||SPOILERS|| Fringe has been on hiatus for two months, which almost makes this resumption feel like a season 2 premiere. As a standalone story with a fun (if predictable) denouement that makes it relevant to the mytharc, "Inner Child" was enjoyable if unremarkable...A demolition team find a subterranean chamber beneath the floor of their latest blast-site, where they discover a pallid, feral young boy. The Child (Spencer List) is taken into care, where the mute youngster attracts the attention of the Fringe Division, who arrive to evaluate him. Walter (John Noble) believes the boy's unnatural confinement has given him an empathic ability to feel people's moods. Olivia (Anna Torv) forms a bond with the boy, and is amazed when he starts jotting down names and locations that are relevant to a concurrent case she's working on involving a serial-killer known as "The Artist" (Jeremy Shamos).
The Artist's m.o was creepy but pat (capturing "unattractive" women he befriends, killing them in the back of his van, and transforming their corpses into "works of art" to pose around town like mannequins, having faxed the FBI invites to his latest exhibition), and the story didn't really go into too much depth about The Artist himself. He was just one of those gimmick-y serial-killers that populate Thomas Harris novels.
Instead, the story focused on the mystery of The Child and his paranormal ability. Walter dusts off his thought-reading device to try and communicate with the speechless boy (doing a silly dance to endear himself to the kid), Peter (Joshua Jackson) comments in a wry tone about his crazy father, and Olivia proves she's a great deal more appealing in a motherly context. Indeed, additional scenes at home with her cute niece were also nicely played by Anna Torv, who seems to defrost around kids. Surely it can't be long before her sister is killed and she gains custody as next-of-kin.There were two additions to Fringe's mythology that helped elevate this episode above pure filler, too; firstly, a CIA agent takes an interest in The Child, hinting that his agency have their own version of a Fringe Division (an intriguing development, if true), and the denouement confirmed a suspicion I had throughout that The Child is actually one of "The Observers" -- those bald-headed men who appear in the background of most episodes. This gives credence to a belief in certain circles that The Observers are an actual race of near-identical beings, and not just one ubiquitous individual.
I personally believe "The Observers" are humans from a parallel universe and essentially the vanguard to some kind of inter-dimensional war -- a conflict alluded to in recent episodes. Maybe The Child became trapped underground during a dimensional crossing that went wrong? Whatever the details, I don't think we've seen the last of The Child. His interaction and emotional connection with Olivia goes against his people's passive nature, so maybe he'll be instrumental in brokering peace between them and us?
Overall, I'm really glad Fringe is back. The show struggled in its first half-dozen episodes, but it started to find a sense of direction and pace since then. It's become my favourite new US show, which admittedly isn't too much of an accomplishment, given the competition. I just hope the two month break won't be detrimental to ratings, considering its momentum was abruptly stopped, and a second season will be commissioned.
7 April 2009
Fox, 9/8c
Writers: Julia Cho & Brad Caleb Kane
Director: Frederick E.O Toye
Cast: Anna Torv (Olivia), Joshua Jackson (Peter), John Noble (Walter), Lance Reddick (Broyles), Kirk Acevedo (Charlie), Jasika Nicole (Astrid), Erik Palladino (Eliot Michaels), Ari Graynor (Rachel), Spencer List (The Child), Victor Williams (Phil), Matt Mulhern (Dennis), Sandra Daley (Dr. Winick), Jimmy Palumbo (Mike), Jeremy Shamos (The Artist), Lecy Goranson (Tattoo Girl), Carolyn Feldschuh (Older Woman), Carrie Keranen (Heavy Set Woman), Mary Lou Schriber (Nurse), Chad Gittens (Agent #2), Phil Nee (Archie Donnelly), Robyn Payne (Agent) & Lilly Pilyblad (Ella)
