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Day of the Dead Review and Analysis – The Chum In The Water!
Hello, my fellow Day of the Dead viewers.

Images and videos courtesy SYFY

When I hear the phrase Day of the Dead my brain immediately goes to the Día de Los Muertos and the long tradition it has had in the world. So, imagine my surprise, when I saw that there is a new series on Syfy about the dead…well, zombies to be exact. This series prides itself on being an homage to George Romero’s famous masterpiece Night of the Living Dead. Those are some big shoes to fill, and with the Day of the Dead only being two episodes in, we shall see how the rest of the show fares in comparison.

The cast is great and thankfully diverse. From TV veteran Mike Dopud (Stargate SG-1) and Miranada Frigon, to Keenan Tracey (Bates Motel), Dejan Loyola (Saving Hope) and Marci T. House (iZombie). It is refreshing to see a TV series that does embrace diversity it is such a crucial part of casting and such a crucial part of seeing representation on television and in film. The cast is rounded out by a plethora of television actors from all types of genres, like Daniel Doheny (Supernatural), Matty Finochio (The Order), Stefanie von Pfetten (The Man in the High Castle), Darryl Scheelar (Arrow).

The fact that this episode is tilted “Chum” does not go without notice. As we all know from the most famous shark movie of all time, Jaws, that to throw chum into the water will attract the predator within minutes.

The fact that chum consist of organs and eyeballs makes this episode a bit tongue in cheek considering what zombies like to feast on. The victims themselves are virtually walking chum buckets for the predatory zombies to dine on.

Trapped in the basement. Image courtesy SYFY

When we last see our gang they are trapped in the basement of the mortuary with rows of dead bodies in the drawers. Only to find out that they may not be the only ones down there. With cell service practically non existent, the gang tries to figure out what is the best solution or game plan to escape without having any of the drawers get opened as panic sets in.

With Lauren Howell (Natalie Malaika) having a bite mark on her arm, it is remarked, jokingly of course, by Cam McDermott (Keenan Tracey) that she will turn into a zombie but “that only happens in the movies.” That may be the case but with all of the other folklore that we know about zombies she may not be far behind.

For your enjoyment, we include the full “The Thing In The Hole” episode below courtesy of SYFY that began the predicament in the fictional town of Mawinhaken, Pennsylvania.
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Chum:

Mike Dopud as McDermott. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

The “Chum” episode, written by Liz Hsiao Lan Alper and Maisie Culver, Directed by Steven Kostanski, finds McDermott (Mike Dopud), trapped in the drill hole. McDermott will likely have to fight off a zombie that is hidden in a drilling shaft, but is coming back to life, we know from “The Thing In The Hole“, McDermott will become a zombie!

Sarah Blackwood (Morgan Holmstrom) races to try and find him before his fate turns deadly.

There is another under current in this series, the political race between Paula Bowman (Miranda Frigon) and Pops Parker (Jay Brazeau) it may be playing a part in what will tear the town apart.

With the issue of fracking as part of the show that definitely brings a different element to the arena. That issue may also contribute to the reason the zombies are wreaking havoc on the small town of Mawinhaken, Pennsylvania.

Jay Brazeau as Pops Parker. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

The controversy behind fracking is a delicate one. Yes, it brings jobs to a small town but at what cost? The cost of destroying the planet, destroying your town, and awakening more zombies?

When a protester confronts Paula, Trey (Christopher Russell) and Nicole (Caitlin Stryker) and says that she is evil and goes to pull out something from his jacket, Trey reacts by pulling out a gun and firing a warning shot. It is obvious that Trey is not very bright because the bullet ricochets off the ceiling hitting the protester and killing him. Not an effective way to keep your constituents happy.

It always fascinates me how it tends to be these small towns in rural America that always tend to have these zombie problems or vampire problems or werewolf problems. It is very rarely do we see a big city. That is very indicative of the country itself and how a lot of times the smaller cities are the ones that are ignored, the ones that have the most problems or the ones that need the help the most. Usually with zombies it is easy for them to take out a small town within a matter of days. And I have a feeling that that is going to be happening within the next several episodes that the town will be discovering its hidden secret.

Zombies. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

With the group in the mortuary trying to fight off or keep the zombies at bay, it seems that tempers flare and names are called, and guns are fired, with all of that happening we do not know if the zombies will ever been defeated. There is a mental health condition called Cotard Delusion where the afflicted believe they are a zombie. Although I doubt anything of that nature is happening here, just like all folklore or myths, this one has an actual medical diagnosis. It is interesting how a lot of the horror films that deal with zombies and vampires are rooted in scientific fact or mythical fact.

I found it remarkably interesting that they had showed pictures of the indigenous people that were inhabiting that area before the town settled. Which of course makes me think that with them drilling they may have disturbed some ancient burial ground. Remarkably similar to what happened in Stephen King‘s Pet Sematary.

You have to be incredibly careful with ancient burial grounds. It is very well known throughout history that if you disturb the dead, the dead will come back and either haunt you or indulge on your brains. Throughout history there have been many records of that as well as written and oral tradition throughout the ages.

Logan is duct taped to a chair. Image courtesy SYFY

I am sure that we will see more of the indigenous tribes mentioned in that part of the country. It would not even surprise me if there happened to be a character that came in to help the townsfolk figure out exactly what is going on. Maybe have a story or tale that will tell them what happened in that area or to try to help them fight off the zombies.

Things of course get a little bit wary when Sarah shows up at the drill site after Rhodes (Kevin O’Grady) punched her unconscious. Sarah is found duct taped to a chair at the drill site, worrying about McDermott.

For Rhodes of course time is money, drilling is money, so any time spent not drilling means no money for him or his workers. I am sure anytime Logan shows up in the series, it means that money is more important than the workers.

McDermott fights the zombie. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

With the zombie in the drill shaft and the ones in the mortuary coming back to life, it is no doubt that things are about to get unsure. As Dale succumbs to two of the zombies the rest of the gang led by Lauren and Cam find themselves debating politics as the zombies are coming through a side entrance.

While Lauren makes the point that they should abandon the rest of the group because “who brings a gun to a funeral,” Cam argues the point of telling her that “these are people victims of a political system, that preys on their prejudices” bringing up how corporations are the ones that cause them the pain.

It is very telling that a lot of these small towns seemed to come off as white trash. Instead of thinking that just because it is a small town does not mean that the citizens themselves are not educated. I have a feeling that the writers are definitely going to be infusing political issues into the show from a mayor that is pro-gun carry to big corporations inching out the little guy.

Kristy Dawn Dinsmore as Amy, Dejan Loyola as Jai. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

Zombies could also be a metaphor for what happens when corporations do take over.

When everyone becomes the same, or when we become sheep to a certain extent, that is all we want to do is consume, consume, consume.

This is exactly what the zombies, victims of the evil corporations do, consume.

If you think about it, they feed off of the fear, they feed off of the seven deadly sins.

It is interesting to see how the writers will maneuver through the seven deadly sins.

It will also be interesting as well as to how the creators, writers, and directors will portray the big corporation as the “Day of the Dead” series continues in season one.

Garry Chalk as Herb. Image courtesy SYFY

With Amy (Kristy Dawn Dinsmore) and Jai’s (Dejan Loyola) wedding on temporary hold, and with Garry Chalk as a guest star, things take an interesting turn.

Next Amy’s father Herb (Garry Chalk), chats with Jai as they are playing golf, mere hours from the wedding.

Herb informs him that he may not retire like he thought he was going to do.

Instead, Herb hands Jai a prenuptial legal agreement!

Once again, the subject of money, status, and greed comes into play here.

Miranda Frigon as Mayor Bowman. Image by Sergei Bachlakov DOTD S1 Productions, courtesy SYFY

Toward the end of the episode is where the real meat of the series comes into focus. Luke Bowman (Daniel Doheny) is telling his friend Trent (Trezzo Mahoro) about the legend surrounding the lake.

The mystery surrounding the lake and the Enfield family that refused to leave even when everything around them was changing, makes me think that again the folklore of small towns and the brutal history of how the majority of them came about will play into this series as well.

With the close of the episode leaving us with a quick glimpse of something in the lake and happenings at the senior facility, we are stunned to learn that Pop Parker is threatening to expose Mayor Bowman!

I have a feeling that things are about to get very zombie.

We include a sneak peek of episode three “The Grey Mile” below for your enjoyment.

Well, my friends, I hope you enjoyed this episode. Stay tuned to SYFY in the United States and CTV SciFi in Canada for more zombie fun!
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Thanks to Kenn for video and image embedding for my feature article and many thanks to you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. We will be back soon with more analysis about new television series, movies and conventions on our screens this year and beyond!

Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story.

See You on The Other Side!

Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
October 22, 2021
New Series The Outsider HBO – Murder In a Small Town!
Welcome back WormholeRiders and Stephen King Lovers!

The Outsider images courtesy HBO

When you hear the name Stephen King a few words come to mind, master of horror, Maine, The Shining, Salem’s Lot, The Stand, and the hit SYFY series Haven based upon The Colorado Kid! These are just a few of the classic novels he has written over the decades. Another one to add to that growing list is The Outsider, a new show on HBO set in a small town with a BIG problem.

The problem? A brutal murder, the other problem, well where do I start. Richard Price, the genius behind that groundbreaking show called The Wire is the show’s creator. Price’s resume is a virtual goldmine of excellence in television, in addition to The Wire, he also wrote the screenplay for The Color of Money and Sea of Love.
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Click to visit and follow Stephen King on Twitter

Stephen King also wrote the novel The Wanderers, which was made into a movie by Philip Kaufman and is a HUGE favorite of mine.

Stephen King said he prefers writing novels because “I prefer to write novels because, well, I’m a novelist. I feel like an artist when I’m writing a novel, when I’m working on a screenplay I feel like a craftsman.”

Either way the master of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural still gives us fantastic content that we the viewer devour happily, now with The Outsider that has just completed it’s first blockbuster season!

The Outsider cast in action, Cynthia Erivo, Marc Menchaca, Yul Vazquez, Ben Mendelsohn

That is the beauty of this series, it presents this scenario and you think, well, that is straight forward, a murder in a small town, how classic can you get, right? Not so simple, it is Stephen King after all.

Let us start with the cast, a stellar list of fantastic actors. Jason Bateman (Ozark), Ben Mendelsohn, Mare Winningham (The Affair), Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order True Crime) Oscar Nominee Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Bill Camp (The Leftovers) and Yul Vazquez (Narcos: Mexico). Some big names with great acting chops, that always helps when watching a series of this magnitude.

Terry Maitland portrayed by Jason Bateman

Bateman is great as Terry Maitland, the father and upstanding citizen who gets accused of this brutal murder. He also steps into the director’s chair, directing the first two episodes.

I must say as a fellow director, Bateman does a great job, he keeps the viewer engaged and the story moving along well. The cinematography is well done, too. The way that it is shot lends itself well to the story. It almost seems like you are watching an episode of Forensic Files.

This is not your typical Stephen King story, it has monsters, but not the kind you normally see in his novels. This one is seen, but unseen as well. I do not want to give away too much, the series is too good to spoil any more than I already have (sort-of). You must watch it to really appreciate it and understand where I am coming from.

Ralph Anderson portrayed by Ben Mendelsohn

Ben Mendelsohn is fantastic as the Sheriff of this small town that now must solve the murder that he never thought would happen in his little hamlet. The subtly of his character, the way that Mendelsohn plays him with a piece missing is evident. We learn early on that he and his wife (Mare Winningham) lost their son at a young age.

Neither one has really dealt with the loss as you can tell by the way they are around each other. Mendelsohn has an impressive resume, being from Australia, I expected nothing less.

You may have seen him in Neighbours (pretty much every Australian actor gets their start on that show), The Year My Voice Broke, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Bloodline and Robin Hood as the Sheriff of Nottingham. No stranger to leading roles, he takes the role of Ralph Anderson seriously with wonderful muted colors. He is an everyman, a neighbor, co-worker, regular guy. He is one to watch for sure as he tries to figure out this mystery going on in his town.

Glory Maitland portrayed by Julianne Nicholson

Forget everything you know or think you know about cop shows. This is not one that you have seen before. There are things seen and unseen that are at work in this story. Let me repeat that, there are things seen and unseen. Your beliefs will be tested for sure as are the beliefs of the characters in this series. To me this is another reason to love this series, it deals with a subject that is both controversial and shrouded in mystery at the same time.

The Outsider evil entity

There is an entity that has taken up residence in town. Now, you may think, what in the fresh hell am I talking about? Throughout recorded history there have been dark forces at work, whether you choose to believe that or not is your choice, but in certain cultures, more than others, those dark forces exist and have been interfering with people for centuries. Every culture with written language has, through the ages, recorded their demons both real and fictional. Dark arts and dark forces are part of everyday life, it is what you choose to believe that helps this story come to fruition.

Good and evil are parts of all our lives, energy is part of that, too. If you choose negative energy, then it becomes a part of you if you do not well then you may be immune. Figuring out how and why that happens is the focus of the show.

Holly Gibney portrayed by Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo is perfect as Holly Gibney who is a savant who gets recruited into helping the police figure out why this is happening. Her character is so out of place among the men in the department that the awkward nature of the interactions is felt by the viewer.

She is the one that works out what happens and why. It is great to watch how her character changes throughout the series and the more she lets her guard down the more things fall into place.

Jeannie Anderson portrayed by Mare Winningham

Mare Winningham is Jeannie Anderson, Ralph’s wife of many years and the voice of reason and devil’s advocate if you will. She is the one that does not have blinders on, in fact she is the one that forces the men in the sheriff’s department to listen. She is the one that not only tells them to listen to Holly and all she is saying but has firsthand knowledge of what Holly is speaking of. Jeannie is one of the ones that has “seen” the entity in its human form. It is a creepy scene and well done with the suspense and the uneasy feeling you get as you watch the scene unfold. I have always liked Mare, I remember her from St. Elmo’s Fire as the dowdy Wendy Beamish the shy, virginal, levelheaded friend of the group who was in love with Rob Lowe’s Billy Hicks character.

Howard Salomon portrayed by Bill Camp

As the series progresses and more and more information are uncovered about what has been happening the more, we figure out that this all has a pattern. That this was not just a random thing, that all the people who are infected are connected.

Through happenstance, coincidence or maybe deliberate by the dark forces, the entity’s presence becomes clearer the deeper you delve into how it became part of the everyday lives of the townspeople.

As the sheriff and the other men involved with the case slowly start to believe, the series gets more intense. The stranger the better, the more mysterious the better. Stephen King is a master at these kinds of situations, it is what he has done throughout his career. How many times have you watched a Stephen King movie or read a book of his and you were riveted and at the edge of your seat?

Yunis Sablo portrayed by Yul Vazquez

If you love suspense, drama, and beautifully written shows, then I highly recommend this series to you. I will not say any more about what happens for the characters to defeat their foe, just watch the series. HBO has always been on the forefront of groundbreaking television, and this is part of that.

I do have to say a couple of things about the series before I end. With only 10 episodes binge watching will come easy over a few days.

Steven Luros Holliday’s El Cuco Art

My recommendation is when you finally do watch the series, on episode 10, PLEASE watch it all the way through the credits and then about a minute or so after the credits end. Trust me on this, it will be well worth it.

That kind of thing, the Easter eggs at the end of the last episode seems to be happening more and more. It helps set up the series for a second season of which I am looking forward to.

Thank you, my friends, for indulging me in this summary of the new series that is a must watch on HBO. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. And thanks to Kenn for video embedding and additional images for my report. I will be back next season for more on The Outsider about the supernatural adventures at San Diego Comic Con 2022!

Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story.

See You on The Other Side!

Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
April 22, 2020
Fringe: Review “Liberty”… The Fight for the Universe!
Fringe Fans…it has been an amazing journey, these five years of our beloved show.

I have a confession to make; I have tried to prolong these reviews as long as possible so I can keep the show alive. In my heart I never want it to end, but alas as with all great things it must eventually come to an end.

I am glad that the producers (mainly Joel) decided to break up the last two episodes into two separate ones. It makes it easier on this reviewer to be able to ease into the ending better.

Joel Wyman has often said time and time again that this show is about a family and with these last two episodes that has never been truer than now.

I suspect though that he was not only talking about the on screen family, but the off screen one as well. There are parts in both episodes where that is shown to its fullest extent.

I hope that you will forgive me if I get a little emotional when writing these reviews. This show has changed my life (and I suspect that I am not alone in that) in ways that I cannot describe.

It has given me faith again in television as a medium that can move people and can unite fans worldwide. It has restored my faith in quality writing, acting and directing, it has breathed new life into the sci-fi genre that has lost a little bit of luster.
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Liberty:

Now on with the show….I like the opening and how the desperation and urgency of the situation is felt throughout the scene. There is always great banter between Walter (John Noble), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Olivia (Anna Torv) when they tend to get into their rhythm together.

It is always a treat because mostly Peter and Olivia are trying to decipher what Walter is saying. I love that Broyles (Lance Reddick) is still very much a part of their plan and that he is almost the shadow that moves between both worlds.

I love that he calls himself the Raven instead of Dove, which reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe and his most famous poem “The Raven”. The raven has always been a mysterious symbol as well; it has been steeped in mythology for such long time. It is very fitting that Broyles make that comment.

The scene with Windmark (Michael Kopsa) and Michael (Rowan Longworth) are great. It looks as if Michael has a slight smirk on his face, as if he almost pities Windmark in his attempt to extract information from him.

I love that Michael gives Windmark a taste of his own medicine, that he shows Windmark what it must have felt like to have been Walter or Hastings when they were both in the chair and being questioned by him.

“Liberty” features two very gifted guest stars that many science fiction fans will certainly recognize and we have covered at entertainment conventions.

The first is Peter Flemming, well known for his roles in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. A veteran character actor, Flemming portrays an Observer Loyalist Lieutenant who reveals the detention location of Child Observer Michael’s unwittingly after Agent Broyles trickd him into thinking he is to provide an extra security detail at Liberty Island.

That boy is strong, yes he is an anomaly, and he is the one thing that will ultimately be the downfall of the Observers. Michael Kopsa is as always great as Windmark, you are almost cheering at how he gets frustrated to an extent that he cannot break Michael.

I love how the answers to Windmark’s questions just bounce back at him, it makes it that much sweeter when you know that Michael is the clear winner in that ‘battle’. It makes me giggle to know that Windmark has been bested by a child. I find it interesting that he refers to Michael as “it” just as Walter did in a previous episode.

Where Michael is being held seems like a fortress as the team stated, but as Peter quickly pointed out no building is impenetrable. The plan that arises from the desperation is one that this viewer was happy to hear.

Leave it to Olivia (Anna Torv) to come up with the plan to save Michael. It has always been her ability to see the other side that has given the team its advantage. Only with the bridge closed how would they accomplish this, is the million dollar question? Only one answer…cortexiphan.

It seems that Fringe has harkened back again to old school, which I love. It brings back parts of the past episodes that have always been my favorites. Seeing the cortexiphan, brought back all the memories of Olivia entering the tank and all the amazing things she could do with it running through her system.

Olivia was always unstoppable, not even a bullet (well, at least without Walter’s quick thinking) could stop her. Once she triggered it, stand back because she was not afraid to use it and use it fiercely.

A lot of fans were a bit frustrated with the lack of kick ass Olivia in this season, but when she did finally show that side of her again, it was great.

Anna has always had the capacity to channel that rage into action and power. Just watch her body language when she is amped on cortexiphan, it is like she was a whole person again.

Peter’s concern about the effects that the cortexiphan would have on Olivia is palpable. Olivia knows that he is worried, so is she, she knows that without Michael the plan is lost.

The second Stargate guest star making an appearance is the talented Peter Kelamis from Stargate Universe portraying Doctor”Tobin”. Tobin is called in to oversee the cortexiphan treatments given to Olivia in the lab warning she could be killed in the process if the dosage is too high. Naturally Walter overrides Tobin’s guidance and injects more cortexiphan into Olivia.

I love that Olivia reminds him that Etta died so that they could finish the plan, “both feet in, that’s what we said”. His comment of “What if I lose you, too” is so lovely, it is filled with such love that it almost stops the scene. Josh again shows his talent, his eyes reveal his pain at the thought of potentially losing her, too. She and Walter are all Peter has left, they are all the family he will ever have, now that Etta (Georgina Haig) is gone.

The points that Peter make about the Alt-universe and what if things are not where they remember and what happens if…are all valid and add fuel to his argument of why Olivia should not cross over. All good points, but Astrid (Jasika Nicole) is smart enough to figure out just how to solve that dilemma.

Walter and his brilliant inventions, it is because of that window that this whole mess started, but it is also the solution. Of course it doesn’t stop Walter from using yet another one of the wonderful (I will miss them) incarnations of Astrid’s name.

Seeing Michael in the chair and getting a paralytic is frightening. It is such a telltale about what Nina (Blair Brown) had said in the previous episode about how the Observers are animals. The way that Windmark is still affected by Michael, that he has to leave the room because the blood is still leaking from his nose is almost his comeuppance of sorts. It is almost getting to Windmark and Kopsa is great at just showing a bit of frustration.

The scene when they finally get to Battery Park to find the proper space to set up the window, to me is when the episode shifts. The team has hope again (that word again!) they might just have the chance to pull their plan off.

It is great to see Donald/September (Michael Cerveris) again. He has always had a wonderful part in the Fringe family as a somewhat outsider, but now that we know what really happened and the purpose he always served it makes his role in the ‘family’ a whole lot better.

I like that we get to see Donald constructing the device that will help him travel to the future with Michael. His careful planning and precise details would make Walter proud if he were there helping him.

It made me giggle, though because I could not help but think of that brilliant show (and one of Josh’s obsessions) Breaking Bad, on AMC. With Donald blending all the elements together, it just was hilarious, because it reminded me of the “cooking” that goes on when making meth.

One of my favorite scenes (and there are a few in this episode) is when the gang head underground to help ready Olivia for the cortexiphan. It is an intense scene between all the main characters, you can feel the tension in the air, it practically oozes off the screen. Josh and Anna are fantastic in this scene, the care that Peter shows is perfect and the pain that Olivia goes through is visceral.

When Peter is attaching the pads to Olivia’s chest, you hear her whisper to him “I’m okay”. It is such a sweet moment, because she knows him and what he is thinking without even saying it. Again, Anna and Josh are the epitome of brilliant.

Watching Anna take each and every “shot” of cortexiphan was torture, but that was the point. You felt her pain, every shift or change of her body you could feel. Every time I saw the needle go into her neck it made me cringe. It was a perfectly constructed scene.

That scene must have been so physically exhausting for her and everyone involved. Those scenes are never easy for actors to do, but I applaud her for being the trooper and barreling through it like the pro she is.

One of my favorite things about this scene is Walter (John Noble). The ability that John has to turn his megalomania on and off at the drop of a hat is proof of his immense talent. His comment about the fact that he knows about cortexiphan and the effects is hilarious, but also a bit scary. That part of himself that he has been desperately trying not to have resurface does at times. Too bad Nina (Blair Brown) is not around to rein him in.

“Sacrifice is hard, son, but you are no stranger to it,” is such a great line that Walter says to Peter. It has so much meaning, especially in the finale episode. It is basically a huge foreshadowing of what is to come and also a nod to the past and what Peter has lost in every time line.

“Neither are you dad,” Peter answers him, and knows that Walter can relate in so many more ways than he could possibly imagine. The times that Peter calls Walter dad are few but when they do happen, it makes my heart swell. It is such a beautiful moment between these two men and it shows all over John’s face.

I love that the images that are present in Olivia’s cortexiphan laden brain are of little Etta (Abagayle Hardwick) and the short time they had together. The fact that there is hope (that darned word) of them getting her back is one of the reasons, dare I say the ONLY reason that Olivia is doing what she is doing. The notion that she will have not only her “perfect little soul” back, but her husband and her life back is the best incentive ever.

The light in her eyes comment is funny. It gives Anna a chance to be snarky with Walter for once. It is also a tender scene with John and Anna embraces it wonderfully. Those two actors are always incredible in their scenes together. When you have two powerhouses going head to head it makes watching the scenes a whole lot better.

The moments of Peter saying goodbye to Olivia before she goes to the Alt-universe are beautiful. You can see in Josh’s body the worry and fear that is running through Peter.

He does a great job of manifesting it and showing it through his eyes. I have always said that Josh is great at revealing his emotions through his eyes and in this scene there is no doubt. The “I love yous” are just perfection. I guarantee every Polivia fan was squealing with joy.

Hello Alt-universe! Hello Bolivia, damn she still looks great for being 50 years old. I am so happy that Lincoln (Seth Gabel)and Bolivia got married and have a son. I was a little confused by that since we all know that she had VPE and nearly died giving birth to Henry in the episode Bloodline. Maybe things changed or they found a cure, but nonetheless it is amazing. Seth Gabel aged well…it is so great to see him again, too. I love that the producers are bringing back cast members from the past.

Am I the only one that got choked up and teary eyed when both Olivia’s hugged? I don’t know why it was such an emotionally powerful scene for me. Maybe it was because of the now friendship that they had developed despite the history that we the fans know has been a part of their past. It is as if they are long lost sisters seeing each other again, Anna does an exceptional job, as she always does when playing both versions of Olivia.

It is a little sad to see her reaction to the picture Bolivia has on her desk, it is a reminder of what she once had with Peter and Etta and will hopefully have again…if all goes as planned.

I was a little confused about how Bolivia knew about Etta and the fact that she was missing. I think there were a few scenes that may have been left out and that we will hopefully see on the DVD. I know that on twitter there were folks that had said that Bolivia and Lincoln’s son name was Trevor and that there was a scene that was shot but not shown. On well, let’s hope we get those in the DVD.

I also love the fact that the cortexiphan is affecting Olivia as she sees her little girl again at three years old standing in Bolivia’s office. It is such a jarring sight, but great to see Anna’s reaction to it.

The scene with Windmark and his superior in 2609 is great. That room is so stark; it is quite disturbing because it reminds me of a mental institution and the sterilization of what that represents. The baffling quandary of Michael and his advanced intellect is causing great concern for Windmark. He cannot accept the fact that Michael is far greater a threat than he could ever imagine.

That Michael may be the cause of their downfall. I think that even though Windmark doesn’t say it he feels it and knows it somewhere in that Observer brain of his. “There is no greater danger than that which is unknown” as Windmark states, which has been a running theme in Fringe since the beginning of the show…the unknown.

Talking about Michael like he is a thing is disturbing, asking that he be “disassembled and preserve the parts” is so creepy it sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel.

Olivia’s scene with Lincoln is great, I love that there is still a little reminder of the decision that she chose Peter over him; but that she is glad to see he has a wonderful family.

Seth is great at that tension and he shows it well, but I think he will always love Olivia, but differently now. Bolivia’s comment about “her young ass” is funny and so cute to see Lincoln react, they are completely in love and it is beautiful.

Now comes the kick ass Olivia that we all know and love and have missed (some fans have) dearly.

When she arrives again, she is clearly disoriented and keeps seeing things. Her hallucinations are some of the things that Walter warned about and Olivia has to be extra careful and know which ones are real and which ones are not.

Michael being wheeled to an examination room is eerily reminiscent of what happened to Olivia in the Entrada episode when Walternate wanted to vivisect her to see how her brain and the cortexiphan work. It is very interesting that Olivia was considered an anomaly to Walternate, a threat as well and look at what happened to her and how the show has almost come full circle again.

Olivia becomes her bad ass self as she roams through the halls looking for Michael, anybody that gets in her way gets taken out. You can clearly see the desperation and urgency in Olivia’s body as she races against time (literally) to get Michael and herself back where they belong. Anna is always at her best when she is in her kick ass mode; she has that confidence and swagger that has always made her great to watch as any incarnation of herself.

Rampaging through the hallway she fades in and out again, but after encountering an Observer and besting him, she charges toward her goal and finds Michael. The little smile that Michael has on his face when he sees her is sweet.

Just because he does not speak does not mean that he does not feel or comprehend what is going on. The contrary is the case with Michael; he is more in tune with everything and everybody that he is beyond feeling.

When Olivia and Michael make their way to escape and are caught by the Observer, you think they are done for until the team of Dunham and Lee open fire in a carefully choreographed synchronicity that you are cheering for them.

The last scene with both Olivia’s is bittersweet, again we say goodbye to the Alt-universe, we say goodbye to a part of Fringe that has always been a weird little part of the family.

Without it we would not have our beloved show, love it or hate it but know that it will forever be our Red verse! Goodbye old friend you will be missed.

Anna once again does what she does best; she is perfection as she bids herself a farewell. I love Bolivia’s retort to Olivia’s statement of “You have a beautiful family” and she says “Thank you, go save yours”…watching it again I am getting teary eyed.

It is a beautiful scene between two characters (albeit the same actress) that shows just how much each has grown over the course of the five years and the different timelines. They are not so different after all. Anna’s talent is one of the things I will most definitely miss on TV, she is a rare gem.

Arriving back with the team everybody breathes a sigh of relief, especially Peter. He has her back in one piece and he is glad. But the fight is not over as Olivia mentions that the Observers know she crossed over.

The scene in the van when Peter and Olivia have their moment together it is so…perfect. There is really no other word to describe that scene, a photo of that scene was leaked on twitter and of course it set the fandom on fire. Now we know the context of what is was and are very happy about it.

Windmark sitting at his desk as he asks the officer about how Michael disappeared is creepy. When he rats out Broyles you want to just scream, because that is very bad. But we all know that Broyles can most certainly handle himself..

It is so great to have the episode end with Donald going to see an old “friend”…December (Eugene Lipinski). I always liked his character, because he was always giving September the benefit of the doubt. He had a soft spot, so to speak, for the plight of September and the “family” he made himself a part of. The producers did a nice job of keeping that a secret too, I like how they are bringing back some of our favorite characters.

Watching that scene again floored me, here’s why, I was so excited about seeing December again that I completely missed what September said to him. When I did watch it again and September said “Walter Bishop is back and we have the boy,” makes me think that this was always planned. That what happened has happened and that the timeline needed to get reset again on order for things to be as they were. It was a HUGE HUGE HUGE revelation and one that segues perfectly into the next episode. That last shot of the door closing revealing 513 was pure genius.

Well, that is the end of this review of the second to last episode of Fringe ever. I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did and used enough Kleenex to warrant opening another box. I would love to hear your comments and remember Fringe is and always will live on …forever!

I hope you enjoyed my review and my previous news articles about my analysis of Fringe and I thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

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Until next time,

Regards,

Lori
February 3, 2013

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