The show opens with a construction worker working outside a farmer's field. After his coworker leaves, he hears 50's music coming from the field, reminding me of the scene in "Christine" where they have destroyed the car and the car's radio starts to play music from that era. As the construction worker goes to investigate, he is pulled down a hole by a freaky set of arms.
Meanwhile, Olivia is being discharged from the hospital after recovering from her launch through a windshield in the previous episode. She is walking with the help of a cane and scratched up, but physically seems fine. However, Dr. Bishop draws her a diagram of alternate universes and puts forth the hypothesis that she visited a parallel universe during the time she was declared dead. Olivia explains to Dr. Bishop that she is aware of something happening to her during that time and informs him the feeling is much like having a realistic dream that you can't quite remember when you wake up. I feel this will play an underlying theme throughout the season, and perhaps future adventures will be the result of her experience.
After commercial, we see the construction worker still alive in an underground labyrinth of sorts surrounded by carcasses of dead animals and human bodies. He tries to escape, but all we see is a Hunchback of Notre Dame-like character come and drag him down to what could be the depths of hell. Naturally, so many people and animals missing from the same area comes up on the radar of the Fringe team, so Olivia and Peter are asked to go and investigate.
Throughout all of these happenings, we are still left puzzling over Charlie Francis' character being taken over by the shapeshifter. This will also play a part in the storyline throughout the season, I feel. Though nothing of interest really occurs with him during this episode, enough scenes of him acting strangely are shown to keep the tension building as you wonder what his next move will be.
The episode is also peppered by Phillip Broyles' appearance. One cannot help but wonder what part he plays in Olivia's flashbacks and as always, what he really knows. Nina Sharp gives Olivia a slip of paper with an address and name on it. When she goes to check it out, the gentleman seems to be expecting her and knows why she is there, although she does not.
While investigating the disappearances in the field, the team meets up with the owner of the land, played by John Savage. John is taken in for questioning and expresses shock for being under suspicion for his possible role in the matter. It is discovered that the humanoid in the field is his son, disfigured by experiments he conducted, so this portion is nicely resolved in the 60-minute time period.
What really happened to Olivia while she was 'dead'? Why does Broyles always seem to know a lot more than what he says? What can the gentleman Nina referred Olivia to do to help her? What can Dr. Bishop find out about the universe that Olivia travelled to? Most of all, what is up with the shapeshifter Charlie Francis? Will he derail the entire operation?
For the answers to these and other questions, stay tuned on Thursdays, 9 PM central on Fox 31. Of course, if you missed it and want to watch it for yourself or need other information on the show you can go to www.fox.com/fringe/ or www.fox.com/fod/play.php?sh=fringe.
