Fringe is quickly becoming the show I can’t miss. After stumbling to find its way, this week’s episode finally encompassed comedy, suspense, and a little bit of what the? I mean, how can you not have all these aspects when there is a giant tiger/snake/scorpion running loose around Boston?
Some MIT kids are fighting for animal’s rights and they decide to free the animals from a certain facility. This would all be fine and dandy if they would just stick to the monkeys and stuff. One of the kids, though, had to go and follow this red light, unlock two steel doors and let out this monster. Of course, the alarm went off and the guy who created the thing came speeding into the building but it was too late. The monster got him and the stupid kid who freed it. The other three run for their lives but this thing is super speedy and catches up to them while they’re driving. Five dead people and no one has any idea what Boston is up against.
Naturally, when the kids in the car are found, Olivia and the Bishop boys are put on the case. Looking at the three bodies, you can see giant claw and fang marks. Walter and Peter say it looks like some crazy transgenetic animal and Walter kind of freezes up. He’s an odd guy, though, so no one really notices. Back at the lab, Walter discovers what looks like a stinger in one of the bodies. While he is trying to figure out what could have done this, Olivia is taking the proactive approach and visiting MIT.
She finds one kid’s frat house and one of his brothers spills that the dead one was an animal activist. So now all she has to do is track down a facility nearby that test on animals. Astrid finds the closest option but when Olivia starts asking questions, the guy who owns it, Dr. Swift, tells her she needs a warrant. After all, he’s testing lots of products and there could be trade secret issues. Yeah, sure, doc. You’re only looking out for the interest of your clients, I’m sure.
Olivia is stuck but the boys caught, well, not so much a break, but another issue. The body that had the stinger in it bust open with worms. Not maggots but larvae of the monster. Seriously gross and I can honestly say, I would definitely pull an Astrid and vomit if I ever saw that. Now they know, though, why the monster isn’t eating everybody. It’s mating. Lovely.
A call comes in from two animal control guys and Olivia and Francis rush to check it out. Francis gets there first and for some unknown and stupid reason, he enters the woods where the monster was spotted all alone. I know. The thing attacks him and he scares it with some shots but not before it stings him and gives him a nasty gash on his chest. And now poor Charlie is pregnant. That wouldn’t be an awkward conversation with the wife at all, huh? I guess that’s why he doesn’t tell her that part just that he’s needed on a case.
Now that Charlie’s life is on the line, everyone buckles down. The only way to save him is to inject him with blood from the beast. Walter tells Peter about his experiment with transgenetics and actually seems broken up about creating this monster. Who knew Peter’s rant about caring about other people would stick? Olivia goes back to MIT where she learns the final kid’s name and it ended with Swift. Now she can confront the good doctor again about what he knows. Turns out the Swift was working on creating this beast for years with another guy, a leader in genetics that Walter has heard of. Guess it wasn’t his fault after all. Since swift confessed, they were able to find out that the key ingredient in this animal concoction is bat. They figure the only way to find the creature is to lure it out with bait. The only thing the creature wants more than to mate is to keep its young safe (that’s the bat part).
Peter, Olivia, and Walter head to the sewers, where the things been hiding, and pick a central location to put the larvae. Then they sit. Naturally, Walter has to “tinkle” and so he wanders a little in front of the other two. Then he locks them in and says he’s going to save Charlie. It could have been his monster and he feels responsible. He finds the monster just when Peter and Olivia break through the gate. The monster is distracted by the noise and just then, Walter shoots it dead. That’s seriously the most sane Walter has ever been. The blood works and Charlie is saved, all because of Walter. Well, mostly anyway. I just love when it’s the one who is always a liability that finally comes through.
Yup, looks like I’ll definitely be tuning in every Tuesday now that the sci-fi has merged with a good reality. Ew, except for the whole Peter and Olivia’s sister being friends and kind of flirting thing. That’s just gross. At least we were then able to see a little bit of jealousy on Olivia’s part but still, gross. I think I’d take the larvae over Peter and the sister any day.
