Fringe returned this week with the story of how Peter came to be in our reality. This was an amazing episode from the retro intro to the realization that it was Peter’s mother that convinced Dr. Bishop not to return him to his parallel dimension. This episode provided great insights into the character of Dr. Walter Bishop, a character that is especially beloved by both Dan and Nico. In fact, Dan loves Dr. Bishop and was worried about this episode because it seemed like the Dr. Bishop we were going to meet tonight was a complete jerk from all the things that Peter had alluded to in previous episodes. Thankfully, the Dr. Bishop we were presented with in this episode was roughly the same character that we have both grown to love, just not quite as goofy yet because he has not had his brain dissected by Dr. Bell (Leonard Nimoy) yet. There were no random comments about food cravings at inappropriate times… Dan and I love that stuff.


From this episode, we also gain some understanding as to why Walter acts the way he does toward Peter, why he acts so over-protectively toward his grown son. We understand that he lost him once and does not ever want to lose Peter again. It was interesting to see that it was the mother who ultimately made Walter break his promise and keep Peter in their dimension. It was when she asked him not to take Peter away, that he realized that he could not keep his promise to the mother in the other dimension because he could not bear to lose Peter again. This episode showed Dr. Bishop to be a good father; a caring father and we will still yet have to see why the present day Peter believes him to be something different. Was the falling out between them after this point? It most obviously must have been and I theorize that it occurs after William Bell removes the pieces of Walter’s brain and makes him go insane that this change occurs.


This was a great episode, but Dan thinks that the show may have been better served to air this episode earlier in the series. I am of the opinion that this would have been a mistake. We needed this episode to follow directly after the last episode when Olivia realizes that Peter is from the other side. This episode would not have had as much of an emotional impact had it not followed as I just described. Dan and I really liked how the Observer (credited as September) fit into tonight’s storyline. It was essentially the Observer’s mistake that led to the entire Walter crossing the dimensional bridge and bringing Peter back to our dimension. It’s interesting that the Observer’s screw-up led to the dimensional war that is coming. Finally, the casting for the young Peter character was excellent and looked very much like a young Joshua Jackson.


Do you think the kid on the left works as a younger Joshua Jackson? Tell us your thoughts.


Chuck:

Next week’s episode has the potential to be the best episode of Chuck yet. Finally, next week we will see the end of Shaw. Will Chuck be forced to kill him to save Sarah? In our opinion, Chuck will not kill Shaw, even to save Sarah, but Dan and I both think that Casey will probably once again end up doing the dirty work for Chuck so that he can maintain his no kill policy. Dan and I still believe that Chuck will be leaving the CIA before the end of this season and maybe this situation with Sarah being ordered to kill Shaw’s wife as her “Red Test” might just be that issue that pushes Chuck to leave and start Team Bartowski.


Team Bartowski may be the Buy More employees, Chuck, Morgan, Casey, and Sarah working together as we’ve previously described. Dan and I loved the inclusion of Jeff & Lester in this week’s episode as the “master stalkers” and think that this is how Chuck will use them in the future. They will be oblivious to why Chuck is asking them to follow people or to hold down the Buy More, or create a diversion, but will do these things for their own crazy reasons. This will allow for hilarity to ensue…often. Casey will probably remain a civilian for the foreseeable future, especially if Team Bartowski happens. Dan likes the way this story arc is progressing and I have to agree that it makes sense for where we believe the plot of the show is headed. Best part of next weeks show will definitely be the end of the Shaw character. Can’t wait till Monday.


Castle:

Well we were completely wrong with our theories for this last week’s conclusion to Castle… Beckett was not kidnapped, the FBI agent was not killed. The story worked regardless of us being completely wrong. However, we wish there had been some time where Castle thought Beckett was dead. It would have made for an opportunity for a more dramatic reaction than what occurred. Dan mentioned that the scene went to goofy too quickly with Beckett being naked in the tub and making Castle turn around.


I suggested that the scene could have been better if Castle had found Kate unconscious in the tub, rescued her, wrapped her in his coat, carried her out of the burning building to the ambulance where she woke up in his arms and then realized that she was naked an he had seen her naked. That would have made for a more heroic scene and then he could tease her about having seen her naked later when it was appropriate to joke about it. Also, the FBI agent not dying was consistent with the tone of the show, but does not fit with my theory of secondary characters and too much personal information being revealed. Oh well, even I am not perfect.

V:

The return of V was good. I love where this show is heading and will be looking forward to each week’s episode. Dan mentioned in an earlier blog post about the original series having a famous alien V birth scene and this new re-imagination show will be recreating that scene in a future episode. Dan is not thrilled about this decision, despite knowing that it is a necessary throwback to the original show and fans, but he doesn’t think it is needed in the new show. He does not believe it works in the modern TV model, though he admits that this is his only problem with the show. I think that if they use the V hybrid baby story as a plot device that moves the overall story forward and not as a rating gimmick or merely for shock effect, that it could be very successful. Dan agrees with me on this point and feels that a possible storyline might be that the V’s will become aware of the Hybrid Baby after the birth and will abduct him leading Erica (Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell) and Ryan (Morris Chestnut) to bond over the V’s having “abducted” their children… Ryan’s baby literally and Erica’s son Tyler through brainwashing. This would be an interesting development.


Dan and I discussed the possibility that Lisa (Smallville's Laura Vandervoort) could betray her Mother Anna (Firefly's Morena Baccarin) in the future storyline. Dan thinks that because of the way she reacted to seeing Kyle’s emotions and reactions when in the memory machine that she might feel differently than Anna about the “efficiency” of not having emotions. However, what might cause Lisa to betray her mother is that she will fall in love with Tyler. This means that when he finds out the V’s are a threat to humanity and confronts Lisa about it, she will have to choose between the human she loves or her mother’s plan. Lisa will betray Anna and join the Fifth Column/resistance fighters to be with Tyler, who will join his mother (Erica) when he learns the Vs are up to no good. On the other hand, Lisa may be the ultimate villain because her innocent nature might be concealing the fact that she could be the real villain, as in the mastermind behind the whole scheme with her mother, Anna. That would be an awesome plot twist.



Well that’s all I have for this week. Keep up the comments, emails, tweets, and voicemails. Still waiting for the first quality voicemail to include in the blog! Also watch Fringe Thursdays at 9/8c on Fox, Chuck Mondays at 8/7c on NBC, Castle Mondays at 10/9c on ABC and V Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC. Until next week, Stay Classy San Diego.