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Sep 23,

The Magic Typewriter – 201

Fringe - 201 A New Day in the Old Town | Posted by Scully

I think that the typewriter in this episode of Fringe warrants a closer look. I have a lot of questions, not only about the typewriter itself, but about the entire scene.

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- First of all…Why is it that you can only see the typewriter keys depress in the mirror?  That would mean that the mirror must also be ‘magic’ and not just the typewriter…wouldn’t it?  If the mirror allows us to see into another world, wouldn’t we then also be able to see the hands that are typing?  If you took the mirror away, would the typewriter still work?

- Secondly…Who is at the other end of that typewriter?  Somebody wanted Olivia dead, but who?  Is it possible that it was William Bell?  Was it someone from the Observer’s world?  Is it yet another bad guy who have have yet to meet?  They definitely wanted information from Olivia…but are they trying to protect a secret or find out a secret?  What is their goal?  What are they after?

- The writing itself raises some questions…here is the list of what was typed on the sheet…

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
TARGET TERMINATED
IN FATAL CAR CRASH
MEETING PREVENTED
REQUEST EXTRACTION
NEGATIVE
MISSION FAILURE
MEETING OCCURRED
TARGET STILL ALIVE
REQUEST NEW ORDERS
INTERROGATE TARGET
THEN KILL HER

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“MEETING PREVENTED”…What meeting does he think he prevented, the meeting with William Bell?  The shape-shifter obviously did not realize that Olivia actually made it to the other world and had the meeting with Bell?  If that is the case, then that eliminates Bell as being the person on the other end of the typewriter.

“REQUEST EXTRACTION”…This seems to indicate that the shape-shifter does not have the ability to leave or transport out on his own.  I think that would eliminate him from being from the Observer’s world…The Observer doesn’t seem to have any problems getting around.  Not to mention that the Observer merely makes a phone call when he wants to communicate.  So the shape-shifter comes from a place that has the technology to change a person’s form, have super-human strength, and be able to self-heal. Not to mention the ‘magic’ mirror, typewriter and other-world viewing…but with all of this they do not the ability to allow the soldier to transport on his own…interesting. (maybe he’s just not allowed!)

“MEETING OCCURRED TARGET STILL ALIVE”…How does the person on the other end of the typewriter know these things?  They would have to have eyes not only on Olivia in this world, but also on Olivia in William Bell’s world.  How are they doing that?  What kind of device are they using to be able to peer into specific alternate universes?  Has Olivia been tagged in some way, and they are just tracking her, or is their scope much larger?

- My next question is…What was a shape-shifter doing in our world six years ago?  When he entered the store, the store owner says “AH, you’re one of them. It’s been six years“. This tells us that a shape-shifter (probably not the same one) was here six years ago.  But what was he doing here?  And why has there been no activity since then?

- My last question is…Does this scene remind anyone of the lab notes from ‘The Equation’?  Perhaps it is just a coincidence that it seemed like the typewriter was answering Walter.  I always assumed that it was just Walter talking to himself, or with his alter-Walter.  But what if it wasn’t a coincidence…what if Walter actually has one of these ‘magic’ typewriters or ‘magic’ mirrors and it was someone else entirely talking to him.  Just a theory…you be the judge.  Click notes to view full size.

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Lab Notes - The Equation

15 Responses to “The Magic Typewriter – 201”

  1. vini

    I share the same doubts … seems these are things we will find out in the next episodes right … the meeting occured line I believe represents the time where Olivia says she was in the car and then transported to another place and get back to the car … seems not Bell’s meeting at all no ? seems other thing, anyway, no clue for now.

    p.s. I am very disappointed with Charlie’s transformation scene … anyway.

  2. Jo

    Man do I have questions.
    Okay from the last episode in season 1. We were wondering just where she crossed over which now looks like the car accident so she slipped through to anoter dimension because she drove to the restaurant safetly.
    Or were we looking at another dimension “There is more than one of everything.”
    So she crossed during the accident because of the shock and thought she was doing all those things. Or slipped into a reality into another car and continued driving. So what was up with the elevator and slipping into 2 different realities? I might have answered that already but it is still bugging me.

    The typewriter and the mirror. I wondered about that. If it were a special mirror we would see the other dimension but since it ‘s a normal mirror it can only reflect our dimension unless it is supposed to be an occult reference in which case the mirror is focusing the event (the mysterious typist)

    Now for the biggie. Charlie. My question. My ever burning question is, Was the Charlie in the hospital the Alter-Charlie?

    1. The shapeshifter didn’t have enough time to change at the end so if Charlie was in a dumpster somewhere that Charlie was already and Alter-Charlie.
    2. That means there is more than one soldier. As eluded in season one.
    3. What was Alter-Soldier-Charlie’s objective. It wasn’t to interrogate Olivia. If anything it was to obtain a credible internal cover (Charlie) and eliminate any further inquiries about the Alter-Soldier (By destroying the device and killing the soldier) No soldier no questions.
    4. Who does he work for? Is this a new organisation/ Threat, whose motives are yet unclear.

    That being said the Pilot was excellent it provided a new switch up allowing them to go in a completely different direction from Season One. I don’t know what to expect but as usual I have questions that will keep me occupied in the mean time.

  3. Jo

    The mirror could be a looking glass reference. Also Peter talks about his mother more so we are definitely going to see her this season if she is mentioned more.
    New question. If Nina called Olivia directly to arrange a meeting how the heck did they know where she was going to arrange the accident?

  4. Scully

    @ Jo…your question about how did they know about the meeting if Nina called Olivia directly…ties in to my question about how they could be aware of what Olivia is doing in both this universe and in William Bell’s universe. They definitely have eyes everywhere…somehow.

  5. Jo

    @ Scully I hope it that they have spies and not that Nina is a double agent

  6. Scully

    what was up with that kiss bty…i think i should post about that.

  7. Jo

    A Mixed race President half black half white. Interracial relationships not being shown in main stream media till now. I always knew there was something up with her visiting Broyles in the middle of the night. Everyone else she calls but for him she makes a personal visit. We can’t say we didn’t have warning. (chuckles) We all least all those comic con questions have now been answered.

  8. Bubbleman

    Interesting comparison, the typewriter from S2E1 and the Equation lab notes. It could mean a couple things…

    First, we must ask ourselves who Walter is “conversing” with in his lab notes? Bell? Alter-walter? Someone else?

    Some interesting points there. Walter says he “has the boy” and he knows, even though he “bristles.” The young boy in the Equation never did that. Walter never had him in his custody at any point..he went from the “red castle” right to the FBI. Given what we know about Peter, can we assume he is talking about Peter here?

    And the “visitor…” is this the Alter-Walter we saw enter Walter’s cell? Or…John Mosley? Walter recognizes John Mosley. And yet Mosley is nothing remarkable according to his FBI file (a petty crook?) But given S2E1…could Mosley have been a shapeshifting soldier? He could have taken the body of the real John Mosley. Of course he is referred to as “the Rogue….” a rogue what? In The Arrival he always wears a toque but if you have the DVD extras, you see an unaired scene where he is without the toque…and bald. A rogue observer? Or a shapeshifting soldier using his mind-reading device on Walter? Still doesn’t explain Walter’s doppleganger in the asylum though.

    Finally, what is Walter talking about being “hidden?” His transdimensional “plug?” He didn’t exactly keep it safe, locked in a toolbox in his old abandoned cottage. And why would transdimensional soldiers want something that would impede their progress by plugging holes? I don’t think this refers to the plug, but rather refers to the thing Olivia “needs to find,” as told by William Bell.

    (Still not convinced that the Observer was anywhere in this. Perhaps he got in trouble for “saying too much” in the last episode of season 1.)

  9. Di

    that kiss was weird. i think the mirror is indeed a through the looking glass reference, and i think it offered a somewhat limited view into another dimension. Nina was the only one who knew about the meeting, but if i recall correctly, i think there was a secretary that took Olivia to Bell and said he’d been expecting her, or that showed up on the office at a point, so on alter-universe more people might’ve known about the visit, although i’m more inclined to it being a leak from a main character..you know, to thicken the plot.

    Charlie being changed BEFORE? makes all the sense. Probably upon arrival to the hospital. That would explain the dead body left behind. One soldier was shot and killed, therefore leaving his changed body behind. ANOTHER soldier came to the hospital, probably to aid soldier nr. 1 on his task [we also know by the store manager that there was another one rummaging around 6 years before], changed into Charlie when he had a chance [maybe even knowing his comrade would likely fail] thus leaving his body behind hidden. I don’t think it’s alter Charlie though, as he had a scar. I didn’t stop to notice that as i hadn’t thought about 2 soldiers. But on the spoilers it had been told that we’d be seeing more of Alter Charlie.

    Regarding who wants olivia dead? Not Bell, i’m sure he’s not the boss. If it was Bell why would he send over a minion to ‘question’ olivia about the contents of the meeting and then kill her, instead of already knowing OR more likely, limit what he told her or simply lie to her when they met OR even killing her himself, as nobody knew she was going to see him and not even Nina could be sure the crossing over would go fine.

    This all has a very distinct Jones stench. Why? Jones hated Bell and wanted his guts ripped from the inside out as vengeance. Jones was the highest person from ZFT’s ranks we met. Jones was already desperately looking for hidden devices to help him cross over, one more scavenger hunt wouldn’t be out of character. I know, Jones is also dead, but for God’s sakes, there’s always more than one of everything! If it’s not him, it’s someone related, and i believe we’re still dealing with ZFT.

  10. Emiai

    Wow I have to say – looking back over those old notes – appears to me that maybe Walter was talking to maybe Bell or his alter self.

    Loeb did manage to find the combination to the safe – and where they all were, meaning they must have extracted that from Walters mind in some way, and it was done i assume when he was re-addmitted to St Claires and he saw his alter self looking in on himself.

    I have to say I get very excieted when these links tie up, Really impressed with this find.

    Regards Emiai. x

  11. vini

    @ Jo.
    Nina call to Olivia for me seemed something recorded, listen again, there is no space to any conversation … hear again and see if I am right.

  12. vini

    @Di
    here we are discussing about a second soldier too … then, everything would make sense … good call.

  13. pr3sidentspence

    I’m not sure Jones is dead. He was altered, and seemed to have incredible healing powers. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of his halves ended up regenerating what was missing.

  14. Di

    i completely agree pr3sidentspence. all this seems so like him. he might even be the one typing the messages on the other side of the mirror. he was a doctor, he was known to ‘alter’ people..maybe he’s sending the shapeshifting minions to do his bidding. Maybe the half of him that did go through when the plug closed the portal is somewhere. Although that wouldn’t explain the other shapeshifters visiting the store 6 years before. We do know Jones went through all that trouble to be able to actually cross over, not being able to do that at all before.

    Oh the impossibilities!

  15. Skon

    It seems pretty obvious to me that the typewriter and mirror are both a classic case of devices made from quantum entangled particles. What happens to one in one universe happens to the other in the other universe. Two sets were made and part one mirror put with part two typewriter in one universe part two mirror and part one typewriter in the other universe. Allowing two way communication between universes. Curious about the phenomenon? Do a search for “Quantum entanglement”.