Shows Like Fringe

Frequently asked about Fringe

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• Why did Walter Bishop cross over to the alternate universe and what were the consequences?▾

  Walter crossed to the alternate universe to save the dying Peter Bishop after his own son died from a genetic illness, using a window device he and William Bell had developed. This act of grief-driven desperation tore a hole in the fabric of the alternate universe, setting off a slow catastrophic deterioration of that world — collapsing buildings, vortexes, and spreading quarantine zones — which the alternate universe blamed on our side and used to justify war.

• What is the significance of the Observers and where do they come from?▾

  The Observers are genetically engineered humans from the far future who traveled back in time to observe key moments in history. They were created by removing the parts of the brain responsible for emotion to maximize intelligence, which is why they feel no empathy and eat extremely spicy food to feel anything at all. In Season 5, a faction of Observers led by Captain Windmark invades and occupies 2036 to escape their own dying future timeline, revealing they are not neutral observers but ultimately colonizers.

• What happened to Peter Bishop at the end of Season 3 and why did he disappear?▾

  Peter activated the doomsday machine, which bridged both universes and created a meeting point where representatives from both sides could work together to heal the damage done to the alternate universe — effectively choosing cooperation over destruction. The Observers then intervened and erased Peter from existence because his survival in the prime timeline was never meant to happen, as he should have died as a child. He eventually returned because his emotional bond with Olivia and Walter was so strong it acted as an anchor pulling him back into the timeline.

• What is the ultimate fate of Walter Bishop and why does he sacrifice himself in the series finale?▾

  In the series finale, Walter travels to the year 2167 with Michael — the emotionless child Observer — to deliver him to the scientist who would use Michael's existence as proof that intelligence and empathy can coexist, thereby changing the course of Observer evolution and preventing their invasion. By staying in the future, Walter erases himself from Peter and Olivia's timeline entirely, which is why Peter receives only a white tulip drawing as a final farewell — a callback to the symbol of forgiveness and hope Walter had sought throughout the series.

• Who is Olivia Dunham's cortexiphan treatment and how does it affect her abilities?▾

  As a child, Olivia was one of many test subjects in a secret drug trial run by Walter Bishop and William Bell using cortexiphan, a nootropic compound designed to preserve and enhance childhood mental plasticity. The treatment gave Olivia the ability to cross between universes consciously, generate pyrokinetic energy under extreme emotional stress, and eventually to suppress and control the abilities of other cortexiphan subjects. Her powers are tied directly to her emotional state, particularly fear, meaning they are most potent when she is in genuine danger and least reliable when she feels safe.