An unexpected encounter with Walternate’s (John Noble) doomsday device changed Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) for the worse in the eleventh episode of the season. The changes made to Peter made his demeanor noticeably different and I felt it negatively affected the episode.
After getting rattled by coming too close to the device, Peter wasn’t quite himself from that point on. It was clear early on in “Reciprocity” Peter’s demeanor had changed. He became more aggressive and short tempered around people. When he and Olivia (Anna Torv) talked about their relationship, Peter seemed distant. The smile on Joshua Jackson’s face seemed put on, fake.
Joshua Jackson as Peter Jackson
I liked the poor decision made by Walter Bishop when he tried to regrow portions of his brain. Inhaling the wrong test tube had him acting like a chimpanzee at times, craving bananas and displaying dominance. I loved it!
The so-called doomsday device turned Peter into an entirely different person in a sense. He turned into a killer, quite literally. He didn’t hesitate to kill every shapeshifter he encountered. Heck, he even sought them out. I can understand Peter’s emotions, but he’s clearly gone too far. I’m sure Olivia, Broyles (Lance Reddick), and Astrid (Jasika Nicole) will all learn of Peter’s actions at some point. It’s hard to hide things from them forever.
The end of the episode brought up the old books about the first people. I’m curious to learn more about this and why exactly William Bell was so interested in them.
While “Reciprocity” did a decent job of progressing the story, it seemed very focused, not carrying the entire breadth of the story forward, just part of it. Much of the episode was predictable and what wasn’t, wasn’t explained. How did Brandon Fayette’s (Ryan McDonald) blood end up in the house with the dead shapeshifter? This wasn’t Fringe’s finest hour.
Rating: 7.0
No Comments, Comment or Ping