Alone in the World
Season 4, Episode 03

Alone in the World

Aired October 7th, 2011 · Written by David Fury · Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

SYNOPSIS

The Fringe team investigates when the bodies of two 12-year-olds are found in an advanced state of decomposition just hours after bullying another boy. Meanwhile, Walter grows more and more distracted by hallucinations.

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

THE GLYPHS

THE OBSERVER

The Observer can be seen walking in front of the Harvard lab building.

Observer 10:43

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

Professor McClennan's professional library in 'One Night In October' contains the book Killer Mindscapes by S. Pores, foreshadowing the fungi that can form mental connections with people from 'Alone in the World'.

Previous episode clue 09:17

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

  • Walter called Astrid 'Aspen'.
  • Item of interest: Olivia researching her vision of Peter 05:19
    Olivia has been seeing Peter too.

VIDEOS

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 #403-10711

FRINGE EVENT: Organism with a neural network connection to a human

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): N/A

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham, Lee, Farnsworth, Mace

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: David Gorelick, Nicole Duron

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Aaron Sneddon

LOCATION: Hyde Park, MA; Roxbury Crossing

VICTIM(S): Brian O'Toole (deceased), Matthew Mitnovitz (deceased), 2 morgue technicians, homeless man, male technician, Agent Lee

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

Two twelve-year-old boys reported missing for a few hours were found dead in an advanced state of decomposition and stench. During the autopsy with Dr. Bishop, one body succumbed to advanced mold contamination and exploded into a chalky cloud. Dr. Bishop determined it was a single organism fungal mass that had created a vast neural network. Rapidly evolving communication skills enabled it to form a psychic bond with a young boy named Aaron Sneddon (10). The fungus released neurotoxins to paralyze a host, in this case the two boys. Sneddon's own health became interwoven into the needs and feelings of the mass, as it sought more water and nutrients to grow. As it grew, the organism—which Dr. Bishop referred to as Gus—became more self-aware and more conscious of how alone it was in the world. It forged a link with Sneddon's limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, over their shared sense of isolation. Sneddon became sicker as t he organism spread into the sewers of Boston, seeking new hosts. Dr. Bishop was able to treat the boy with epinephrine, and the fungus and Sneddon's brain waves separated. Nina Sharp enlisted Massive Dynamic to create a potent toxin that contained the fungus safely afterward.

THE TIMELINE WITHOUT PETER

  • Timeline without Peter: Monthly evaluations by the director of St. Claire's were a condition for Walter's release from the institution. 01:10
    Monthly evaluations by the director of St. Claire's were a condition for Walter's release from the institution.

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter made strawberry milkshakes and asked for a grape popsicle.
Walter's Food: Strawberry milkshakes 20:14 Strawberry milkshakes

NAMES FOR ASTRID

Walter called Astrid 'Aspen'.

NOTABLE QUOTES

Aaron Sneddon:
"How did your son die?"
Walter:
"Peter was very sick. I tried for a long time to find a cure... but I found it too late, and he died. Then I discovered an alternate universe where another version of my son was dying from the same malady. So I crossed over to the other side with the intention of bringing him back to cure him. But the frozen lake where I created a portal between universes was unsound, and when we crossed back, the ice broke. And Peter... the other version of him... drowned. And I lost him all over again."
Broyles:
"I'm sorry, but you know as well as I do we can't sacrifice countless lives to save one boy."

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

S1E08 — 1 connection (callback) S1E15 — 2 connections (callback) S3E05 — 1 connection (callback) ◀ EARLIER · CALLBACKS SETUPS · LATER ▶
Callbacks (3 earlier episodes)

S1E08 - The Equation

  • In "Alone in the World" Walter was evaluated by the director of St. Claire's, Dr. Bruce Sumner, who tried to get Walter readmitted in "The Equation".

S1E15 - Inner Child

  • Connection: Action figure S1E15 33:23
    Connection: Action figure S4E03 13:24
    The boy in "Alone in the World" played with the same action figure Peter showed to the Child in "Inner Child".
  • Connection: Neural halo S1E15 30:33
    Connection: Neural halo S4E03 35:41
    Walter used the same neural halo in "Alone in the World" as he used on the Child in "Inner Child".

S3E05 - Amber 31422

  • Connection: Vision of Peter S3E05 03:02
    Connection: Drawing of Peter from Olivia's visions S4E03 41:56
    Despite Walternate's efforts to mold Olivia's mind into Fauxlivia's, Olivia kept seeing Peter and Walter in "Amber 31422". Similarly, in "Alone in the World" Peter didn't exist in the rewritten timeline yet Olivia kept having visions of him.