Concentrate and Ask Again - Recap

Nina Sharp goes to a secret secure chamber that belonged to William Bell. Inside are various artifacts from different periods of civilization, books, and Bell's diplomas. Finally, Nina opens a hidden safe hidden behind a vent and goes through Bell's mementos of his time with Nina and Walter. Behind them is a folder containing a copy of The First People. Nina then calls Olivia into her office and explains that all of the copies say the same thing despite the fact they were written by different authors. Information in the books led them to the Device pieces. Nina suggests that some of the information in Fauxlivia's logs might be informative, and is surprised to learn that Olivia has already read them. Olivia tells Nina that Fauxlivia developed feelings for Peter, and wonders if Peter feels the same way about her counterpart, who she feels is better than she is. Nina notes that Olivia doesn't know what Peter is thinking, and admits that she and Bell never admitted their feelings for each other. She tells Olivia to ask Peter what he's feeling if she wants to know.



At the Intrepus Corporation, the employees celebrate scientist Warren Blake's birthday. He receives a Magic 8-Ball as a gift, and they sing to him. Afterward, he goes to his office and his secretary, Grace, delivers a package. Once she leaves, Warren opens it and finds a doll inside. It has a pull string and Warren pulls it. The doll laughs, and then releases a cloud of blue dust into his face. He convulses in pain and stares in horror as the bones in his body distintegrate under his own weight.



Later, the CDC calls Fringe in after quarantining the building. The team dons protective suits and goes in to examine Warren's body. Walter realizes that every bone in his body dissolved. Olivia examines the package and finds a birthday card from someone named Madison. There's no return address, but Olivia realizes that it's too big to go in a mail drop. Back at the lab, Peter brings Olivia coffee as she checks the postal code and learns the package was sent from Chelsea. She taps into the post office's CCTV and gets a picture of the man who made the delivery. As she drinks the coffee, Olivia realizes that it has milk. Meanwhile, Astrid discovers that Warren provided vaccinations overseas. Walter experiments with the dust and determines that is similar to a substance he worked on with Bell in the 70s. He opens the doll and finds a U.S. military canister. Astrid identifies the photo of the mailer as Aaron Downey, an ex-Marine who has been out of the service for the last four years.

Olivia, Broyles, and Peter take a team to Downey's house in Quincy. Once they confirm the house isn't contaminated, they learn that Downey must have left recently. According to his file, he abruptly resigned for four years, disappeared for two years, and then showed up again and bought the house with cash. Peter has found an album with photos of a woman, and they figure she's important. Olivia then asks if Peter still has feelings for Fauxlivia, commenting on the coffee. Peter admits that he thinks about Fauxlivia manipulating him, and before that he thought he was bringing out a different side in her. Broyles calls Olivia down and shows her that they've discovered a suitcase containing three military canisters of the powder, and three empty slots. Upstairs, Peter hears a cell phone go off outside and realizes that Downey is outside on the roof. Peter chases him but Downey runs into traffic and a car hits him.



At the hospital, the doctor explains that Downey is in a coma due to brain damage. Even if he comes out of the coma, he'll need a machine to survive. Walter gets an idea based on the fact that Downey has cerebral activity, but says he has to go back to the lab to think about it. Meanwhile, Olivia identifies the woman as Downey's ex-wife, Sara. They bring her in and question her, and she confirms that Downey bore a grudge against Warren. Sara explains that Downey left the Marines and went overseas to work for a private contractor for two years. He came back and they tried to start a family, but their baby died seven months into the pregnancy. The cause was a DNA pathogen that Downey passed onto his child, and Downey figures he was exposed to something due to a weapons project. Warren was one of the scientists involved in the project. Sara mentions that their daughter's name was going to be Madison, and she died just the unborn babies of two other men in Downey's union. Peter confirms that Madison and the other two girls died of a bone disease that left them without a skeleton.

As Olivia and Peter plan their next move, Walter calls Peter and admits that he's lost in New Hampshire. They meet him and he finally explains that one boy, Simon Phillips, was part of the Wooster Cortexiphan trials and lives nearby. His name wasn't in the lists because he didn't complete the program, and Walter explains that Simon gained the ability to read minds. Peter accuses his father of throwing Simon out of the program because he was afraid the boy would read his mind and learn of how he abducted Peter. Walter ignores the accusation and insists that if Simon's powers are inert, he can reactivate them and then Simon can read Downey's mind.



The trio goes to the cabin but get no response when they knock .Walter has to urinate and goes into the woods, and Simon holds him at gunpoint. However, the random patterns of Walter's mind cause him pain. Olivia gets behind him and orders him to surrender, and Simon realizes that he can't read her mind because she's another Cortexiphan child. Simon collapses as Walter's thoughts overwhelm him. They get him into the cabin and Walter and Peter wait outside. Walter explains that because of his condition, Simon' s body releases large amounts of cortisol to compensate, making him ill. Peter wonders how many more Cortexiphan children are out there.

Olivia makes tea for Simon, who admits that he's relieved to deal with someone who he can't read telepathically. He explains that his abilities first manifested when he was 10, and grew steadily stronger. Now he can't control it or turn it off, and he can't bear being within 50' of another person. Simon wonders if she knows how it feels to have an ability that separates her from everyone else, and Olivia says that she understands. Simon realizes that she wants his help and Olivia asks him to come back to Boston with her. He warns that all of the thoughts would cause him unbearable agony, but Olivia warns that more people will die if he doesn't help.



At the Canopy One Defense Corporation, three senior executives enter an elevator and find a doll fastened to the ceiling, with a car design it's from Carla. As the elevator goes up, it releases its contents and the men scream in agony.

Broyles has the hospital staff evacuate the patients so Simon can safely enter the facility. Peter, Walter, and Broyles watch on a monitor while Olivia brings Simon to see Downey. Simon is unable to read more than a jumble of thoughts, and he asks Olivia to ask the comatose Downey what they want to know. The telepath writes down everything that the "hears," including "Project Jellyfish" and "Maryann." Since jellyfish don't have bones, they figure that's the name of the project. While Broyles starts a check, Olivia worries that Simon is broken because of the Cortexiphan trials. Peter assures her that she's nothing like Simon. Broyles gets word of the deaths at Canopy One and goes to call Nina.

Olivia goes to see Simon, who is drawing the image of a woman. He explains that she works at a coffee house near his house and is perfect, and Olivia realizes that he's never met her. Simon considers himself a freak, and worries that he would know it because he could read her mind. Olivia says that it's better to know than not, but Simon says that no one should have that ability. She glances at Peter, and Simon reads his mind briefly.



Broyles goes to see Nina, who explains that Project Jellyfish never official executive. She calls in CIA Agent Edwards, who is doing a favor for Nina by looking up the project. Three men carried out the field test, and were inoculated against the toxin. They were immune, but the toxin affected their DNA. Further, Edwards has learned that Downey received a grant of 3 acres of land in Pembroke.

At the barn in Pembroke, the two remaining soldiers have set up a specific layout of barrels and boards. They don protective masks and successfully test a vest designed to deliver a huge burst of the chemical.

The next day, the FBI team goes to Pembroke and Walter makes sure the powder has oxidized. They go in and realize that the barn is laid out like a map. There are also photos of Congressman Jim Thorn, and they figure he approved government funding of Project Jellyfish. Peter sees floor plans of the maps and realizes that "Maryann" refers to the Maryanne Douglas wing of the Fine Arts Museum. Thorn is holding a fundraiser there and it started a half hour ago.

The team goes to the museum and Olivia prepares to take Simon in. They both dress for the party, and Edwards tells Olivia to shoot for the vest-wearer's spinal column to prevent him from triggering the device. She goes inside with Simon and tries to get into the back room where Thorn is meeting with his supporters. The guards tell her that Thorn refuses to take the threat seriously, and she tells them to keep Thorn secure in the backroom. Olivia then takes Simon to the ground floor and they bump into a waiter. Simon realizes that it's Dillon, one of the two soldiers. Dillon realizes that they're onto him and flees, and Olivia goes after him. He tries to ambush her but she spots his reflection in a serving tray and kills him with one shot. However, he doesn't have the vest and they figure the other soldier is heading toward Thorn.



Olivia takes Simon back to the wing and he manages to locate the last soldier. The man tries to talk his way past the guards and realizes he can't, and prepares to detonate the vest. Olivia arrives and shoots him in the precise spot to keep him from setting off the trigger.

As the FBI take the bodies away, Peter gets her the right coffee and compliments her on her dress. Walter starts to approach Simon but realizes he has nothing to say.

Olivia drives Simon back to his isolated cabin and suggests that he talk to the waitress. He insists that people aren't supposed to know what others think, and gives her an envelope. Simon says that he read "his" mind and goes inside.

Nina examines all of the copies of the books and realizes that the author names are all anagrams. She unscrambles them and realizes that they all spell "Samuel Weiss." At the bowling alley, Nina confronts Sam and asks why he wrote all of them, and what the Device is intended for. He warns her that Peter is her problem, and that the Device is sensitive to his moods. What determines his "frequency" is who he ends up, Olivia or Fauxlivia. Whichever one he chooses, it will be her universe that survives. Nina figures that they're safe since Peter loves Olivia, but Samuel warns her not to be too sure.

Olivia reads the letter in Simon's envelope. It has a single sentence: "He still has feelings for her."



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