Snakehead - Recap

In the Chinatown section of Boston, a Chinese man runs through the streets looking for Ping-On Street. He finally gets to an apothecary belonging to Ming Che. Ming Che is expecting him and lets the man in. The man tells Ming Che that everyone else is dead, and Ming Che tells him to lay on a cot and rest. As he does so the Chinese man starts complaining about stomach pains. Ming Che puts on a pair of rubber gloves and takes out a large pair of shears, and approaches the man. A large wormlike creature is emerging from his mouth and nostrils as his chest bulges. As it crawls out of the now-dead man’s body, Ming Che grabs it.

The Fringe team is called to the Dorchester Bay Inlet where a Chinese merchant ship has run aground. Peter drives up just ahead of Walter, who has taken a taxi. Peter explains to Olivia that his father wants to assert his independence. Walter comes over and complains that Peter was following him. They examine the site and Broyles explains that the ship ran aground the previous night and caught fire. They’ve found 27 passengers who tried to swim to shore but died from exposure. However, as they examine the bodies they realize that they were killed when large worm-like creatures forced themselves out of their bodies. As Walter removes one from a body and sends it to the lab, the search teams find one woman still alive.

Several other survivors have made their way to Ming Che's shop. All of them have died. Another one arrives and Ming Che tells him that he's the first.

Peter and Olivia take the woman to the hospital and meet with Tao Chen, a representative from the Chinese consulate. He's already spoken with the woman, Mei Lin, and determined she lives outside of Hong Kong. The woman doesn't have a parasite worm within her. They talk to Mei Lin, who doesn't speak English. Peter speaks Chinese and assures her that they're not there to send her back. Mei Lin tells them that she illegally came to America via the merchant ship. En route, all of the other immigrants were stricken with sea sickness and the crew gave them medication. Mei Lin, who grew up in a fishing family, was unaffected and didn't take the medicine. She's worried about her husband and daughter, who are coming on a second ship following behind.

Back at the lab, Walter and Astrid are examining the worms. Oliver and Peter arrive and explain about the medicine. Walter concludes that the worm larvae could have been given to the immigrants in the medicine capsules, and that the creatures then use the host bodies for shelter and food until they grow to their adult stage. Broyles calls to tell Olivia that they've traced the ship manifest to a local shipyard and they arrested one of the workers.

Ming Che cuts apart the worms and extracts an organ from each one. He then grinds up the organs and wraps the powder in a paper packet.

Olivia and Peter arrive at headquarters and Broyles explains that the worker was burning records when they found him. Peter recognizes that the man's tattoos identify him as a member of the Sun Hong Triad. He's sure the man won't talk, and notes that the Triad deals with drugs, not people trafficking. They wonder if the worms secrete opium, explaining the Triad's involvement. As they watch, the Tong worker takes out a hidden razor blade and cuts his throat before they can stop him.

At the lab, Walter is testing one of the creatures when it grabs his arm and bites him. Walter relaxes in seeming enjoyment until Astrid removes the creature. Broyles comes in and watches the entire thing, and then goes in the back where Olivia and Peter are going over the records. He gives them more information on the Triad, who is run by a man known as Jon Su. Jon Su's real identity is unknown and he does Triad business through a series of shell companies. There are over 200 hundred incoming ships and the Coast Guard can't search them all, and they estimate the second ship will arrive in 20 hours. As she goes through the financial records, Olivia notices a transaction to one shell company from a bank in Boston that dates to the time the first ship left China.

Olivia and Peter go to the home of the person who made the transaction, Elizabeth Jarvis. Her son Matt answers the door and reluctantly lets them in. Elizabeth, a widow, tells them that she made an investment in the company on her attorney's advice. As Olivia talks to her, Peter looks around and notices hand sanitizers, sealed windows, and an air filter system. As they leave, Peter explains what he saw and has her drop him off at the lab while she goes to see Mei Lin again.

At the lab, Walter is preparing to go out when Peter arrives. He sees the bite marks on Walter's arm, and Walter assures him that he's actually feeling better since the parasite bit him. He notes that doctors in China use hookworms to treat asthma and that the parasites are bio-engineered from those hookworms. The worms' lymph glands secret an immune-boosting enzyme that could be used to treat a variety of illnesses and boost the human immune system. Walter suggests that he go to Chinatown and check out apothecaries who sell hookworms. Peter doesn't think that's a good idea and Walter takes offense, insisting he can do it on his own.

Olivia shows Mei Lin photos of the Tong worker and she realizes that the men on the boast had similar tattoos.

On the second boat, Mei Lin's daughter complains to her father that her stomach hurts. As she watches, another man's stomach twitches as the creature inside grows.

At the lab, Olivia returns and Peter tells her that Walter is out and Astrid is secretly following him. He figures that Elizabeth paid for the enzyme to treat her illness, and they go back to talk to her. Peter approaches Matt and plays basketball with him, while Olivia goes to get a warrant. Peter explains that he is in the same situation as Matt, raised by a mother after his father disappeared. He warns Matt that the same people the Triad is willing to kill anyone that can testify. Matt finally admits that he's the one with immuno-failure syndrome, and reveals a scar in his side.

In Chinatown, Walter tires to find the doctors and soon notices Astrid behind him. He approaches her and doesn't believe her claim that she's visiting a friend. He insists that he wants to be able to live on his own and life with dignity and self-respect. Astrid apologizes and Walter invites her to come with him as a friend, not a watcher.

Peter and Olivia update Broyles on what Matt has told them. He receives treatment from a doctor named Ming Che, who inserts the medicine via his spleen once a month. Matt's next operation corresponds with the second boat's arrival.

Walter goes to Ming Che's shop and buys some hookworms. As he does, he comments that he has some large ones in his laboratory. Once he and Astrid leave, Ming Che calls a Triad member and has him follow the pair. While Astrid buys some drinks, Walter wanders off. She calls Peter and Olivia, and Peter figures that Walter slipped away from Astrid to prove he can function on his own. Astrid goes back to the lab and discovers two Triad members stealing the worms.

In Chinatown, Walter tries to call Peter but discovers that he can't remember the correct sequence of numbers. When he runs out of change, he sits on a bench and tells a Chinese woman, Fae, that he's lost.

At the lab, Peter and Olivia find an unconscious Astrid. They wake her up and she tells them that the Triad men followed her from Chinatown and took the worms. Peter gets a call from Fae, who tells her that Walter is fine. Olivia goes to talk to Elizabeth while Peter picks up Walter. Elizabeth refuses to put Matt at risk by saying anything until Olivia informs her that Mei Lin's daughter will die if they don't find the ship in time.

Peter arrives at Fae's apartment. She explains that she found Walter and brought him home. Walter admits that he couldn't remember Peter's number, and Peter points out that he had the phone numbers in his pocket the entire time. As they go, Walter shows Peter an advertisement for Ming Che's shop. He casually mentions that Astrid accompanied him to that shop and he mentioned having giant hookworms. Peter calls Olivia, who has traced a phone number provided by Elizabeth. They've found the ship at the pier, but the immigrants have already been offloaded by the time they arrive.

Peter drives to Ming Che's address and sees his workers unloading the immigrants and taking them inside. Peter calls and gives Olivia the address and then tells Walter to stay in the car while he goes inside. Peter breaks in and finds Ming Che working in the back, removing a parasite from one of the immigrants. He attacks Ming Che but a Tong member knocks Peter out. They strap him to a table and Ming Che demands to know who he's told about his operation. When Peter lies, Ming Che prepares to force a worm down his throat unless he talks. When Peter refuses, Ming Che puts the worm in his mouth and warns him that if he bites it, it will kill him. Olivia comes in with an FBI team and when Ming Che draws a gun, she's forced to shoot him. Peter manages to spit out the worm just in time.

At the lab, Walter confronts Astrid and admits he's to blame for her getting hurt. He embraces her as she starts to cry.

At the hospital, Peter and Olivia confirm that the doctors managed to save most of the infected immigrants. They've checked Ming Che's records and found six other patients who were receiving the same immuno-boosting treatments as Matt. Ming Che was using the identify of Jon Su to conceal his involvement. Olivia goes to see Mei Lin, who has been reunited with her family, and gives the daughter the toy she left on the boat.

Later, Peter wakes up to find Walter looming over him. Walter admits that he wanted to live like a man, but there are times when he gets lost. He informs Peter that he's put an implant in his own neck and gives Peter the tracking device.

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