A duplicate - and slightly cooler - Fringe world comes into view, as we head for the season finale...

Peter?! Why the hell would you just shrug and casually take off with Walternate to the other side? He even told you that you could never return. Never as in "not ever". There must've been one hell of a convincing conversation in that motel room between episodes. Seems like Walternate could sell ice to an Eskimo. But really, would you buy a car from either Walter? I can only imagine that Peter has something else in mind that doesn't completely undermine his character's intelligence or his friendships with people on this side.

I also hope that once the second part of this two-part season finale airs it doesn't reveal that the writers have also undermined their story and characters and broken their own narrative promises with their loyal viewers. Since this is a half episode it can really only be a half review. I suspect some of the episode's "flaws" will be explained or developed in the second half. But taking this part at face value we have a mix of some great ideas, some not so great ones, and some seemingly wasted opportunities.

Structurally, the episode employs a very familiar J.J. Abrams trick from as far back as the Alias pilot. The episode begins in medias rae, introducing us to the world on the other side just as Walter (John Noble), Olivia (Anna Torv) and several others are seen. Then it flashes back to hours earlier before they crossed over in order to show what led up to that moment. This setup quickly acquaints us with the "other" world which seems to be just like ours only a bit more hip. "Doppelganger" stories always face the challenge of establishing some detail that clearly separates the characters from each other so the audience can keep score.

While it's not as clear as Star Trek's famous Spock-goatee it seems that everything in this world is just a bit cooler and more futuristic. Alt-Olivia has a less formal look, with sexier hair and permanent grin. Even Broyles (Lance Reddick) operates from a much more advanced command center dressed in some kind of relaxed uniform. Astrid (Jasika Nicole) is his assistant here and is seen wearing a beret which makes her look like one of Che Guevara's guerilla warriors.

Charlie (Kirk Acevedo) is back as one of Alt-Olivia's partners though he is bald now. Along with him, in "our" world three of this season's "monsters" of the week have returned as well. All former Cortexiphan subjects who have been trained to control their dangerous powers while offscreen the last several weeks. 'Emotion-guy", "Pyro Girl", and "Angry Cancer-giver" form a kind of poor man's X-Men and are central to Walter's theory of being able to crossover successfully by spreading the energy among more sources. Walter sincerely apologizes to them and they all agree that this must be their calling.

Except it's not. They are all decimated almost immediately upon arriving in the alternate universe. James the "Angry Cancer-giver" becomes overcome by sarcomas instantly having to be left dead. Pyro Sally becomes weak and sick. Besides Walter and Olivia, only Emo-Nick seems to have crossed over intact though he's quickly shot to death when the group is attacked by the alt-fringe team in Central Park. Pyro Sally engulfs herself in a fiery inferno which also barbecues the Alt-fringe agent who shot Nick. It's all dramatic though I am not sure why they would be set up only to be killed off instantly. It does seem we will be seeing an Alt-Nick though as he was recognized by the alt-fringe agent in surprise.

William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) was supposed to meet them in Central Park but he either betrayed them or missed his bus. Even at the end of the episode we cannot be sure. So far, Peter (Joshua Jackson) is having a good old time, bonding with his mom and eating some fine bacon. But this looks to be short lived as Walternate is seen doing some sinister work in a lab featuring some kind of doomsday machine which we've seen in a strange drawing given to Olivia by one of the Observers. A drawing that depicts Peter as the great destroyer.

As I said, it's hard to completely evaluate half a story so we'll leave some of the questions open for next week's closer. There were many details that were introduced this week and left dangling. The strange tattoo on the back of Alt-Olivia's neck, the weird airships over the city, and the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr is on their $20 bills are all very interesting. But most of all, I'd like to know just what Peter has in mind...

We'll find out next week in the season two finale.

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