Fringe returns to the season one classic “case-of-the-week” episodes. Generally, they would be considered crap amongst the mythology focused episodes. However, "Concentrate and Ask Again" did give us a very character centric episode, developing the relationship between Peter and Olivia. You really hold out hope for the two, but damn, neither of them can catch a break from each other.
The mystery this week involves a scientist who has his bones stolen from him and the Fringe team has a bone to pick with the thief (whatity-shmackity-do!). The team picks up a contexifan kid who has the ability to read minds and have him follow the clues. However, every time this kid uses his abilities he gets sick. This doesn’t really provide any tension because they make it obvious they won’t kill him. Meanwhile in plot thread B, Olivia wonders whether Peter loves her of fauxlivia. Normally I would say: Hilarity ensures, but it just gets depressing even though that’s exactly what they wanted to happen. As we’ve come to expect, Walter is the comic relief, in fact he was a bit manic in the episode with his obsession with chicken.
It was and pretty good episode. Even though I’m mostly inclined to the more story heavy episodes, it was a nice little break for some fun that took us way back (two seasons back to be precise). As you could gather from the description of the episode itself, Peter has the telepath kid named Simon read Peter’s mind (trust issues bitch!) and Simon tells her that Peter still has feelings for fauxlivia. Seriously, Olivia, cut the man a break. He’s got a little feelings left for the woman he had a relationship with a few months ago. He has approached you, explained the situation, made penance and wants a real relationship. I know you’re going through some messed up stuff right now, but Peter didn’t do anything wrong. At least just sit down and talk to him instead of reading his mind. He loves you. Talk to him. Honestly, it’s one of the tropes that pisses me off in television. Couples refuse to talk to each other and blame each other for everything. Normally I would be with Olivia, but I can’t go with her on this one.
Once again, Astrid is thrown to the side. At least Broyles got his own centric episode. Astrid is a cool chick and they don’t really give her any back story or development. I seriously doubt this season will start that considering the situation, but if the show gets a fourth season (please God), the writers need to sit down and talk about how to make Astrid relevant.
Anyway, this episode may have left us hanging with the whole doomsday device and war thing going on, but it was an entertaining little adventure. The mystery is cool and the cortexiphan return made me giddy. If you’re really busy this week and you have it DVR’d you can afford to skip this one and wait for the DVD to watch it. Olivia and Peter are pretty much in the exact same place they were when you left them. Angry at each other but acting professionally.
