Tuesday, February 15, 2011

FRINGE THEORY | Peter & Fauxlivia's Baby: Perhaps We've Already Met Her



Ella?

OK, I realize this theory may be far-fetched, and is a bit of a shot in the dark. However, here are some dots I'm connecting:
  • "Brown Betty" [2.19] episode allegory: Ella provides Walter with "a much better ending." If we are to take the episode's allegories seriously as indicative of the Fringe mythology as a whole, perhaps Ella is the gamechanger and ace-up-the-sleeve at the end of the Fringe series, whenever it is.

  • "Brown Betty" episode allegory: Rachel (in Walter's story) was actually not Rachel, but an actress pretending to be named Rachel who was used by the fictional Walter for his agenda. If we take the episode's allegories seriously, perhaps Rachel was lying/acting about being Ella's aunt from the get-go - and that brings to mind another question: who (perhaps Walternate?) would be using her?

  • In "Bound" [1.11] (starting at the 30:00 mark), we see the first extended scene involving Olivia and Rachel. Two interesting factors come up: 1) Rachel claims Ella gets her strength from Olivia (and looks temporarily distracted a few seconds later), and 2) Olivia asks Rachel if there's something Rachel isn't telling her (which Rachel denies).

  • At the end of "August" [2.08], August and December watch Olivia and Ella, and December says: "Look how happy she is - it's a shame things are about to get so hard for her." "Her" could be either Olivia or Ella.

  • Possible writer/producer hint: In "Concentrate and Ask Again" [3.12], there is a magic 8-ball towards the beginning of the episode - the other magic 8-ball is seen in "Bound," as it was the gift given by Ella to Olivia, after Rachel and Ella's alleged trip to Peru. Perhaps we are to "connect the 8-balls" a little, although the symbolism is still alluding me at the moment.

  • In "The No-Brainer" [1.12], Rachel marvels at Peter and Ella's first meeting, and states: "The way you are with Ella, you could be really good," then quickly "corrects" herself and says "at a party."

  • Also in "No-Brainer," Ella survives the brain-melting computer video, while others did not. Ella, in fact, has no signs of any injury, and Olivia seems almost shocked that Ella could withstand such a trauma.

  • In "The Transformation" [1.13], Olivia has trouble remembering some historical details relating to Rachel, after which Rachel changes the subject to John Scott. [This is similar to how Olivia had trouble "remembering" Fauxlivia's memories (after they were implanted in her) a few seasons later.] A minute later in the same "Transformation" episode, Rachel looks distant when she claims that her former partner Greg is a jerk.

  • In "Inner Child" [1.15], it is Olivia (as opposed to Rachel) who Ella wakes in the morning for company.

  • In "Unleashed" [1.16], Rachel "jokes" with Olivia and Ella: "You two work well together, and I don't like it."

  • In "Bad Dreams" [1.17], it is revealed that Ella is receiving some sort of "vaccination" - frequency unknown. Ella says that this substance was dead, but that she now felt it was "alive" (though Olivia assured her that it was just a "bad dream").

  • In "Over There, Part 1" [2.21], Olivia gave Ella the cross handed down from her mother, further cementing how Olivia thinks of Ella kind of like a daughter.

  • So how would Ella time-travel back to an earlier part of the timeline? The only 2 ways I can see is that 1) an Observer would have to do it - the Observer was able to allow Roscoe Joyce's son to travel through time in "The Firefly" [3.10] - OR - 2) back in "Safe" [1.10], it was revealed that Walter was once working on a time-travel device - perhaps Walternate was successful in making one work. Also NOTE: In the first Fringe comic book series, William/Walter DID make one work.
--David Wu