An Observer in Love on Touching Fringe "August"

"August" was hyped as the Observer episode of Fringe, and it turns out to be about not just the Observer we are familiar with through the first two seasons but Observers in general, and in specific one named August. The episode isn't really a series changer after all but more of an interesting character study much in line with the exposition we got on Broyles two weeks ago in "Earthling" although surrounded by better material.

The episode kicks off with August kidnapping a twenty-something art school cutie named Christine. The Fringe team scrambles upon video of an Observer doing something more than observing and quickly realizes they are dealing with a man similar to but different from the Observer we know and love.

August kidnapping the girl and holding her is a bit creepy, yet even from the beginning the actor playing him (who does a marvelous job all the way through) seems able to communicate an empathy with her that makes sense once we've reached the end.

Broyles (Lance Reddick) and Olivia (Anna Torv) can't find anything abnormal or exceptional about the girl. Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole) jump on a book August left behind to try and decipher the codes within. Little do they know that August left the book behind intentionally to send a message to Walter (John Noble).

Walter knows, however. Indeed, it is great fun to watch as the Fringe team runs around Walter doing their usual investigating and trying to figure out who the Observers are, when all the while it's obvious that Walter is intentionally receding into the background. Noble's looks and intonation are priceless here, just subtle enough to fool Olivia and Peter (face it, Walter is odd even when he isn't hiding things) but let the audience in on the fact that he's not sharing.

Olivia and Peter's search leads them to (big surprise) Massive Dynamics where one of Nina Sharp's boys (Nina is AWOL much to my distress) explains that the Observers have been around forever but only show up at important moments. Since they are now popping up all over the place he insinuates that something big is about to happen.

Meanwhile we get a lunch meeting of Observers, including our Observer and an older one that looks and sounds like a leader. They don't seem to know why August has kidnapped the girl either, and are grappling with the same question the Fringe team is: who is she and why is she important?

All they know is she is supposed to be on a specific flight, and the instant I (and everybody else who watches Fringe) heard that it clearly meant bad news for those who did make the flight. It's dangerous to fly on Fringe.

The meeting ends with the lead Observer deciding that August has created an "irregularity" and ordering our Observer to "contact Donald". I just knew he wasn't talking about the duck (though on this show you never know) and sure enough the Observers have their own hit man.

Olivia and Peter discover that Christine's parents were killed in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake and that August was watching them, and her. Meanwhile we see August's captivity of Christina and it is now obvious he is actually trying to protect her. He shows her the news of her flight's crash (I knew it! Well, we all did...) to prove it to her.

The case has interrupted Olivia's time with her niece Ella and we get some nice character moments from her while talking to Peter as she reminisces about her own mom (the status and whereabouts of everyone's mothers seem to be a recurring Fringe mystery). They hear about the flight's crash and begin to realize that the Observers do in fact have advanced warning of events (which they really already knew) and that more importantly August is, for some reason, disrupting the timeline.

In a truly hilarious scene (the more funny because none of the characters realize what is happening) Walter actually sits there and decodes August's message to him in front of the whole Fringe team and they don't pick up on it. He ends up sending Olivia and Peter the long way chasing after chili peppers (after Astrid out on a fresh cherry run!) while he goes to meet August. How can you not love Walter?

Olivia and Peter make it to an apartment where they run into Donald the Hit Man who is looking for the girl. Donald threatens Peter who fights with him and sends him running.

This makes for my favorite quick moment on TV in a long time: watching Peter recoil and throw his hands in front of him when he sees Olivia pointing her gun at HIM (again). It's not long ago that she almost shot him, missing by inches when she was still mentally reeling from her trip to the parallel universe, and Peter obviously hasn't forgotten. I don't know if they meant it as continuity, but it's funny.

Walter and August have a conversation that is interesting and touching. Walter is worried that our Observer's past interference means that August wants to take Peter away, a fear that has already been on his mind. It soon becomes clear, however, that the truth is that August has developed feelings for Christine and the reason he sees her as important is that he loves her.

I have to say that although I was initially a little disappointed there was not some grand relation to the mythos in August's actions, it didn't take long for me to figure out that I really liked this development. It turns out that whatever they are, the Observers are not immune to human emotions, and August's clumsy but effective way of demonstrating this is in the end not creepy at all but genuinely touching.

The idea of a detached watcher becoming emotionally involved with their subject is not new, but here it is done well and after this point the scenes with the Observers are all tinged with a sad note. Whatever part they are playing, we suspect August's actions are not an aberration but growth. Walter picks up on this immediately (he would) and gives August the answer necessary to save Christine: he must make her important to the others.

His final solution leads to some surprisingly affecting moments. It says something about the writing that when August asks Christine if she trusts him and the abducted girl says yes, and we believer her. Apparently everyone wants a Good Fairy protecting them, even if it's a strange-looking bald guy who kidnaps you.

After August's death Walter tells her she is safe and gives her an old teddy bear, which she lost at the bridge collapse, as a token from the Observer. Watching Peter react to this bit (huh? you talked to him!?!) is fun, but Walter's assertion that Peter will soon have his answers is tinged with gloom. Walter clearly knows time is running out on his misdirections.

"August" isn't action-packed or mythos heavy but it's still a solid episode. Outside of Donald the Hit Man everything seemed to make sense. It wasn't what I expected, but then that's half the charm of Fringe. "August" works mainly because the guest roles of August and Christine are well played, to get a glimpse of the inner workings of the Observers is neat, and John Noble is so outstanding as Walter.

The final scene between August and our Observer (who is apparently named September, did I already know that?) is oddly touching. "I think it's what they call feelings," says August. "I think I love her." He sheds a tear and dies after being assured Christine will be safe.

The last scene features Olivia riding a roller coaster with Ella. Things are about to get so hard for her, the elder Observer notes about Olivia (unless he meant Ella- I'm telling you on this show you never know). Regardless, there are implications that September might feel something toward Olivia similar to what August felt about Christine. If so the ability of the Observers to love might be a mythos-shaking development after all.

Fringe "August" Episode Score (1-10): 8

For more of my writing on Fringe and other Fringe related news and links see my blog On the Fringe.