Character Tribute: Walter Bishop

Walter Bishop – one of the most amazing characters on television ever. He has the ability to crack you up, but is also the one to evoke the strongest sense of emotion from you in the blink of an eye. A genius, definitely crazy and a massive lover of sweets and food, Walter has a mind that you envy and pity in equal measure, depending on what is going on, but his brilliance can never be denied. Fiercely loyal and absolutely awesome, I am pro Walter Bishop forever!

First and foremost, don’t ever mess with Walter and his pudding.

He loves his drugs. Always had a soft spot for recreational drug use. His favourite, though, seems to be LSD.

Living with Walter must be an experience, especially considering he is mostly in the nude at home, or doing experiments in the wee hours of the morning in his underwear.

Walter really has made the lab his home, and he isn’t more comfortable anywhere in the world. 

His love for Peter truly is boundless.

His indignation about Faulivia’s deception.

Such astute observations at the best of times.

His ability to take things from absolutely hilarious to dreadfully painful in a heartbeat.

He can get really snappy and rude when he is under pressure, though he never does it to be a total dweeb, he just isn’t blessed with the most patience.

Walter was always cooking up experiments and having such fun.

Dr Walter Bishop has mad phone skills.

He’s so hip.

The relationship between him and Astrid is absolutely beautiful.

His addiction to Red Vines is legendary.

Sometimes he can really come across as paranoid… yet he does it with such style! 

Walter can get so enthusiastic about things, and I love how he always drags Astrid into it all. 

Never, ever to be known as the prude 😛

Walter somehow always manages to look shocked.

The time he had that awful acid trip, the pity that I felt for him was profound. Plus, this shot was stunning!

When he ran to hug Olivia after not seeing her for over a decade? OMG IT HURT!

The names he had for Astrid never ceased to amaze me, though my favourite will always remain “Ostrich”.

Pot smoking with Nina in the park, but never fear, he has a medicinal licence!

The tulip, Walter’s sign of hope and forgiveness, laced throughout the show. It is actually so important and beautiful.

The childlike tendencies that Walter can sometimes exercise. I envy him at times.

He sees things completely differently, no matter how serious it all gets.

Sporadic Scene: Fringe (Season 5×13) – You Are My Favourite Thing, Peter

OMG. The feels. Argh! While I was not a fan of the last season for numerous reasons, the big, heart-wrenching goodbye between Walter and Peter was a crusher. I didn’t feel any emotional attachment at all during this season, but when this happened? OUCH. When Walter said Peter was his most favourite thing? WHY?! Just why?!

If you have a scene that you would like featured, drop me a mail at sporadiczoe@hotmail.com with a link to the scene and an explanation as to why.

Fringe: Season 5 (2012 – 2013)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* 

What I liked:

• September/Donald. Because September has always been awesome, and his human life as Donald? Still a fan!
• Walter’s full circle tulip moment.
• Walter and Peter finally spending some time together, and things were right back to normal with them, even though it was realised through Michael. It was still beautiful.
• Seeing the other side again, no matter how brief.
• Broyles, always a loyalist to the core.
• Nina Sharp’s character this season. I mean we all know I always really like her, and she is cool, but this season? And to see her interacting with Walter and Michael? Beautiful.
• Walter and Peter’s farewell moment at the end of the season. OMG the pain! It was so stunning!

What I didn’t like: 

• Etta. She really just annoyed the hell out of me, which was really disappointing.
• How this does not follow smoothly from season four, instead following from the third last episode of season four, which had been described as a dream, but I guess not.
• How distant Peter and Olivia were. Last we saw them, everything was working. And I understand that losing their child separated them quite a bit, but that was not really conveyed to us, hence it didn’t feel like anything.
• How messy the show was, and how the plot was all over the board.
• William Bell being dragged in  but not really used at all, especially seeing how season four ended. I mean really?!
• How little humour there was in here. Granted, I know things were serious, but we have never gone with so little to laugh at, and even Walter didn’t shine here as brightly as usual, though he was still astounding.
• A lot of story arcs were introduced then rushed off and not brought back until much later, if at all.
• How, even though the series ends, it doesn’t really wrap up all of Fringe, just this season basically.

Rating:
Ugh. It breaks me to say that I disliked this last season. I mean four wasn’t particularly grand or up to standard of the first three, but this? It doesn’t even feel like it was a part of the same story. It just went some other way altogether. What a disappointment. The only part of this season worth mentioning is the final three episodes, which were really good. For the rest? I didn’t care what happened to anyone. I had no emotional investment, people were being so melodramatic all over the show and Peter and Olivia somehow managed to have the most annoying child in all history. Then William Bell was dragged back in, though nothing from the end of four was resolved at all. Ugh, that is just such a waste of time. The Observers taking over was something that had potential, but instead was an annoyance. How inconsistent was the Broyles storyline here, too? I mean he was here then he was gone and then randomly he returned again. Plus two, we have to deal with the fact that Peter and Olivia are the only two that have knowledge of the timeline of the first three seasons, and that Walter gets it when the child Michael touches him. What the hell?! How does that even make sense? What really crushed me in here was how many plot holes and contrivances there were, which sucked because Fringe has always been very good at bringing everything full circle and answering things. This season was a wild hunt for tapes and items for a machine, and very little science and no fringe cases, which sucked. Plus the alternate universe was closed and over, just like that, nothing more from it. The story was all over the show, too, and the ending? It didn’t wrap Fringe up at all, it only wrapped this season up. There are still so many lingering questions and things we don’t understand, and I really wish that the last two seasons had fit in better with the original three, which was some of the best stuff to watch on television. I am a fan still, and even a lacklustre final season can’t kill my love for the show, though I wish that more effort had gone in to making it all perfect. At least the show did get to wrap itself up, I would have hated it if we didn’t get it to a close.

Fringe: Season 4 (2011 – 2012)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* 

What I liked:

• The way that Walter deals with Faulivia. It never ceases to entertain.
• So much more Lincoln Lee. I love the guy, both universes. He is awesome.
• Walter really was mistrustful of Peter once he returned to his timeline. Just the way he treated him was dead hilarious.
• The way Walter is actually so broken without Peter, and terrified of the world. It was really sad to see him, who he was, and how he was dealing with the new world. Astrid is still majorly important for him, but Walter is basically this mad scientist with some people, no real connections.
• Even though it was not necessarily how I would have liked it, and it was handled in quite a clunky manner and it frustrated me a little, Peter and Olivia coming together again was just beautiful. Every damn time they come together, something rips them apart, but it does not stop it being perfect when they are together. I just love watching them, they are adorable.
• The cast. I think they all do amazing jobs of portraying themselves and then alternate selves in the two universes. They should all be commended for it.
• The alternate universes starting to work together to heal the worlds, I think that it is done rather well.
• Alternate universe Astrid and our Astrid together. It was adorable, and to see the little lies our Astrid told alternate Astrid to make herself feel better about the relationship between her and her father was really heartbreaking, and the coffee the two shared was also immensely sweet.

What I didn’t like:

• How Lincoln Lee was written out in the alternate universe. This show just does not know how to write people out successfully.
• The way that the Olivia in this timeline starts to morph into Olivia from Peter’s timeline but nobody else is morphing back in and they all seem to be so calm about it all. It just doesn’t fit so nicely.
• Jumping into the future and back. This whole season just felt scattered. Initially when it started, you understood what was going on, but then it was only Olivia and Peter that went normal, and everything else stayed strange.
• How Lincoln and Olivia were sort of on their own mission, then she was Peter’s Olivia again and Lincoln just disappeared to the other universe and it was over. Why introduce something that you were going to write out without any further explanation to it?
• The way that there were just so many stories being dragged in (shapeshifters, ruining the worlds, Bell’s plan to play God, Peter and Olivia and their timeline).

Rating:
People will always say that this is where Fringe started going downhill, and I am inclined to agree (much to my chagrin). All good and well that it comes to be that Peter was erased from a timeline and we are on another one, and that Walter and Olivia’s love for him pulled him back here and that September didn’t erase the remaining traces of Peter all all, but it wasn’t done properly. Like when Olivia started becoming Peter’s Olivia again, they should have started morphing the other characters back into the same timeline. Instead, it jumps from there to Lincoln Lee defecting (for all intents and purposes) to the alternate universe so that he can be with Faulivia, and then we jump into the future with this random episode where Peter and Olivia’s daughter frees Walter from amber and saves Peter and Astrid from the amber that they, too, were encased in in a universe run by Observers. Ugh. I cannot describe to you how melodramatic it all got and how quickly it got there. It was great to see Jones return, he was always quite an entertaining villain, and sometimes his story is fleshed out well, and other times it is rushed over (why the alternate Broyles joined him and betrayed him, all done in under an episode). I miss the Fringe feel of the previous seasons, this season does not fit completely, and it doesn’t flow too well, and it isn’t quite so sure what it wants to be. I really missed the dynamic between Walter and Peter, because Peter is not part of Walter’s timeline anymore, everything is a little disjointed, and you still manage to pity the hell out of Walter. Seeing the two sides start to work together more is something worth checking out, though it is a pity that this season floundered a bit. Nina Sharp was also quite the enigma here, finally becoming that questionable and evil person we have all expected, even though they snatch that out of our jaw pretty quickly, too. I did not like how they randomly brought that one episode in from far in the future, which basically sets up for season five. Like watching the season is all for nothing if you just need that one episode. Oh well. Pity that, while this was done very well visually, good score and fantastic acting, the story is a little uneven and scattered and will certainly lose some people along the way. However, Fringe is still something I dearly love and can see myself returning to many times in the future.

Fringe: Season 3 (2010 – 2011)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

• Walter inheriting Massive Dynamic.
• The intro being a different colour for each universe: standard greys and black for our side, red and black for the alternate universe.
• Peter slowly but surely dealing with what Walter had done, snatching him from the other side and bringing him over, without the writers making this one of those long drawn out and melodramatic encounters where Peter is this sulky toolbag all the time.
• Seeing Charlie again, and the introduction to Lincoln Lee. I know that they are on the other side, but it is awesome to have any version of Charlie back, and Lincoln is awesome and pretty darn looky, too.
• The way that, although you start off hostile with the alternate universe, it grows on you, and they also become people with a serious issue, too. Walternate and his people are the only ones crusading a war though. However, you are still more vested in our side, whatever happens.
• John Noble. Besides the fact that the man dominates the show, what a ridiculously talented actor! The extreme polar opposites he plays is fantastic, and the dramatic change is evident immediately whenever you see Walter or Walternate. You never have to wonder which one is which, they are so extremely different.
• Phillip Broyles. Definitely a character that I like, he is so cool, but to watch him trip balls on LSD was more rewarding than I can even explain.
• Peter and Olivia finally getting together. My goodness, this is one of the most amazing romances of all time. Why? Because it was a gradual build. It wasn’t like they jumped each other the minute they saw each other. Instead, we got an intense build up to the relationship finally coming to be.

What I didn’t like: 

• Fauxlivia kicking it with Peter. I had such extreme issues with it and I was shouting at my TV the whole time about the situation. We have waited so long for them to get together, not for it to be the wrong woman with the right man. Ugh.
• The whole situation with Olivia’s life being taken over and lived by Faulivia was bad and all, but it got a little melodramatic by the end because really, every episode they dragged this whole thing back in, sometimes when it was totally unnecessary and didn’t always work.
• Having William Bell inhabit Olivia’s body for a while. Besides the fact that it really peeved Peter, it just felt so pointless.
• I did not like the way Olivia dropped the bombshell of the man from her mind being the one that will kill her one day but then not having the story progress at all from there.

Rating:
My Fringe Binge is going so well and I have been loving it all. Yes, much awesomeness. Obviously, as you can see from above, I had major and extreme issues with Faulivia for numerous reasons, but the biggest one being her kicking it with Peter. Why? Because he was so not hers to touch. We have watched this romance blossom between Peter and Olivia and have been cheering it on for ages and then this woman comes along and throws a spanner in the works. Ugh. And nobody seemed to question how different she was, which was annoying. I was a big fan of Henry, the cabbie, on the other side, and really appreciated Olivia’s struggle to return home. I am so sold on Lincoln Lee (brains are just so hot), he is fantastic, and seeing Charlie again, no matter the universe, is brilliant. However, the whole plotline with Faulivia being pregnant was something that was not really appreciated. Not because she was carrying Peter’s baby, it just felt convoluted. I think that Anna Torv did a great job in showing how difficult it was for Olivia to return home, it was not easy stepping back into her life that another woman had lived. Joshua Jackson, too, besides looking super delicious and being ridiculously bright, was also something to watch here. The guilt he felt over being with the wrong woman was palpable, and he genuinely felt awful about the situation. I did get annoyed with how long they dragged out the Olivia and Peter finding even ground again, it was hauled in at the most inopportune times, but ultimately had a fantastic outcome. I also really liked Sam Weiss, the man that helped Nina Sharp, and so also became the man that was such an integral part of helping work out the machine that could save the universes, etc. He made me laugh quite a bit at times, especially when he wanted to get into that one museum. Good times. There is also a really trippy episode where Peter goes to find Olivia in her mind, and made for some incredibly entertaining times with Broyles tripping acid. Again, Walter is an absolute scene-stealer, and watching him and Peter try to find common ground was something else altogether. But that, too, is ripped away from us super quick when William Bell then inhabits Olivia’s body. I know, sounding a little loopy, right? It was, but we could deal with the majority of it. Anyway, Fringe is back, providing us with great humour, a kick of drama, a great score, good looking visual effects and a wonderful cast to carry it. You can see how the show has fun, such as that whole cartoon like one, they are always trying different things, changing things up, whether it be for the drama of the show or the humour. Seeing the alternate universe finally was really fun, and seeing the harrowing effects of Walter’s crossing over is shown in even more detail in this one. I also liked how the alternate universe, though never the one you root for like the one we know, you do end up caring about the people on the other side, how they are dealing with things, etc. Except Fauxlivia. I am still no fan of hers because of all the Peter Bishop drama. I still highly recommend Fringe, it is a fantastic sci-fi series with plenty of characters to enjoy, some wonderful humour and enough drama to give it a story, it is a lovely show and worth every second of your time.

Love ❤

Fringe: Season 2 (2009 – 2010)

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

• The way the tension between Olivia and Peter has been steadily building. It has been intense enough for me to want to pull my hair out! Ugh! But I love it!
• The whole story behind Peter Bishop, Walter, walking between worlds, and all the things that came with it. This has been something that has had breadcrumbs thrown our way since season one, and by the time we finally get to it all in this season, it is amazing. The story is sad, the choices are difficult, the frustration is understandable. I loved it. I loved every second of it.
• I genuinely love all the names that Walter has for Astrid – everything but Astrid. I think my personaly favourite was Ostrich, followed by Asprin.
• I like the way that they have consistently kept spotting the Observers in the episodes. They are always lingering near a Fringe event.
• Sam Weiss. What an entertaining character!
• Walter Bishop. I cannot fail to mention him. The quirky scientist revealed so much to us in this season about his motives, his past, and all the things that motivated him, changed him, broke him.
• Finally seeing William Bell and Walter Bishop reunited. It was quite entertaining, the way they sniped at each other like children.
• The relationship with Peter and Walter was going so well dammit! So well. I mean so good that Peter even called Walter “dad”, and then things went downhill. And in an ugly, painful way, too.
• Seeing how the alternate universe has suffered because of Walter crossing over in 1985 to save Peter.
• That kiss. Eeeek! We have waited so long for Peter and Olivia to do anything at all about their emotions and feelings, and nothing. Then Olivia runs over to the other side to fetch Peter, and she tells him everything. YAY!

What I didn’t like: 

• I did not like how Charlie was written out. It was sudden, abrupt, and it was not closed off nicely, so I had some big problems like that, considering he was quite the important character.
• Some things were rushed in and out, such as characters and events.
• Peter not being with Walter and Olivia, it was so sad for me to think that Walter could be sent back to St Claire’s.
• The way that the other Cortexiphan kids were brought in and out, but always as something bad, dealt with in an episode then hidden away. That got a little annoying quickly.

I get that she just worked it out, but my eye is twitching…

Rating:
So off we are, into another season, and let me just tell you that things get better. They do. The acting is better, the effects are pretty awesome, the score works wonders and the relationships between everyone is so worth watching and they really draw you in. Season two hits the ground running and whips us up into another frenzy of bizarre cases and all. However, something that stuck in my craw from the beginning was the way that Charlie was written out so suddenly, and it wasn’t done nicely. It was rushed and it was glanced over, no time was spent there, I think it was a huge injustice to his character. Olivia also didn’t mourn him for too long, which was both good and bad. I did like how Sam Weiss helped Olivia along her route to recovery after returning from the alternate universe and her meeting with William Bell. Peter and Olivia seem to be gaining ground in their relationship, almost making you think it is going to go somewhere, but the progress is thrown to the wolves the moment that Olivia realises that Peter is, in actual fact, not from our universe. It is terribly painful, and it got a little annoying to watch her and Walter sniping at one another about it, though they both definitely had a point. To see how the Observer (September) was so involved in everything that was happening is awesome. He really was so intricately tied in to everything that was happening. I knew there was no way that it could end well, what with Olivia knowing that Peter wasn’t from there and saying nothing, and Walter deciding to. And I was right. Such a heartbreaking stage, Walter and Peter were making the very best progress of all time, and then Peter lost his cool (understandably) and then, disappointingly, fled. I was also unimpressed with the way that he hit on those other women, I thought there was more to him and Olivia than Walter and a job! Anyway, meeting Walternate was also an experience, it was fascinating to see John Noble flip so seemingly effortlessly between the two. You can distinctly see who you are dealing with the moment Walter(nate) steps on screen, which is great. Leonard Nimoy was also a joy to experience, once again, when we got into the alternate universe. Especially when you saw how he and Walter were around each other. I need to take a moment to say that I missed Charlie immensely, but I was happy to see Astrid steadily gaining more screen time, and more Broyles is also not a bad thing. Plus, what kind of review would this be if I did not address the fact that Peter Bishop is just… hmmm… Joshua Jackson is awesome and I love his portrayal of Peter. This season gave him a lot of material to work with, from regular, to loving, to afraid, to angry and bitter, there was just so much, and he was excellent every step of the way. Naturally, this was another season of Fringe that simply cannot be missed, I truly do recommend this show. I had such a blast rewatching them all, it was so rewarding.

Lastly, for science and all that…

This should be illegal…