Marionette (Fringe)

Last updated

"Marionette"
Fringe episode
Fringe309-Marionette-screenshot.JPG
In one of the episode's memorable scenes, Roland controls Amanda's corpse like a marionette through a system of ropes and pulleys
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 9
Directed by Joe Chappelle
Written by Monica Owusu-Breen
Alison Schapker
Production code3X6109
Original air dateDecember 9, 2010 (2010-12-09)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Entrada"		Next →
"The Firefly"
Fringe season 3
List of episodes

"Marionette" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe . The episode was co-written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker, and directed by Joe Chappelle. It followed a series of organ recipients being tracked down and having their donated organs removed, all in a scientist's attempt to resurrect his deceased love interest, whose organs were donated to the victims. Meanwhile, Olivia (Anna Torv) copes with the consequences of being back in the prime universe.

Contents

The episode first aired on December 9, 2010 in the United States to an estimated 4.74 million viewers. "Marionette" was the series' winter finale, as well as the last episode to air on Thursdays in the US. It received generally positive reviews. Many critics praised Torv's portrayal of Olivia after her recent trauma, as well as the aftereffects of Fauxlivia's deception, as realistic and well-acted.

Plot

Olivia (Anna Torv) has recovered from her ordeal of being trapped in the parallel universe and has rejoined the Fringe team, while others on the team, particularly Peter (Joshua Jackson), struggle with the idea that the parallel universe's Olivia, Fauxlivia, had successfully pretended to be Olivia. Throughout the episode, Olivia is shown to be struggling emotionally with knowing that Fauxlivia has lived in her apartment and has slept with Peter.

The team is called to the home of a man whose heart was removed through a makeshift operation. They learn that not only did someone call for emergency help shortly after the heart's removal, but the man was found alive by the emergency response team well after his heart was removed, though he eventually died by the time Fringe arrived. Walter (John Noble) and Peter recognize scars on the blood vessels leading to the heart, identifying the victim as one that received a heart transplant. During the autopsy at the lab, Walter concludes that a serum was used to prolong the victim's life well after the heart's removal, a chemical based on his own past research into life restoration.

A second victim is found, this time a man whose eyes have been removed by forced surgery. Again, they discover the eyes were obtained from organ donation, and they find a connection to a woman called Amanda (Anja Savcic), a ballerina who had committed suicide. They also note the care that the culprit performed the work, and speculate that the person they are looking for is showing some compassion for his victims, calling for emergency help and using the serum to hope that they are given the proper care in time. They find that Amanda's alleged cremated remains are bogus, and that her body had been stolen before it could be cremated. They start to trace connections to Amanda, finding she was in a depression counseling support group. Though there are several possible suspects, Olivia's intuition leads her to a man named Roland David Barrett (Mark Ivanir), who was noted to have become enamored with Amanda at the meetings. At Roland's home, he has recovered the corpse and surgically replaced the organs in her body. Using a makeshift set of ropes and pulleys, Roland engages Amanda's body in a marionette act to make her perform like a ballerina, promising her he will bring her back to life.

As the Fringe division sets out to Roland's home, Roland injects Amanda's body with more of the serum, and she is brought back to life. By the time Fringe arrives, Roland gives himself up willingly, and they find Amanda dead again. Roland explains that though she was alive, when he looked into her eyes, he realized she wasn't the same person and thus terminated the process. As Roland and Amanda's body are taken away, Olivia breaks down in front of Peter; she questions that if Roland could tell that Amanda wasn't the same person by looking at her eyes, why couldn't Peter do the same with Fauxlivia? Peter is unable to answer her, and a distressed Olivia leaves on her own. As Walter takes Peter to get a milkshake, the two are identified by an Observer, who reports on his phone that "he is still alive".

Production

"It’s true, 'Entrada' could be construed as a good season-ender, but that was on a physical level. You can anticipate the emotion of what’s going to happen in the return, but the complexities of the end of 'Marionette,' of really that coming to a head, we felt that was a really great story to leave people with: 'Oh, boy, what’s gonna happen now?!'"

—Executive producer J.H. Wyman [1]

The episode was co-written by co-executive producers Alison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen, while being directed by executive producer Joe Chappelle. [2] When asked why they chose "Marionette" and not the previous episode "Entrada" as the mid-season finale, co-showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman stated they were more interested in consequences, such as the repercussions of having both Olivias back in their own worlds. Pinkner explained, "We're always more interested in the 'And then what?' After 'Entrada,' what are the consequences of what we witnessed for the first eight episodes? We very much wanted to play that before the break." [1]

Pinkner and Wyman summarized the episode in an interview, "The headline here is 'Picking up the pieces.' Olivia's had this real Rip Van Winkle experience; while she was away, life went on without her. Now she's back and she's going to find out what happened while she was gone. It's going to shatter her". [3] In a conference call interview, Pinkner and Wyman further described the episode as "pretty fantastic" because "it's one of our most cinematic episodes". [4] "Marionette" ended the episode arc begun in the season premiere, where one episode would take place entirely in one universe and then the following episode would alternate to the other; now Fringe would take place entirely in the prime universe, [3] something that Pinkner deemed "less predictable" for viewers. [1]

The episode featured onetime guest appearances by Mark Ivanir as the puppeteer Roland David Barrett, [5] Anja Savcic as the dead ballerina Amanda Walsh, [2] Barbara Tyson as her mother Mrs. Walsh, Michael Bean as Grant Russo, [6] Genevieve Buechner as Tabatha, and Elizabeth McLaughlin as Dr. Alexandra Ross. [7] Actor John Noble believed Barrett to be "very gifted." [8] Recurring guest star Michael Cerveris also appeared as the Observer. [6]

Noble tweeted live during the episode as part of a special promotion. [9] A week after "Marionette" aired, Fox came out with a promotional video meant to reassure Fringe fans that the show's move to Friday did not automatically mean it was on the road to being canceled. [10] The new video featured the message "You May Think Friday Is Dead… But We're Gonna Reanimate It," a reference to the resurrection plot in "Marionette". [11] As with other Fringe episodes, [12] [13] Fox released a science lesson plan in collaboration with Science Olympiad for grade school children, focusing on the science seen in "Marionette", with the intention of having "students learn about 3-dimensional protein models and how their use allows scientists to predict biological behavior." [14]

Anna Torv said that of all her time on the series, she was most proud of two scenes in "Marionette". 20120713 Anna Torv @ Comic-con cropped.jpg
Anna Torv said that of all her time on the series, she was most proud of two scenes in "Marionette".

Lead actress Anna Torv later cited two scenes in "Marionette" of which she was most proud of during her time on Fringe. The first was Olivia's discovery that Peter was sleeping with Fauxlivia and her reaction— going through all of her clothes in disgust; the second related to her comment to Peter that she couldn't "believe that you didn't know it was me." Torv explained, "The reason I love those scenes is because it’s really easy to be great in your own bedroom [rehearsing], but when you get on set you have so many different obstacles. The scene with Peter and me outside was done at like 1:30 in the morning, in the middle of town, so we had piles of drunk people screaming up and down the street, and massive fire engines and trucks coming through…. We're doing this quiet scene where I have to cry and we're on the clock, but that’s what TV teaches you -– to just go with it very quickly." [15]

Reception

Ratings

"Marionette" first aired on December 9, 2010 in the United States on the Fox network. It was watched by an estimated 4.74 million viewers, with a 2.8/4 rating among all households and a 1.7/5 ratings for viewers 18-49. [16] Time shifted viewing increased the episode's ratings by 53 percent among adults, resulting in a rise from 1.7 to 2.6. This was the largest increase of the week in time-shifting viewers. [17] It was Fringe's winter finale, with the next episode airing January 21, 2011. [3] "Marionette" was the last episode to air in its Thursday timeslot, as the series moved to Fridays in the US. [2] [18]

Reviews

The episode received critical acclaim. Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly wrote that despite the "burden" placed on "Marionette" because of its timing, "by now, the series is so sure of its tone, its surging story-telling power, that it more than met its challenges". Tucker believed the show had become "exhilaratingly fearless" by pulling in the many references from literature, movies and other sources, and also thought that Olivia's reaction to the Peter-Fauxlivia relationship "felt right". [19] The A.V. Club 's Noel Murray gave the episode an A, explaining that he felt the episode was "very strong" and "was especially impressed with how Fringe handled the Olivia/Peter relationship". [18] Television Without Pity graded the episode a B. [20] Andrew Hanson from the Los Angeles Times called the episode "the perfect epilogue to that first chapter," explaining:

"I’ve always wanted to see more of what happens after the ending of a big action movie. Sure, we’ve defeated the evil alien mothership and saved mankind, but all our cities are blown up. Or we’ve fallen in love while escaping the malfunctioning homicidal robots, but whose side are we spending Christmas with? It isn’t often that you get to see how people move on from these huge events, but “Marionette” gives us just that. Bundled with a retelling of the quintessential horror/sci fi story". [21]

Like Ken Tucker, Hanson also loved how Olivia coped with someone posing as herself, saying that it made her seem like an "honest, real woman". [21] Despite not typically liking "monster-of-the-week" episodes, James Poniewozik of Time Magazine thought it "did quite a good job using the case to tell the story of the tension between Peter and Olivia, and the emotional aftermath of returning to a life someone else has borrowed". [22] Rhea Dee of Pinkraygun.com almost entirely focused on Olivia's reactions to being back in the prime universe. Dee praised the realistic tone, writing that normally in other shows she was used to the female character being "annoying" after trauma, but "not once in this episode did I feel like Olivia’s emotions were irrational". [23]

The staff of Open Salon.com enjoyed the episode, writing "While I enjoyed the last eight weeks of alternate universe hijinks, this week's episode reminded me of what I had been missing from the earlier seasons... It's nice to know we'll be back with our good old regular Earth-1 team for the foreseeable future. Overall, this week was really well done - very effectively creepy, well directed and plotted with just the right about of gore to make you jump". [24] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly named "Marionette" the eleventh best episode of the series, calling it "a strong, disturbing outing that was part of Fringe's mid-series peak, in which the show found its best storytelling voice by crafting strange, emotionally resonant case-of-the-week plots that thematically paralleled the ongoing character arcs in ways that felt organic, not contrived." [25] In a similar 2013 list, Den of Geek ranked the episode as the third best of the entire series. [26]

Awards and nominations

Anna Torv submitted "Marionette", along with the season three episodes "Olivia", "Entrada", and Bloodline" for consideration in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. [27] She failed to receive a nomination. [28]

Related Research Articles

<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.

<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.

<i>Fringe</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe began airing on the Fox network on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 6, 2011. Twenty-two episodes long, the season was produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and its showrunners were Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman. 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, along with recurring guest stars Kirk Acevedo, Seth Gabel, and Ryan McDonald.

"Entrada" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 51st episode overall. The first part of the third season spent much of its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "Entrada" was the first episode of the season to have time evenly divided between both. In the episode, both Olivia and her doppelganger "Fauxlivia" attempt to journey back to their respective universes. John Cassini, Seth Gabel, Ryan McDonald, Stefan Arngrim, and Karen Holness guest starred.

Over There (<i>Fringe</i>) 22nd and 23rd episodes of the 2nd season of Fringe

"Over There" is the two-part second season finale of the Fox science fiction drama series Fringe. They are the 21st and 22nd episodes of the season, and the 42nd and 43rd episodes of the series overall. Both parts were written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, together with showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J. H. Wyman. Goldsman also served as director, his first such credit since the season premiere.

The Plateau (<i>Fringe</i>) 3rd episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"The Plateau" is the third episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 46th episode overall. As one of the early Season 3 episodes that take place entirely in the parallel universe, the episode centers on Olivia, conditioned to believe she is a member of the alternate Fringe team, trying to track down a mentally unstable man that can predict the team's every move.

The Box (<i>Fringe</i>) 2nd episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"The Box" is the second episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was co-written by Josh Singer and Graham Roland, and directed by Jeffrey Hunt. The third season spent its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "The Box" was set in the former. It followed a mysterious box that when opened, killed whoever heard it. The fringe team of Fauxlivia, Peter, and Walter investigate, with unknown consequences to the creation of a doomsday device.

Reciprocity (<i>Fringe</i>) 11th episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"Reciprocity" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 54th episode overall. In the episode, the Fringe division follows a chain of shapeshifter murders as the assembly of the doomsday device nears completion. Ryan McDonald and Charles Parnell guest starred.

Olivia (<i>Fringe</i> episode) 1st episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"Olivia" is the first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Fringe. The episode was co-written by J. H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner, and was directed by Joe Chappelle. The third season spent its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "Olivia" was placed in the latter. This is indicated in the introduction of the episode, with the same red screen used in the last season's finale, "Over There". "Olivia" follows the cliffhanger left by the second season, in which Olivia Dunham is trapped in the parallel universe. The episode explores the consequences of Olivia's abduction by Walternate, and her attempt to go back to the prime universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?</span> 4th episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 47th episode overall. The first half of the third season alternated entire episodes between the parallel universe and the prime universe. "Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?" took place in the prime universe, and involved several shapeshifters, including Thomas Jerome Newton, who is eventually captured. Meanwhile, Fauxlivia attempts to maintain her cover and minimize the damage.

Lincoln Lee is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe (2008–2013). Lincoln first appeared in the season two finale on May 13, 2010. He is portrayed by actor Seth Gabel.

"6955 kHz" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It first aired on November 11, 2010 in the United States. The third season spent much of its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "6955 kHz" was set in the former. The storyline followed the Fringe team's investigation into a numbers station that mysteriously gave its listeners amnesia, a case that ultimately ties to a doomsday device.

"The Abducted" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The third season spent much of its time alternating between the prime and parallel universes, and "The Abducted" was set in the latter. The episode followed the Fringe team's investigation of "the Candyman", a man who kidnaps children to harvest their youth-giving hormones.

Immortality (<i>Fringe</i>) 13th episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"Immortality" is the 13th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 56th episode overall. In the episode, the Fringe Division of the parallel universe investigates a series of deaths caused by flesh-eating "skelter beetles", unleashed by a mad scientist. Abutbul, Seth Gabel, Kirk Acevedo, Philip Winchester, Ryan McDonald, and Joan Chen appeared as guest stars.

6B (<i>Fringe</i>) 14th episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"6B" is the 14th episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 57th episode overall. In the episode, the fringe team investigates mysterious deaths at an apartment building, the result of a merging between the prime and parallel universes; while there, they encounter a woman who claims to be able to see the ghost of her deceased husband.

Bloodline (<i>Fringe</i>) 18th episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"Bloodline" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe, and the 61st episode overall. The storyline follows the pregnant Olivia Dunham of the parallel universe ("Fauxlivia") as she experiences a kidnapping and acceleration of her pregnancy; meanwhile, her fellow Fringe agents Lincoln Lee and Charlie Francis attempt to locate her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day We Died</span> 22nd episode of the 3rd season of Fringe

"The Day We Died" is the third season finale of the Fox science fiction drama television series Fringe. It is the season's 22nd episode and the series' 65th episode overall. The finale follows the aftermath of Peter Bishop entering and activating the doomsday device, events which took place in the previous episode. He finds himself 15 years in the future; though the device has destroyed the parallel universe, his universe is nevertheless gradually disintegrating. Peter comes to realize the background of the doomsday device and wakes up in 2011. After getting the two universes to agree to work together, he inexplicably disappears.

Neither Here nor There (<i>Fringe</i>) 1st episode of the 4th season of Fringe

"Neither Here nor There" is the fourth season premiere of the Fox science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode depicts the aftermath of the third season finale in which Peter Bishop disappears from his timeline. In the new, altered timeline, Olivia Dunham is joined by FBI agent Lincoln Lee after the latter's partner is murdered. The two work to investigate his death, which revolves around shape-shifting technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to Where You've Never Been</span> 8th episode of the 4th season of Fringe

"Back to Where You've Never Been" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the Fox science-fiction drama television series Fringe, and the series' 73rd episode overall.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Truitt, Brian (2011-01-21). "'Fringe' producers on tonight's return, death slots and going back to the '80s". USA Weekend . Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  2. 1 2 3 Stegall, Sarah (2010-12-13). "Frankenstein—Fringe's "Marionette"". SFScope. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  3. 1 2 3 Jensen, Jeff (2010-12-09). "'Fringe' exclusive: The producers on tonight's new episode, the future of the parallel world storyline, and the move to Friday". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  4. ↑ "Fringe's Executive Producers on "Entrada," the Changes at Hand, and the Love Triangle – Part II". Blogcritics.com. 2010-12-09. Archived from the original on 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  5. ↑ "Mark Ivanir: Credits". TV Guide . Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  6. ↑ "Fringe - Episode 3.09 - Marionette - Press Release" (Press release). Spoiler TV. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  7. ↑ Noble, John (2010-12-09). "#fringelivetweet Mark Ivanir is the actor playing the puppetier. He is very gifted". Twitter . Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  8. ↑ ""Fringe" Travels to New Night and Time Beginning Friday, January 21, on Fox" (Press release). Fox Broadcasting Company. 2010-12-08. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  9. ↑ Tucker, Ken (2010-12-15). "'Fringe' refuses to accept death on Fridays: New video here". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  10. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (2010-12-15). "'Fringe' exclusive: Fox execs on its 'deathslot'-spoofing promo and plans to attract new viewers". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  11. ↑ "TV Show "Fringe" on Fox Partners with Science Olympiad". Science Olympiad . Retrieved 2011-07-19.
  12. ↑ Holbrook, Damian (2010-11-11). "Fringe Unveils Science Sites". TV Guide . Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  13. ↑ "The Science of Fringe: Exploring Protein Modeling" (PDF). Fox Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
  14. ↑ Webb Mitovich, Matt (2011-06-21). "Eye on Emmy: How Fringe's Anna Torv Finds the Reality Amid the Unreal". TVLine . Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  15. ↑ Gorman, Bill (December 10, 2010). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones,' 'Fringe,' 'Community,' '30 Rock,' 'Office,' 'Apprentice' Adjusted Down; 'Big Bang Theory,' 'Walters: Oprah' Up". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  16. ↑ Gorman, Bill (2010-12-27). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'Modern Family,' 'Fringe,' 'Hawaii Five-0' Top Week's Rankings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  17. 1 2 Murray, Noel (2010-12-10). "Marionette". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  18. ↑ Tucker, Ken (2010-12-10). "'Fringe' recap: A 'Marionette' and a strawberry milk shake with extra whipped cream". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  19. ↑ "You Can't Call It Cheating, Because She Reminds Me of You". Television Without Pity . Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  20. 1 2 Hanson, Andrew (2010-12-10). "'Fringe' recap: Epilogue". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  21. ↑ Poniewozik, James (2010-12-10). "The Morning After: Double Trouble". Time Magazine . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  22. ↑ Dee, Rhea (2010-12-15). "Fringe: Marionette". Pinkraygun.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  23. ↑ "Fringe recap: Ep 3.9 "Marionette"". Open Salon.com. 2010-12-10. Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  24. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (2013-01-18). "'Fringe': 19 Best Episodes". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  25. ↑ Harrisson, Juliette (2013-05-02). "Top 10 Fringe episodes". Den of Geek . Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  26. ↑ "Emmys 2011: Drama Acting Episode Submissions". Gold Derby Inc. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
  27. ↑ Hibberd, James (2011-07-14). "Emmy nominations 2011: 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Game of Thrones' score drama series nods". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-07-19.
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.