something about after what Bell had done to Olivia there could be no sympathy or something like that. So is this a reference to the tests ran on Olivia as a child which Walter would have been a part of or did I miss something? Could William Bell be Mr. X?

[Omniscient_Jay]

I'll go ahead and note that the following is a spoiler if someone is reading this thread without watching this ep.

So, has DRJ's entire thing in Fringe been to ready the world to fight off the observers when they invade in 2036? At first, in seasons 1 & 2, I thought he was readying his soldiers to fight off the alt universe. Then it seemed that maybe he was just a egotistical maniac bent on creating a world of his own making with him playing god. I would hate that if all he ends up being is a one dimensional super intelligent crackpot better suited to a super hero comic book.
Hopefully he has been getting ready to fight the observers, just doing it in a way that may not have been the most moral way of doing it. In an ep in a previous season, the one where the ex soldiers' bodies were made into bombs themselves...they were supposed to intercept packages that were surveillance photos and info on the observers. Tonight's ep shines new light on that ep, in my opinion.

This would all depend if Jones knew that the Observers would invade in 2015 several years in advance. I don't know how he could have prepared for such a thing, let alone learn how this would come to pass.

And there's also the passing line in this episode where someone noted that the old Fringe team "saved the world once". I take this to refer to Jones' defeat by their hand in the 2012 era, which means episodes 4.20-4.22 will basically be a flashback relative to the 2036-period.

If I had to guess, Jones' plans have nothing to do with the Observers, though that doesn't mean he will still turn out to be a mustache-twirling bad guy in the end.

[Mutsie]

This would all depend if Jones knew that the Observers would invade in 2015 several years in advance. I don't know how he could have prepared for such a thing, let alone learn how this would come to pass.

And there's also the passing line in this episode where someone noted that the old Fringe team "saved the world once". I take this to refer to Jones' defeat by their hand in the 2012 era, which means episodes 4.20-4.22 will basically be a flashback relative to the 2036-period.

If I had to guess, Jones' plans have nothing to do with the Observers, though that doesn't mean he will still turn out to be a mustache-twirling bad guy in the end.

* I believe Jones simply wants to rule the World... Like Napoleon and Hitler...


♥

[Omniscient_Jay]

* I believe Jones simply wants to rule the World... Like Napoleon and Hitler...


♥

Apparently, so do the Observers. XP

[Moviemath]

I'm wondering what the purpose of this 4.19 'FUTURE' episode might be.

Is it the catalyst raison d'etre for Jones's current day activities, legitimizing his plan to prevent a nasty future? Or is he simply the megalomaniacal beasty he appears to be? Could it be a warning for the Fringe team of 2012 to up their ante against the about-to-invade 27th century Observers?

How in the world anyone in 2012 knows what the future has in store in the first place has me scratching my head - let alone that future being the only possible one.

[Aside: Is all this happening on one side only or both? There are still two 'verses' in the Amberverse after all.]

TBH I don't know if I really care at this late stage to stitch one possible future to what is happening now, or to figure out all the ramifications and potentialities - connected or unconnected as this future may be. If all this ep does is serve as a warning to those in the here and now then it only serves as distracting filler. If it is creating a new branch of the myth-arc with the emotionless [non-interfering!] Observers now returning as Totalitarian oppressors then the possibility the show's credibility has just been derailed is menacingly real for me. I really don't know if I could handle a new season that explores this potential future with Observers as somewhat passionate fascists only to have this plot tangent resolved by a timeline re-write [or some clever side-step by our Fringe team] at some point in a later ep. It kinda starts to wear thin - as I really don't see Fringe ending on a series downer in the sense of 'There's no hope for what the future has in store for us'.

However, if that is the route the showrunners choose then so be it. I guess I was anticipating a more concerted attempt towards resolving some unanswered questions raised in previous seasons and episodes, but so far Fringe has remained true to form in favor of raising more questions than it seeks to answer. It is not beyond the grasp of simple understanding as to why the show has lost a substantial number of viewers. Mewonders if Fox and WB were waiting for the results [ratings] of this episode before deciding on whether or not another, possibly shortened, season of Fringe is a good idea. 4.19 falls under the following categories for me: Convoluted new plotline soon to be resolved [or not] - of which either outcome seems dramatically unchallenging, justification for a joining of forces to prevent the baldies from taking over, myth distraction. Believe me, beyond this pessimistic viewpoint, I can see the funny side of all this as well - though this may be borne more out of incredulity given a seeming neglect by the showrunners of the real need to keep Fringe alive rather than what appears to be a 'creative' ignoring of the show's current, very dire, predicament. At the very least it makes for interesting observation [heh] of how certain showrunners approach a series finale.

I would truly take my hat off to Pinkner and Wyman if they could assuage my presently lowered interest with a creatively credible Fringe closure. I patiently await the series finale making no apology for my somewhat lowered expectations and present ambivalence, though I do openly welcome an exciting end the reality of that happening may just be a little too much to hope for.

Hmm.



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