FRINGE: “Nothing As It Seems” Recap

What’s old is new again. This week’s case is one that has already played out in the other timeline, albeit with different results. A man on an airplane has a sudden nosebleed. He goes to the flight attendants and tells them to get all the sedatives they can and keep him locked in the restroom, no matter what they hear. They need convincing. Once he’s inside that restroom and the loud noise starts emanating, as he starts the early stages of turning into the biggest porcupine in history, no one is inclined to open it. An air marshal orders him to open the door, and when he does he’s back to normal. In the original timeline, the plane crashed. This time the man is taken into custody when the plane lands. Security checks his bags and find needles and serum, they think he’s a junkie. He feels another episode coming on and excuses himself to the restroom. When he returns, he’s the big porcupine, and he doesn’t open the door so much as he breaks through it.

Olivia is trying to convince the FBI’s shrink that she’s fit for duty, despite the fact that she doesn’t remember her life and instead has another timeline Olivia’s memories. She’s frustrated because she should be out there searching for David Robert Jones, and instead she’s going through all these pointless exams. Her major trip-up comes when questioned about her sister and she expresses her disdain for her sister’s ex-husband. In this timeline, her sister is still married to him. When Olivia gets to Broyles’ office afterwards, he’s already gotten the report that she only answers about 60% of the questions about her life correctly, so the bureau doesn’t believe she is the agent they licensed. She’s sidelined.

When Olivia gets home to Peter, he’s prepared dinner for them and she gives him the news of her forced vacation. He’s called to the lab for a case, and it’s an awkward moment with Olivia feeling left out. She tells him to go, though, at least one of them is still on the team. Peter goes to work and leaves her home alone to stew about her situation.

When Peter gets to the lab, he learns Lincoln has been made team leader in Olivia’s absence. When he hears the case details, he recognizes it from the other timeline. As they discuss it, Walter arrives with all the gifts he’s bought for Peter’s birthday every year since his death as a child. Peter is touched, and gives Walter a hug. Lincoln wants to get back to the case. Peter tells him about Marshall Bowman, an undercover cop who was given a drug to rewrite his DNA and turn him into a giant porcupine. The plane crashed, so there wasn‘t really any follow-up. Astrid informs them that this flight didn’t crash, and TSA sent them footage of Bowman breaking through the door. They go to TSA and examine his porcupine corpse, since he died shortly after his grand entrance. Peter talks to Bowman’s sister while Lincoln investigates. He asks about a comment Bowman wrote before the attack, that once they get started there is no turning back. She claims she doesn’t know what it’s about, but her brother seemed stressed last time they spoke. Peter tells the others Bowman had had a partner that was infected too, but can’t recall his name. He says Olivia would know, and Lincoln tells him to call her.

The partner’s name was Daniel Hicks, Olivia recalls, and the boys go after him. On the ride, they discuss the elephant in the room, Olivia’s feelings for Peter and lack of memories of her timeline’s Olivia. Lincoln can see Olivia’s feelings for Peter, and Peter tells Lincoln he’s a good guy.

When they arrive at Hick’s place, Olivia is there waiting at the door. Lincoln warns her they’ll be in trouble if Broyles finds out. She’s not leaving, though, so they pick the lock and go inside to look around. They find a medical waste bag, which Olivia didn‘t remember being in the other timeline. Olivia and Lincoln are searching together and having an uncomfortable conversation, it’s apparent that she doesn’t remember previous conversations they’ve had. A giant porcupine attacks Lincoln. I’ll bet that doesn’t happen to him every day. Olivia fires her gun at it and it breaks through the window and gets away.

Walter sutures Lincoln’s wound, Peter looks over Bowman’s porcupine corpse. Walter thinks Bowman died because the rapid mutation caused his organs to fail. Peter finds track marks on the body, so it seems he was injecting himself with something. Olivia notices a tattoo on the body, so Peter calls Walter over to investigate it.

Olivia apologizes to Lincoln for his injury. She feels responsible. He didn’t call for backup because he didn’t want to get Olivia in trouble with Broyles. Astrid locates information on the scientist who had tried to broker the deal on the virus in the other timeline, and he died in a car crash years ago.

Walter recognizes the symbol in the tattoo is Sumerian, and Peter tells Olivia they know someone who might help them interpret it, but it might take some convincing because he’s pretty sure he won’t know them now. They go to a bookstore and ask Ed, the shop owner, about Lake of the Long Son by Gene Wolf, as a way to break the ice. Then they fish, hinting about the symbol. He takes the bait, and Olivia shows him a sketch of it. He asks if she’s one of them. Ed locates what they are looking for on the internet. It’s a group obsessed with the evolution of man. They want to create a better species, mutation by design.

Walter stops Lincoln’s attempted escape from the lab. He thinks he may be infected, so he wants to keep him there and observe him. Lincoln looks a little shaken by this revelation, and by Walter’s less than certain attitude that he can counteract it. Walter feels about 80% sure he can fix it.

A woman arrives home to her apartment and is alarmed to hear something in the next room. She goes to investigate, then recognizes the intruder and realizes he’s hurting. It’s another porcupine being. She gives him an injection and tells him to just think how special they are going to be, “like Adam and Eve.”

Walter watches with elation and amusement as Peter, Olivia, and Astrid joke around over some of the research they are doing on the tattoo. It makes him happy. Lincoln is still worried about becoming a porcupine. Astrid locates something interesting in a file, and Walter notices a code on the entry that is a palindrome. Years ago he and Bell had created a palindrome system for organizing lab files, this data may have come from Massive Dynamic.

Olivia and Peter go to see Nina. Nina knows Olivia is not supposed to be on the case and notes that apparently every version of Olivia is stubborn. Nina finds information on the project the code is from, but the contents were erased. It was being overseen by David Robert Jones.

Lincoln is still in the lab, and eating everything in sight. Walter tells him not to worry, they will know something soon. Lincoln loves the bacon and can’t get enough. Walter wonders what else he’s craving. His cravings give Walter a clue, and he calls for Olivia and Peter. He’s excited to tell them Lincoln has been infected. Everyone else is somewhat less excited by this news, especially Lincoln. Walter understands what the creature craves to fuel the metamorphosis, lipids. That’s where the medical waste bags came from in Hicks apartment. Plastic surgery clinics dispose of large amounts of fats, and the creatures are feeding off it. They go in search of clinics that have reported waste being stolen.

The woman and porcupine seen earlier are now on a rooftop. He’s holding her in his arms, then dives off the building. We see him flying across the city, the woman still cradled in his arms. This porcupine has wings.

Walter blends a concoction for Lincoln. It’s wheat grass, penicillin, and a few other things, including mint to kill the aftertaste. Lincoln says the mint failed at it’s purpose. Walter now knows what the drugs in bowman’s bag were for. They safely manage the transformation, ensure it doesn’t occur too quickly. Walter used Lincoln’s blood to create a model of the transformation sequence, and the computer screen is running through the progression.

Olivia found a clinic that reported theft recently. They now have guards on duty, so a new source would have to be found. Peter notices the model on the screen has now sprouted wings, so any clinics in high-rises can probably be accessed. They locate one, and lead a team in to investigate. Olivia waits at the lab with Walter, since she isn’t supposed to be on the case. As Walter rambles about his chess game with Lincoln and contemplates the moves, something he says strikes a chord with Olivia. She realizes porcupines are nocturnal and sleep during the day. Astrid calls for Lincoln, but he’s not answering. Olivia reaches Peter, and tells him to turn on the light. Just as he does, the creature attacks Lincoln. He shoots it, and his girlfriend attacks Lincoln. Peter shoots her, saving Lincoln‘s life.

Walter opens the presents he bought Peter, including some really cool toys. Astrid is sure he and Peter will have hours of fun ahead of them. Peter and Olivia arrive, and Peter has as much fun with the toys as Walter. Lincoln is still at the hospital with the woman, but she has no idea who created the serum. Olivia wonders, if Jones is behind this, what is he up to? Walter says Jones has a god complex. Broyles arrives, Walter compliments his tie, but Broyles only wants to speak to Olivia. She apologizes for going against his orders and getting involved in the case. He cuts her off. If she is 60% of the Olivia Dunham he knew, then she’s still 90% better than any other agent he’s worked with. She’s back on the team.

Bowman’s sister and her boyfriend are discussing what happened to him. He says he isn’t sure about this, it killed her brother. She tells him they can do this together, be children of the new world. She pulls out a vial of serum and injects herself with it. She has the same tattoo.

We end with a view of a room full of creatures kept in cages. A man tells them to be quiet. He then leaves the facility, which is in the hold of a ship. As he locks the door, the same symbol from the tattoos can be seen on it.

Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on Fox.