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Fringe Season 4 Episode 14

The End of All Things

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AIRED: Feb 24, 2012

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9.5

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Episode Summary

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The dying Observer comes to see Walter and Peter, who must take extreme measures to learn what secrets he hides and determine if he knows where Olivia is. Meanwhile, David Robert Jones tries to force Olivia to use her cortexiphan abilities by torturing Nina.

FAN RECAP

TV.com Episode Review

200

Fringe: You Just Got Ob-SERVED!

"The End of All Things" was an essential chapter that explained one of Fringe's greatest secrets.

By Tim Surette, Feb 25, 2012

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

My Olivia, My Timeline

9.0

By almaslegacy, Jun 02, 2013

I thought it was a good episode. However, the whole 'my Olivia, my timeline' dance the writers played was juvenile. The dialogue with the observer was as well. We needed the observer backstory. The purpose of that scene was the observer backstory but with everything that Peter could be told that would help, speaking in that high parable tone was silly. Not being clear about it was silly. Or maybe I just wanted it to be smarter and I shouldn't have because it's network TV.moreless
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Amazing

10

By Dark_Davis, May 20, 2012

Warning spoilers contained below!

It has been a really long time since I have written a review, but this episode was just so amazing I had to! I am not sure where it started, but this episode basically confirms my belief that the writers have saved this show and season! The first few episodes of this show were so disheartening; I was saddened that the show had gone so far from what magic they had. It seemed that they were trying to start over but use the same characters. But now with these recent events, it seems clear that it all ties into a much deeper plot then I had ever imagined.

It actually makes my head spin to think how complicated this show has become; it was made very clear in this episode with the bringing up of Peters baby. I had completely forgotten about that! And that was a major thing, but they never really brought it up until now and we were constantly bombarded with new things and more mystery that I forgot.

Also we sort of left the whole "secret society and why they want to activate Olivia" story after David Robert Jones was killed, but now that we are in a different time line, it seems obvious that they were not done with his story. I think they did a very good job bringing us back up to speed with things we might have forgotten so as to make this all make sense (sort of)!

Some questions were answered for sure, but really, a lot more questions were raised. Now that we know what the observers are, it begs to ask more about them. Also, what is the end goal for David Robert Jones, they obviously brought this character back for a reason, this story must be very important to the writers if they had to kill him off and then bring back two different universes just to bring his story back? Or did they do that just to mess with us? It seems either it was all laid out to start, or they have been winging it and just started to get back into the groove. Either way, the show is on fire for me now, and I love every second of it all over again! Can't wait to see what they will do next, and knowing how this show goes, every time they go on break, the next segment of the series always goes into a new direction and takes a new spin on the same show, a sort of mini season within a season. This show is famous for it!moreless
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Superb episode with minor (possible) plot holes

10

By deathly_hollows, Apr 24, 2012

There isn't much to discuss here: Fringe is the best show on TV at the moment. As this season goes by, the show positions itself in my mind as superior than LOST. Fringe asks questions, and it gives answers. LOST could have done the same thing for major questions that were obviously asked for entertainment value only.

The revelations about the Observers were very decent. Any mystery revelation is in its core a disappointment and a success at the same time. We get the answer, but it isn't always what we wanted to hear - mostly because we expect something we couldn't have suspected ever (newsflash: the writers cannot make up something that doesn't exist). With that being said, I am satisfied with the Observers' story.

The only thing bugging me was the you-are-meant-to-be-with-Olivia part. I buy it, I love it, but if September hadn't interfered with Walter making the cure, that would mean (Alt) Peter would have to cross to our Universe at some point in his life so he could be with our Olivia. Wouldn't that unbalance the Universes? Or is the child born from parents of different Universes so special so that is the reason the Observers count Peter/Olivia as a significant moment in history? And the Universes wouldn't be unbalanced? Sure, there wouldn't be the war, but as much as Fringe science goes, the Universes wouldn't be in balance (we get their Peter again, only not in a violent, kidnapping way).

Nina/Olivia/DRJ part was a great thrill ride, I kept my fingers crossed we'll get to see Olivia using her abilities.

Is this timeline "our" timeline , or Peter's Olivia timeline? I am not sure, I guess it's somewhere there, etched to this season's timeline.

Fringe, kudos for being consistent more than all the other shows out there. There is still work ahead, but I am extremely happy we'll see the cylinder from 1x04 again - I feared you would suffer from the "Jacob's cabin syndrome" like LOST did. But I guess you know the drill - never write a mystery of you don't intend to get back to it.moreless
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Predictable story, questionable shapeshifters, surreal sequence, missing other side, some sloppiness, thrilling lightning (Spoilers)

7.0

By jmw, Mar 23, 2012

This episode convinced me that if I had to choose between the other side and the shapeshifters I would definitely pick the first. Indeed, like many viewers I suppose, I quickly understood that the real Nina Sharp had actually been framed by a shapeshifter. So her torture didn't move me because I just knew it was a fake. In fact I just can't grasp why their division and specially Walter haven't come yet with a solution to make the difference between humans and shapeshifters. Considering their special abilities, like the one revealed by David Jones at the end, and evil motives there're probably plenty of things that make them what they are. From organic patterns at the atomic level to brain configurations they should have been able to detect that the Nina they captured was a woman, without having to check out her anus of course.

The surreal sequence in September's mind was phenomenal and served by immersive visual effects. However I wish it had been more dynamic because it was obvious Joshua Jackson wasn't walking or anything probably not to mess up the lighting or something. Still even if Peter's mental dive was hastily set up it was reminiscent of fascinating productions like Contact (1997) and Cube 2 : Hypercube. As for the impact it had, beside helping Peter to make his decision regarding Olivia, well it made me miss Fauxlivia and the alt-characters even more. Would it have been too hard to enrich the latest episodes with parallel elements ? If the time of convergence has come then Peter should have tried to involve both sides. Walternate is supposed to help him but we haven't seen him for a while and all we got are freaks of the week, even if I really enjoyed them and found the writers intertwined approach interesting and well executed.

My other complain would go to the lack of attention to details. I still consider the division's security is terrible. Peter going back to his home without even a bodyguard after what happened ? Jones armed minion coming way too close beside Peter ? I know they already have a lot of things to cover in such a short time but I wish some events were more believable, specially when they're action-driven. At least Olivia's switching on the lights was thrilling and the only thing missing was an electrified haircut for Anna Torv or some sort of reference to Storm, the comics character.

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.moreless
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This is the real truth here....

9.0

By calfmandooo, Mar 08, 2012

If Peter knew enough to use a condom then the finale wouldn't have sucked so bad and they wouldn't have to do all this "different timeline" stuff.

AND NOW THERE'S ONLY WHAT... 10 OBSERVERS LEFT???
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Anna Torv	Olivia Dunham
Joshua Jackson	Peter Bishop
Lance Reddick	Phillip Broyles
Blair Brown	Nina Sharp
Jasika Nicole	Astrid Farnsworth
Seth Gabel	Lincoln Lee

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Monte Markham	Leland Spivey	Guest Star
Amos Stern	July	Guest Star
Steven Weller	March	Guest Star
Michael Cerveris	September	Recurring Role
Jared Harris	David Robert Jones	Recurring Role
Eugene Lipinski	December	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Jared Harris and Blair Brown on Fringe f...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Blair Brown on Fringe from "The End of A...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Anna Torv on Fringe from "The End of All...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company
Jasika Nicole, Joshua Jackson, and John ...

© 2012 Fox Broadcasting Company

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Trivia: The glyph code for this episode is UNITE.
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QUOTES (4)
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- Jones: Olivia Dunham. I've waited so very long to meet you.
  Olivia: Actually, we've already met.
  Jones: You have me at a bit of a disadvantage.
  Olivia: I watched you die, and I'm looking forward to seeing you do that again.
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- Astrid: Wait, stop.
  Peter: What? What do you see?
  Astrid: I don't see anything, but I really have to pee and I don't want to miss anything.
  Walter: I've had the same issue for the last ten minutes.
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- Walter: Dear God, I have no idea if this man's physiology is similar to ours at all.
  Peter: It is--at least that's what you told me in my timeline.
  Walter: Oh. I suppose I have no reason to doubt myself.
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- Astrid: What do you think--that she's waiting for you at your house after she's been kidnapped?
  Walter: I suppose it makes as much sense as anything that's gone on here.
  Astrid: It doesn't make any sense.
  Walter: My point exactly.
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NOTES (1)
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- International Airdates:
  Canada: February 24, 2012 on Citytv
  UK: March 21, 2012 on Sky1
  Germany: July 30, 2012 on ProSieben
  Finland: February 13, 2013 on MTV3
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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