(S02E23) "Walter, you asked me why I took out part of your brain. I did it because you asked me to, because of what you were becoming." - William Bell

Oh.My.God! I'm wringing my hands in agony here. "Why, why, why?!" Well, I know why. It's because 'Fringe' just loves to take us one way and then do a complete 180 and yank us back the other way. And season three is So.Far.Away! But what are ya gonna do? We'll have to just wait and see what happens next season. Way to keep us hooked, though.

There was so much to love about this episode, from Olivia fighting herself in the alternate universe to Peter realizing that Mr. Secretary, his biological father, only brought him back in order to help him destroy the other universe. That was a big realization for Peter, and he finally understood that maybe he really wasn't supposed to be in the alternate universe. Maybe he was right where he belonged with Olivia, Walter, Astrid and Jean the Cow.

Oh, he's still miffed at Walter for stealing him and not telling him. But at the end, he said, "I'm trying to see this your way, Walter. I can't, but you did cross universes twice to save my life. So that's gotta count for something, right?" That gave me some hope that all would be well, and you could see it in Walter's eyes, too, when he said, "Thank you, Peter. My son."

Well, good freakin' grief. Olivia and Peter finally -- finally! -- get together and kiss and realize they're supposed to be together, only to be separated by a big fat universe! Both my son and I called it as soon as alt-Olivia woke William up in the street with "Dr. Bell!" That didn't seem like something Olivia would say, and it wasn't. So now we've got the wrong Olivia in this universe, our Olivia trapped in a room in the alternate universe, and mean Mr. Secretary completely turning a deaf ear to her pleas. Ack! Talk about an ending!

How long do you think it will take Peter and Walter to realize that the Olivia who came back isn't the right one? And even if they don't -- although I know they will eventually -- I have faith that "our" Olivia will find a way to get back here. She's very resourceful and scrappy when she needs to be. I have a feeling she'll get Charlie Francis on her side there and they'll figure something out.

As for William Bell, I guess Leonard Nimoy was right when he said he's done acting. He might be lured back for some role (though it didn't sound like it in his conference call last week), but it sure looks like William Bell won't be back on 'Fringe' next season or ever. He sacrificed himself so that Walter et al could get back home. And now William isn't even available to help Olivia in the alternate universe anymore. THAT William was killed in a car accident as a young man.

I really loved the scenes with John Noble and Nimoy (who said he likes to call him "Noble John"). Just two old scientists who've got a long history together. I guess we can now say that William's true intentions were honorable. He took part of Walter's brain not because of some nefarious reason, but because Walter asked him to. He didn't like the person he was becoming -- the person he WOULD become as Mr. Secretary in the alternate universe. So many nuances there.

And we got to see a bit more of the alternate universe -- the burned out earth, the Long Island Triangle (off limits because of spatial distortions), Madison Square Garden - Midtown Quarantine (an unstable wormhole that wouldn't close; due to recent legal developments, the 10,000 citizens encased in quarantined amber have been recently ruled legally dead); Liberty Island (now the headquarters of the Department of Defense), and that area next to Harvard University -- another quarantined area that looks like a giant, hardened mold of Jello with people inside it. Super special effects there.

Some quotes:

Walternate: "Hello, son. I've imagined this moment so many times. I can't imagine how strange it must be for you."
Peter: I've seen strange. But this ... this is something else."

"I don't know what you've heard about me, but changing the laws of physics might be slightly beyond my abilities." - Peter to Walternate

Olivia: "How do you know that he's not already in custody?"
William: "I've checked with my sources at Homeland Security. I don't believe Walternate's people have found him yet."
Olivia: "Walternate?"
William: "It's a nickname Walter gave him years ago. Walternate. Over here, he's the Secretary of Defense. The Fringe team answers to him."
Olivia: "To Walter?"
William: "I know. It takes a little getting used to, doesn't it?"

Olivia: "Walter, can you walk?"
Walter: "I can dance if you like. They have absolutely fabulous drugs here, Olivia. I feel great! Oh, and look! Accelerated healing techniques. It's miraculous!"
Olivia: Ok, Walter. Bell is waiting for us."
Walter: "Billy's here?"
Olivia: "Yes, he is."
Walter: "Nice of him to finally show up."

Walter: "Hello, William."
William: "Walter."
Walter: "I see you've aged."
William: "It appears I'm not the only one."

"It was Wednesday, 1983, and I happened to identify the last of the eleven secret herbs and spices." - Walter, eating KFC with William and Olivia

Alt-Olivia: "What's it like on the other side?"
Peter: "A lot like it is here. Just slightly different. Subtle, but definitely different."
Alt-Olivia: "You know when people find out that you're back, you're gonna be famous ... your kidnapping, it's like a famous story."
Peter: "So I'm like the Lindbergh baby?"
Alt-Olivia: "The what?"

"I told you there would be invaders coming over from the other side, but I didn't tell you they would be us." - Walternate to alt-Olivia

William: "Creating Massive Dynamic was not my idea, Walter. We both talked about borrowing this world's technologies to help our own."
Walter: "You didn't help the world, William. You helped yourself. You pilfered this world for profit."
William: "As a by-product, yes. Let's remember, the only reason I came back over here was to prevent a war and to stop a chain of events set into motion the day you stole Peter!"
Walter: "A little truth, if you please. You say you want to prevent a war while you quietly fuel it. I know that you helped craft the shapeshifters. Your design signature is all over it."
William: "I had little choice. If I wanted to keep tabs on Walternate, I had to remain valuable to him."
Walter: "I've lost 17 years in a mental institution, William. Seventeen years! And even now, I'm still incomplete. I forget things, names, places, connections that I used to be able to make so easily, and they're just dangling, just outside of my reach. I know what you did to me! I know that you cut out pieces of my brain! What kind of man could do that?! You robbed me of my memories of my wife, of my son, of my past!"

"He lied to me. He told me that I could heal the problems of this world ... His bringing me back was never about fixing this universe. It was about destroying yours." - Peter to Olivia, on Walternate

"I supplied Fringe Division with a 76 model ... this is a 77." - William to Olivia, right after he blasts the people chasing them

William: "Phosphorous grenades. Be careful. They're prototypes. They could be unstable."
Olivia: "What do you mean unstable?"
William: "Just try not to jostle them."

William: "Walter, I will be the power. I've traveled between universes so many times, my atoms are ready to split apart with the slightest provocation. You taught me there are as many atoms in the human body as there are stars in the sky. That's how many atom bombs I am. That should be enough power to get you home."
Walter: "I should never have doubted you."
William: "It's ok, Walter. You always were as stubborn as a donkey with a nail in his head."

"Infiltration achieved. Awaiting orders." - What Alt-Olivia typed on the Selectric typewriter back in this universe

A few other things:

William Bell was eating Red Vines (not Twizzlers, mind you - that's an inside joke for anyone who's been reading my 'Fringe' reviews since the beginning).

Alt-Broyles reminds me of a super-hero, with his black t-shirt and manly build.

Olivia and Alt-Olivia both keep their keys hidden in the same place -- but not their back-up guns.

The device William and Walter dragged to the opera house looked like something out of a 'Star Wars' movie.

Who were you rooting for in the Olivia-Olivia fight? Alt seemed to have the edge on her, until Olivia belted her with a blunt object.

So what did you guys think about this finale? Was it everything you hoped for? Any strategies for avoiding insanity while waiting for the season three premiere are greatly appreciated.

(Follow @jboursaw on Twitter.)