Fringe (TV Series) Enemy of My Enemy (2012) User Reviews

Peter is finally in the Driver's Seat

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 25 January 2012]

Peter Bishop is the most important man in 4 universes - And the 3rd and 4th universes hadn't realised this until Peter was able to prove himself. Now that the Cat is out of the Bag, someone has to get whipped with it.

As viewers, we know more about what is going on than the characters. We know that there is a sheep in Wolf's clothing- "Walternate" and vice versa in the Orange Fringe 'Verse. One of the main players is now revealed to be a real piece of slime, cheek to jowl and hand in glove with one of the worst Fringe parasites in all of the Fringe 'Verses: The man with David Bowie's Real Name, David Jones.

In this 'sode, Peter is given a more active part in his fate: But only because someone has gone to bat for him with Walter and Walternate. And so we see that Elizabeth Bishop is a remarkable woman in all of the Fringe 'Verses - Maybe she was not strong in the 'Verse where Peter grew up, but she always had the qualities of this Elizabeth- This is simply the Elizabeth who did not succumb to despair.

I am starting to enjoy the "Orange Fringe 'Verses" - But we know that eventually Peter WILL get back in the Machine. The Machine is the Key. But can he do it, before Olivia meets the fate meted out to her by the Bald Guy? I do NOT know what I would do without my dose of Alternate Reality!

The Return of David Robert Jones

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 28 March 2017]

The alternate Olivia and Lincoln arrest David Robert Jones and bring him to the Fringe Division headquarters. Peter uses his knowledge about the criminal to help to interrogate him. However David uses his accomplices to create havoc with a terrorist attack that kills everybody in a hospital. They let him go but with a tracking device, but David is warned by Broyles and uses a similar device in dollar bills to escape from his pursuers. Lincoln discloses to the alternate Olivia and Lincoln that it might have a mole within the Fringe Division. Peter and Astrid find that David is searching for a mineral. Capable to open holes between the two universes. Meanwhile Elizabeth decides to help Peter and has a surprising encounter.

"Enemy of My Enemy" is another great episode of "Fringe" with the return of the villain David Robert Jones. Elizabeth's attitude is a great twist in the end of the show. Now they need to discover why David is always one step ahead of the Fringe Division since he receives inside information from Broyles. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Enemy of My Enemy"

Shifting format, decent nemesis, cosmic Peter, entertaining mind game, charming and moving guest, delicious sci-fi candy

[igoatabase · 9/10 · 28 February 2012]

Prime. Other side. Back ? Switch ! I almost begged for a full parallel storyline involving all characters but I have to admit that this time it was a little confusing. I mean how are we supposed to grasp that Lincoln and Olivia are on the other side working with his alternative self and Bolivia ? Still it makes things so much more exciting and puzzling that I won't complain ! And of course the climax was reached when they all eight gathered in the same room to plan their next move against the shapeshifters. I wasn't convinced by the speech their leader gave to Lincoln and Olivia because it sounded like overused lines but I have to admit that he has potential and his scarface make him quite a nemesis.

It leads us to Peter because now he knows where he stands, right between both universes. He absolutely turned the interrogation upside down. From two shapeshifters playing humans to the variable they didn't see coming. It actually reminded me of the fascinating episodes The Constant and The Variable from Lost. So I'm quite intrigued because I wonder if Fringe's writers will try to push the logical barrier even further. Moreover Peter isn't the only variable to consider, the shapeshifters were also introduced by mistake and in fact he's kind of responsible for it. Broyles also blur the lines because despite the fact that we know he's one of them he's just unpredictable. I suppose that's the reason why it was also revealed that Nina was a shapeshifter too. It's not about guessing who is who but about playing an interdimensional mind game.

Beside the main story the episode also had its usual lot of funny scientist Walter, empathic Astrid and last but not least Shapeshifter Cow™ ?! It's disgusting the way they treat animals on TV ! Poor thing, tortured by his brush and forced to hear his bizarre mumble. But she wasn't really the lady that caught my attention because I confess that Orla Brady charmed me as Elizabeth Bishop. She brought the emotional moments a great installment requires to move its audience. At first when she told Walternate that she could help Peter I was skeptical and almost mocked her good intentions but then it quickly made sense when she decided to cross over to face Walter.

An other pro to add to our list is the sci-fi candy. Want some ? Get some ! First the female shapeshifter death in the water tank was brilliantly executed. Second the chopping portal that almost cut our crazy action woman Olivia in half felt like playing a cross over between Prince of Persia (The 1989 version of course and not the vicious reboot !) and well Fringe ! One second she's legally dead, the next she miraculously braked thanks to Peter's warning. Do it. Don't do it. He has to kiss her goodbye once they have found a solution to send him back home ! Or maybe they won't and he'll change his name to Peter Mallory. In fact I have reached the Gates of Geek Heaven when he realized the map they were tracking them on was from an other universe. The surveillance software Broyles used to follow their every moves was cool too, even if it wasn't as advanced as the one featured in Person of Interest. In one formula : F = (V . Ω) ∞ (○ + ●) !

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.

The Jones Boy Returns

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 14 November 2023]

This is a really crafty episode. The very paragon of evil, David Robert Jones has come back with his pack of shapeshifters. This episode involves the Fringe group trying to deal with him when he holds all the cards. Only Peter, unstuck in time and space, knows somewhat what makes him tick. He is so despicable. Everything about him reeks with disregard for human life and the future. He wants domination over a world of sustained viciousness. Interestingly, he seems to have a host of followers, like villains tend to have. Lots happens while there is a crossover and, as the title says, forces must be combined because we have a common enemy here, intent on destroying both sides and dominating. Excellent piece of television.