Ability (Fringe)

Last updated
"Ability"
Fringe episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 14
Directed by Norberto Barba
Story by
Teleplay by David H. Goodman
Production code3T7663
Original air dateFebruary 10, 2009 (2009-02-10)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Transformation"		Next →
"Inner Child"
Fringe season 1
List of episodes

"Ability" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe . The plot follows the Fringe team's investigation into ZFT and David Robert Jones, who claims that Olivia is a soldier equipped with abilities to fight in an upcoming war between two parallel universes. A skeptical Olivia must discover a way to avoid unleashing an attack that causes fatal accelerated cellular growth in its victims.

Contents

The episode's teleplay was written by co-executive producer David H. Goodman from a story by executive story editors Glen Whitman and Robert Chiappetta. It was directed by Norberto Barba, his only contribution to the series. Jared Harris guest-starred as Jones, alongside actors Clark Middleton, Michael Gaston, Noah Bean, and Chance Kelly.

It first aired in the United States on February 10, 2009, on the Fox network to an estimated 9.83 million viewers, placing second in its timeslot. The episode earned a 4.1/10 ratings share among adults aged 18 to 49, meaning that it was seen by 4.1 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 10 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of broadcast. "Ability" received mixed reviews from television critics.

Plot

A newspaper vendor dies by suffocation after receiving a two-dollar bill coated in a chemical substance that causes all his orifices to close up. Walter analyzes the chemical agent and finds that the agent speeds up protein synthesis in scar tissue and accelerates cell growth. Meanwhile, Olivia postulates that the initials "ZFT" may not be of a terrorist organization but of a book, and discovers the German name, "Zerstörung durch Fortschritte der Technologie", roughly "Destruction by Advancement of Technology". Peter takes Olivia to a rare book storekeeper, Edward Markham (Clark Middleton) who gets a copy of the ZFT book from another collector. Peter returns with it to Walter's lab, learning that it is a typewritten manifesto preparing "soldiers" for an upcoming war between two universes.

Concurrently, David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) turns himself in at the FBI headquarters. Suffering from effects of being teleported out of his German prison cell by Walter's technology, he insists on only speaking to Olivia, warning that she is the only one that can stop a bomb from going off in 36 hours. Sanford Harris (Michael Gaston) instead orders Olivia to join other agents in raiding a warehouse which they believe Jones and his men used. Evidence confirms Jones had been there, but an agent dies from suffocation after finding another two-dollar bill.

Olivia convinces Harris to let her see Jones alone, attributing the agent's death to his misfire. In the interrogation room, Olivia discovers that Jones believes she is one of the soldiers in his war, having been a test subject on a Massive Dynamic nootropic drug known as "Cortexiphan" when she was a child. Jones claims that she is special, and instructs her to a remote site with a key in his possession to retrieve a package. Olivia follows his instructions, finding a package full of strange puzzles. The first puzzle is a light box containing a number of lights which Jones' instructions require her to disable with her thoughts only. Olivia, having learned from Nina Sharp that the only Cortexiphan trials were done in Ohio, far from her childhood Jacksonville, Florida home, is confident Jones is mistaken.

As Jones' condition worsens and he is brought to Walter's lab, Peter rigs the lightbox to make the lights go off automatically. Olivia performs the test in front of Jones, and he supplies her the address of the bomb. When Olivia and the FBI arrive, they find that the bomb is set to release the deadly agent across the city but can only be defused if Olivia turns off a similar array of lights as were on the puzzle. Despite faking the earlier test, Olivia is successful at disabling the lights and the bomb with her thoughts.

In the episode's epilogue, Jones, having been transferred to secured hospital, is rescued by his men, leaving a message on the wall telling Olivia she passed. Meanwhile, Walter, who has also started reading the ZFT, recognizes a unique offset letter, and finds that his own lab typewriter produces the same offset. Olivia receives a call from Nina who had further looked into the Cortexiphan trials and discovered a smaller case study that occurred at Jacksonville.

Production

The episode's teleplay was written by co-executive producer David H. Goodman based on a story by executive story editors and scientists Glen Whitman and Robert Chiappetta. [1] It was Goodman's fifth contribution to the series and Whitman and Chiappetta's first. [2] The episode was directed by Norberto Barba, his only directional credit with the series. [1]

Noah Bean noted that his character Officer Kemp "meets pretty gruesome, unbelievable ends," as Kemp's face becomes covered with skin and scar tissue. [3] To create the effect of Kemp's orifices closing, the crew used a combination of make-up and computer graphic effects. They created casts of Bean, including the front of his face, ears, back, and torso. They applied make-up over parts of his face at different stages as the scene demanded. For Olivia's unsuccessful emergency tracheotomy, the actress cut into a fake neck that Bean wore. [3]

Guest actor Jared Harris made his third appearance of the season in "Ability". At the time, the actor had not heard whether his character would be returning, [4] though he later appeared in the first-season finale [5] and five fourth season episodes. [6] Harris described his character as an "anti-hero who is fighting for the just cause" [7] and the episode as "a page-turner... When I read it, I said, 'Ah, this is a fantastic one. I can't wait to see it.' It's directed with a lot of energy, a lot of tension. It's a good one, a really good one". [8]

The episode featured the first of many guest appearances by actor Clark Middleton as the rare bookseller Edward Markham. [9] In addition to Bean and Harris, the episode's guest stars included Michael Gaston as Sanford Harris, Chance Kelly as Mitchell Loeb, Kenneth Tigar as Johan Lennox, Philip LeStrange as Thomas Avery, and Michael Cerveris as the Observer. [1]

Reception

Ratings

"Ability" was watched by an estimated 9.83 million viewers on its initial broadcast in the United States, placing in second in its timeslot behind CBS' The Mentalist . Fringe was the Fox network's fourth most watched show for the week, and received a 5.9/9 rating share among all American households. Among adults aged 18 to 49, the episode finished in fourteenth place for the week by earning a 4.1/10 ratings share, meaning that it was seen by 4.1 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 10 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of broadcast. [10] [11]

Reviews

"After a couple of less than stellar stories Fringe actually delivered some real surprises and came out from under its warm blanket of confusion, thankfully."

– Den of Geek [12]

Den of Geek viewed the episode positively, observing that in contrast to the previous installment, "Ability" "progresses the main plot arc in a substantial way... I’m now really interested to see what happens next, whereas last week I wasn’t that bothered." [12] IGN's Ramsey Isler was a little more critical and rated the episode 7.8/10. He noted that though the ending with Walter "was as good as you could ask for" and enjoyed David Robert Jones as a villain, the episode had a "number of rough patches," as the middle was "paced slowly" and lacking in suspense, Peter's "handiness was again reduced to ...'that guy with connections'", and the audience was "once again subjected to the torture that is Sanford Harris". [13] After describing the Olivia-Peter scene near the end as "tense and cleverly written," Isler concluded his review by noting references to The X-Files and hoping Jones would appear again soon. [13]

Noel Murray from The A.V. Club graded the episode an A-, explaining he thought it must have been "satisfying" for those viewers tired of the "monster-of-the-week" storylines. Murray also enjoyed two twists: that Olivia had to shut off the lights for real, and that Walter discovers he wrote the ZFT manual at the end. [14] Jane Boursaw of AOL TV (previously TV Squad ) opined that it was a "really great episode that's probably worth another viewing to pick up more clues," [15] while the Los Angeles Times ' Andrew Hanson thought it "managed to have a couple good twists to it." [16] Annalee Newitz of io9 praised "Ability", remarking that "overall, this was a terrific episode, and a great way to go into a show hiatus. We got a lot of payoff when we discovered why Olivia was being stalked by the ZFT weirdos, and we learned more about the Pattern than we had in a really long time." [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fringe</i> (TV series) 2008–13 American science fiction television series

Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. It premiered on the Fox television network on September 9, 2008, and concluded on January 18, 2013, after five seasons comprising 100 episodes. An FBI agent, Olivia Dunham ; a genius but dysfunctional scientist, Walter Bishop ; and his son with a troubled past, Peter Bishop, are all members of a newly formed Fringe Division in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the team uses fringe science to investigate a series of unexplained and often ghastly occurrences which are related to a parallel universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Dunham</span> Fictional character

Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the science fiction television series Fringe, which aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States from 2008 to 2013. The character was created by series' co-creator J. J. Abrams, and is portrayed by actress Anna Torv. Olivia is the series' protagonist, and was introduced as an FBI Special Agent, working for a multi-agency task force of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the Fringe Division, dealing with supernatural events that are linked to experimental occurrences. Having grown up with an abusive stepfather, Olivia struggles with the unexpected changes in her life, following her encounter with mentally unstable scientist Walter Bishop, and his son and an eventual love interest for her, Peter Bishop.

Walter Bishop (<i>Fringe</i>) Fictional character

Walter Harold Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Bishop</span> Fictional character

Peter Bishop is a fictional character of the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.

Power Hungry (<i>Fringe</i>) 5th episode of the 1st season of Fringe

"Power Hungry" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by playwright Julia Cho and consulting producer Jason Cahill, and was directed by Christopher Misiano. The episode focuses on Fringe Division's efforts in finding a man with the uncontrolled ability to affect electrical energy, thanks to the work of a wanted rogue scientist. Meanwhile, Olivia Dunham sees visions of her deceased lover, John Scott.

"In Which We Meet Mr. Jones" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The story begins when an FBI agent collapses from a parasite constricting his heart, and Olivia must meet with biochemist David Robert Jones in Frankfurt in order to find a cure. It featured the first appearance by Harris.

"The Equation" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode follows the Fringe team's investigation into the kidnapping of a young musical prodigy who has become obsessed with finishing one piece of music. Dr. Walter Bishop returns to St. Claire's Hospital in an effort to find the boy's whereabouts.

"There's More Than One of Everything" is the finale of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The finale followed David Robert Jones' attempts to open a doorway to the parallel universe, while the Fringe team tries to stop him. It ends with FBI agent Olivia Dunham discovering a startling secret about Massive Dynamic founder William Bell.

<i>Fringe</i> season 1 Season of American television series

The first season of the American science fiction television series Fringe commenced airing on the Fox network on September 9, 2008, and concluded on May 12, 2009. It was produced by Bad Robot in association with Warner Bros. Television, and its showrunners were Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. The first season introduces a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security. The team uses unorthodox "fringe" science and FBI investigative techniques to investigate a series of unexplained, often ghastly occurrences, which are related to mysteries surrounding a parallel universe. FBI agent Olivia Dunham is portrayed by actress Anna Torv, while actors Joshua Jackson and John Noble play father-son duo Peter and Walter Bishop. Other regular cast members include Lance Reddick, Jasika Nicole, Blair Brown, Mark Valley, and Kirk Acevedo.

"Of Human Action" is the seventh episode of the second season of the science fiction/crime series Fringe, and the 27th episode overall. The episode followed a case involving the apparent kidnapping of the son of a scientist working for biotechnology corporation Massive Dynamic, leading the Fringe team to deal with the repercussions of mind control.

"The Bishop Revival" is the 13th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode's storyline followed Nazi scientist Alfred Hoffman as he specially designed airborne toxins to kill only surrounding people with similar genetic traits, such as people with brown eyes.

"The Road Not Taken" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It centers on the death of a young woman, who spontaneously combusts in the middle of a street. The Fringe team's investigation leads them to learn more about the drug trials Olivia experienced as a child, as well as other revelations.

Safe (<i>Fringe</i>) 10th episode of the 1st season of Fringe

"Safe" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It begins when a group uses technology to walk through a bank's wall and steal a safe deposit box. Its contents contain special equipment meant to ultimately break David Robert Jones out of his Frankfurt jail.

Bad Dreams (<i>Fringe</i>) 17th episode of the 1st season of Fringe

"Bad Dreams" is the 17th episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It was written and directed by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, his first writing credit for a television show. In the episode, Olivia dreams she is causing people to either kill others or themselves, which leads her to meet Nick Lane, a man from her past that leads Olivia to discover their shared history as test subjects in a series of childhood drug trials.

<i>Fringe</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American science fiction television series Fringe premiered on Fox on September 23, 2011, and concluded on May 11, 2012, consisting of 22 episodes. The series is produced by Bad Robot in association with Warner Bros. Television, and its showrunners were Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. The show was officially renewed for a fourth season on March 24, 2011. Lead actors Anna Torv, John Noble, and Joshua Jackson reprised their roles as FBI agent Olivia Dunham and the father-son duo Walter and Peter Bishop. Previous series regulars Lance Reddick, Jasika Nicole, and Blair Brown also returned. Previous recurring guest star Seth Gabel was promoted to series regular. Prominent guest star Leonard Nimoy and first season guest star Jared Harris reprised their roles in the alternate timeline storyline. Former main cast member and previous recurring guest star Kirk Acevedo, however, did not reprise his role.

"A Better Human Being" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the Fox science-fiction drama television series Fringe, and the series' 78th episode overall.

"The End of All Things" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American science-fiction drama television series Fringe, and the series' 79th episode overall. In the episode, the fringe team investigates Olivia's disappearance, ultimately tracing back to David Robert Jones.

Worlds Apart (<i>Fringe</i>) 20th episode of the 4th season of Fringe

"Worlds Apart" is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of the Fox science-fiction drama television series Fringe, and the series' 85th episode overall. It was co-written by series story editor Matt Pitts and DC Comics' Nicole Phillips based on a story by co-producer Graham Roland. Charles Beeson served as director.

"Brave New World" is the two-part finale of the fourth season of the Fox science-fiction drama television series Fringe, and the series' 86th and 87th episodes overall. The episode, at the time of its writing and production, was created to be a possible series finale if the show was not renewed for a final season. As such, the episode not only resolves many of the plot lines introduced for the fourth season, but also several long-running plots throughout the show's run. In the episode, the Fringe division learns that Walter Bishop's old colleague, William Bell, has been in control of David Robert Jones' actions to collapse both universes in an attempt to create a new universe under his own control, and the Fringe team must make sacrifices to put an end to Bell's plans.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Norberto Barba (director), David H. Goodman (writer), Glen Whitman (writer), Robert Chiappetta (writer) (2009-02-10). "Ability". Fringe. Season 1. Episode 14. Fox.
  2. ↑ Stuart 2011, pp. 201–04.
  3. 1 2 Steve Kelley, Colin Maclellan, Kirk Acevedo, Anna Torv, Noah Bean (2009). "Fringe: Deciphering the Scene: "Ability"". Fringe: The Complete First Season (DVD). Warner Bros. Television.
  4. ↑ Topel, Fred (2009-02-06). "In which we meet Fringe's Mr. Jones, who sees his future". Blastr. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  5. ↑ Spelling, Ian (2009-05-12). "How Fringe's season finale will change everything up". Blastr . Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  6. ↑ "Jared Harris: Credits". TV Guide . Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  7. ↑ Bennet, Tara (2009-05-12). "Interview: Jared Harris on 'Fringe,' 'Mad Men' and His Legendary Father". Comcast.net. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  8. ↑ Spelling, Ian (2009-02-10). "Jared Harris will reveal the mystery behind Fringe's Mr. Jones". Blastr. Archived from the original on 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  9. ↑ "Clark Middleton: Credits". TV Guide . Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  10. ↑ Seidman, Robert (2009-02-18). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, February 9–15, 2009". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  11. ↑ "Nielsen primetime ratings report". Daily Variety . 2009-02-19. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2013-05-10.(subscription required)
  12. 1 2 "JJ Abrams' Fringe episode 14 review". Den of Geek. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  13. 1 2 Isler, Ramsey (2009-02-11). "Fringe: "Ability" Review". IGN . Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  14. ↑ Murray, Noel (2009-02-10). "Ability". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  15. ↑ Boursaw, Jane (2009-02-11). "Fringe: Ability". AOL TV . Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  16. ↑ Hanson, Andrew (2009-02-11). "'Fringe': Quite an 'Ability'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  17. ↑ Newitz, Annalee (2009-02-11). "It's Back to the Pattern on Fringe". io9 . Retrieved 2013-05-10.
Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.