['Fringe' - 'Marionette']

It was an odd choice this week, considering this was the final episode of the series until it returns next year on its new night, Friday, January 21, 2011. While last week saw the grand climax of the "here" vs. "there" struggle that's dominated much of the season, this week was a much gentler aftermath installment.

Set entirely in the original universe, on the surface it looked like a fairly typical "monster-of-the-week" installment. But bubbling beneath that was a wonderfully understated performance by Anna Torv as she struggled with all that had happened in her two-month absence.

Stepping back into your life is hard enough. Try stepping back into your life after someone else has been living it for two months.

It was little things that were the most profound. Her breakdown in her apartment after Peter opened up to her about his relationship with Fauxlivia was just masterfully framed. The tearing down of the clothing her counterpart had been wearing, followed by the stripping of the bed she'd shared with Peter was all symbolic of the level of violation she was feeling. But, to that point, it was more an intellectual violation of her living space, because the evidence of their passion wasn't in the sheets.

When she opened the washer and saw a wet load sitting there, it became all too real. Here was a load of laundry started by Fauxlivia. Including a t-shirt belonging to Peter, the ultimate proof of what he'd already admitted (thank goodness he opened up to her before she found it) about his intimacy with Fauxlivia. And the ultimate reminder, like the opened mail she mentioned, that someone had been filling-in for her in her absence. Filling in in every bit of her life.

The talk between Peter and Olivia itself was another wonderful scene, and particularly in Torv's silent performance. The single shot hold on her face as the realization struck her that Peter was talking about his having started a romantic relationship with Fauxlivia was so tragically raw and real it was heartbreaking. Her slow collapse from an awkward smile to a simple dumbfounded look as she struggled to process all that she was hearing captured that inner turmoil spectacularly. It wouldn't really be until that load of laundry that the enormity of his admission would hit her.

From there, it was ups and downs. Astrid stepped up and told her that Peter was thinking of her and that the feelings he developed were for her, but Peter had already said Fauxlivia was quicker to smile and less intense. He'd basically admitted that what made him fall in love with her were the qualities of hers that were unlike Olivia.

Then, when the week's culprit was taken in, she got another line about looking into someone's eyes and being able to tell who was in there. It was a little unfair to equate looking into a reanimated corpses eyes and not seeing the person you knew looking out to Peter's situation. After all, this was an Olivia Dunham, and not some brain-dead creature brought back to life on a slab.

When Peter looked into Fauxlivia's eyes, he did see Olivia. And he admitted that there were changes, but they were justified. He acknowledged it was a different Olivia, he just didn't think there it was a literally different Olivia. But her hurt had her speaking from a place of vulnerability and emotion. How could Peter, who meant so much to her on the other side, not know her? Not be able to tell it wasn't her?

And Peter had no answers for her. The writing and framing of that scene was spot-on. Peter's quiet "I'm sorry," after she'd walked out was perfect. As much as she is tormented, here was our reminder that Peter's just as tormented. How he must be feeling about how all the events played out. How did he not know it was Olivia? What does that mean about how he feels about this Olivia?

If, as Astrid indicated, his feelings are for this Olivia, has he blown his chances now of ever having been with her by ... well, by being with her?

The case of the week was fairly standard fare for this show. A brilliant but disturbed man re-collected all the donated organs and body parts of a young girl he'd cared for from a group therapy in order to right what he saw as her error in committing suicide. But while he was able to put her together and bring life back to her, he had only revived an empty shell.

I'm a little murky on what the marionette portion of the process was. If his ultimate goal was to have her come back to life, he wouldn't have needed a complex contraption that could be used to move her lifeless body into various ballet formations. Unless he thought it might work as a sort of physical therapy for her? It seemed, at that point, this was a diversion for himself before he took the final steps toward bringing her back to life.

The big thing for long-time fans of the show to note is that the final moments of this episode saw the return of The Observer, still observing. This time he was calling in to report that he was watching "him," which could refer to either Walter or Peter, and noting that "He is still alive." What does that mean? Why shouldn't "he" be? I guess I'll see you back here Friday, January 21 to see if we find out.

New episodes of 'Fringe' air Fridays, 9PM ET on Fox, starting January 21, 2011.

[Follow Jason @ultraversion21 on Twitter.]