As much as I’ve grown to enjoy all kinds of different aspects of the show Fringe, including the growing conspiracy and the mysteries surrounding Massive Dynamic, for me the best sequences we’ve had so far are when Olivia goes into the tank and has her encounters with the memories of her former partner and lover John Scott. Not only do we learn that she apparently always wears black underwear and bras, but we’ve learned so much about John and his connections to Olivia.
Plus, her interactions with John in this realm have thus far been the only things that Walter has been completely baffled by. While Walter insists that John cannot see and hear Olivia in these memory-walks. She’s just observing these memories, and as they are just replays of what already happened, how could the John in those moments see her? It makes sense. Only he does. And Mark Valley sells those little eye shifts brilliantly. It’s freaky as hell when he looks directly at her.
But now, we may have finally gotten closure on the whole John Scott storyline. Yes, his body is still at Massive Dynamic, and apparently on the cusp of death or something. Or he’s dead and they’re just running “juice” through him to try and read the chip. It raises a lot of questions about the story he told Olivia about being an even deeper government agent. If he was that deep, did he truly have no handlers?
If he truly had a government device implanted in him, would no one come looking for his body at Massive Dynamic? Of course, if Massive Dynamic is involved you can’t really trust anything that’s going on anyway. Or at least the real reasons behind it. Maybe the current half-dead, half-battery state of John’s body is what’s allowing him a more intimate connection with Olivia in the dream-state.
And yet Walter said that Olivia’s brain patterns have returned to normal, and that she was no longer sharing a consciousness with Scott. Personally, I don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of John. And not just because he’s still listed in the main credits. I’d like to think he’s still somehow in touch with Olivia in her mind and he’ll be back.
I think it would be a bad move for the show to lose him. Those scenes are not only excellently put together, but they make Olivia a more interesting character and they add depth to the mysteries his memories touch. I’m as much interested in John’s connections to everything as I am Massive Dynamic’s and what The Pattern is anyway.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Feb 04, 2009 @ 17:01 EST5EDT
Totally agree. The memory scenes are really good. Here’s hoping they aren’t gone for good!
I was thinking the exact same thing about her bra and panties. I wouldn’t have taken her for an all black all the time gal. ;-)
Last night was the first time I was able to ENJOY Olivia. I do think that a large part of it was due to those scenes with Mark Valley (and I have to admit, knowing they are now married may have colored my view and given me something else to think about).
My favorite Walterism from last night. “I like to cut.”
There’s still definitely something going on with John Scott, but I hope there’s no more memory mish-mash going on. They said goodbye, and they’re obviously moving towards some other romantic connection for her. Personally I’d rather see her with Charlie than Peter, but that’s just me. Anyway back to John–remember that scene a while back when we found out Nina had him? She seemed up to more than just trying to find out what was on that disc in his palm. Or maybe it was just about trying to make her look more sinister to keep us interested, I don’t know. Point is…she’s still got him there at Massive Dynamic.