Deconstruction Review of Fringe, Episode 20 Season 4 Worlds Apart
Posted by Karl Withakay on April 27, 2012
A Gold/Yellow Episode
As always, an episode synopsis will be found over at Scott’s Polite Dissent
Old School Walter
It makes sense that since Walter’s been institutionalized until fairly recently, he hasn’t had much opportunity to learn PowerPoint yet, and he is instead using a Kodak carousel slide projector. For the real youngins out there, before there was PowerPoint, you used either a carousel slide projector or an overhead projector for presentations.
Brane Freeze
There’s a few issues with the concept of gravitationally collapsing the two universes into a singularity.
First, even if the two Earths were brought together, they wouldn’t have enough density or gravitational force to collapse into a singularity, and if you combined both universes, pretty much the only things that would instantly collapse into singularities would be neutron stars and certain white dwarf stars of sufficient mass.
Also, just collapsing the two universes into one (probably*) wouldn’t cause the entire resultant combined universe to collapse gravitationally into a singularity, at least not instantly, though it might make the resultant combined mass (or altered curvature) of the new universe large enough to eventually result in a Big Crunch.
What it sounds like what he is describing is more like the brane collision model of the creation of the universe which isn’t really gravitational collapse.
* Who knows what new physics could arise from such a collapse?
How Much Does a Grain of Sand Affect a Desert?
Contrary to what ancient people may have believed, the world does not equal the universe. The visible universe is about 46 billion light years across, which is unimaginably larger than the tiny Earth. Amphilocite may contain a lot of energy, but come on, how can Jones collapse two entire universes just by linking/ collapsing a few points on one planet orbiting a nondescript star among over one hundred billion stars in a nondescript galaxy among over a hundred billion galaxies in the visible universe? It’s a small wonder some other world’s version of Walter didn’t destroy the whole universe already a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Are There Roaming Charges?
Cell phones and ear cuffs from both sides have functional signal in the bridge complex.
Convincing Proof
Maye Nick would have been more likely to believe Olivia if she had brought Fauxlivia into the interrogation room to show Nick that both sides were cooperating and no longer at war.
It’s Nice Out; Why Not Walk Instead?
Having one Fringe unit standing by in one location waiting to drive vehicles to the site of the next “attack” doesn’t seem like the best way to make sure you get there in time. How about having multiple units spread across the city waiting for Astrid to call in with the location? How about having helicopters with assault teams circling the city waiting to swoop down on the suspect when his location was discovered?
The Fringe Division(s): Guardians & Protectors of Two Entire Universes
Even if I trusted Nick 100% (and I wouldn’t), I surely wouldn’t leave him in the custody/protection of only one lone agent. I’d at least be concerned Jones might try to capture/kill him and would have him under the guard of at least half a dozen agents. Also, since I wouldn’t trust him or his cortexiphan enhanced abilities, I’d have him locked up (and possibly sedated) as well.
Time Convergence of Reality and Fantasy
At 47 minutes into the episode, the countdown clock in the episode was at 47 minutes. Nice touch.
Cordial Deconstruction 
Zylador said
Regarding Nick, I’m surprised Olivia didn’t remember his abilities, or catch on to what he could do. Then again, considering how powerful his reverse empathy was in the original timeline, maybe it was safer to only have one agent watching him and commit suicide instead of having a whole squad watching him and commit suicide.
Synth said
When they were discussin about closing the bridge, I though what if this is exactly what Jones really wants? Afterall, he did already try to close the bridge once before…
Polite Dissent » Fringe — Episode 20 (Season 4): “Worlds Apart” said
[…] This week’s Fringe cipher was: ALIVE. A list of all previous Fringe reviews is available here. Karl, as always, has more to add. […]
bros said
Synth, I do not think Jones was trying to close the bridge, I think he was trying to get AltBroyles to put the device on the machine to make it put the harmonically synch the universes
MaSh said
Wasn’t Alter-Broyles being coerced by Jones to bring a device to the machine that would stop it? I think Jones just used reverse-psychology on the team: He WANTED them to shut down the device, and they played into his hands!
Fringer said
Isn’t there an easier way to prevent further earthquakes other than closing the bridge? Didn’t Walter say they were using their dubbles to resonate off? Why not just kill the doubles? Twenty seven lives in exchange for continuing the healing process on the other Earth.
Also, to convince Nick that the two worlds aren’t at war, how about bringing the other Nick in to talk to him about the other side?
Walter's scientific methodology. said
Walter: “To create another universe, his universe. A world in which the laws of nature and physics are designed and controlled by him”
Broyles: “…and how you got to this conclusion?”
Walter: “I had a dream.”
The non-science of Fringe: Worlds Apart | weak interactions said
[…] episode is debunked at Polite Dissent and Cordial Deconstruction, and you can read more about it at Fox, IMDb and the A.V. […]