Fringe is a show so rich in content that the hiatus is a bonus of sorts. Yes it’ll be hard to tough it out before seeing what is going to happen (how is Peter going to find out that he is ‘glimmery’, and how will he react? Will Walter become more like his older self, and what part of the new and improved Walter will he retain?), but come on guys – it’s a great way to carry us through the rest of winter, by staying inside, rewatching the episodes from Season 1 & 2 and pounding away furiously at our keyboards as we exchange theories and reflections.

Geek nation, you make me proud.

Another great thing about the hiatus is that I finally have the time to explore the other various quality reviews and sites dedicated to the obsessive and fascinating deconstruction, analysis and theory-building of every Fringe episode there is. You think girls are bad when it comes to deconstructing fashion? You have never witnessed geek girls deconstructing episodes of their favourite TV shows after they have put together an awesome outfit.

I wonder how geek guys are handling this.

In any case, one specific thing I finally had the time to do was to watch The Fringe Report, which was not only fully enjoyable (especially the part where the boys were desperately trying to pronounce my name), but led me onto many more questions and theories of my own. If you are a Fringe fan, then The Fringe Report is definitely something you have to add to your weekly schedule.

And so I decided to kick off the first week of the Fringe hiatus with a post of random and not so random Fringe related posts. For those of you who watched last week’s episode of The Fringe Report, you will notice that many of the thoughts posted below are directly inspired by some of the reflections that were shared by the boys. And, knowing them, they are going to take these and push them further in future posts and broadcasts.

Ouh, the thrill of geek talk.

I’m also planning on re-watching all the mythology related episodes from this season and season 1 in hopes of zeroing on more clues. And – I am being really optimistic here – I’d love to do a more in-depth Fringe vs The X-Files comparison (if I convince my friend Flo to help me out with this one) just because I love the latter and will take any excuse to talk about it.

Never get in the way of a geek girl on a mission.

Topic 1: Peter 2.0

There are a lot of questions about how Peter 2.0 was brought over and what happened to re-establish the balance between the two universes, especially after the rather violent way balance was established during the last episode.

Here are some thoughts: since Peter 2.0 was brought over in particular conditions, i.e. when a) Walter was distraught over Peter 1.0’s death, and therefore not thinking straight, and b) when Walter was still his old, arrogant self, I’m thinking that the most probable and logical thing that happened is that, well, Walter just brought Peter 2.0 over and didn’t quite care how balance was reestablished. And so, Olivia and Peter will run a research and will discover that, around the same time Little Peter 2.0 was brought over, another little boy around the same mass – or perhaps, in a twist, a small woman with the same mass as chubby little Peter 2.0 – just disappeared one day.

Topic 2: The Observers

In the same vein, i.e. the balance between the two universes, a question that has risen up in many fan forums is that of The Observers and their movement through time and space. I am of the opinion that, since The Observers are not limited by the law of time, they would not be limited by the law of space, and they are probably able to flit around as they please. Or perhaps they simply work in tandem – so for example, August 1.0 and August 2.0 switch sides at the same time, hopping in sync from one universe to the other.

Topic 3: Olivia’s fear as a weakness or as a strength

This has got to be my favourite topic of the hour, and I especially love dropping it in the middle of a chat room where there are both guys and girls.

What can I say – I like to liven up parties.

In the last ten days since ‘Jacksonville’ aired, everyone I talked to agrees that Olivia is a really strong woman, despite her almost-breakdown at the beginning of the season. However, the debate is regarding is her recent reacquisition of the ability to fear is going to help her or not. I am of the opinion that the entire first half of the second season was leading, inevitably, to this: to Olivia opening up to feelings that are related to weakness.

But you know what? While fear is considered a weakness, in the right place at the right time, it’s a strength. It’s the same thing with love – yes it can be a potential weakness, making us sign deals with demons (Supernatural, anyone?). And I think it bothers me that many fans – and not just guys – talk about how love and fear and all the more a weakness for so-called ‘emotional’ women.

Oh I hate that stereotype.

Being vulnerable is not the same as being weak. It takes strength for a person to open up to an emotion that will make you vulnerable. And to embrace it is a sign of becoming stronger. Maybe I get this because I’m a girl… And maybe this is why the main character was chosen as a woman and not a man.

Walter himself might have given us a hint as to this when he said: “The way we feel affects the way we see the world”. What if Olivia’s burgeoning love for Peter might as well be the extra ‘oomph’ she’s going to need to make her even stronger than she already is? After all, experience has shown that Olivia’s abilities come out under duress, and falling in love is a form of emotional duress. As for the fear that Olivia is starting to feel again, perhaps it is going to add enough pressure on her that, constantly feeling under duress yet having Peter to support her, she is going to be able to focus her ability on dealing with the war of the worlds (pun totally intended).

Topic 4: Misuse of children, or not?

Did anyone else think of Ender’s Game at all during ‘Jacksonville’? I couldn’t help but pull out my own copy of the book, as I started reflecting on the concept of using children in an almost cruel way for the greater good. It might at first seem black and white, but I forced myself to look at it from Walter and William’s side, and suddenly, a thousand shades of grey appeared. Is it the fact that W-squared used children that is bad, or the way they did it? Think about it… If there is a war coming and the only hope is the children, then is it smart, for the sake of these very children, not to train them?

Let’s push this a little further. Imagine if tomorrow, you wake up amidst a war with whomever. And while you witness the world collapse, you find out that you could have made a difference had scientists done some tests etc on you, in the process stealing your childhood from you.

Personally, I would be really upset.

But it doesn’t mean that I would have wanted whatever to be done to me. I would have wanted the responsibility be explained to me to the best of my ability, and to be treated as a child, not as a soldier.

It kind of reminds me of what my parents did for me. I don’t have (shucks) any special powers, but my parents did tell me that, as the child of middle class parents, with a good family and access to education, I have a responsibility to the poor children of the world, to use all these gifts I have been blessed with, to help them because they are not being given the same chances. It was a huge responsibility to lay on the shoulders of a 6 year old, and the weight of it did make me really mad at times – especially in the hey days of my teenage years – but now that I‘m older, I’m so grateful that, as of the age of 6, I was geared towards helping better the world and that I really did do what I could, and consequently have the ‘ability’ to do more than the average person who is my age.

Just food for thought.

And that’s enough for now. I’d love to here some thoughts from fellow Fringe fans! And stayed tuned for more Fringe-related thoughts – there are a lot more where these ones came from!