Letters of Transit
In 2036, the Observers have taken over the Earth and established a totalitarian regime using their superior technology and their ability to read the minds of most humans. They are helped by human collaborators called "Loyalists". Two members of the current Fringe team, a young woman named Etta who is able to resist the Observers mind-reading, and Simon Foster, are part of the resistance. Walter has spent the past 20 years in amber and has recently been freed in the hope that he will be able to build a device that will allow humankind to defeat the Observers. However, his brain has been damaged and he does not remember how to build the device. Simon and Etta turn to Nina Sharp, who tells them that Walter had William Bell remove a piece of his brain, which she thinks could be used to heal him now. The team manage to retrieve the piece from the old Massive Dynamic facility, tightly controlled by Observers, and restore Walter's memories. Walter explains that the Observers will have made the Earth uninhabitable by 2609, so they traveled back in time and took over the planet. He kills the approaching Observers and Loyalists using an antimatter bomb, then leads Simon and Etta to where Peter, Astrid and William Bell have been ambered. Astrid is freed. Simon sacrifices himself to the amber in order to push Peter free, while Walter severs Bell's hand for later use. After they escape, Peter realizes that Etta is his daughter.
Tropes
- And the Adventure Continues: The mostly-reunited Fringe team heads off to Season 5.
- Bad Future: The Observers have taken over the Earth, forcing humans to live in a post-apocalyptic and totalitarian society.
- Bizarro Episode: As befitting the episode 19 pattern for Fringe. It had nothing to do with the season 4 plot, other than to imply that William Bell would be showing up in the near future.
- Foreshadowing: A senile Walter has to pose as Etta's grandfather to get past some Observers- except she didn't actually make the family relation up.
- Oh, Crap!: The Observer chasing the team, once he realizes that the device Walter has left behind is a primed anti-matter bomb.
- Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: Broyles, in charge of the remnants of the Fringe Division, now finds himself needing to hunt his former teammates.
- Time Skip: This episode takes place long after season 4 has ended.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Walter, once his missing parts in his brain is restored.
- Vichy Earth: 2036 under the Observers' control, complete with a full complement of Les Collaborateurs and La Résistance.
- Wham Shot: William Bell in Amber alongside the rest of the team.
