FRINGE Recap: The Human Kind

Olivia seeks help to learn about the tech in Peter’s head. Anil gets her one of the modules, which she then turns over to Walter for research. While she is on her quest, Peter is continuing his stalking of Windmark and making notes. Windmark is actually looking for Peter, and he appears at Etta’s apartment. He finds Peter’s notes, and it is particularly amusing when he arrives at the end of the sequence and finds the words “You are here.” Alas, Windmark doesn’t have a sense of humor, so the joke is lost on him.  Peter watches the happenings in the apartment from the crowded street below, appearing pleased with himself that Windmark is right where Peter anticipated he would be.  He calls to warn the others to stay away from Etta’s apartment, then continues his stalking. It‘s a full time job. He is determined to outsmart Windmark and put him on a trajectory that leads to his death.

The latest of Walter’s video tapes tells the group that they need a magnet, a big one, and Walter in the video even tells them where to get it. Olivia hands over the Observer tech to Walter, then heads off to get the magnet. Walter doesn’t think she should go alone, but she needs to do something to get her mind off what’s going on with Peter. She goes anyway.

Olivia arrives at the junkyard to pick up the magnet, and is surprised to learn that they’ve been expecting her. A man told them more than 20 years ago that someone would be coming for it. They also know who she is and how much bounty is on her head, which makes Olivia more than a little suspicious that they are going to betray her. The woman who has been holding the magnet for her all these years is an oracle, she sees things and she is full of hope for the future.  She convinces Olivia that they don’t intend to turn her in for the reward, but there is nothing she can say that can restore Olivia’s faith in the future. Olivia climbs into the truck and drives away, just as jaded as when she arrived.

Windmark confronts Peter, and they fight. He knows Peter is altering his trajectory, he is making alterations himself. As they struggle, he shows Peter Etta’s last thoughts, with Olivia and Peter in the park before she was taken. When Windmark’s sidekick appears and tries to help Windmark overpower Peter, Peter kills him and then disappears. He reappears on the street, walking in a crowd, looking very angry.

Walter’s research tells him that if Peter doesn’t get rid of that tech in his head soon, the changes will become permanent. He talks to Peter on the phone, begging him not to leave him, he needs him. But Peter is still too consumed by grief and is determined to avenge Etta’s death, no matter the cost.

Olivia encounters an accident scene on her drive back. At least it seems that way at first. When Olivia rolls the presumed victim over, it’s revealed to be a mannequin, and the thieves have the drop on her.  At first they are dismayed when she claims to have no money, but after they scan her face and turn up the reward information, they know she’s valuable and they have hit pay dirt. They take her back to a garage, make contact with the Observers to tell them of her capture and arrange to make a safe exchange. They are criminals, they don’t want anyone reading their thoughts, so they want to do it in a place where they are safe from that intrusion into their thoughts. While they wait for the exchange time, they underestimate Olivia and leave her alone in another room. She quickly manages to get out of the ropes they tied her hands with, then uses an air compressor, rags, fuel, and fire to create a makeshift gun. She has only one bullet, the one on Etta’s necklace, but that’s all she needs because she is Olivia freakin‘ Dunham. The bullet hits the first captor in the forehead. Olivia quickly grabs his gun, then takes out the second captor when he comes to see what happened to his friend.  Olivia retrieves her bullet, which went through the first guy’s head and lodged in a wall, then gets in her truck and is back on the road.

After delivering the magnet to Walter and learning the changes in Peter are about to become permanent, she goes to find him and try one last time. He is waiting patiently for Windmark, he feels he finally has the trajectory where it needs to be. As soon as Windmark passes by, Peter will have him, and in one days time Peter plans to meet him face to face and kill him. He knows the exact minute that Windmark will stop breathing. Olivia tries to reach him. As usual, he resists any opposition to his plan, nothing is more important to him than avenging Etta. Olivia pours out her heart to Peter, her concern being that soon he won’t have feelings left. Not for her, and not for Etta. She tells him Etta is still alive inside them, the love they shared with her lives, emotion isn’t a weakness but a strength. Windmark is approaching, Peter needs to make his move or his plan will not work. He looks Olivia in the eyes as she tells him she loves him, and he flashes on moments in their history together. His decision made, he opens his knife and cuts the tech device out of the back of his neck. He hands it to Olivia. In return, she gives him the necklace with the bullet. She then comforts Peter as he breaks down in her arms.

Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on Fox.