The third episode of Fringe’s third season continues to intrigue. Back in The Other Side, a mad genius bent on revenge set off meticulously planned chains of events that end in the death of those he perceives as doing him harm.

The series continues to enjoy using recurring images and situations (see my review of “The Box“) I love the reference to the sensory deprivation tank. Walternate (John Noble) and Alter-Brandon (Ryan McDonald) speaking about it implies that, even if for now, it’s only going to be used on test subjects, Olivia (Anna Torv) is one day going to return to that tank. It’s probably a technique that will backfire, as Olivia’s memories are bound to break through in such familiar an environment.

I have to mention straight out that I did not like the kiss shared between Olivia and Hallucination!Peter (Joshua Jackson). It felt rather forced, instead of natural. It worries me that Fringe is might place too much emphasis on the Olivia-Peter romance, rather than their connection, which allows Peter to help Olivia in the episode “Bad Dreams” (Season 1, Episode 17). I’m going to indulge in a bit of script writing here: Halluciation!Peter should have said what he had to say, then just smile at her. In a cliché moment, Frank would have walked into the room at that moment, calling her name. Olivia looks from Hallucination!Peter back at Frank. By the time she looks back towards Hallucination!Peter, he’s gone. Again, this is quite the cliché moment, but I find it much better than the awkward kiss.

The Observer (Michael Cerveris) is spotted on the bridge, as Milo (Michael Eklund) throws the bike off it; the glyphs spell out the word: “Breach”. Is it in connection with the two fabrics between the universes, with Olivia’s imposed Altivia-memories, or rather with the integrity of both Fringe Divisions being affected?

One of the episode’s main themes relates to that interconnectedness. Milo has become a genius able to calculate probabilities even with hundreds of variables, something any statistics student will tell you is already really hard enough with one two or three variables. Using this talent, Milo is able to create a perfect set of events, triggered by a specific, small act that triggers an intricate chain of events.

Interconnectedness is also at the heart of the series. Up to now, we have seen the two universes as being parallel; the breach made in 1985 by Walter has affected the integrity of the boundary between the two universes; that boundary is now slowly disintegrating. Walternate has been telling those serving on Alter-Fringe Division that to survive, they have to destroy our universe.

But what if the two universes were too interconnected for this option? Is it possible that, were one universe to be destroyed, the other couldn’t survive? Were Walternate’s weapon to destroy our universe, isn’t it possible that this might set off a chain of events that could ultimately lead to the destruction of the alternate universe?

Milo is a fascinating character who adds further complexity to last week’s discussion about the non-existence of evil. After all, it could be argued that scientists gave Milo a very potent tool, i.e. intelligence, without giving him what he needed to use it well: maturity and a moral framework. For with great power comes great responsibility, and one’s training must needs include the capacity to do the right thing with that power.

One of the best things his newfound intelligence gives Milo is the capacity to see the end at the beginning. To be future-oriented means to understand the implications of everything we do now on our future, which implies we can map out a path of life that can lead us to pretty much anywhere we’d like to go. Of course in this case, it lead to murders – hence the importance of having a moral framework within which we can make our decisions.

Milo is also an intriguing character in that his intelligence puts him in a place where no one can understand him. As Olivia explains it to his sister, Madeline: “Your brother, he no longer thinks in terms that you or I would be able to comprehend”.

This reminds me of Episode 1 of Season 3, “Olivia”, in which others perceive Olivia as insane because the framework within which she talks is one the psychiatrist couldn’t understand. By the same token, Milo’s framework is way beyond ours, which is why, by the end of the episode, no one can understand him anymore. Milo’s ‘insanity’ is thus related yet again to the concept of perception.

It doesn’t help that Milo doesn’t receive the training necessary to express himself, another oversight by the scientists who are supposedly trying to help him. For man’s reality is his thought, and man’s thought is limited by his power of expression. Milo wasn’t given the power of expression to go with the increased intelligence, making it even harder for him to express the complex concepts that are now within his grasp.

By the same token, it’s interesting to note that Milo’s seemingly infallible calculations run amok because of Olivia’s origin, i.e. our universe. While Milo doesn’t realize the reason behind this mistake, it is possible that Olivia will eventually make enough mistakes that someone – for example, a Looker – would realize that there is something not quite right.