3.08 – Entrada – Fringe Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

“Entrada” is classic Fringe. It’s got plenty of suspense and wacky science that are centered on significant and often profound character choices. On these levels, it’s a grand drama, more of a commentary on humanity than it is on technobabble or plot twists. But the episode does have plot twists and technobabble. It also has a by-the-numbers narrative, with plot contrivances (and plot holes). And the pacing isn’t quite as riveting as other installments. The result is indeed a classic, but one that isn’t representative of the best that Fringe has to offer.

Signaled by an alternating red and blue title card, the whole purpose of the episode is to return Olivia (and Folivia) to their proper universes. And while both characters must jump through plenty of hoops before they reach their destinations, the outcome is never in much doubt. That puts the entire emphasis of the episode on how it all plays out. And, unfortunately, the execution just doesn’t quite elevate “Entrada” to “event” status.

The episode begins with Folivia guessing that Peter has finally figured her out. Thanks to a strange plot device in which Peter is forced to inject himself with a toxin that incapacitates him for a few hours — but is otherwise perfectly safe — she gets away to the Typewriter man to affect her return journey. While this make sense from a practical standpoint, it robs this plot of its most engaging element: Folivia having to confront Peter over her duplicity.

I suppose this will be saved for later in the series, but it’s still a missed opportunity to give this episode some inherent interpersonal drama and conflict to make the “chase” a bit more personal and meaningful. As it is, it feels a bit like Peter and Fringe Division are simply chasing “the bad guy (gal) of the week”. Not even Walter’s well-placed (and utterly hilarious) joke about Folivia’s “vagenda” helps the story be more personal.

The heart of the episode rests in Olivia’s desperate attempts to return home. She’s been recaptured and is about to be dissected for experimentation and research before her body is returned home (Walternate must “swap” people for the transfer of Folivia to happen). But Olivia has a new ally: alt-Broyles. After what Olivia has done for his son, Broyles begins to believe that peace is at least a possibility — a peace that his universe sorely needs.

This fact has been established before in Fringe but the episode effectively reinforces it with a small scene with Broyles having a drink in a bar. After watching a newscast about the destruction the rifts have caused in his world, he tries to pay his tab. The bartender, though, won’t accept the money, saying, “We need heroes” like Broyles. What Broyles does, though, is far more heroic than be a symbolic figure: He makes a choice and a sacrifice simply in the hopes of peace. It is, by far, the most heroic act of anyone in the series thus far. And it’s what makes the episode, despite its flaws, something special.

As it is, he helps rescue Olivia (moments before her dissection was to begin), breaks her out of Liberty Island, and drives her all the way to Boston (so that Olivia can use the sensory deprivation tank there. In the end, he’s gunned down protecting Olivia and his body is used as the “swap” for Folivia’s return — somehow Broyles gets from New York to Boston and back to New York in the span of maybe five minutes of screen time. So while Broyles’ decision and inner conflict are exceptional, the execution of these ideas ends up somewhat flat.

Of course, Olivia and Folivia both return home and, presumably, will now have to confront the effects of their respective experiences “on the other side.”

Overall Grade: B

“Entrada” is certainly important to Fringe and it explicitly makes characters an important part of its story. But the plot contrivances and cliché devices sap much of the inherent drama from the episode.

Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
Filed under: Fringe