6B (Fringe)
Encyclopedia
"6B" is the 14th episode of the third season
of the American science fiction
drama
television series
Fringe
, and the 57th episode overall.
, apparently having jumped from a seventh floor balcony along with the balcony's furniture. When the Fringe team investigates, Peter (Joshua Jackson
) and Walter (John Noble
) determine by the location of the bodies that they seem to have fallen through the balcony, as if it momentarily ceased to exist. From other stories of strange phenomena occurring throughout the building, Walter concludes that the same cracks in reality that have harmed the parallel universe
are starting to appear in the prime one, with the building occupying a weak spot between universes.
Peter and Olivia (Anna Torv
) are sent by Walter to observe the building as he monitors seismic equipment from the lab. Peter and Olivia go to a bar while waiting, where Olivia tries to kiss Peter but becomes uncomfortable, knowing of Fauxlivia's (Torv) influence on Peter. Her emotional reaction triggers her ability to see once again the "shimmer" around Peter that marks him as as a native of the parallel universe. She excuses herself and steps outside for some fresh air, followed by Peter. Olivia notices a similar glow emanating from the windows of apartment 6B in the Rosencrantz building, owned by the widow Mrs. Alice Merchant (Phyllis Somerville
). When Olivia and Peter enter the apartment, Olivia (but not Peter) can see a shimmering figure that Alice claims is the ghost of her late husband Derek (Ken Pogue
). Walter surmises that the figure is a parallel Derek seen across a crack between the universes. If the crack widens, Walter predicts they would see occurrences of the same singularities
that have plagued the parallel universe, and suggests the use of the same amber
-like compound they had previously recovered ("The Ghost Network
") to limit the damage. With Massive Dynamic's resources, they are able to recreate the amber and a release system to encase the building, but hold it in reserve as a last resort only.
Olivia suggests the possibility that the effect is due to quantum entanglement
between Alice in the prime universe and Derek in the parallel one. Alice previously told Olivia that Derek died recently from trying to replace a faulty fuse after they flipped a coin to decide who would replace it, and Walter surmises that the parallel universe Alice died in a similar fashion due to a different outcome of the coin flip. Alice's connection to the parallel universe Derek is causing the crack. As the building starts to exhibit the initial signs of a singularity and Broyles (Lance Reddick
) prepares to release the amber, Olivia and Peter attempt to persuade Alice that the man she sees is not really her husband. Alice does not believe them until Derek starts to refer to their children. Alice, who is childless, realizes Peter and Olivia are telling the truth; the connection is broken and the effects on the building ebb away.
Though they did not need to deploy the amber, Walter realizes how close he was to making the same decisions that Walternate (Noble) had to make to save his universe; Nina (Blair Brown
) helps to counsel him. Meanwhile, Olivia and Peter attempt to reconcile and rekindle their relationship. Though still cautious about moving forward, Olivia and Peter kiss and head to the bedroom upstairs at the Bishops' home.
In the parallel universe, Fauxlivia and Lincoln (Seth Gabel
) investigate reports of a Fringe event in the Rosencrantz building, and speak with Derek, who tells them he has not noticed anything out of the ordinary. The two leave, and Derek is left paging sadly through a photo album filled with pictures of him and his late wife and their daughters.
and Robert Chiappetta
, and directed by cinematographer
Thomas Yatsko.
As with other Fringe episodes, Fox released a science lesson plan in collaboration with Science Olympiad
for grade school children, focusing on the science seen in "6B", with the intention of having "students learn about spectroscopy and how it can be used to determine certain characteristics of things."
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
, which in turn derives from the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
, two minor characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet
increased the 18-49 adult rating to 2.3, a 52% increase from its previous rating of 1.5.
thought it wasn't the best Fringe episode, primarily because of "its Twilight Zone construction, with a supernatural event serving as a big, obvious metaphor for... the rift between lovers (Peter and Olivia; the elderly couple Alice and Derek)". Tucker disliked Olivia's return to "season-one-Olivia poker-faced dolorousnes" and also "worr[ied] about the imbalance between the series’ romantic, family, and mythology ingredients". Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times
felt that the episode's emphasis on emotions (instead of plain science) was "turning its back on the science that made [Fringe] great". Hanson also wished the parallels between Walter and Walternate's decisions had been explored further. The A.V. Club
's Noel Murray graded the episode a B-, explaining that despite the "nice moments (including a strong start and a sweet finish)", the plot was minimal and there were many moments he was exasperated with the Peter-Olivia relationship. For Murray, the episode was "saved" by its small touches, such as when Alice is finally convinced the ghost is not her husband when he mentions "the girls miss you".
Fringe (season 3)
The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros...
of the American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
, and the 57th episode overall.
Plot
Six partygoers simultaneously fall to the sidewalk outside the Rosencrantz apartment building in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, apparently having jumped from a seventh floor balcony along with the balcony's furniture. When the Fringe team investigates, Peter (Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
) and Walter (John Noble
John Noble
John Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
) determine by the location of the bodies that they seem to have fallen through the balcony, as if it momentarily ceased to exist. From other stories of strange phenomena occurring throughout the building, Walter concludes that the same cracks in reality that have harmed the parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
are starting to appear in the prime one, with the building occupying a weak spot between universes.
Peter and Olivia (Anna Torv
Anna Torv
Anna Torv is an Australian actress known for her role as FBI agent Olivia Dunham on the Fox television series Fringe.-Early life:...
) are sent by Walter to observe the building as he monitors seismic equipment from the lab. Peter and Olivia go to a bar while waiting, where Olivia tries to kiss Peter but becomes uncomfortable, knowing of Fauxlivia's (Torv) influence on Peter. Her emotional reaction triggers her ability to see once again the "shimmer" around Peter that marks him as as a native of the parallel universe. She excuses herself and steps outside for some fresh air, followed by Peter. Olivia notices a similar glow emanating from the windows of apartment 6B in the Rosencrantz building, owned by the widow Mrs. Alice Merchant (Phyllis Somerville
Phyllis Somerville
Phyllis Somerville, born 1944, is an American stage, screen, and television actress. Her most prominent role to date was in 2006 as the mother of the sexual predator played by Jackie Earle Haley in Todd Field's Little Children....
). When Olivia and Peter enter the apartment, Olivia (but not Peter) can see a shimmering figure that Alice claims is the ghost of her late husband Derek (Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue
Ken Pogue is a Canadian actor.He is married to the actress Diana Barrington. His first motion picture role in 1973 was in The Neptune Factor. He almost drowned in SCUBA gear. He worked at the Stratford Festival and St. Lawrence Centre in the 1960s through 1980s before moving to television and film...
). Walter surmises that the figure is a parallel Derek seen across a crack between the universes. If the crack widens, Walter predicts they would see occurrences of the same singularities
Gravitational singularity
A gravitational singularity or spacetime singularity is a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system...
that have plagued the parallel universe, and suggests the use of the same amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
-like compound they had previously recovered ("The Ghost Network
The Ghost Network
"The Ghost Network" is the third episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by co-executive producer David H. Goodman and supervising producer J. R. Orci, and was directed by Frederick E. O. Toye...
") to limit the damage. With Massive Dynamic's resources, they are able to recreate the amber and a release system to encase the building, but hold it in reserve as a last resort only.
Olivia suggests the possibility that the effect is due to quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement occurs when electrons, molecules even as large as "buckyballs", photons, etc., interact physically and then become separated; the type of interaction is such that each resulting member of a pair is properly described by the same quantum mechanical description , which is...
between Alice in the prime universe and Derek in the parallel one. Alice previously told Olivia that Derek died recently from trying to replace a faulty fuse after they flipped a coin to decide who would replace it, and Walter surmises that the parallel universe Alice died in a similar fashion due to a different outcome of the coin flip. Alice's connection to the parallel universe Derek is causing the crack. As the building starts to exhibit the initial signs of a singularity and Broyles (Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick
Lance Reddick is an American theater, film and TV actor and musician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He starred in The Wire as Cedric Daniels, appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil and appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Lost. He now has a prominent role in Fringe...
) prepares to release the amber, Olivia and Peter attempt to persuade Alice that the man she sees is not really her husband. Alice does not believe them until Derek starts to refer to their children. Alice, who is childless, realizes Peter and Olivia are telling the truth; the connection is broken and the effects on the building ebb away.
Though they did not need to deploy the amber, Walter realizes how close he was to making the same decisions that Walternate (Noble) had to make to save his universe; Nina (Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
) helps to counsel him. Meanwhile, Olivia and Peter attempt to reconcile and rekindle their relationship. Though still cautious about moving forward, Olivia and Peter kiss and head to the bedroom upstairs at the Bishops' home.
In the parallel universe, Fauxlivia and Lincoln (Seth Gabel
Seth Gabel
Seth Gabel is an American actor. Gabel plays the role of agent Lincoln Lee on Fox's television series Fringe.-Career:...
) investigate reports of a Fringe event in the Rosencrantz building, and speak with Derek, who tells them he has not noticed anything out of the ordinary. The two leave, and Derek is left paging sadly through a photo album filled with pictures of him and his late wife and their daughters.
Production
The episode was written by Fringe Story editors Glen WhitmanGlen Whitman
Glen Whitman is an American television writer who, along with his writing partner Robert Chiappetta, serves as executive story editor on the FOX science-fiction series Fringe and has contributed several scripts to the series. Whitman has been a Science Adviser to the series since the first season.-...
and Robert Chiappetta
Robert Chiappetta
Robert Chiappetta is an American television writer who, along with his writing partner Glen Whitman, serves as executive story editor on the FOX science-fiction series Fringe and has contributed many scripts to the show as well.- Fringe episodes :...
, and directed by cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Thomas Yatsko.
As with other Fringe episodes, Fox released a science lesson plan in collaboration with Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
for grade school children, focusing on the science seen in "6B", with the intention of having "students learn about spectroscopy and how it can be used to determine certain characteristics of things."
Cultural references
Some critics believed that the name of the apartment building, as well as Walter's coin tosses coming up heads, are references to the 1966 tragicomedyTragicomedy
Tragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...
, which in turn derives from the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. They are courtiers who are set by the king to spy on Hamlet, using their claimed friendship with him to gain his confidence. The characters were revived in W. S...
, two minor characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
Ratings
"6B" was watched by 4.1 million viewers on its first broadcast, earning a ratings share of 1.5, up 7% from the previous week's episode. It led other shows in the same timeslot by more than 20% for the 18-34 adult viewership market, and second only to Kitchen Nightmares for the night. Three days of time shifted viewingTime shifting
Time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a time more convenient to the consumer. Typically, this refers to TV programming but can also refer to radio shows via podcasts....
increased the 18-49 adult rating to 2.3, a 52% increase from its previous rating of 1.5.
Reviews
Ken Tucker from Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
thought it wasn't the best Fringe episode, primarily because of "its Twilight Zone construction, with a supernatural event serving as a big, obvious metaphor for... the rift between lovers (Peter and Olivia; the elderly couple Alice and Derek)". Tucker disliked Olivia's return to "season-one-Olivia poker-faced dolorousnes" and also "worr[ied] about the imbalance between the series’ romantic, family, and mythology ingredients". Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
felt that the episode's emphasis on emotions (instead of plain science) was "turning its back on the science that made [Fringe] great". Hanson also wished the parallels between Walter and Walternate's decisions had been explored further. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
's Noel Murray graded the episode a B-, explaining that despite the "nice moments (including a strong start and a sweet finish)", the plot was minimal and there were many moments he was exasperated with the Peter-Olivia relationship. For Murray, the episode was "saved" by its small touches, such as when Alice is finally convinced the ghost is not her husband when he mentions "the girls miss you".
External links
- "6B" at FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...