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 