The No-Brainer - Recap

In Springfield, Massachusetts, teenager Greg Wiles is on his computer and talking with a friend on the phone. Greg gets a pop-up message saying “What’s That Noise” and clicks on it. A series of images roll across the screen and he stares at it, fascinated. His mother comes in and says good night. After she leaves, Greg continues to stare as a hand seems to reach out of the screen as liquid drips from the boy’s eyes. The hand grabs him and he collapses.



Olivia and his niece Ella are playing “Operation” at home when Rachel comes in to have her brush her teeth. At the Harvard lab, Walter is talking about Darwin while Peter finds an unmarked letter directed to Walter. Olivia calls to inform them she’s coming with a body and Peter tosses the letter out. Astrid picks the letter out of the garbage once they leave.



Charlie and Olivia talk to the parents, who mention one of the Greg’s friends, Luke Dempsey. Walter dissects the body and informs them that the boy’s brain was liquefied. Olivia goes to see Dempsey at the garage he works at. He says that he thought Greg had fallen asleep when he lost contact, and their parents knew each other as kids. Dempsey doesn’t know anyone who would have a grudge. Afterward, Peter calls Olivia to inform her they’ve found another body. The general manager at a car dealership, Anton, died the same way. He came back to the dealership the previous evening and died. Walter takes samples of the liquid while the owner notes that Anton was there for three years and had no enemies.



Back at the lab, Astrid examines the computer and determines that Anton’s computer was fried, the same way that Greg’s was. Both of them downloaded a huge file before they crashed but it’ll take her a few days to pinpoint the ISP server. An old phone on the wall rings and Peter answers it, but says it’s someone asking for financial aid and hangs up. Peter takes the hard drive from the computer, saying he knows someone who can restore it. Olivia plans to talk to Dempsey but Astrid interrupts her to say she knows who was on the phone, and gives her the letter.

Peter talks to his friend Akim, who he hasn’t seen in a while. Akim is less than thrilled to see him until Akim offers him a gold coin he won in a wager with him, in return for his help.



At FBI Headquarters, Harris approaches Olivia and tells her that her current case isn’t worth investigating and belongs with the CDC. When she objects and notes the bizarre method of death, Harris complains that she’s using the cases as an excuse to justify Fringe Division’s existence, and warns she has twelve hours.



Akim determines the file was incredibly complex and whoever sent it covered their tracks.

Olivia brings up the files on Wiles and Anton and does an Internet search.

Akim finds a neighborhood in Brighton in Boston where the file is being downloaded in real-time. Peter calls Olivia and tells her it’s happening at her apartment.

Ella gets on her computer and starts playing with a paint program. while Rachel cooks in the next room. She doesn’t notice that Olivia is trying to reach her on her cell phone. Peter heads there separately and calls Olivia, who is unable to call the neighbors and has already notified the Boston PD. Ella gets the same “What’s that noise?” pop-up and clicks on it, and the same images begin. The same hand starts to reach out of the screen.

Olivia pulls up outside and runs into the house, gun drawn. She sees Ella on her computer, seemingly unharmed. However, she seems oddly disassociated for a few seconds. When Charlie arrives, Olivia tells him what she saw. While he calls in computer forensics, Peter plays with Ella and Rachel notes that he’s good with children. Olivia insists they get Ella checked out, and Ella says she saw a hand coming out of the computer. Olivia looks at the screen, unaware that someone at the other end is watching her. The man gets a warning of a building breach and discovers that his son has come in: Luke Dempsey. He’s brought his father Brian some lunch. Brian goes back to his computers and Luke notes he hasn’t been home in over a week. Luke worries about him but Brian says he’s fine, and that he’s working on a new program.



At headquarters, Olivia gets the report from the doctors that Ella is fine. She thinks whoever was responsible was watching them through the computers camera, and wonders if the “attack” was a warning. Peter wonders what the connection is between the victims.

In Evanston, IL, a woman arrives at home and calls out to her husband Mark. She goes into her husband’s study and finds Mark dead, his brains liquefied. Olivia gets the call from Charlie that Mark is dead. As she talks outside the lab, Peter notices an older woman a short distance away. She goes inside and he approaches the woman, Jessica Warren. He says he read her letter and knows she wants to see Walter, but he warns against it. He apologizes for what happened but notes nothing will bring her daughter back. Jessica insists on seeing Walter but Peter refuses.



In the lab, Walter explains that a combination of aural and video stimuli triggered the deaths, and causes hallucinatory effects. Peter arrives and Olivia says she recognized Jessica as the mother of the woman who died in the lab accident that resulted in Walter’s institutionalization. She wonders if Walter could handle confronting the woman, and Peter wonders if it’s a good idea. She thinks he’s underestimating Walter, but Peter just walks off. Astrid arrives and reveals that the last victim, Mark Rosenthal, married Mariam Dempsey a year ago. Olivia recognizes the last name and Astrid reveals that Mariam is Luke’s mother. Olivia remembers what Luke said about his father and Greg’s working together.

In the lab, Walter approaches Peter and wonders what he was talking to Olivia about. Peter lies and Walter wanders off. Olivia tells Peter that she’s dug up the record on Brian Dempsey and that he’s connected to the first and third murders: Greg’s father fired him six years ago.

At headquarters, Olivia brings Luke in but notes they were unable to find Brian. Harris insists they interrogate Luke but Olivia favors a softer approach. Harris tells her to take a harder approach and Olivia and Charlie reluctantly go in to interrogate Luke. She shows him photos of the victims but Luke refuses to talk and calls for a lawyer. Olivia tells them to release Luke against Harris’ orders and then follow him. Luke calls for a cab and Olivia listens in to earn the address.



As Olivia and Peter follow Luke, Peter complains that he knows more about how to deal with Walter. Olivia thinks it’ll provide closure for Walter but Peter disagrees. They arrive at the building and Olivia leaves Peter in the car, saying she doesn’t want Harris involved.

At headquarters, Harris discovers that Luke is gone and traces Olivia’s GPS.

Olivia sneaks into the building and hears Luke confronting his father. Brian insists that his superiors fired him without giving a chance. He spots Olivia on the monitors and tells Luke to go. Olivia enters Brian’s workshop but doesn’t find any sign of the man. The monitors come on and start projecting the signal. Brian gets behind her and holds a gun to her head. He blames her for ruining his life and puts another gun to his own head. Olivia tries to convince him not to shoot himself. Outside, Peter hears the approaching sirens and goes inside.



Brian starts staring at the computer images and the “hand” emerges. He insists he finally wants to see his creation. Outside, Luke finds Peter and threatens him with a pipe. They hear a gunshot and run to find that Brian shot himself. Luke runs outside but Harris and his men capture him.

Later, Peter and Olivia watch as the FBI take away Luke and Brian’s corpse. Peter wonders why the boy protected his father, and Olivia points out because Brian was his father.

Harris visits Broyles and complains that Olivia disobeyed her orders. Broyles defends Olivia’s actions and says he’ll stake his career if Harris continues to harass Olivia as part of a personal vendetta. Harris warns he can run a lot of bureaucratic interference, but leaves.

Peter brings Jessica in to see Walter, and tells him to call for help if he needs it. Walter approaches Jessica who tells him who her daughter was. Walter remembers her daughter, Carla, and Jessica asks if there’s anything else Walter could tell her. Walter talks of her wonderful smile and she starts to cry, and Walter holds her. He promises to tell her everything he can remember about Carla.



At home, Rachel wonders if she wants to know what happened to Ella. She wonders how Olivia does it. Ella comes in after brushing her teeth and says goodnight. As Rachel goes to tuck her in, the doorbell rings. Olivia goes to the door to find Peter. He thanks her for having Walter in his life and admits he was scared. Rachel comes back and says hello, and Peter says goodnight.

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