Over There: Part II (S02E23)
Airdate: 13 May 2010
Written by: Jeff Pinkner, J. H. Wyman & Akiva Goldsman Directed by: Akiva Goldsman
Running Time: 44 minutes
Over There: Part II represents something of a throwback to an earlier era of television storytelling—back when season finales were expected to wrap up loose threads, push the narrative forward, and leave audiences with a tantalising cliffhanger that would keep them talking until the autumn. In an age where shows frequently favour ambiguous endings or mid-arc conclusions, Fringe's second season closer feels almost refreshingly old-fashioned in its construction. It knows exactly what it needs to accomplish: provide closure on Walter's rescue mission, advance the simmering conflict between universes, and guarantee that viewers will be counting down the days until the series returns. That it manages all this whilst delivering genuine emotional weight and spectacular action sequences makes it a standout example of the form.
The episode wastes no time in establishing its stakes. Olivia, still reeling from the chaos of the previous instalment, is desperately searching for Walter, who took a bullet during an ambush orchestrated by the alternate Fringe team. Leading that team is the Other Side's version of Olivia herself—a character fans have affectionately dubbed "Fauxlivia"—who proves just as capable and determined as her blue-universe counterpart. When Walternate learns that his estranged "son's" father figure has been wounded, he dispatches Fauxlivia and Alt-Charlie to bring Walter into custody. It's a race against time that Olivia wins, albeit narrowly, locating Walter and extracting him with the unexpected assistance of William Bell. The trio's narrow escape sets the template for an episode that rarely lets up.
One of the episode's more clever narrative beats occurs when Fauxlivia, reviewing surveillance footage, catches a glimpse of her own face staring back at her. The dawning realisation that there's another version of herself running around the Redverse adds a delicious layer of existential unease to her character. Meanwhile, Walternate is playing a long game with Peter, presenting him with an extraordinary machine that responds only to his biological signature. The official line—that this device will heal the damage wrought by the Pattern on both worlds—sounds noble enough, but the audience knows better. Walternate's true intention is far more sinister: he plans to use Peter's unique connection to the machine to obliterate the regular universe entirely, sacrificing billions to save his own world.
Walter and Bell's journey to Harvard provides some of the episode's most emotionally charged material. The university, partially sealed off behind amber quarantine zones that have become chillingly commonplace in this devastated world, still houses enough resources from their old laboratory to construct a crossing device. Yet the scientific collaboration is fraught with tension. Walter harbours deep resentment toward his former partner. Whilst Walter spent seventeen years institutionalised and medicated into near-oblivion, Bell built Massive Dynamic into a corporate empire—profiting handsomely from technologies pilfered from the very universe that now threatens to destroy them. The revelation that Redverse-Bell died young adds a poignant footnote to their partnership: these two men only ever worked together in one reality, and even that collaboration ended in tragedy and betrayal.
Olivia's infiltration of Fauxlivia's apartment is classic spy thriller material executed with flair. The confrontation between the two women—physically identical yet fundamentally different in temperament and experience—crackles with electricity. Their prolonged fight is brutal and personal, ending with Olivia victorious and in possession of her double's identity. A quick hair dye job later, and she's able to trick Alt-Charlie into revealing Peter's whereabouts before putting him out of commission. The moment she reveals herself to Peter is genuinely affecting. He's resistant to returning home until Olivia finally drops her guard and admits what she's been suppressing for months: her feelings for him. The kiss that follows feels earned rather than obligatory, a culmination of slow-burn chemistry that the series has been carefully cultivating.
The climactic sequence at the Opera House delivers everything one could want from a season finale. Walter and Bell have assembled their crossing device in the grand, decaying venue, but Alt-Fringe Division arrives en masse, with a vengeful Fauxlivia leading the charge. What follows is an extended, spectacular action sequence that showcases the series' improved production values. Olivia holds her own against overwhelming odds, buying precious minutes for the scientists to complete their work. It's only in the final moments that the true cost becomes apparent. Bell calmly informs his oldest friend that the device requires a power source no battery could provide—his own molecular structure. In a moment of profound sacrifice, he allows the others to cross home. The reconciliation between the two men, finally putting decades of resentment aside, is genuinely moving.
Back on familiar soil, Peter offers Walter a tentative olive branch. He acknowledges that he'll never fully comprehend the man who stole him from another world, but Walter's repeated crossings to save his life "has to count for something." It's a fragile peace, and one that the episode immediately shatters. When "Olivia" visits a typewriter shop to receive coded instructions from the Redverse, the horrifying truth emerges: Fauxlivia orchestrated a switch during the chaos at the Opera House. The real Olivia languishes in a Redverse detention facility, with Walternate personally supervising her imprisonment. It's a diabolical twist that complicates every interaction we've witnessed.
What's particularly impressive about Over There: Part II is how it avoids the sophomore slump that often plagues second instalments of two-parters. Freed from the burden of exposition and setup that weighed down its predecessor, the script breathes more easily, balancing propulsive action with genuine emotional beats. The fight between the two Olivias—preceded by a fascinating exchange where each expresses curiosity about how the other's life diverged—ranks among the series' most memorable set pieces. Akiva Goldsman's direction keeps the chaos coherent, and Anna Torv's dual performance showcases her impressive range, distinguishing between two women who share a face but little else.
The shippers, naturally, have much to celebrate. After seasons of will-they-won't-they tension, Olivia's desperate plea for Peter to return with her—culminating in that long-awaited kiss—delivers the romantic payoff fans had been craving. That Fringe immediately undercuts this happiness with the Fauxlivia switch is almost cruel, but undeniably effective storytelling.
Leonard Nimoy's final appearance as Bell provides the episode with its most poignant moment. His sacrifice, watching himself dissolve to power the crossing, recalls his most famous cinematic death in The Wrath of Khan—and arguably surpasses it in emotional resonance. It's fitting that a character who began as something of a shadowy antagonist should exit through such profound redemption.
The production design deserves mention as well. Peter's initial reaction to the Redverse Manhattan—with its amber-encased landmarks and altered skyline—efficiently establishes the scale of divergence between worlds. Later, glimpses of film posters advertising fictional superhero sequels provide a wry commentary: perhaps the Redverse isn't so different from our own universe after all.
The closing twist, whilst functional, doesn't entirely surprise. With a third season already commissioned, the narrative practically demanded ongoing Redverse complications and romantic obstacles. That said, the execution is impeccable, leaving the audience simultaneously satisfied by the episode's resolution and hungry for what comes next.
Over There: Part II is a sterling example of how to construct a season finale that honours both its immediate story and the larger narrative arc. It resolves, advances, and tantalises in equal measure, delivering spectacle without sacrificing character. For a series that had spent two years finding its footing, this confident, emotionally resonant conclusion proved that *???Fringe had evolved into essential television. It's a very good episode indeed, and a thoroughly satisfying way to bid farewell—at least temporarily—to one of the more imaginative science fiction series of its era.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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