Season three of Fringe is underway with a fresh new twist. Our heroine, Olivia, is trapped in the alternate universe while her evil doppelgänger has infiltrated Fringe division in ‘our’ universe. So far, the show is following a back and forth pattern, switching between the events in each universe by episode. I’m really impressed with both actress Anna Torv’s performance and the writers’ skill in creating scripts to show the subtle differences between the two Olivia’s.
Originally, they used hair color as an obvious signal to separate the two, but now that they have swapped places they have had to go further. These subtle differences seem to have great potential for making each episode fun. For example, good Olivia has a photographic memory while the bad Olivia does not. Seems obvious that this will trip her up at some point. It is Anna’s portrayal of the difference in personality between the two that has me fascinated. Bad Olivia has a much more lively personality and I keep waiting for one of the other characters to notice. It keeps me glued to the screen. Well done Fringe!
Ironically, in the first season of Fringe it took some time for me to warm up to the character of Olivia and the freshness of the show was what kept me watching. It was Olivia’s relationship with the mentally impaired Walter Bishop that really won me over. In the second season her relationship with Peter Bishop came to the fore and the two finally acknowledged their romantic feelings. Of course that meant the writers would have to throw a wrench to keep them apart. The not-so-unspoken TV rule, that main characters cannot have a happily ever together, in action. This new twist has certainly done its job in tearing the two apart—even if Peter doesn’t realize it yet. How long do you think it will take him to figure it out?
Smart Girls love SciFi 
I’m with you on this season’s bang-up plot and twists. I think Peter will figure it out sooner rather than later. Or maybe Walter will and, in trying to tell Peter, manage to push him further away. Dun DUN!
All I know is that I’m going to keep watching.
Peter is brilliant and I hope he does figure it out. But what then? 😉
He’ll play a cat and mouse game, not letting on until he learns what Bad Olivia is trying to do. The question is, can he avoid sleeping with her to carry on the ruse? 😉
I’m loving Fringe ever since they started have such big storyarcs going on instead of the ‘monster of the week’ formula. And the parallel universe thing. I want them to find out..but at the same time I really like it like this. I’m secretly hoping that ‘bad’ Olivia will turn to our side. Also… being the ‘bad’ one is just a matter of perspective in this case.
Hi and welcome fellow Fringe fan!
I thought they might try to make us like bad-Olivia, too. I’m already starting to like her team in the alt-universe. But did you see (SPOILER ALERT) how ruthless she was about killing the deaf guy? And all that followed? Ick! Plus, they had to have “extracted” her memories to use on good-Olivia. Did she know they were going to install her double on her team and in her apartment with her boyfriend? Okay – I get that terrible tragedy can make you pretty fanatical, but the thing I like about Olivia is her soft edges. It will stretch credibility a bit if this ruthless Olivia goes soft. That would just make her less likeable. If you feel strong enough in your beliefs to be that ruthless, why would you let a few nice people and a cushy life make you turn your back on those beliefs? But then again, good writing can do the seemingly impossible. I guess I’ll have to eat my words if the writers do pull that off.
Thanks for the welcome 😀
Oh yes she’s certainly a lot more ruthless! Dear, I almost forgot! But bad-Olivia must have a soft side too somewhere…I think… 😮