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Fringe: The Firefly

The Observer contacts Walter and asks for his help in setting the balance straight and rectifying a shared mistake. Meanwhile, a retired musician emerges from obscurity when the staff at his hospital discover that he received a visit from his son... who has been dead 25 years.


9.1/10 (33 Votes cast)

Episode Info


Episode number: 3x10
Production Number: 3X6110
Airdate: Friday January 21st, 2011


Alternate Airdates:

BR (Warner) Feb 15, 2011
NL (Net 5) Mar 06, 2011
UK (Sky One) Mar 23, 2011

Guest Stars
Michael CerverisMichael Cerveris
As The Observer
Recurring
Christopher Lloyd (1)Christopher Lloyd (1)
As Roscoe Joyce

Co-Guest Stars
Eugene LipinskiEugene Lipinski
As December
Recurring
Nancy Bell (1)Nancy Bell (1)
As Adorable Old Woman
Olivia ChengOlivia Cheng
As Victoria (Victoria Dimorio)
Rob BoyceRob Boyce
As Tough Man
Kory GrimKory Grim
As Man #1
Gigi JackmanGigi Jackman
As Nurse
Arvind JohalArvind Johal
As Courier
Nick OuelletteNick Ouellette
As Bobby Joyce (as Nicolas Ouellette)
Ivan VanceIvan Vance
As Adorable Old Man
Rhys Williams (2)Rhys Williams (2)
As Tattoo Man
Main Cast
Anna TorvAnna Torv
As Olivia Dunham
Joshua Jackson (1)Joshua Jackson (1)
As Peter Bishop
Lance ReddickLance Reddick
As Phillip Broyles
Jasika NicoleJasika Nicole
As Astrid Farnsworth
John NobleJohn Noble
As Dr. Walter Bishop

Recap

Walter is working at home preparing a chemical substance in the kitchen. Peter comes down and discovers his father dropping his pants and preparing to inject his leg. Walter explains that he's preparing to repair the parts of his brain that are missing because Bell removed them at his request. Peter notes that Bell did it because Walter was afraid of what he was becoming, and says that he doesn't want to see his father hurt. Walter injects himself anyway and then runs off to get the pizza delivery at 2 a.m...

Read the full recap
Episode Notes
The glyph/code spells out UNITES.



Music
ArtistSong TitlePlayed When
Jeremy LittleIf I Only Had a BrainWalter and Peter talk at end
Piero UmilianiMah-Nà Mah-NàAt the beginning when Walter is in the kitchen


Episode Quotes
Peter: Walter.
Walter: Peter. You're up early.
Peter: Oh, no, I'm still asleep upstairs in my bed. You're just talking to an astral projection of me.
Walter: You're just saying that to see if I'm high.

Peter: Who's that at two in the morning?
Walter: Oh, my pizza.
Peter: So you are high, then.
Walter: Maybe a little.

Olivia: I understand that you had a visitor last night.
Roscoe Joyce: I don't remember talking to him, but I remember that he was here. It's a curse not remembering a miracle.

Peter: Walter, are you all right?
Walter: If all right means despondent, yes.

Walter: You know the future. Tell me how I can save my son from dying.
The Observer: There are things that I know. But there are things that I do not. Various possible futures are happening simultaneously. I can tell you all of them, but I cannot tell you which one of them will come to pass. Because very action cause ripples. Consequences both obvious and unforeseen. For instance, after I pulled you and Peter from the icy lake, later that summer, Peter caught a firefly. I could not have known he would do that. But because he did, a young girl three miles away would not. And so later that night, she would continue looking, trying to find another one. I could not have know that when she did not come home, her father would go looking for her, driving in the rain. So that when the traffic light turned red, his truck skidded through the intersection at Harvard Yard, killing a pedestrian.
Walter: Did that happen?
The Observer: You and I have interfered in the natural course of events. We have... upset the balance in ways I could not have predicted. Which is why now I need your help.

Roscoe Joyce: I forgot what my son felt like. What he smelled like. How it felt to be around him. But now I remember. Nobody is supposed to have a second chance like that.

Peter: First he saves the girl, then he tries to kill her. Then he runs up five flights of stairs just to shoot me with his magic air gun and disappear. None of it makes any sense.
Olivia: And how is this different from any other day?

Peter: You ever feel like every time we get close to getting the answers, somebody changes the question? Olivia.
Olivia: So why is this your favorite book?
Peter: Because it talks about not depending on other people for answers. That you can only find the answers inside yourself.



Episode Goofs
The stuntman filling in for Joshua Jackson during the air gun "stunt" is clearly not Joshua Jackson: his hair is noticeably lighter.




Cultural References
Walter: These were created by an old friend of mine. Dr. Jacoby of Washington State.

This is a injoke to Twin Peaks. Walter is wearing the same glasses as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby, the psychiatrist on the TV series Twin Peaks.


Peter: Walter's channeling the Amazing Kreskin.

Kreskin is a mentalist who can "cold read" people by observing body language and watching for psychological "tells." He also claims to be able to foretell the future, making annual predictions.

Olivia: I feel like Rip Van Winkle.

Rip Van Winkle is the title character in Washington Irving's 1819 short story where a man goes to sleep for 20 years and has to cope with how his town has changed after the American Revolution.



Other Episode Crew

CreatorJ. J. Abrams  |  Alex Kurtzman  |  Roberto Orci
Executive ProducerJ. H. Wyman  |  Jeff Pinkner  |  Joe Chappelle  |  J. J. Abrams  |  Bryan Burk
Co-Executive ProducerDavid Wilcox  |  Monica Breen  |  Alison Schapker  |  Reid Shane  |  Josh Singer
ProducerTanya M. Swerling  |  Tamara Isaac  |  Kathy Lingg
Co-ProducerVladimir Stefoff  |  Athena Wickham
Consulting ProducerRoberto Orci  |  Akiva Goldsman  |  Alex Kurtzman
Production DesignerIan Thomas (3)
EditorLuyen Vu
CastingApril Webster  |  Sara Isaacson
First Assistant DirectorBrian Giddens
Second Assistant DirectorWarren Hanna
MusicMichael Giacchino  |  Chris Tilton
Music EditorPaul Apelgren
Music SupervisorBilly Gottlieb  |  Charles L. Scott IV
Costume DesignerJenni Gullett
Key GripDavid J. Dawson
Set DecoratorBobbi Allyn
Location ManagerScott Walden
Property MasterRob Smith (3)
Script SupervisorLisa Wilder
Production CoordinatorAnita Truelove
Assistant EditorJennifer Van Goethem
Post Production SupervisorAaron Miller (2)  |  Jill Risk
Supervising Sound EditorTom Harris (3)
Re-Recording MixerAleksandr Gruzdev  |  Rick Norman
GafferDavid S. Warner (1)
Director of PhotographyDavid Moxness
Story EditorRobert Chiappetta  |  Ethan Gross  |  Glen Whitman
Stunt CoordinatorRick Pearce
Production ManagementVladimir Stefoff
Sound MixerEric Batut
Executive Story EditorGraham Roland
Main Title ThemeJ. J. Abrams
Visual Effects SupervisorJay Worth  |  Robert Habros
Main Title DesignAndrew Kramer
Department Head HairIan C. Ballard
Department Head Make-upCalla Dreyer
ComposerMike McCready
Canadian CastingJennifer Page  |  Corinne Clark
Paint CoordinatorJohn E. Wilcox
 

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