The One Less Travelled By – Some Thoughts On 1.19

The Road Not Taken. Wait. Haven’t we been here before? This episode certainly added weight to a few of the theories I’ve been kicking around. I thought I did a pretty good job with my M&M-themed approach, but  nothing beats the old mad scientist and chalk board to illustrate the message! Walter, I am so not worthy. If Astrid ever flies the nest, you know where I am.

But it is another theory that was also given more supporting evidence in this latest episode — my “Observer Quantum Theory” (part 1, part 2). Just for context, in that theory I speculated that the act of observing changes reality:

In other words, every outcome is possible, until conscious observation creates it into perceived reality.

Imagine, if you will, a demonstration..an experiment (just like those seen on “Fringe”), with infinite possible outcomes. Only when (and ‘where’) it is observed does one outcome come into being. In this respect, success and failure is quite literally a matter of ‘perspective’. A highly skilled and conscious ‘observer’ could, in effect, control any experiment.

I went on to speculate further:

So, I believe that the Observer is not necessarily from another time (although do believe that to be possible), but moreover, he is from another dimension..or universe. I am not talking about aliens here, I am talking about a world (possibly multiple) that exist within our own world. Invisible dimensions which are just out of our conscious perspective -- dimensions which may be tiny (as the above video illustrates), but in actual fact are just as large as our own.
If the Observer is from one of these dimensions, then it would make him neither time-traveller or alien..but rather a human who is from a different ‘pocket’ of observed reality. A world that is linked to ours by the unconscious, a world that has taken different paths than ours due to subtle and large changes in their reality. Their technology is more advanced than ours because they have observed different realities which have influenced these changes -- which brings us back to one of the underlying principles of this theory, “Observation Changes Reality”.

Olivia, for example, may very well exist in one of these other ‘dimensions’..so might Broyles and Peter and Walter, Oh! Especially Walter! All possibilities are possible

Episode 1.19 gave us just that -- a glimpse into one of these other realities..another possible course of events where counterparts reside. However, just like on “Lost” the ‘constants’ are themselves tallied with ‘variables’. Those variables are the counterparts that I spoke of -- the alter-Broyles, who has a different office arrangement, and the alter-Charlie, who has a scar on his face — for example. These ‘alters’..or variables, have freewill..choice..and it is this individual and collective decision-making that allows for the differences between worlds. Deja Vu being the momentary glimpse, if you will, into one of these other realities.

That said, I don’t believe this is the definitive ‘parallel world’ that we will be seeing in the show. To my mind this was an example of multiple realities created by our own choices. As Walter basically says (and this is something that I do believe myself) — time is not linear..time is merely a construct, a way for us to measure our place in the Universe. “The Road Not Taken” showed us what life might look like if our choices were different. And, because every action presents numerous opportunities, I think it’s right for me to say that time is happening all at once. Of course, this ties back into my Observer Theory — once observed reality changes..it becomes real. In the same way that when Olivia poked her head through to other side (thanks Cortexiphan activation!), it became real to her because she had witnessed it, even though this other path was always there..as are multiple ‘untaken roads’. I thought this episode did a wonderful job of illustrating this concept, which is funny, because to my mind, very similar concepts are currently being explored on my other favourite show. Talk about parallel worlds (with Bad Robot being the ‘Gods’ who kill off annoying characters with fire)!

However, as well as each choice creating a new reality — a giant ball of unseen possibility, if you will, the show will also deal with literal alternate worlds as well. In my opinion, ‘the road not taken’ approach is not limited to our individual choices, but the concept also be expanded backwards to creation itself. The beginning of the Universe(s), be that by God’s benevolent hand, or by a chance reaction. Either way, it’s likely that the show will feature both freewill and fate, with one set of alternate realities being governed by human choice (as touched on in episode 1.19)..and another set by what was written for the Universe -- i.e., the conditions the Universe was created under.

The chances of our Universe being so perfect for life to thrive makes it likely that there are other Universes that also made it past conception. It’s become a fairly common idea now but I maintain that the Observer is from one of these parallel worlds (although I’m weary that the creators could yet be leading us down a wrong path).

Indeed, here’s what I said in my original theory on multiple realities:

Speaking of Little Hill. Could it be that there are multiple Little Hill’s? One in each ‘dimension’? So when Jones’ gets the answer from Olivia and later teleports to ‘Little Hill’, perhaps that’s not the only Little Hill that he is teleporting to -- especially if we consider that the blue lights (present during his teleportation) represent dimensional travel and observation? Perhaps the Little Hill in the Observer’s (speculated) dimension holds more clues and importance than the Little Hill that we were privy to?

My suggestion is that these different dimensions all started off the same -- call it multiple “Big Bangs” or multiple possibilities crafted by God (whatever your preference). Which means that things, people, possibilities in our world, could also exist in these other dimensions, except they would be different. Some things would never have happened, somethings would have happened but undergone relative change.

Here we can see that the road not taken philosophy still stands, but in an expanded sense. The path of one Universe (reality) will differ from that of its sibling or parent Universe because every possibility is possible somewhere..out there. Whilst both ‘the road not taken’ and the ‘roads predetermined’ perspectives can help to explain much in the show, I believe that it is this expanded look at alternate realities that will ultimately underpin the first two seasons at least.

And what of the title of this episode? It was most likely taken from the Robert Frost Poem:

A wonderful poem that no doubt provides encouragement for taking the path ‘less travelled by’. But after pondering for a few, I kinda think that Frost was speaking about regrets..regret in not taking whichever path you decide not to take. Which, is quite ironic, because it would appear that in the poem Frost takes both paths. Just my interpretation, mind.

Back to the episode -- for me, the most intriguing aspect was the Observer’s arrival at Walter’s lab. Not only was it interesting because it seems that this was a pre-St. Claire’s agreement that they had, but because taking everything into account, I wonder..what would life in this reality have been like had the Observer not saved the Bishop boys on that fateful night? Indeed, for so long we’ve been speaking about fate when it comes to the Observer; we know his schedule like clock-work -- if there’s a Pattern-event or a Paula Abdul appearance, he’ll be there. And yet we’ve had to temper this with the knowledge that he seemingly ‘chose’ to save Walter and Peter from the lake of death back in the early 80′s.

But then in this context, what is freewill and fate -- if the outcome isn’t pleasing, you can just tap in to the giant reservoir of possibility and experience another path! After all, Walter, how far would you go for someone that you love?

Further to that, I recently speculated that Walter’s 17 year incarceration may have been predetermined..engineered by an outside agent or by Walter himself. After this episode I am even more certain of this. The Observer coming to collect Walter was surely at Walter’s own instruction, an arrangement made before he was sectioned in the mental hospital. We see memories of the bigger picture suddenly activating in Walter’s mind; “something terrible is coming” -- not that he’s referring to the Observer, but clearly the Observer is a part of whatever is going to happen -- “what was written..” and all that jazz. In this sense, the Observer is a catalyst for a chain of pre-orchestrated events..and not just an observer..or a Where’s Waldo.

Aside #1: I should just say, it does appear that I was wrong about Robert Bishop being the ZFT author. (you can’t win em’ all!). I can accept that, it was an audacious speculation on my part. That said I do think that Robert will play a fairly significant role in the mythos of the show. Who knows how far the robert-hole goes?

Aside #2: I should also add that whilst I believe that characters in the show are the variables across realities, in some respects they are also constants, by the very fact that they exist in other places. How interconnected people are with their counterparts is debatable, and it’s something I explored a few weeks back.

Tagged as: recap, review, The Road Not Taken, Theory