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Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Fringe 1x18: "Midnight"


The Fringe Buddies are called in when two people are found separately murdered, their spines broken and exposed at the neck. It appears a human being - albeit one with enhanced jaw strength - tore them open and drained them of spinal fluid.

Walter detects traces of an extinct strain of syphilis on the body, and the CDC discovers that the strain of syphilis - along with a host of other nasty diseases - have all been ordered from them by the same company, Lubov Pharmaceuticals. Included on the World's Grossest Grocery List? The same rare strain of virus that was used to create the horrifying skin-growth toxin from "THIS EOISDOE." Which means Lubov Pharmaceuticals is tied to ZFT, a.k.a. the League of Mad Scientist Terrorists.

When the FBI storm the place, they only find a single wheelchair-bound scientist named Dr. Nicholas Boone. Dr. Boone is surprisingly cooperative, and promises to tell the FBI everything they need to know about ZFT - if they find and rescue his wife, who was taken by the terrorist group three weeks ago when Dr. Boone realized he wanted no part of their Mad Science Shenanigans.

The FBI storms the address Boone gives them - they're doing an awful lot of storming this episode - and they find a Secret Chinese Restaurant Science Lab, but no Mrs. Boone. Boone admits that ZFT didn't actually kidnap his wife to punish him for his defection - they infected her with the biological weapon he helped create. Yup - it's the Wifey who's been killing people for their spinal fluid - since the disease makes her body burn through her own supply. At first, Boone tried to give her his own spinal fluid - hence his wheelchair - but she started craving more than he could afford to give and she went feral and escaped.

While Olivia and Peter rush off to try and capture Wifey alive, Boone's allowed into Walter's science lab to help him concoct an antidote for the disease. The two Mad Scientists are adorable together and swap stories - as well as shared guilt over how their discoveries have led to some pretty Hinky Shit.

Unfortunately, the first batch of antidote doesn't work. Boone realizes that the antidote will require spinal fluid as a catalyst, and he's the only person on short notice who has some that's compatible with his wife's. Walter objects, since Boone is clearly running dangerously low on spinal fluid, but Boone insists that he's kept a careful tab on his supply and he can afford to safely donate another 25 milligrams.

Walter concocts a successful antidote just as Charlie, Olivia, and Peter discover Wifey hunting for prey at a nightclub. Olivia and Peter tranq her (although she requires a top-up when she wakes up halfway to the lab and tries to chow down on Olivia), just as Boone starts having a stroke - he lied to Walter about how much spinal fluid he had left, but he knew it was the only thing that would save his wife.

Boone passes away mere moments after the antidote is safely administered to Wifey, but not before making a videotaped confession telling the FBI everything he knows about ZTF - including who's funding the terrorist organization - none other than the founder of Massive Dynamic, William Bell.

Yeah, not surprising AT ALL. But at least now it's official!

Mad Science:
  • Biological Weapons
  • Secret Chinese Restaurant Science Labs
  • Super-Pencillin
  • Spinal-Fluid Vampires
Best Death Scene: The adulterous player in the beginning getting his neck snapped by the Wifey. 

Mad Science Questions:
  • Why is William Bell funding ZFT?

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