Back to Where You've Never Been
Season 4, Episode 08

Back to Where You've Never Been

Aired January 13th, 2012 · Written by David Fury, Graham Roland · Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

SYNOPSIS

In this episode, Peter gains the trust of Olivia and Agent Lee and leads Lee to the alternate universe to try and find a path back to the timeline he knows. Meanwhile, the hybrid shapeshifters have a foothold in both universes and the man controlling them has infiltrators buried deep in Secretary Bishop's ranks.

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

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

J-O-N-E-S

The glyphs from S4E05 - Novation, S4E06 - And Those We've Left Behind, S4E07 - Wallflower, and this episode respectively spell out:

  • S-T-I-L-L
  • L-I-V-I-N-G
  • D-A-V-I-D
  • J-O-N-E-S
This episode reveals that David Robert Jones is alive in this timeline because the events that killed him in season 1 never took place.

Glyph symbol J Glyph symbol O Glyph symbol N Glyph symbol E Glyph symbol S
Glyph symbol J
Glyph symbol O
Glyph symbol N
Glyph symbol E
Glyph symbol S


THE OBSERVER

The Observer is featured in this episode when he gives Olivia a dire warning in the opera house.

Observer 41:50

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

The ParkView Hospital logo in 'Wallflower' foreshadows the return of Walter's universe portal in 'Back to Where You've Never Been'.

Previous episode clue 17:30

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

  • The Redverse hasn't had any breaches since the bridge was created.
  • Walternate is not behind the Shapeshifters.
  • David Robert Jones is alive in this timeline since Peter wasn't around to kill him a couple years earlier. Alt Broyles is working with him. Jones seems to be behind the Shapeshifters.
  • The glyphs from the past four episodes spell out:
    • S-T-I-L-L
    • L-I-V-I-N-G
    • D-A-V-I-D
    • J-O-N-E-S

VIDEOS

Featurettes
Interviews

THE REDVERSE

  • There were "The Amber Riots of '06".
  • Redverse: They have American Topographic magazine instead of National Geographic. 08:38
    They have American Topographic magazine instead of National Geographic.

THE TIMELINE WITHOUT PETER

  • Olivia had no idea she could cross between universes.
  • Timeline without Peter: David Robert Jones is alive. 41:26
    David Robert Jones is alive.

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter made chocolate chip and banana pancakes (in Peter's dream) and received a box of pastries from Peter.
Walter's Food: Chocolate chip and banana pancakes 01:03 Chocolate chip and banana pancakes
Walter's Food: Pastries 02:34 Pastries

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

S1E20 — 1 connection (callback) S2E14 — 1 connection (callback) S2E15 — 1 connection (callback) S2E21 — 1 connection (callback) S3E09 — 1 connection (callback) S4E05 — 1 connection (callback) S4E13 — 1 connection (setup) S4E19 — 1 connection (setup) S4E22 — 2 connections (setup) ◀ EARLIER · CALLBACKS SETUPS · LATER ▶
Callbacks (6 earlier episodes)

S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything

  • Connection: Jones cut in half S1E20 38:53
    Lincoln (in "Back to Where You've Never Been"):
    "Just out of curiosity, if this thing closes while I'm still crossing through what happens?"
    Peter:
    "It'll cut you in half. I killed a guy like that once. Don't worry, he was a bad guy."

    This is how Peter killed David Robert Jones in "There's More Than One of Everything".

S2E14 - Jacksonville

  • Connection: Double decker car S2E14 11:24
    Connection: Double decker car S4E08 08:30
    Astrid (sorting through objects from the Redverse in "Jacksonville"):
    "Wow. Look at this. It's a double-decker car. Does this mean that they drive these over there?"
    Walter:
    "I suppose so."

    A double-decker car is visible in the Redverse in "Back to Where You've Never Been".

S2E15 - Peter

  • Alt Elizabeth (to Peter in "Back to Where You've Never Been"):
    "That's what got me through it, you know. I told myself that if another universe exists, and there's got to be more, then somewhere you would grow up, and be happy, and fall in love. Somewhere you would have a life. Just... not here."

    She was right, and those events began in "Peter". This mirrors what Walter said in "Peter".

    Walter (to Elizabeth in "Peter"):
    "Elizabeth, I am telling you this because I want you to know that somewhere Peter will grow up, somewhere he will lead a proper life, somewhere he will be happy, but just not here. And we must take comfort in this."

S2E21 - Over There (Part 1)

  • Connection: Universe portal S4E08 13:16
    In "Back to Where You've Never Been" Peter and Lincoln set up the universe portal in the Orpheum Theater, the same place Walter, Olivia, and the Cortexiphan subjects crossed over to rescue Peter in "Over There (Part 1)".

S3E09 - Marionette

  • Alt Elizabeth (to Peter in "Back to Where You've Never Been"):
    "As soon as I looked into your eyes I knew."

    Olivia was upset in "Marionette" that Peter looked into Fauxlivia's eyes and couldn't tell that it wasn't Olivia.

S4E05 - Novation

  • The Shapeshifter knew to find Dr. Truss in "Novation" because it was working for David Robert Jones, as revealed in "Back to Where You've Never Been", and both Jones and Truss previously worked at Massive Dynamic.
Setups & payoffs (3 later episodes)

Spoilers for future episodes below

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S4E13 - A Better Human Being

S4E19 - Letters of Transit

S4E22 - Brave New World (Part 2)