Grade: A-
With only the most hardcore of fans left watching
Fringe it is no surprise that a daring risk like
”Letters of Transit” would be taken transporting the viewer to 2036 with a dystopian future ruled by the Observers & a feeble Fringe team left to police the remaining human population known as “Natives.” Unlike the series previous journey into the future with Peter, by way of the Wave Sink Device, there is no point of reference on why there has been a leap into the future. Even without that notice,
Fringe pulls off one of its most daring episodes to date.
As this futuristic world is revealed trough a title card & well placed exposition it is clear that things have not ended well for the original Fringe team & humanity as a whole. Earth is now ruled by the Observers who began a mass siege in 2015 & killed off much of humanity during an event known as “The Purge.” What little of humanity remained became known as “Natives” who are subservient to the needs & whims of the ruling Observer population & kept in place by the remaining & feeble Fringe division. Two members of the team, Simon Foster & Etta Bishop, remain steadfast to releasing humanity from the grip of the Observers. With the discovery of Walter, who is encased in amber, a race begins to free him & help restore his damaged memory from being so close to the event horizon of the amber blast.
The journey that
Fringe takes in
”Letters of Transit” is fast paced enough to help ease the jarring drop into the future. From clever dialogue & references dropped by Walter toward the totalitarian society it’s easy to become enthralled & deeply wrapped up in the episode. As they journey into what was once Manhattan, which is now Observer central, we see characters like Broyles, still head of Fringe Division, appear as subservient to the Observers & Nina Sharp, still heading the basically defunct Massive Dynamic, who aids the team in restoring Walters memory. By the last third of the episode Walter is restored to that confident, focused, & somewhat scary self seen for just a glimpse early on in season 2’s
”Grey Matters”, the destruction of Massive Dynamic due to an anti-matter bomb, & the journey to rescue the remaining original Fringe team.
Henry Ian Cusick, Desmond from
Lost, & Georgina Haig both fit in perfectly in their respective roles of Simon Foster & Etta Bishop. As well, John Noble & his returning take toward the more focused Walter are a delight to see. His transition’s contrast is highlighted by his early on interaction with Nina Sharp, Blair Brown, & his hilarious retaliation toward the control of the loyalists & Observers by spouting off
Star Wars lines &
The Prisoner references. The setup of
”Letters of Transit”, though incredibly risky, are a great push for things to come toward the end of the season for the Fringe team. In an episode that leaves you wanting more it is going to be a delight to see where everything & everyone end up.
