The Transformation (3 Feb. 2009)

A man undergoes a painful and ultimately fatal transformation aboard a plane. Meanwhile, Nina Sharp and Broyles reveal more information about John Scott to Olivia.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

J.J. Abrams (creator), Alex Kurtzman (creator),

Stars:

Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Anna Torv	...	Olivia Dunham
Joshua Jackson	...	Peter Bishop
Lance Reddick	...	Phillip Broyles
Kirk Acevedo	...	Charlie Francis
Blair Brown	...	Nina Sharp
Jasika Nicole	...	Astrid Farnsworth
Mark Valley	...	John Scott
John Noble	...	Dr. Walter Bishop
Ari Graynor	...	Rachel
Felix Solis	...	Daniel Hicks
Neal Huff	...	Marshall Bowman
Armando Riesco	...	Gavin
Al Sapienza	...	Conrad
Guiesseppe Jones	...	Agent #3
Chris LaPanta	...	Gavin's Man #1

Storyline

A man undergoes a painful and ultimately fatal transformation aboard a plane. Meanwhile, Nina Sharp and Broyles reveal more information about John Scott to Olivia.

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Plot Keywords:

transformation | boston massachusetts | virus | plane crash | chicago illinois | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bad Robot, Warner Bros. Television, Fringe Element Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min 62 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Observer can be seen when Marshall Bowman has the bloody nose outside the airplane bathroom; the Observer is the man he passes.

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Goofs

The plane that crashes is a Boeing 747, which has four engines, but the reporter overheard in the background describes the aircraft as a twin-engined wide-body.

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Quotes

Agent Olivia Dunham: Cut open his hand.
Peter Bishop: What?
Agent Olivia Dunham: I want to see if there's a disc in it. Like Bowman's.
Dr. Walter Bishop: [gets on his feet] I like cutting.

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Soundtracks

"End Title Theme (Composed by Michael Giacchino)"
(uncredited)
Written by Michael Giacchino

User Reviews

Redux in S4E16

This was the first Fringe Episode I ever saw - I was trying to figure out the guy who was playing "Bowman" cos he reminded me of the guy from Band of Brothers, Damien Lewis. But it's Neal Huff - Who discovers he is in BIG TROUBLE on yet another JJ Abrams Plane-Distress debacle.

Fear of FLying is just normal, looking down on the land which is so far away... Not knowing how in blazes an Airplane can simply stay up in the air - It just ain't natural! But fear of Flying mixed with Fear of Changing into a "Batupine" - Now THAT is a choice to "die" for! But I would not want to be in the shape Bowman was in when they found him - Or, for the other hapless passengers, fear of having the guy sitting next to you change into a monstrous Man-Pine with huge QUILLS sticking out, I never wanna fly again!

In this first telling of the Bowman incident, Bowman is not willingly making this transformation. He was "dosed" by a genetic terrorist. These "Soldiers" of Robert David Jones have no trouble doing each other in, in horrible ways-Why would anyone want to be a member of ZFT knowing that at any time you could be turned into a Batupine by your friends or family member?

But here ZFT is a real and present danger, and it's Broyle's purview, with the Fringe team to flush out what is really happening.

As much as I've compared FRINGE to "The Former X-Designation," there is one thing Mulder and Skully never had - And THAT my fiends is Walter Bishop.

Olivia and Peter could never solve a Fringe case if not for Walter, and Walter could not do anything unless he has Astrid getting him food all the time.

Over the last four FRINGE years, this is the one constant in the Blue, Red, and "Bridge" universes - Walter's real deep seated need for Culinary inspiration.

This is the last Episode that settles the John Scott arc, which is too bad as I liked the Scott character, he could have been a "Visiting Shade" for Olivia in S1. When I saw this, it was like falling into the middle of a movie, I didn't understand the Scott character's involvement, but as I saw this I was able to Infer, he was in her mind somehow.

And in this episode, also unlike the Former X-Designation, Olivia and Peter actually Solve a Case. We are not left with vanishing evidence, witnesses murdered, or spirited away by Cigarette-Smoking Men - And, nobody in Fringe even smokes!

And so FRINGE agents avert an unimaginable threat, once again, like they did 8 more times this season. Plus, we get to see it all over again, but played out differently, is Season 4 Ep 16! And That my fiends, is getting the most out of your multiple universes!