Immortality (Fringe)
Encyclopedia
"Immortality" is the 13th episode of the third season
of the American science fiction
drama
television series
Fringe
, and the 56th episode overall.
, Lincoln has been promoted to head of the Fringe Division, while Fauxlivia welcomes back Frank, her boyfriend who has been working as part of the Centers for Disease Control to deal with an outbreak in North Texas for the last several weeks. The division is alerted to a case where a man has been killed, eaten from the inside by insects. They identify the insects as “skelter beetles”, which is surprising as they had been assumed to have become extinct some ten years earlier along with sheep, the only host they can survive in. Frank is brought in to consult on the case at Lincoln's request, and later proposes marriage to Fauxlivia, who happily accepts.
A second case occurs a few days later, another man killed by the beetles, but they find the beetles to be larger and more mature. From the second victim's movements, they identify the likely culprit as Dr. Armand Silva (Alon Abutbul
), a former scientist. Dr. Silva was working on a cure for avian flu using the skelter beetle, but his research was terminated with the extinction of the sheep. Fauxlivia and Frank postulate Dr. Silva may be trying to breed the beetles in humans, who share similar biological features with sheep.
Fauxlivia and Lincoln track Dr. Silva's location, an abandoned building, and separate. Dr. Silva locks Lincoln in a cold storage room, while Fauxlivia falls through a weakened floor and passes out. She is woken by Dr. Silva, but finds herself secured to a chair. Dr. Silva explains to Fauxlivia that he wants to see through the end of his research, needing only one more human host for a final gestation
cycle to birth the queen beetle from which the beetle species, and his cure, can be sustained. Fauxlivia feels pains in her body when Dr. Silva implies the last cycle has begun, believing herself to be the host.
By then, Lincoln has broken out of the cold locker and called for backup. Frank rushes Fauxlivia to a hospital while Lincoln interrogates Dr. Silva. Dr. Silva reveals he was the last host, and implores Lincoln to remember his name as he extracts the live queen beetle from his body and dies. Meanwhile, Frank discovers Fauxlivia is pregnant; the adrenaline had induced morning sickness symptoms. At the hospital, the fetus is found to be six weeks old. Frank realizes he was away at that time, accuses Fauxlivia of sleeping with another man, and leaves her. Fauxilivia cries to herself, realizing her child's father is Peter from her time in the prime universe.
In a side plot, Walternate has recovered the portion of the doomsday machine
that Fauxlivia has secured from the prime universe, and has discovered the formulation for Cortexiphan from his tests on Olivia, but refuses to allow it to be tested on children. When he hears of Fauxlivia's pregnancy with his grandchild, Walternate comforts her and offers his complete support for her, believing the child to be another way to bring Peter voluntarily back to the parallel universe.
and Ethan Gross
, and was directed by Brad Anderson. Executive producers and showrunners Jeff Pinkner
and J.H. Wyman planned the Fauxlivia pregnancy storyline since they conceived the character; according to them, they departed from the typical television pregnancy trope by "Fringe-if[ying] it" and adding a science fiction element.
The episode's premise was based on an extinct type of beetle, which caused trouble for guest actor Kirk Acevedo
, as he had a fear of bugs. Pinkner commented in an interview that Acevedo "has a primal fear of bugs and had to act with a bunch of live bugs and fake bugs, all of which equally terrified him. And we didn't know. But he was game and heroic despite. He conquered his fears, which was awesome". Upon discovering her character Fauxlivia would be pregnant, Wyman described Anna Torv
's reaction, "She was up for it! All our cast has such a terrific attitude. They get as excited as we do. They really embrace the ideas. She's had a lot of challenges and she's met them with such aplomb. She's really terrific. She was happy!"
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 "Immortality", with the intention of having "students learn about the influenza virus and how it spreads and impacts its host."
were observed by journalists. The first was the presence of Joan Chen
, who starred in the role of Reiko, Walternate's mistress, and had appeared on Twin Peaks as the femme fatale Josie Packard
. The second allusion made when the second victim orders "a piece of cherry pie" at a diner, alluding to the Twin Peaks lead character Dale Cooper
's own fondness for this item. The insect Dr Silva was trying to rescue from extinction was called a "skelter beetle
", with the scientific name Mansohnium boogliosus. This is a reference to both the Beatles
song "Helter Skelter", cult leader Charles Manson
, who was obsessed with the song and Vincent Bugliosi
, the district attorney who prosecuted Manson. The second victim was identified as having eaten at the Abbey Road Diner, a reference to the recording studio that the Beatles used.
, also dropped 12%, as did all other network shows for that night. Time shifting
viewing added 57% to the episode's ratings for three days out, and 64% for a week following the first airing.
graded the episode an A-, explaining that "after last week’s semi-misfire, it was reassuring to see Fringe back in good form this week, with a creepy case, a great villain, and a pertinent plot twist". Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times
enjoyed the "fun" scenes in the parallel universe, and wouldn't mind watching an entire show about their Fringe Division.
In reaction to some negative fan comments concerning the pregnancy storyline, Jeff Pinkner commented, "Our interpretation of it is that people desperately want to see Olivia and Peter together. And that Fauxlivia having a baby makes Olivia’s life that much harder and people are angry because of that. Anything that makes Olivia’s life harder, people seem to be angry at. Olivia is a hero, she will conquer all. She’ll deal."
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 56th episode overall.
Plot
In the parallel universeParallel 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...
, Lincoln has been promoted to head of the Fringe Division, while Fauxlivia welcomes back Frank, her boyfriend who has been working as part of the Centers for Disease Control to deal with an outbreak in North Texas for the last several weeks. The division is alerted to a case where a man has been killed, eaten from the inside by insects. They identify the insects as “skelter beetles”, which is surprising as they had been assumed to have become extinct some ten years earlier along with sheep, the only host they can survive in. Frank is brought in to consult on the case at Lincoln's request, and later proposes marriage to Fauxlivia, who happily accepts.
A second case occurs a few days later, another man killed by the beetles, but they find the beetles to be larger and more mature. From the second victim's movements, they identify the likely culprit as Dr. Armand Silva (Alon Abutbul
Alon Abutbul
Alon Abutbul is an Israeli actor.In 2005, he was voted the 158th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.-Biography:...
), a former scientist. Dr. Silva was working on a cure for avian flu using the skelter beetle, but his research was terminated with the extinction of the sheep. Fauxlivia and Frank postulate Dr. Silva may be trying to breed the beetles in humans, who share similar biological features with sheep.
Fauxlivia and Lincoln track Dr. Silva's location, an abandoned building, and separate. Dr. Silva locks Lincoln in a cold storage room, while Fauxlivia falls through a weakened floor and passes out. She is woken by Dr. Silva, but finds herself secured to a chair. Dr. Silva explains to Fauxlivia that he wants to see through the end of his research, needing only one more human host for a final gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
cycle to birth the queen beetle from which the beetle species, and his cure, can be sustained. Fauxlivia feels pains in her body when Dr. Silva implies the last cycle has begun, believing herself to be the host.
By then, Lincoln has broken out of the cold locker and called for backup. Frank rushes Fauxlivia to a hospital while Lincoln interrogates Dr. Silva. Dr. Silva reveals he was the last host, and implores Lincoln to remember his name as he extracts the live queen beetle from his body and dies. Meanwhile, Frank discovers Fauxlivia is pregnant; the adrenaline had induced morning sickness symptoms. At the hospital, the fetus is found to be six weeks old. Frank realizes he was away at that time, accuses Fauxlivia of sleeping with another man, and leaves her. Fauxilivia cries to herself, realizing her child's father is Peter from her time in the prime universe.
In a side plot, Walternate has recovered the portion of the doomsday machine
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
that Fauxlivia has secured from the prime universe, and has discovered the formulation for Cortexiphan from his tests on Olivia, but refuses to allow it to be tested on children. When he hears of Fauxlivia's pregnancy with his grandchild, Walternate comforts her and offers his complete support for her, believing the child to be another way to bring Peter voluntarily back to the parallel universe.
Production
"Immortality" was written by David WilcoxDavid Wilcox (screenwriter)
David Wilcox is an award nominated television writer and producer, best known for working on series such as Law & Order, Dragnet, the American remake of Life on Mars, and the FOX science fiction series Fringe.- Fringe :...
and Ethan Gross
Ethan Gross
Ethan Gross is an American Screenwriter, currently working as a Story editor on the FOX science-fiction series Fringe, and has also contribued scripts to the show...
, and was directed by Brad Anderson. Executive producers and showrunners Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Pikesville High School in Baltimore Maryland in 1983. He is known for his work on Alias where he served as executive producer. In 2006 and 2007, he worked as an executive producer and writer for the mystery series Lost...
and J.H. Wyman planned the Fauxlivia pregnancy storyline since they conceived the character; according to them, they departed from the typical television pregnancy trope by "Fringe-if[ying] it" and adding a science fiction element.
The episode's premise was based on an extinct type of beetle, which caused trouble for guest actor Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
, as he had a fear of bugs. Pinkner commented in an interview that Acevedo "has a primal fear of bugs and had to act with a bunch of live bugs and fake bugs, all of which equally terrified him. And we didn't know. But he was game and heroic despite. He conquered his fears, which was awesome". Upon discovering her character Fauxlivia would be pregnant, Wyman described 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:...
's reaction, "She was up for it! All our cast has such a terrific attitude. They get as excited as we do. They really embrace the ideas. She's had a lot of challenges and she's met them with such aplomb. She's really terrific. She was happy!"
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 "Immortality", with the intention of having "students learn about the influenza virus and how it spreads and impacts its host."
Cultural references
Two allusions to the show Twin PeaksTwin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
were observed by journalists. The first was the presence of Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
, who starred in the role of Reiko, Walternate's mistress, and had appeared on Twin Peaks as the femme fatale Josie Packard
Josie Packard
Jocelyn "Josie" Packard is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Played by Joan Chen, she is a classic "femme fatale" character.-Background:She is from Hong Kong, and is ethnic Chinese...
. The second allusion made when the second victim orders "a piece of cherry pie" at a diner, alluding to the Twin Peaks lead character Dale Cooper
Dale Cooper
FBI Special agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan. He is the lead protagonist of the series, and briefly appears in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
's own fondness for this item. The insect Dr Silva was trying to rescue from extinction was called a "skelter beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
", with the scientific name Mansohnium boogliosus. This is a reference to both the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song "Helter Skelter", cult leader Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
, who was obsessed with the song and Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
, the district attorney who prosecuted Manson. The second victim was identified as having eaten at the Abbey Road Diner, a reference to the recording studio that the Beatles used.
Ratings
"Immortality" was watched by about 3.7 million viewers, drawing a 1.4/4 ratings share on its initial broadcast, down 12.5% from the previous episode's viewership. Its lead-in, Kitchen NightmaresKitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares is an American reality television series broadcast on the Fox network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The show is produced by ITV Studios...
, also dropped 12%, as did all other network shows for that night. Time shifting
Time 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....
viewing added 57% to the episode's ratings for three days out, and 64% for a week following the first airing.
Reviews
Noel Murray of The A.V. ClubThe 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...
graded the episode an A-, explaining that "after last week’s semi-misfire, it was reassuring to see Fringe back in good form this week, with a creepy case, a great villain, and a pertinent plot twist". 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....
enjoyed the "fun" scenes in the parallel universe, and wouldn't mind watching an entire show about their Fringe Division.
In reaction to some negative fan comments concerning the pregnancy storyline, Jeff Pinkner commented, "Our interpretation of it is that people desperately want to see Olivia and Peter together. And that Fauxlivia having a baby makes Olivia’s life that much harder and people are angry because of that. Anything that makes Olivia’s life harder, people seem to be angry at. Olivia is a hero, she will conquer all. She’ll deal."
External links
- "Immortality" 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...