rw2516

I can't understand why a time change would affect ratings for a show like this.

1. After watching it all this time, why would someone stop? Unless you miss one
2. If you haven't been watching it, why would you start in the middle
3. Why would anyone bother to just caually drop in, except to try it out and then stop until they caught up with dvds.

Must just be the way I think. I heard about the show halfway through season two. Dropped in to check it out. Quit watching after 15min. when I knew I had to see from the beginning. Watched the dvds until caught up and followed week to week since. If I miss one, I'll quit watching until I get the dvds to get caught up.

Deftones

haven't seen it yet, but i saw the positive news about it's ratings. hold steady and we get more fringe.

MikahC

I'm doing my part. I watch it on 3 TV's.

DJariya

I don't know why anyone would hate this episode. I thought it was a solid character-driven episode and stayed on course with the arc of this season.

The opening scene with Walter pulling his pants down to give himself that injection to make himself "Smarter" was awesome. I loved the reaction from Peter casually walking into the room.

This episode gave the viewer alot to think about with what The Observer did and it's ripple effects in time and also Walter thinking about the consequences of his actions.

The interactions with Walter and Roscoe were great. Christopher Lloyd is such a unique character actor.

I was a little confused about the later scene where Peter consumed that Milk with the medication that made him go into a seizure. That wasn't actually Milk right? It was some experiment that Walter was making for himself? John Noble was great in that scene when Walter struggled to think clearly trying to find the solution to help Peter. Then the Observer said it was a test to see if Walter would sacrifice his son?

Timber

Walter was making it when Roscoe was there, the milk that is. It was another formula that he was making but he poured it into the milk to dilute the taste.

rw2516

The formula Walter put in the milk is to help grow back the parts of his brain that were removed.

DJariya

^^ Oh okay thanks. That does explain the part where Walter said if he consumed it, it would have killed him.

mhg83

So in the final episode Peter is gonna have to die in order to course correct the events that have been occurring and a possible future event?

It feels like they're setting things up for this to be the final season...

DJariya

I don't think so. The ratings were good for it's 1st Friday airing and if you watch the interview I posted in my OP, the Producers want the show to go on 5-7 seasons.

Geofferson

Same here. A good episode for those of us that have been fans for a while. Not the best episode to come back from break on and kick off a new night...

wearetheborg

I liked this episode. I have always liked the observer episodes.
The negative reaction might be due to the break; I just caught up on Fringe, and this episode was as good as others.

dino88

Why did the Observer catch the bullets when they weren't going to even hit him? He's just showing off now.

Kevin M. Dean

Stray bullets could have potentially hit the girl he was protecting at the time.

davidh777

http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/great-...riday-ratings/

Great Scott! Fringe Tops Friday Ratings

RichC2

Still on the low side. But at least it's sustaining Thursdays ratings.

dino88

Not in the direction they were heading.

Deftones

what i was confused about was when the observer said that Walter had the ability to allow Peter to die. Huh? He saved him and Peter drinking the milk was a complete accident. It's not like Walter intentionally poisoned him to see the memory thing would work. Someone explain that to me.

SiberianLlama

The Observer was referring to Walter's fears that, by giving Peter the keys to the car, while Walter saved the girl, he was potentially putting Peter in danger. By giving him the keys, Walter let Peter go, and couldn't follow or help him. The milk has nothing to do with it.

Deftones

ahhhh, that makes more sense. thanks.

DJariya

^^ Cool, I had the same confusion as Deftones. Thanks Siberian!

SiberianLlama

You're welcome.

That said, I don't know about anyone else, but I think there's more to Peter drinking the milk than to just warn Walter that his formula was off. Something is going to happen as a result of drinking that milk. I don't know if he's going to develop "powers" like Olivia has, which incidentally the show hasn't focused on in a long time, but it's going to affect Peter somehow.

joefrog91

And now, they know Walter will be able to let Peter go again when the time comes.

DJariya

Big news on a returning character:

Deftones

xVladx

Possibly. I think the other reason for the milk thing was to throw Walter off the trail of what they were actually up to. At the end of the episode Walter was convinced that the Observer did all that he did in order to keep him from drinking the tainted milk. If that didn't happen, Walter would have continued looking for a reason for the Observer's actions, and might have discovered their real motives.