Here’s the FringeBloggers clues and eastereggs for 1.19 “The Road Not Taken“.
What Don’t We Do?
Massive Dynamic visual reference. Not hard to spot, although kind of ironic seeing as Susan Pratt was to spend her last moments on a bus covered in a Massive Dynamic ad.
Star Trek
The star from the previous episode may well be the clue for this episode – the star foreshadowing the Star Trek reference (inset). Although I would say that the main clue was the news report which featured a “mysterious fire” announcement.
Cliff Howard (the conspiracy guy) also featured on an early episode of Star Trek The Original Series.
She’s No Pratt
Here is a list of the books from the bookshelf at Susan Pratt’s apartment with short descriptions where possible:
– This controversial book claims that flying saucers not only exist, but that they are the vehicles of a super-race that lives in a huge, underground world whose entrance is in the earth’s North Pole.
(1953) – “A science fiction novel by Sir Arthur C. Clarke, dealing with the role of Mind in the cosmos and the plausible implications of that role for the evolution of the human race.” [more]
- Karleen Koen: “A bride at fifteen, widowed at the tender age of twenty, Barbara, Countess Devane, embarks for colonial Virginia financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances”
(2008) – Solon Timothy Woodward: “Inspired by Carl Hiaasen and Victor D. LaValle in equal measure, Solon Timothy Woodward mines the nether regions of Florida in search of high drama and raucous comedy. Full of sex, death, and humor, this bawdy, brilliant debut introduces us to three generations of a family in the boisterous, unholy, uncompromising landscape that is the South of today.”Most of the books can be argued to hint at possible themes or offer ironic subtext for “Fringe”. The one that sticks out to me is Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End”. Whilst Fringe wont copy the novel, some of the its themes are already part of the Fringe mythology. “Dear Audience” and “The Peter Description” are also cute references, although for their titles more than anything. “The Hollow Earth” is another book that jumps out at me, as we’ve had plenty of references to the underground and inner child’s. “A Biographers Tale” could be a reference to the ZFT manifesto, “The Power Elite” could refer to Massive Dynamic and corporate might, “Face To Face” could allude to the episode where Olivia met Jones, or indeed the unveiling of Dr. William Bell.
All open for interpretation of course, but if I was to take one away as holding the most significance it would be the Arthur C. Clarke novel.
Charmander
Susan Pratt’s charred bathroom is similar to the VHS footage with young Olivie after the “incident”. More evidence that Olive had fire-starter abilities, perhaps? Although if this is the case, it would seem that Olive was able to control her spark from a young age as the area immediately around the youngster (inset) is unscathed.
He Is Here
The words “He Is Here” can be seen on the building during one of Olivia’s glimpses into her alternate reality. This could allude to the popular idea that William Bell has been travelling to parallel realities or worlds – as in, “He (William Bell) Is Here“.
Scar Face
There have been a plenty of scar’s surfacing recently – first there was Peter’s reference to Roadblock’s scar being on the “other side”, we also had the child Observer, then Nick Lane and now alter-reality Charlie. I think these scars are just a visual way of alluding to the multiple reality theme that runs throughout the show.
Wall Of Harris
Photos and documents on Harris’ wall at the hideout. Clearly this arm of ZFT have been following Pattern-events (some of which are their own) and Fringe Division investigations from the get-go.
Observing The Observer
No prizes for guessing where the Observer showed up in this episode.
Inner Observer
Walter leaving the Lab with the Observer reminded me of the scene from “Inner Child”, when The Child left with the doctor. Not sure if this was just a nice visual touch or if it holds great significance. Could the child be adult Observer in some kind of time paradox?
The strays
- Susan Pratt had a wardrobe of ‘gray and black clothes’, Ala the other Cortexiphan Kids, Nick and Olivia.
- There’s was a light box in the room where Nancy Lewis was being held by Harris – the same test that Jones made Olivia take in “Ability”. The light box is test 1 of 10. Together the tests appear to measure how ‘ready’ a soldier is.
- Here are screenshots of the ZFT manuscript page that Walter was reading.
- Walter is seen holding a Slusho.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Clint Howard (Opie’s little bro) just celebrated the big 5-0h a couple weeks ago, but his TV/Film resume goes back about 46 of those years. So far back, in fact, that he appeared in such relics as “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza” and, of course, his own series, “Gentle Ben”.
According to IMDB, his 46 years in TV and film equal the careers of Anna Torv (7yrs), Joshua Jackson (18yrs) and John Noble (21yrs) combined.
Live long and prosper, Clint!
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Yikes, that’s a lot of experience.
It’s also interesting to see that Noble only has a few years acting experience on Jackson.
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THERE IS ANOTHER, IN THE ROOM WHERE SUSAN PRATT IS CAPTIVE, THERE IS A “LIGHT GAME”, LIKE THE ONE OLIVIA AS TO TURN OFF WITH HER MIND IN A PAST CHAPTER
SORRY ABOUT MY ENGLISH
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Yep, I didn’t bother include a screencap of it, but I did put it in the “strays” section at the bottom of the post.
Thanks anyway!
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is nancy, not susan
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Could the Slusho metaphorically represent the “Red pill” of matrix renown, which Walter takes and then Morpheus aka the Observer shows up to take him further down the rabbit hole to another alterverse? Or was the observer simply come to the yellowverse to reclaim the blueverse’s Walter, whom we’ve gotten to know all during season 1? Could alter-Walter simply be returning to his verse of origin?
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Some interesting speculation there – I’m sure there’s some truth in there somewhere. Whilst I don’t think the Matrix metaphor is intentional on the part of the writers, I would agree that the Observer has taken Walter back down the ‘rabbit hole’, so to speak, either to another (original?) verse, as you say..or to another point in ‘time’. Both are possibilities viable, I think.
Ultimately, I that this will probably have ramifications for Peter, as well as the wider picture.
Can’t wait for the finale!
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Does anyone know what is written on the bottom of the table in Susan Pratt’s apartment? When Olivia and Peter go in it soon cuts to a shot of the living room and it looks like theres writing on the upturned table.
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Did you see that on Harris wall there is, just next Liv’s picture, a DOJ file on Samantha Gilmore, which is the name of the first Artist victim in Inner Child. What is she doing on a Cortexiphan Kids/ZFT wall? Was she a cortexiphan kid? Did the Artist targeted them, or is it just a naming coincidence?
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