Season 3, Episode 02

The Box

Aired September 30th, 2010 · Written by Josh Singer, Graham Roland · Directed by Jeffrey Hunt

SYNOPSIS

The Fringe Team investigates a case where people are discovered in a trance-like state that ultimately leads to their death. The unlikely suspect: a mysterious box. Peter and Walter collaborate to study its properties and Fauxlivia turns up the heat on an unsuspecting Peter. Key information about the future is revealed when Walter and Nina meet at Massive Dynamic for the reading of William Bell's will.

Synopsis provided by the Fandom Wiki, Fringepedia, and Wikipedia.

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

A-L-E-R-T

THE OBSERVER

The Observer can be seen as Newton leaves the subway station.

32:02

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

The kissing figures on Marilyn Dunham's front door knocker in 'Olivia' foreshadow Fauxlivia seducing Peter to keep her cover in 'The Box'.

37:54

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Walter called Astrid 'Aspirin'.
Timestamp: 41:56

William Bell left Massive Dynamic to Walter.

VIDEOS

Featurettes

Commentary

JJ ABRAMS EASTER EGGS

Timestamp: 35:11

The Fringe team set up camp at subway platform 47. 47

47: J.J. Abrams projects tend to feature the number 47 in some way.

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE

U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

121 105th Street • Washington, DC 20735
Phone: (202) 555-2100 • Fax: (202) 555-2101
E-mail: washington.fbi@fbi.com

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE #302-93010

FRINGE EVENT: Ultrasonic sound box

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): Shapeshifters

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: Simon Whitby

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: N/A

LOCATION: Milton, MA; Cambridge, MA

VICTIM(S): Darryl [redacted], Blake [redacted], Joe [redacted], 4 family members [redacted], 5 MTA subway passengers, vagrant

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

A family of four in Milton, Massachusetts, was found dead, bound, and gagged in their home. In the basement were two dead home invaders who had dug a hole to obtain a box. All of the victims' blood was lighter in shade than ordinary, and victims were in a vegetative trance before they expired. Dr. Bishop determined all had severe damage to the inner ear and that an auditory phenomenon, taken to an ultrasonic extreme, was the cause of their deaths.
Agents tracked the box to the subway system, where it had been opened and taken into the tunnels by a vagrant before his head exploded. Peter Bishop identified the box as a piece of the Machine. Dr. Bishop directed a temporary impairment to Peter Bishop's ears that allowed him approximately three minutes to close the box. However, the box was broken upon inspection, and Peter Bishop was unable to disarm it. he was almost hit by a train in the tunnel but was saved by Agent Dunham.

*Post-investigation, it was discovered that a third, deaf home invader took the ultrasonic box from the Milton home and delivered it to Thomas Newton and Agent (B)Olivia Dunham. She killed the thief and disposed of the body.

THE REDVERSE

Timestamp: 05:06

They don't have U2; Fauxlivia had never heard of Bono.

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter tried to make Gene produce chocolate milk, licked raspberry jam off his tie, and said bacon-flavored pudding would surprise him.

13:28 Raspberry Jam on Walter's tie

NAMES FOR ASTRID

Walter called Astrid 'Aspirin'.

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

Callbacks 3

S1E15
S1E20
S2E05

Setups & payoffs 2

Spoiler: S3E16
Spoiler: S5E07

Callbacks (3 earlier episodes)

S1E15 - Inner Child

S1E15 Timestamp: 30:33

S3E02 Timestamp: 21:25

Walter used the same neural halo in "The Box" as he used on the child in "Inner Child".

S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything

S1E20 Timestamp: 45:37

S3E02 Timestamp: 15:36

William Bell had a bell on his desk in "There's More Than One of Everything" and rang it after he introduced himself to Olivia. He left a similar bell to Nina in his will in "The Box".

S2E05 - Dream Logic

S2E05 Timestamp: 23:03

Fauxlivia studied old Fringe cases for intel in "The Box", including Olivia's taped testimony from "Dream Logic".

Setups & payoffs (2 later episodes)

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S3E16 - Os

S3E02 Timestamp: 15:36

S3E16 Timestamp: 40:59

William Bell left Nina a bell in his will in "The Box". Walter rang that bell in "Os" which initiated Bell's soul magnet experiment.

S5E07 - Five-Twenty-Ten

S5E07 Timestamp: 32:54

In "The Box" Bell wrote to Nina in his will "And for the precious few we had alone in Tuscany, a memento of me." In "Five-Twenty-Ten" Bell's old safe had a picture of Nina in Tuscany.