Death Comes to Fringe

Death paid a visit to Fringe last Friday night in the episode "Enemy Of My Enemy".  This might sound a little dramatic and if death wasn't pervasive it at least served as an allegory for the episode.

It's been noted that the Fringe glyphs for "Enemy" spelled out "Death".  The first thing I thought of was the above video from the "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" movie.  In this scene the "Rohirrim" are rallied by their King, Theoden.  "Death, Death" he calls, "Death, Death" they reply in unison.  The King is not so much predicting their fate or calling for their doom but instead he is calling for them to accept death, not to fear it but to own it.  That way they can succeed in their mission.

It's probably a coincidence but in the previous episode of Fringe Lincoln Lee made reference to another famous battle when he quoted from the "Charge of the Light Brigade" when he said, "Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die".  In this he tells, Peter I think, that he has accepted his fate and is resigned to its outcome no matter what.  It's the mission that counts.

This resignation of Death or at least fate becomes more prevalent in this most recent episode.  We start out by having David Robert Jones (DRJ) accept death as a necessary thing wherein sacrifice is needed to prove a point.  He demonstrates his will by killing his shape-shifter creation in front of Red universe Olivia and Lincoln even though he refers to it as his child.  He looked truly moved by this act but thought it a prudent thing to do.
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Death is used by Peter Bishop next when he tells DRJ that he knew him in a different timeline and was responsible for his demise by cutting him in half by closing the dimensional portal on him.  Peter rattles DRJ by this account and his insight into DRJ's machinations.  Jones gamely counters that he is still in one piece but the point has been made.  Peter is a new variable and perhaps Jones' fate is not what it seems.

Death visits a hospital ER next (symbolic of where lives are meant to be saved) and once again DRJ uses the death of innocents to make his point.  This time the sacrifice is not him but to society a point taken by Walternate.  16 people are murdered by Jones all to gain his release.  Here the death card is played in a different fashion than Lincoln Lee referred to earlier.  But still so the mission can succeed.

Upon his release Jones goes to a crowded public place to ensure his escape.  He affects this escape by handing a young man money and tells him he doesn't have to be, "the richest an in the cemetery".  Is Jones predicting his own death and how close it may be?  Or is he just being glib in his reference to death by handing out the money in such bold fashion.  You may recall, Peter did refer to Jones' scars and the use of DNA grafts instead of tape to hold him together.  Maybe Peter was closer than the truth than he thought.  Jones did seem to wheeze a lot in the interview room.  Will death reach out to Jones sooner than we think.

Sadly, death did reach out to Nadine Park as she was gunned down by Peter in the big quarry shootout.  Another one of my favorite shape-shifters gone.  But is she dead?  (Was she ever alive in this state?)  Shape-shifters can be repaired, and if not, Jones can always make another one!  (47 and counting.)  Is death getting the end around here?  Has it lost its meaning when someone dies only to be reborn in a different fashion?

Let's not forget that Death is constantly invoked by Walternate and his wife Elizabeth.  Over dinner the death of their son and that of the other Peter is a powerful reminder of how it shaped their lives.  When Elizabeth travels to the other side to visit Walter its as if she has come back from the dead to him.  They all know that their loved ones haven't really returned but the their death has collectively propelled their fate forward.

Lastly, Olivia escapes death by heeding the warning of Peter as he screamed into the walkie talkie.  A narrow escape to be sure and one she tells Peter she deeply appreciates.  Ironically, we've been re-introduced to a plot line where Olivia has to die as voiced by September in the previous episode.  Did Peter really save her life or just forestall it?

Sometimes Fringe reminds me of a Shakespearean play, sometimes a tragedy and sometimes a that of a comedy. If the Bard were to characterize Fringe and Death would he see it through the lens of Richard II when he says, "Woe, destruction, ruin and decay; the worst is Death and Death will have his day."  Or would he accept death in a more optimistic tone as in Hamlet's dimension where Death is a sleep where dreams may come or better yet from "Measure for Measure".

"Be absolute for death; either death or life shall thereby be the sweeter."