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[picspam] Fringe: 1x11 Bound (Olivia Dunham - Made of Iron)
The first half of Fringe season 1 was a little shaky, the writers were still trying to find their groove. It was pretty much just an X-Files like show especially with the way the show concentrated on the Monsters of the Week episodes. Even Anna Torv seemed a little unsure during the first few episodes.
I liked Olivia during the pilot but I wasn't OMG LOVE! I was more reserved and into the 'wait and see' period. I was invested in another show at that time and somehow got it into my head that liking Fringe would somehow kill off my show. Don't ask me why!
I'm so glad I gave this show another chance and a few episodes to let it grow its legs because its so worth it.
And perhaps I should stop babbling and get on with the picspam!
Previously, in Fringe there were some Fringe-y bank robbing going on, an escape of a nemesis and Olivia suddenly cornered by three black SUVs wherein she is tranq'd and abducted. When I first saw this episode my reaction was shock and apprehension for Olivia's sake and a feeling that this would be the start of Olivia-napping trend wherein she gets rescued.
Boy was I ever wrong.
Bound is very much like Life's Powerless episode. Only in this case this is just the jumping off point and the awesome kept on building up from here.
The episode quickly picks up where the previous episode left off and we see Olivia strapped to a hospital bed wheeled into a shifty looking industrial room complete with lab instruments and a man in a mask.
Olivia is understandably freaked. I would be too. I think I'd react a worse than Olivia's reacting. Olivia attempts to elicit a reaction from the masked guy and she gets herself and the bed flipped for her trouble. Once she's face down she takes note of her kidnappers shoes but her observations are cut short when they start administering a painful looking spinal tap.
*shudder* I hate needles!
Masked Guy reveals himself to be the double crossing Mitchell Loeb.
And here we begin Olivia cementing herself in the Hall of Awesome and rightfully earns the Made of Iron throne.
(And, yep, this is the part where I went over board.)
After a few seconds/minutes recovering from the traumatic spinal tap Olivia begs for a drink of water. One of the scientists experimenting on Olivia has his conscience pricked and provides her with water but Olivia pleads to sit up to drink after a few seconds of hesitation the scientist complies. Probably thinking that since her other hand is still tied she won't be able to do anything he could let her sit up.
Olivia takes the glass of water and she drinks, thanking him shakily. The scientist lowers his head, obviously letting his guard down and its just as Olivia expected. You can see her expression change from vulnerable to furious and smashes the glass of water right at the guy's face!
(Apologies for the low HQ caps I couldn't seem to cap this scene well.)
Olivia grabs a scissor (knife?) tosses it behind her, hitting the second scientist on the back. She pulls her other hand from the restraint, slides her legs around the bed and the scientist whose face she smashed with glass stands up only to have her foot smash him right on the face.
Not losing any of her momentum, Olivia's quickly on her feet as she grabs the tray on one of the tables and knocked the two scientists head like ping pong balls and finishing the fight with one brutal knee smash on the other scientist's face.
Olivia creeps out on to the outer lab and sees one of the guards reading the paper, Olivia slams the guard's head on the table, pushes him off the chair, grabs the gun laying around and looks around the lab.
Side note: I just wanted to say, I really like Olivia's upper body, she has the look of someone who really does look like she's been working out and not someone who sets out to starve herself. Much as I like Fiona in Burn Notice there are times when I find it hard to believe she won't snap like a twig whenever she goes hand to hand with anyone else.
On the other hand, with Olivia, I really believe that Olivia can go on hand to hand combat. She has the height and the look of it, which is very refreshing!
Brief interlude for Plot B. This episode was so packed I really couldn't squeeze in more than two scenes of plot B and C. But its important to know while Olivia is demolishing the lab and saving herself, Broyles and the whole division is still scrambling to find a way to search for Olivia.
And then Broyles gets a call from an 'old friend' the same old friend Olivia prosecuted for sexual assault. Sanford Harris. Harris tells Broyles he's been assigned to review the Fringe Division.
This does not make Broyles happy but he refrains from saying so.
Back to where exciting things happen. Olivia grabs an container stashes the lab samples in the container and continues on saving herself. Putting two in the chest of the guard that was attempting to stop her and rushing out of the warehouse, sounding the alarm (which is really clever of her, since... I don't think I'd ever have the presene of mind doing that same thing.)
Watch the clip below and marvel how badass she is!
And in seconds she's in a car and calling Broyles for back-up. Stops by somewhere far enough not to be found and near enough to get back to raid the place she was held captive.
She's also genre savvy enough to hide the evidence she collected in a nearby sand pile.
This is where I go: Oh. Olivia. She lets herself breakdown for a brief, very brief moment and then she pulls herself back together again in seconds. Still, you could see the cracks in her armor and its only through her strength of will that she's able to keep all that from breaking the surface.
From one nightmare to the next.
Instead of the back-up she needed, the agents that arrived seemed intent on arresting her than helping her. And the next thing Olivia knows she's once again felled by a tranq dart.
For a second time that day Olivia wakes up cuffed to a hospital bed. A much better one than the last with even, if it was possible, worse company than before.
That's right. The man Olivia successfully prosecuted for three counts of sexual assault was sitting in the same room with her while she was unconscious and cuffed to her bed.
Asshole.
I love Olivia's expression the whole time was of disgust and contempt and even though she looked like she was shrinking away from him Olivia didn't allow herself to look intimidated by Harris's deliberate intimidation tactics and just spit back: 'Am I under arrest?'
Stopping Harris from going even further and leaving Olivia with the key.
After making sure Harris is gone Olivia allows herself another moment to breakdown.
She's been abducted twice and this is just the beginning of her day. In other show the rescue would be the climax but in this show its just the start.
Someone really needs to give her a hug!
When I say its just the beginning of her day, I wasn't kidding. Maybe an hour after her fun hospital stay Olivia's already back to work and Charlie catches up to her, apparently just hearing about how Olivia was 'rescued'.
He comes over to make sure he had nothing to do with the way she was taken and Olivia assures Charlie she knows and even lays out the real reason why: The case was over turned and Harris is scot free and now he's bearing down all the influence he's collected to enact his vengeance on Olivia.
Fortunately, not everything is grim for Olivia and the ray of sunshine and hope presents itself when her sister and niece, Rachel and Ella visit Olivia in the office. Apparently Rachel recently separated from her husband and they're going to stay over with Olivia.
We get to see a side to Olivia we rarely see. She's sunny and open when she's with her family and completely adorable with her niece who gifts her with a Magic 8 Ball, which Olivia claims she needed all the while evading Rachel asking about the bruise on her face.
She leaves her family to, as Rachel says, 'save the world'.
(I'm glad her family appears on the same day things got really worse for Olivia. Also, she gets hugged, which is awesome.)
Once she steps into the elevator and away from Rachel and Ella Olivia's face turns grim.
OLIVIA: They, uh, they gave me a spinal tap. They put electrodes or sensors on my head. Why would they do that? I mean, what would they want with me? What-what were they doing? Who-who could they be?
WALTER: You're like a question machine.
PETER: And there was nothing there when they checked the building?
OLIVIA: No. They'd cleared the building. But I took something before I left, something from one of their labs, and I hid it to keep it safe.
The last time Olivia was this frazzled was immediately after discovering John's betrayal and death and she was trying to convince Peter to stay. Just like last time she wasn't okay and it shows in her speech and just like last time she just keeps on going but unlike last time she doesn't even has a chance to catch her breath.
I didn't notice it the first time I watched because Olivia was so natural about it. I love that it was Olivia who was digging out the evidence. Granted, that's because she's the only one who knows where it was buried. It reminds me of that scene in Life where Reese was digging out evidence and Crews was watching.
Plot C starts out with a professor dying from the big wormy spiky thing emerging from his stomach through his esophagus. Erk.
Remember the evidence Olivia collected? Yep, those were samples for the cold worm spiky thing.
That's when the opening theme starts to roll in.
Yep, all that happened to Olivia? That all happened before the credits.
BROYLES: (voiceover) Agent Dunham, I know you've already had quite a day, but there is an event that requires our attention.
OLIVIA: (voiceover) Okay, where?
Olivia is called in to investigate. I love how Broyles calls Olivia's nightmarish day as 'quite a day'. It's like saying the Everest is high and the Marianas Trench deep.
Most of all I love that Olivia's all: Sure, why not?
Olivia and the Bishops go to investigate and go worm hunting, Peter uses the heat signature device thing and Olivia orders Walter to 'stay'. Walter obliges and waxes poetic about the viruses flashed on the powerpoint presentation.
In the end it was Walter who captured the worm thing saying how that used to happen in the lab back in the day.
I think Olivia and Peter is happy they were never there for all of those escaped experiments.
They bring back the spiky worm thing back to the lab. Astrid is both disgusted and amused at the Bishop boys ability to eat in the face of the truly gross.
Since there isn't a lot of Astrid, hopefully this block more than makes up for it. There should be more Astrid in season 3! IJS!
This year is also about to suck for Broyles too. The friend he used to defend comes over to screw his division and his new star agent and he's about to learn his other friend is a traitor.
At the end of this cap Broyles looks tired and raw. I think he knew Harris was still angry about Olivia but I don't think he knew to what extent.
I'm skipping the plot C scenes since they really don't affect much of what's important in the over all mytharc only showing that maybe Harris kinda, possibly has a soul.
I'm jumping right in to the scene where Broyles and Olivia discuss Harris 'cause that's more fun!
OLIVIA: Can I come in? (Enters while saying so.)
BROYLES: I hate that-- knocking and asking while you're coming in.
Hee. I love this. I guess Olivia's done this enough times for Broyles to comment on it.
It's interesting that after Broyle's 'discussion' with Harris Broyles seems to be a little cold, as if he's attempting to put distance between himself and Olivia but Olivia's impassioned and well argued plea to save a man's life breaks that distance like tissue paper and you can see Broyles stand and move closer to Olivia.
They've come such a long way. The very man that put the distance between Olivia and Broyles during the pilot was the same man that's making them work together more. Because Broyles is a principled and loyal man. He would back his team any day.
I love that smile Olivia flashes at Broyles. It seems like Olivia's day is finally turning for the better.
Olivia calls Rachel and you can see her demeanor change instantly. She gets backing from Broyles and now she's talking to her sister. In the background Charlie is making his way to Olivia and he's surprised when he finds himself roped in to get a man, Russell Simon, a colleague of the dead professor.
To Charlie's credit he accepts it and just says: 'I'll meet you downstairs.'
But Before Olivia can leave someone stops her, its Mitchell Loeb looking earnest as he asks her if her debrief was in order and promising to 'find them'.
Uh-huh. We're on to you Mitchell Loeb and soon, Olivia would be too!
Okay. So, I added a few more scenes from Plot B. I needed to add this because… well, look at what happens to Charlie! Olivia clearly had it tough this episode but Charlie's also discovering the joys of becoming part of the Fringe Division.
You get puked at and watch a man produce an icky spiked worm from his mouth.
WALTER: It's viral. (To Olivia) Nasopharyngitis, albeit a gargantuan specimen.
OLIVIA: What--what does that mean?
WALTER: This organism is a single specimen of a virus for the common cold.
OLIVIA: So you're saying that this is one single cell?
WALTER: It's not unprecedented. The ostrich egg is a single cell, and it can grow up to five pounds.
PETER: They supersized the common cold, which, as it turns out, is disgusting.
OLIVIA: Obviously somebody's playing with us.
PETER: Yeah, they're showing off. Killing epidemiologist with the common cold.
WALTER: It is impressive.
PETER: What I want to know is what they wanted from you.
OLIVIA: Oh, who cares about me? I want to know who's next.
PETER: I care about you.
(Olivia pauses, startled and Walter looks up from the Super Cold.)
PETER: If we can figure out why they needed you, then maybe we can figure out who's next.
(Olivia is still silent, seemingly still at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Walter is smiling to himself.)
OLIVIA: I'm gonna keep looking for someone who's connected to Kinberg and Simon. (departs the area)
WALTER: She is beautiful, isn't she?
PETER: Who?
WALTER: (studies the slug and continues to smile.) The slug.
I liked this scene. I love created families.
Usually these kind of scene is enough to make a shipper out of me. Strangely... it kind of doesn't have that effect on me, mostly because I really don't feel like Olivia and Peter have romantic chemistry with each other, to me they seem more like siblings. In theory I should be all over this ship but... well. I like them more as family than as romantic partners.
Olivia is so focused on the case she even puts her own concerns about her own abduction aside, when she says 'Who cares about me?' she truly meant it. At that point she didn't. She knows that two men lost their lives and if she doesn't stop what ever is happening more people will die and compared to that her own safety seemed trivial.
It's something Olivia's prone to do and will continue to do as we see her put the concerns of other people above her own and... there is something about this that I find refreshing. I don't know why since almost all protagonist have that ingrained in them... then again, Olivia tends to take these things three steps farther. And to have Peter voice his concern for her truly seemed to startle Olivia. I think its been a long time since someone said something like that to Olivia.
John, perhaps and Charlie sometimes except Charlie knows Olivia too well and John... John is dead and a traitor.
Sidebar: It might just be me but it seems like this scene and the Dunham Family Time after this was switched. You can see it in the clothes, in this scene Olivia's wearing a gray shirt, while earlier she's wearing red then we shift to Dunham Family Time and Olivia's wearing her red shirt once again. Continuity error or last minute editing decision?
This scene! More, I love Olivia's suspicious expression as she puts two and two together. You can see the change and how she turns sharp eyed and watchful and angry.
Olivia takes a few seconds to contemplate this then stands and goes over to the one person she can trust with this information. Charlie.
Charlie is rightfully skeptical about this but decides to trust Olivia anyway, especially since she promises to prove Mitchell's double agent status.
Olivia swings by the Loeb residence hoping to get some evidence and possibly feel Samantha Loeb out but when she sees that no one was home, Olivia decides to practice a little B & E, un/fortunately. Samantha is home, just in the gardens.
At this point Sam and Olivia are both suspicious of each other but they decide to play the 'I know that you know that I know' game.
OLIVIA: I've been thinking a lot about you and everything that you and Mitchell went through. It's really lovely having him back at the office.
SAMANTHA: Oh, yes, he's really glad to be back.
OLIVIA: His recovery seemed to go smoothly.
SAMANTHA: What were you doing in Marlborough?
OLIVIA: I'm working on a case.
SAMANTHA: Well, what's the case?
OLIVIA: (challengingly) Suspicion of a double agent.
(Olivia and Samantha stare at each other. In the silence, the kettle whistles.)
SAMANTHA: Excuse me. I'll get the tea.
Sam invites Olivia for tea and they have this civil sit down, feeling each other out. Except, Olivia doesn't play by the rules and drops a bombshell in the middle of the conversation, stopping all discussion and in that silence I think Olivia confrimed to herself that Samantha knew something about Mitchell being a double agent.
They excuse each other. Samantha to the kitchen to call Mitchell and Olivia to Mitchell's study in the guise of visiting the bathroom. Olivia finds concrete evidence that Mitchell had something to do with the Super Viruses killing people while Mitchell convinces Samantha to kill Olivia.
Fortunately for Olivia, she asked Charlie to recruit Peter into their mole hunting operation. Through one of his shady connections Peter manages to have the Mitchell's phone tapped and from there eavesdrop on the Loebs plan to kill Olivia. Peter immediately informs Olivia just in time.
Samantha hunts through her house for Olivia but Olivia turns the tables on Samantha and orders her to drop her gun. Samantha complies but proceeds to burst into tears. The tears does nothing but infuriate Olivia.
Which was Samantha's plan all along. Closing the gap between them, Samantha drops the tears and slams her fist on Olivia's hand, Olivia loses her grip on the gun. Proving she's not just a housewife, Samantha knees Olivia in the gut, slams her against the furniture, drops Olivia on the floor and delivers a devastating punch to the face.
Olivia counters by kicking Samantha's legs from under her, scrambles upright and paysback Samantha with two rapid round house punches to the face, grabs Samantha by the lapels and slams her into the book case. Desperate to regain some ground from Olivia, Samantha's hands flail around the bookcase, grabs the first thing she could hold and bashes Olivia on the head with the candlestick.
Olivia yells, staggers away and falls against the coffee table.
Both women scramble for their guns, they reach the guns at the same time and fire!
The sound of gunfire rings in the air and their is a moment of silence.
Until the camera pans to Samantha. Samantha and Olivia did reach and fire at the same time but Olivia is the better shot.
Looking to her left Olivia sees a bullet hole right next to her and Olivia realizes how close she was from dying.
I love the fight scenes in Fringe. It's always fast, brutal and (looks) realistic. It's not at all flashy and the fights hardly includes any acrobatics. Its fists, elbows and knee strikes. And, like I said, Olivia (and her stunt double) look realistic during these fight scenes.
The team decides on a sting operation. Since there's no way Mitchell can know about Samantha the team decides to draw Mitchell out using Samantha's phone. Olivia waits for Mitchell to arrive and the Bishops, as usual ride along with her.
Walter observes that it was very tense, eliciting a small smile from Olivia before she checks in with Charlie. Walter starts to wear his matchmaking hat and informs Olivia that Peter was very worried about her. Peter responds with exasperation and Olivia just looks at Walter then to Peter for a few seconds. Charlie spots Mitchell and gives Olivia the heads up.
The team appears in cars, Olivia, who was closer to the phone, runs towards Mitchell on foot. Broyles orders Mitchell to put his gun down but his gun was already out. Olivia arrives, screaming, 'Freeze.' Mitchell turns, leading with his gun. Olivia reacts and shoots him in the arm.
The team closes in but as Olivia does the same, Mitchell smirks at her. He should have known better than do that but there he was smirking at Olivia. Olivia's face tightens and she bashes Mitchell in the face.
That wipes the grin off Mitchell's face.
This scene. This scene.
I love everything about it. Mitchell tries to play it cool and asks for his wife, Olivia tells him he isn't getting anything and Mitchell taunts them that Charlie and Olivia can't really do anything to him. Meanwhile Harris reveals more of his jerkass behavior and claims that 'evidence is no confession.'
This gives Broyles pause. I think this was the first time he realizes that Harris might actually be guilty and that's the last rose colored glasses he has for his friend.
Back in the interrogation room, Mitchell again reiterates that he isn't going to say anything. Olivia considers Mitchell for a second then looks to Charlie and asks if Charlie could leave the room. Charlie glances to Mitchell then stands to leave.
Harris watches Charlie leaves and wonders what Olivia is up to. Broyles doesn't say anything but watches Olivia intently.
OLIVIA: You want your wife, Mitch?
MITCHELL: Yeah, Olivia, I do.
OLIVIA : Okay. (Olivia looks over the pictures.) Okay.
One of the things I love about this show is that every death means something. Even Samantha's, a woman determined to kill Olivia and even with that there is a brief moment of regret in Olivia's expression but that quickly fades when she looks at Mitchell again. Olivia slides the picture of Samantha to Mitchell.
OLIVIA: (Pulls herself up and is a few inches away from Mitchell.) And do you want to know who pulled the trigger?
MITCHELL: (Expression crumbles.)
OLIVIA: Mitch? You're looking at her.
The deliberation of her actions here are just… wow. She pushes forward, getting in close to Mitchell's personal space. Wow, I just and then telling Mitchell she killed Samantha?
Cold. And kind of gutsy too. It's a good thing Mitchell's hands are cuffed to the table.
Olivia continues to drill him and this time, shaken and angry, Mitchell admits it. But the interrogation doesn't go the way Olivia expects because suddenly Mitchell shifts. He isn't just furious at Olivia he's frustrated, asking if Olivia at least knew what the two sides were and that in the end that he was trying to save her life.
This throws Olivia for a loop, especially as it seemed like Mitchell seemed so earnest about it. In the end Mitchell breaks down and weeps.
It is Olivia's victory but some how the victory is bittersweet and there is something like pity in Olivia's eyes.
The first cap in this block is gorgeous.
(Olivia pushes away from the wall.)
BROYLES: You need to get some rest. I think you've earned it.
(Olivia nods.)
OLIVIA: I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you. (To Charlie) Thank you.
And yet, even after closing the case, Olivia is still filled with questions because there are still unanswered questions but Peter and even Walter attempts to convince Olivia to let it go. Olivia nods but it seems more like she agreed to because she's tired. And she looks tired.
Walter tells Olivia that he was worried about Olivia too. Olivia thanks walter and even gets a small smile out of that.
We end with a happy scene. The episode opens with Olivia waking up to a waking nightmare and we end with Olivia asleep and (seemingly) at peace with Ella.
--
Oh, wow. That was really long and I'm really sleepy. I feel like I'm punch drunk and I hope I made sense and didn't ramble on about cheese or something.
But, oh, hey, tomorrow (or later in the day) Inauguration of the New President!
I liked Olivia during the pilot but I wasn't OMG LOVE! I was more reserved and into the 'wait and see' period. I was invested in another show at that time and somehow got it into my head that liking Fringe would somehow kill off my show. Don't ask me why!
I'm so glad I gave this show another chance and a few episodes to let it grow its legs because its so worth it.
And perhaps I should stop babbling and get on with the picspam!
Previously, in Fringe there were some Fringe-y bank robbing going on, an escape of a nemesis and Olivia suddenly cornered by three black SUVs wherein she is tranq'd and abducted. When I first saw this episode my reaction was shock and apprehension for Olivia's sake and a feeling that this would be the start of Olivia-napping trend wherein she gets rescued.
Boy was I ever wrong.
Bound is very much like Life's Powerless episode. Only in this case this is just the jumping off point and the awesome kept on building up from here.
The episode quickly picks up where the previous episode left off and we see Olivia strapped to a hospital bed wheeled into a shifty looking industrial room complete with lab instruments and a man in a mask.
Olivia is understandably freaked. I would be too. I think I'd react a worse than Olivia's reacting. Olivia attempts to elicit a reaction from the masked guy and she gets herself and the bed flipped for her trouble. Once she's face down she takes note of her kidnappers shoes but her observations are cut short when they start administering a painful looking spinal tap.
*shudder* I hate needles!
Masked Guy reveals himself to be the double crossing Mitchell Loeb.
And here we begin Olivia cementing herself in the Hall of Awesome and rightfully earns the Made of Iron throne.
(And, yep, this is the part where I went over board.)
After a few seconds/minutes recovering from the traumatic spinal tap Olivia begs for a drink of water. One of the scientists experimenting on Olivia has his conscience pricked and provides her with water but Olivia pleads to sit up to drink after a few seconds of hesitation the scientist complies. Probably thinking that since her other hand is still tied she won't be able to do anything he could let her sit up.
Olivia takes the glass of water and she drinks, thanking him shakily. The scientist lowers his head, obviously letting his guard down and its just as Olivia expected. You can see her expression change from vulnerable to furious and smashes the glass of water right at the guy's face!
(Apologies for the low HQ caps I couldn't seem to cap this scene well.)
Olivia grabs a scissor (knife?) tosses it behind her, hitting the second scientist on the back. She pulls her other hand from the restraint, slides her legs around the bed and the scientist whose face she smashed with glass stands up only to have her foot smash him right on the face.
Not losing any of her momentum, Olivia's quickly on her feet as she grabs the tray on one of the tables and knocked the two scientists head like ping pong balls and finishing the fight with one brutal knee smash on the other scientist's face.
Olivia creeps out on to the outer lab and sees one of the guards reading the paper, Olivia slams the guard's head on the table, pushes him off the chair, grabs the gun laying around and looks around the lab.
Side note: I just wanted to say, I really like Olivia's upper body, she has the look of someone who really does look like she's been working out and not someone who sets out to starve herself. Much as I like Fiona in Burn Notice there are times when I find it hard to believe she won't snap like a twig whenever she goes hand to hand with anyone else.
On the other hand, with Olivia, I really believe that Olivia can go on hand to hand combat. She has the height and the look of it, which is very refreshing!
Brief interlude for Plot B. This episode was so packed I really couldn't squeeze in more than two scenes of plot B and C. But its important to know while Olivia is demolishing the lab and saving herself, Broyles and the whole division is still scrambling to find a way to search for Olivia.
And then Broyles gets a call from an 'old friend' the same old friend Olivia prosecuted for sexual assault. Sanford Harris. Harris tells Broyles he's been assigned to review the Fringe Division.
This does not make Broyles happy but he refrains from saying so.
Back to where exciting things happen. Olivia grabs an container stashes the lab samples in the container and continues on saving herself. Putting two in the chest of the guard that was attempting to stop her and rushing out of the warehouse, sounding the alarm (which is really clever of her, since... I don't think I'd ever have the presene of mind doing that same thing.)
Watch the clip below and marvel how badass she is!
And in seconds she's in a car and calling Broyles for back-up. Stops by somewhere far enough not to be found and near enough to get back to raid the place she was held captive.
She's also genre savvy enough to hide the evidence she collected in a nearby sand pile.
This is where I go: Oh. Olivia. She lets herself breakdown for a brief, very brief moment and then she pulls herself back together again in seconds. Still, you could see the cracks in her armor and its only through her strength of will that she's able to keep all that from breaking the surface.
From one nightmare to the next.
Instead of the back-up she needed, the agents that arrived seemed intent on arresting her than helping her. And the next thing Olivia knows she's once again felled by a tranq dart.
For a second time that day Olivia wakes up cuffed to a hospital bed. A much better one than the last with even, if it was possible, worse company than before.
That's right. The man Olivia successfully prosecuted for three counts of sexual assault was sitting in the same room with her while she was unconscious and cuffed to her bed.
Asshole.
I love Olivia's expression the whole time was of disgust and contempt and even though she looked like she was shrinking away from him Olivia didn't allow herself to look intimidated by Harris's deliberate intimidation tactics and just spit back: 'Am I under arrest?'
Stopping Harris from going even further and leaving Olivia with the key.
After making sure Harris is gone Olivia allows herself another moment to breakdown.
She's been abducted twice and this is just the beginning of her day. In other show the rescue would be the climax but in this show its just the start.
Someone really needs to give her a hug!
When I say its just the beginning of her day, I wasn't kidding. Maybe an hour after her fun hospital stay Olivia's already back to work and Charlie catches up to her, apparently just hearing about how Olivia was 'rescued'.
He comes over to make sure he had nothing to do with the way she was taken and Olivia assures Charlie she knows and even lays out the real reason why: The case was over turned and Harris is scot free and now he's bearing down all the influence he's collected to enact his vengeance on Olivia.
Fortunately, not everything is grim for Olivia and the ray of sunshine and hope presents itself when her sister and niece, Rachel and Ella visit Olivia in the office. Apparently Rachel recently separated from her husband and they're going to stay over with Olivia.
We get to see a side to Olivia we rarely see. She's sunny and open when she's with her family and completely adorable with her niece who gifts her with a Magic 8 Ball, which Olivia claims she needed all the while evading Rachel asking about the bruise on her face.
She leaves her family to, as Rachel says, 'save the world'.
(I'm glad her family appears on the same day things got really worse for Olivia. Also, she gets hugged, which is awesome.)
Once she steps into the elevator and away from Rachel and Ella Olivia's face turns grim.
OLIVIA: They, uh, they gave me a spinal tap. They put electrodes or sensors on my head. Why would they do that? I mean, what would they want with me? What-what were they doing? Who-who could they be?
WALTER: You're like a question machine.
PETER: And there was nothing there when they checked the building?
OLIVIA: No. They'd cleared the building. But I took something before I left, something from one of their labs, and I hid it to keep it safe.
The last time Olivia was this frazzled was immediately after discovering John's betrayal and death and she was trying to convince Peter to stay. Just like last time she wasn't okay and it shows in her speech and just like last time she just keeps on going but unlike last time she doesn't even has a chance to catch her breath.
I didn't notice it the first time I watched because Olivia was so natural about it. I love that it was Olivia who was digging out the evidence. Granted, that's because she's the only one who knows where it was buried. It reminds me of that scene in Life where Reese was digging out evidence and Crews was watching.
Plot C starts out with a professor dying from the big wormy spiky thing emerging from his stomach through his esophagus. Erk.
Remember the evidence Olivia collected? Yep, those were samples for the cold worm spiky thing.
That's when the opening theme starts to roll in.
Yep, all that happened to Olivia? That all happened before the credits.
BROYLES: (voiceover) Agent Dunham, I know you've already had quite a day, but there is an event that requires our attention.
OLIVIA: (voiceover) Okay, where?
Olivia is called in to investigate. I love how Broyles calls Olivia's nightmarish day as 'quite a day'. It's like saying the Everest is high and the Marianas Trench deep.
Most of all I love that Olivia's all: Sure, why not?
Olivia and the Bishops go to investigate and go worm hunting, Peter uses the heat signature device thing and Olivia orders Walter to 'stay'. Walter obliges and waxes poetic about the viruses flashed on the powerpoint presentation.
In the end it was Walter who captured the worm thing saying how that used to happen in the lab back in the day.
I think Olivia and Peter is happy they were never there for all of those escaped experiments.
They bring back the spiky worm thing back to the lab. Astrid is both disgusted and amused at the Bishop boys ability to eat in the face of the truly gross.
Since there isn't a lot of Astrid, hopefully this block more than makes up for it. There should be more Astrid in season 3! IJS!
This year is also about to suck for Broyles too. The friend he used to defend comes over to screw his division and his new star agent and he's about to learn his other friend is a traitor.
At the end of this cap Broyles looks tired and raw. I think he knew Harris was still angry about Olivia but I don't think he knew to what extent.
I'm skipping the plot C scenes since they really don't affect much of what's important in the over all mytharc only showing that maybe Harris kinda, possibly has a soul.
I'm jumping right in to the scene where Broyles and Olivia discuss Harris 'cause that's more fun!
OLIVIA: Can I come in? (Enters while saying so.)
BROYLES: I hate that-- knocking and asking while you're coming in.
Hee. I love this. I guess Olivia's done this enough times for Broyles to comment on it.
It's interesting that after Broyle's 'discussion' with Harris Broyles seems to be a little cold, as if he's attempting to put distance between himself and Olivia but Olivia's impassioned and well argued plea to save a man's life breaks that distance like tissue paper and you can see Broyles stand and move closer to Olivia.
They've come such a long way. The very man that put the distance between Olivia and Broyles during the pilot was the same man that's making them work together more. Because Broyles is a principled and loyal man. He would back his team any day.
I love that smile Olivia flashes at Broyles. It seems like Olivia's day is finally turning for the better.
Olivia calls Rachel and you can see her demeanor change instantly. She gets backing from Broyles and now she's talking to her sister. In the background Charlie is making his way to Olivia and he's surprised when he finds himself roped in to get a man, Russell Simon, a colleague of the dead professor.
To Charlie's credit he accepts it and just says: 'I'll meet you downstairs.'
But Before Olivia can leave someone stops her, its Mitchell Loeb looking earnest as he asks her if her debrief was in order and promising to 'find them'.
Uh-huh. We're on to you Mitchell Loeb and soon, Olivia would be too!
Okay. So, I added a few more scenes from Plot B. I needed to add this because… well, look at what happens to Charlie! Olivia clearly had it tough this episode but Charlie's also discovering the joys of becoming part of the Fringe Division.
You get puked at and watch a man produce an icky spiked worm from his mouth.
WALTER: It's viral. (To Olivia) Nasopharyngitis, albeit a gargantuan specimen.
OLIVIA: What--what does that mean?
WALTER: This organism is a single specimen of a virus for the common cold.
OLIVIA: So you're saying that this is one single cell?
WALTER: It's not unprecedented. The ostrich egg is a single cell, and it can grow up to five pounds.
PETER: They supersized the common cold, which, as it turns out, is disgusting.
OLIVIA: Obviously somebody's playing with us.
PETER: Yeah, they're showing off. Killing epidemiologist with the common cold.
WALTER: It is impressive.
PETER: What I want to know is what they wanted from you.
OLIVIA: Oh, who cares about me? I want to know who's next.
PETER: I care about you.
(Olivia pauses, startled and Walter looks up from the Super Cold.)
PETER: If we can figure out why they needed you, then maybe we can figure out who's next.
(Olivia is still silent, seemingly still at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Walter is smiling to himself.)
OLIVIA: I'm gonna keep looking for someone who's connected to Kinberg and Simon. (departs the area)
WALTER: She is beautiful, isn't she?
PETER: Who?
WALTER: (studies the slug and continues to smile.) The slug.
I liked this scene. I love created families.
Usually these kind of scene is enough to make a shipper out of me. Strangely... it kind of doesn't have that effect on me, mostly because I really don't feel like Olivia and Peter have romantic chemistry with each other, to me they seem more like siblings. In theory I should be all over this ship but... well. I like them more as family than as romantic partners.
Olivia is so focused on the case she even puts her own concerns about her own abduction aside, when she says 'Who cares about me?' she truly meant it. At that point she didn't. She knows that two men lost their lives and if she doesn't stop what ever is happening more people will die and compared to that her own safety seemed trivial.
It's something Olivia's prone to do and will continue to do as we see her put the concerns of other people above her own and... there is something about this that I find refreshing. I don't know why since almost all protagonist have that ingrained in them... then again, Olivia tends to take these things three steps farther. And to have Peter voice his concern for her truly seemed to startle Olivia. I think its been a long time since someone said something like that to Olivia.
John, perhaps and Charlie sometimes except Charlie knows Olivia too well and John... John is dead and a traitor.
Sidebar: It might just be me but it seems like this scene and the Dunham Family Time after this was switched. You can see it in the clothes, in this scene Olivia's wearing a gray shirt, while earlier she's wearing red then we shift to Dunham Family Time and Olivia's wearing her red shirt once again. Continuity error or last minute editing decision?
This scene! More, I love Olivia's suspicious expression as she puts two and two together. You can see the change and how she turns sharp eyed and watchful and angry.
Olivia takes a few seconds to contemplate this then stands and goes over to the one person she can trust with this information. Charlie.
Charlie is rightfully skeptical about this but decides to trust Olivia anyway, especially since she promises to prove Mitchell's double agent status.
Olivia swings by the Loeb residence hoping to get some evidence and possibly feel Samantha Loeb out but when she sees that no one was home, Olivia decides to practice a little B & E, un/fortunately. Samantha is home, just in the gardens.
At this point Sam and Olivia are both suspicious of each other but they decide to play the 'I know that you know that I know' game.
OLIVIA: I've been thinking a lot about you and everything that you and Mitchell went through. It's really lovely having him back at the office.
SAMANTHA: Oh, yes, he's really glad to be back.
OLIVIA: His recovery seemed to go smoothly.
SAMANTHA: What were you doing in Marlborough?
OLIVIA: I'm working on a case.
SAMANTHA: Well, what's the case?
OLIVIA: (challengingly) Suspicion of a double agent.
(Olivia and Samantha stare at each other. In the silence, the kettle whistles.)
SAMANTHA: Excuse me. I'll get the tea.
Sam invites Olivia for tea and they have this civil sit down, feeling each other out. Except, Olivia doesn't play by the rules and drops a bombshell in the middle of the conversation, stopping all discussion and in that silence I think Olivia confrimed to herself that Samantha knew something about Mitchell being a double agent.
They excuse each other. Samantha to the kitchen to call Mitchell and Olivia to Mitchell's study in the guise of visiting the bathroom. Olivia finds concrete evidence that Mitchell had something to do with the Super Viruses killing people while Mitchell convinces Samantha to kill Olivia.
Fortunately for Olivia, she asked Charlie to recruit Peter into their mole hunting operation. Through one of his shady connections Peter manages to have the Mitchell's phone tapped and from there eavesdrop on the Loebs plan to kill Olivia. Peter immediately informs Olivia just in time.
Samantha hunts through her house for Olivia but Olivia turns the tables on Samantha and orders her to drop her gun. Samantha complies but proceeds to burst into tears. The tears does nothing but infuriate Olivia.
Which was Samantha's plan all along. Closing the gap between them, Samantha drops the tears and slams her fist on Olivia's hand, Olivia loses her grip on the gun. Proving she's not just a housewife, Samantha knees Olivia in the gut, slams her against the furniture, drops Olivia on the floor and delivers a devastating punch to the face.
Olivia counters by kicking Samantha's legs from under her, scrambles upright and paysback Samantha with two rapid round house punches to the face, grabs Samantha by the lapels and slams her into the book case. Desperate to regain some ground from Olivia, Samantha's hands flail around the bookcase, grabs the first thing she could hold and bashes Olivia on the head with the candlestick.
Olivia yells, staggers away and falls against the coffee table.
Both women scramble for their guns, they reach the guns at the same time and fire!
The sound of gunfire rings in the air and their is a moment of silence.
Until the camera pans to Samantha. Samantha and Olivia did reach and fire at the same time but Olivia is the better shot.
Looking to her left Olivia sees a bullet hole right next to her and Olivia realizes how close she was from dying.
I love the fight scenes in Fringe. It's always fast, brutal and (looks) realistic. It's not at all flashy and the fights hardly includes any acrobatics. Its fists, elbows and knee strikes. And, like I said, Olivia (and her stunt double) look realistic during these fight scenes.
The team decides on a sting operation. Since there's no way Mitchell can know about Samantha the team decides to draw Mitchell out using Samantha's phone. Olivia waits for Mitchell to arrive and the Bishops, as usual ride along with her.
Walter observes that it was very tense, eliciting a small smile from Olivia before she checks in with Charlie. Walter starts to wear his matchmaking hat and informs Olivia that Peter was very worried about her. Peter responds with exasperation and Olivia just looks at Walter then to Peter for a few seconds. Charlie spots Mitchell and gives Olivia the heads up.
The team appears in cars, Olivia, who was closer to the phone, runs towards Mitchell on foot. Broyles orders Mitchell to put his gun down but his gun was already out. Olivia arrives, screaming, 'Freeze.' Mitchell turns, leading with his gun. Olivia reacts and shoots him in the arm.
The team closes in but as Olivia does the same, Mitchell smirks at her. He should have known better than do that but there he was smirking at Olivia. Olivia's face tightens and she bashes Mitchell in the face.
That wipes the grin off Mitchell's face.
This scene. This scene.
I love everything about it. Mitchell tries to play it cool and asks for his wife, Olivia tells him he isn't getting anything and Mitchell taunts them that Charlie and Olivia can't really do anything to him. Meanwhile Harris reveals more of his jerkass behavior and claims that 'evidence is no confession.'
This gives Broyles pause. I think this was the first time he realizes that Harris might actually be guilty and that's the last rose colored glasses he has for his friend.
Back in the interrogation room, Mitchell again reiterates that he isn't going to say anything. Olivia considers Mitchell for a second then looks to Charlie and asks if Charlie could leave the room. Charlie glances to Mitchell then stands to leave.
Harris watches Charlie leaves and wonders what Olivia is up to. Broyles doesn't say anything but watches Olivia intently.
OLIVIA: You want your wife, Mitch?
MITCHELL: Yeah, Olivia, I do.
OLIVIA : Okay. (Olivia looks over the pictures.) Okay.
One of the things I love about this show is that every death means something. Even Samantha's, a woman determined to kill Olivia and even with that there is a brief moment of regret in Olivia's expression but that quickly fades when she looks at Mitchell again. Olivia slides the picture of Samantha to Mitchell.
OLIVIA: (Pulls herself up and is a few inches away from Mitchell.) And do you want to know who pulled the trigger?
MITCHELL: (Expression crumbles.)
OLIVIA: Mitch? You're looking at her.
The deliberation of her actions here are just… wow. She pushes forward, getting in close to Mitchell's personal space. Wow, I just and then telling Mitchell she killed Samantha?
Cold. And kind of gutsy too. It's a good thing Mitchell's hands are cuffed to the table.
Olivia continues to drill him and this time, shaken and angry, Mitchell admits it. But the interrogation doesn't go the way Olivia expects because suddenly Mitchell shifts. He isn't just furious at Olivia he's frustrated, asking if Olivia at least knew what the two sides were and that in the end that he was trying to save her life.
This throws Olivia for a loop, especially as it seemed like Mitchell seemed so earnest about it. In the end Mitchell breaks down and weeps.
It is Olivia's victory but some how the victory is bittersweet and there is something like pity in Olivia's eyes.
The first cap in this block is gorgeous.
(Olivia pushes away from the wall.)
BROYLES: You need to get some rest. I think you've earned it.
(Olivia nods.)
OLIVIA: I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you. (To Charlie) Thank you.
And yet, even after closing the case, Olivia is still filled with questions because there are still unanswered questions but Peter and even Walter attempts to convince Olivia to let it go. Olivia nods but it seems more like she agreed to because she's tired. And she looks tired.
Walter tells Olivia that he was worried about Olivia too. Olivia thanks walter and even gets a small smile out of that.
We end with a happy scene. The episode opens with Olivia waking up to a waking nightmare and we end with Olivia asleep and (seemingly) at peace with Ella.
--
Oh, wow. That was really long and I'm really sleepy. I feel like I'm punch drunk and I hope I made sense and didn't ramble on about cheese or something.
But, oh, hey, tomorrow (or later in the day) Inauguration of the New President!
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It's always great to know other people share my ambivalence about Peter and Olivia. I really do like the sibling like interactions better than the romance the show is pushing.