The Transformation

Season 1, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Olivia and Peter go undercover to investigate after the discovery of bizarre remains at a jumbo jet's crash site.
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Fan Episode Reviews (16)

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  • Olivia's back into the mind of John Scott

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By vman85, Sep 23, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode started on an airplane with one passenger suffering from an ailment caused by fringe science. This guy becomes a beast and kills everyone on board; Olivia once again indulges herself into the mind of John Scott to get answers by getting herself in her bra and panties, surely who thought of this, though I'm not complaining. She learns that John was possibly working for a Black Ops cell inside the government and so were the two dudes that turned into man-bear-pigs. The memories of John were helping to determine why and who was trying to sell the man-bear-pig-dog virus and Olivia tracking down the sources through the memories of John. Peter tagged along with Olivia to sting out the Baddies and grab with Bio-Weapons. Walter continues to humour us all with some more great one liners 'the one nipple rule' still intriguing to see that Massive Dynamic were keeping his body although is does seem now that John's memories have now gone from Olivia's Mind. This was a much better episode than the previous one as it indulges into the mythology of the whole show.moreless

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    3 0

  • Let's hope this is a sign of things to come.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By screenagedkicks, Jun 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    So, Zack Whedon, eh? Yup, you guessed it folks, that's Joss' brother; you know, the one whose new show is about to premiere on US TV and all the critics appear to be giving it a bit of a slamming. Zack has nothing to worry about though because 'The Transformation' is the best episode of Fringe in a while and sees the show taking an about turn from the nosedive it looked set to take in the wake of its return to our screens a few weeks ago. The annoying FBI agent intent on ruining Olivia's career is pushed to the wayside. The irritating sister and daughter, there only to give the show a chance to have a few schmaltzy heart to heart moments? Barely to be seen and when she is, it's actually relevant to the overall plot. The overall plot, meanwhile, actually offers the viewer answers (shock of shocks!) and, even more remarkably, appears to put to bed the whole John Scott narrative. Well I never! I thought we'd be clinging onto the one for at least another four seasons. And while I'm certainly not convinced that we've seen the last of the bugger, it's encouraging that the programme is at least tying the loose ends up so that it wouldn't be a bone of contention if we didn't. Thus, he tells Olivia what he was doing while she's in that bloody tank again, Massive Dynamic and Broyles reveal to Dunham that they've kept John's body and they actually explain what for, and, get this, Bishop tells her that her mind is successfully venting Scott's memories and that she'll soon be rid of him. To wit, she gets bank into the flaming tank and agrees to that marriage proposal he was always going to make. Awww. Well, that just about covers every dangling plot strand related to the whole ex-partner business and, for now at least, closes the door on this avenue. I couldn't be happier. It was, after all, more than a little contrived and essentially simply a distraction from the business of Pattern-related case solving.

    Speaking of which, the investigation is pretty neatly handled this week. The premise is deliciously disgusting, its continued execution delightfully disturbing (the teeth removal on the plane is just... euck) and that undercover scene is decidedly dramatic: you could cut yourself on the tension in that one, even if it is obvious that the black ops guy is going to have another virus-induced spasm before he can reveal the crucial information. Much, much better than recent efforts this and, encouragingly, it seems to close a few less desirable narrative doors rather firmly. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come.moreless

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    2 0

  • Great episode where a man turns into a giant porcupine.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By XooKey, Jun 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    The episode starts out on a plane with a man writing in a journal and his nose starts to bleed. He tries to get help from the flight crew but the think he is a terrorist or crazy. He goes into the bathroom where he proceeds to transform into another creature that looks like a giant porcupine and busts out and attacks the plane causing it to crash, kill all passengers. The team is called to the site by Phillip Broyles to investigate the remains of what is believed to be an animal, but Olivia determines by a vision from John Scott that it is Marshall Bowman a man John had worked with. There is another man in the vision she doesn't know. Later back at the FBI Olivia identifies the other man as Daniel Hicks. They bring him in for questioning and he start to transform like Marshall Bowman did, but they tranquilize him to slow it down. Olivia decides to go back in the tank to talk to John Scott and he tells her to talk to Daniel Hicks and he will give them information. It is learned that a man named Conrad is bringing in the virus to sell it in Chicago. Olivia and Peter go undercover as the buyers after the real buyer is arrested. They go through a gambit of questions until the say that one man is sick. They get made when Conrad comes in the room and Olivia says the man has been sick since "Christmas". Conrad tells his men to kill them, but the FBI busts down the doors to arrest Conrad and his team. They had an antidote to the virus and Daniel Hicks was saved. Olivia is back at the lab and Walter comes in and she requests to go into the tank again to talk to John.moreless

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  • Keeps the ball rolling...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Mystic369, May 30, 2011 Report Abuse
    Great episode and a nice way to wrap up the John Scott angle. Still good after taking a break from watching it. The "rubber science" is still compelling and the transforming virus was awesome, especially when it happened on the plane at the beginning of the show. The show still delivers on the X-Files meets Crime drama and has excellent pacing and delivery. More mysteries abound with the Massive Dynamics doing what they can with the Federal Agents. After having John Scott's body since early in the season and revealing all of the clues that were unearthed puts forth an image of co-operatiion with the Feds and Olivia Dunham. Can't wait to see the next episode.moreless

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  • John's final visit

    8.5
    "Great"
    By JBentham, Sep 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    Although it's probably not true, I feel that this was the last time we saw John Scott, at least in Olivia's head. The episode was a very nice conclusion to his storyline, as we find out who he worked for, and how he truly did and does love Olivia.

    This was a fantastic story, and definitely the meat of the episode.

    Unfortunately the rest wasn't so good - the effects in the beginning were cheesy, and the episode started a little slowly - annnd I also didn't like how much hype Conrad got yet he turned out to be just another bad guy that gets captured the first second he appears on the screen.

    But still, this was a very important episode, and a very enjoyable one.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Trivia: The glyph cipher spells "avian." Edit
    • In the introduction, when the transformation occurs to Bowman, the close-up shot shows spikes growing through his shirt. However, in the next shot his shirt is cleanly cut instead of being stuck on his back. Edit
    • Trivia: In the shot of the "real" Olivia entering the hotel in her dreamscape, a motel sign reflected in the window has the letters "ZFT" on it. This is a clue toward the next episode, "Ability." Edit

  • Notes

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    • Music: Oxygen (Colbie Caillat) Edit
    • Original International Air Dates: Norway: March 29, 2009 on TVN Finland: March 30, 2009 on MTV3 United Kingdom: April 5, 2009 on Sky1/Sky1 HD Germany: June 22, 2009 on ProSieben Sweden: June 25, 2009 on Kanal 5 Belgium: July 9, 2009 on RTBF2 France: July 22, 2009 on TF1 Poland: December 3, 2009 on TVN Slovakia: January 10, 2010 on Markiza Czech Republic: March 19, 2010 on Nova Cinema Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Bowman: What weapons do you have? What weapons?!? Male Flight Attendant: We have a taser in the cockpit which I will use on you if you don't calm down. Bowman: Taser won't do a thing. It'll just piss me off. Edit
    • Astrid: It also gave him four extra nipples. Peter: Maybe he mutated into an opossum. Walter: No, opossum's have 15 mammaries, unlike most mammals, who have an even number of nipples. Hence, the one half rule regarding nipples. Astrid: The one half nipple rule? Peter: You just had to ask, didn't you? Walter: The typical number of young in the litter is usually equal to half the number nipples on the animal. The number of nipples being the maximum litter size. Humans, for example, one child is the typical. Maximum, twins. Barring extraordinary cases when the young exceed the number of nipples. Peter: God, I hope I never have to hear him say the word "nipple" again. Edit
    • Peter: (answering the phone) Bishop's House of Horrors. Edit

  • Allusions

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