| "Safe" | |||
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| Fringe episode | |||
Walter investigates the episode's case, which involves a man caught inside a wall while robbing a bank. |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 10 |
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| Directed by | Michael Zinberg | ||
| Written by | David H. Goodman Jason Cahill |
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| Production code | 3T7659 | ||
| Original air date | December 2, 2008 | ||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| Fringe (season 1) List of Fringe episodes |
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"Safe" is the 10th episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by David H. Goodman and Jason Cahill, and directed by Michael Zinberg. It begins when a group use technology to walk through a bank's wall and steal a safe deposit box. Its contents contain special equipment meant to ultimately break David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) out of his Frankfurt jail.
The episode first aired in the United States on December 2, 2008 on Fox. It premiered to mostly positive reviews, with some believing it improved the entire season by providing more meaning to previous episode mysteries.
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At Philadelphia Mutual Savings Bank, a group of men led by Agent Mitchell Loeb break in and use a machine to make the bank vault wall possible to move through. He obtained this technology two episodes ago, in "The Equation". Several men pass through the wall and steal a safe deposit box numbered 610. One of the men is unable to make it back through however before the wall solidifies again, and he is left stuck inside the wall; Loeb shoots him in the head and they leave.
Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Agent Broyles (Lance Reddick), Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), and Walter Bishop (John Noble) arrive to investigate, and Broyles says this is the third robbery where a large safe deposit box has been taken. Olivia says she recognizes the victim as Raul Lugo from their time in the Marines together. Peter and Walter go to a local hardware store and buy an electric saw to cut the man out of the wall.
Meanwhile in Frankfurt, imprisoned biochemist David Robert Jones is visited by his lawyer Mr. Kohl (James Frain), who tells Jones the job in Philadelphia was successful. Jones tells Kohl to wire Loeb another million dollars and makes a list of items he needs Kohl to bring on his next visit. Olivia visits Raul's wife Susan Lugo (Rosa Arredondo) and claims to have met her before as well, but Susan does not remember their meeting. She says the only people at a meeting Olivia describes were Raul, Susan, and John Scott (Mark Valley). Olivia realizes that she apparently still has his memories inside her head, and is mixing them up with her own. Over at Massive Dynamic, Nina Sharp's (Blair Brown) attempts to delve into Scott's memories for information hit a dead end when they find crucial piece of his memories are missing; they soon discover that the memories they need are in Olivia's mind.
The boxes are found to have been bought with bogus names and cash 23 years ago. Raul's amputated forearm is examined and discovered to be radioactive, leading Walter to conclude these are effects using the technology to pass through walls. Olivia and Peter go to a bar to find out information about Raul from one of his old friends, who says Raul has spent much of his time at the VA. While there, Peter realizes the numbers of the stolen safe deposit boxes match numbers Walter continually spouts off at night. When they confront him, Walter says it is the Fibonacci sequence, and then realizes that the safe deposit boxes are his. Walter tries to remember what he put in the boxes and where the next two are. Meanwhile Broyles discovers the VA Raul went to was in Washington D.C., leading Olivia to find out Raul and three other patients were in a chess club together. The FBI discovers these men bought a plane ticket to Providence, and Walter remembers which bank he would have used to store something. But when Olivia and Charlie arrive at the bank, the safe deposit box has already been stolen. When they are fleeing, Olivia is able to wound and capture one of the men.
Kohl arrives with Jones' requested items and is told to come the following morning with some paperwork. Jones also asks Kohl for one more thing: Olivia. Peter insists on interrogating the wounded man himself and tells him he has radiation poisoning. The man breaks down and says he was hired freelance but does not know his boss's name. He says all he knows is that his crew is going to a field in Westford, and Olivia figures out it is Little Hill, a word given to Jones in the episode "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones". Walter remembers the machine he built that is hidden in the safe deposit boxes is able to "retrieve anyone from anywhere". Loeb and his remaining team begin setting up at Little Hill, while in Frankfurt Jones kills Kohl. Jones puts on Kohl's suit and is seen preparing for something by putting on suntan lotion and eye drops. While the FBI converge on Little Hill, Olivia is attacked and captured en route by Loeb's forces. Jones is successfully teleported from Frankfurt to Little Hill.
"Safe" was written by co-executive producer David H. Goodman and consulting producer Jason Cahill, while Michael Zinberg served as the episode's director.[1]
Actor Lance Reddick, who portrays Agent Broyles, later explained in an interview how important "Safe" was to the evolution of the series, "We found who we were in episode 10, the episode where Olivia got kidnapped... We were trying to hedge our bets and trying to be too many kinds of shows at once. I'm not saying we got rid of the procedural element because each episode still is on a case – a case in terms of the quote-unquote police work — but it's not formulaic, not like the early episodes. What keeps the show most watchable is the fact that it is character-based".[2]
The first broadcast of "Safe" in the United States was watched by an estimated 8.54 million viewers. It garnered a 5.3/8 household ratings share.[3]
Travis Fickett of IGN gave the episode 9.5/10, writing "This wasn't just a good episode – it was great. It capitalized on absolutely every scrap of promise the show has had in its first nine episodes. Tell your friends and neighbors, they're probably going to want to tune in when this returns after the break. Not only that, but this episode heightens and improves every episode that has come before – as now all the pieces are important".[4] Total Sci-Fi Online rated the episode 7/10, and expressed the wish that "Safe" could have been used as the series' pilot. "The central premise has more pull, it draws together various plot strands going back to the pilot, meaningfully involves several seemingly incidental characters and events from the past, and zips along at a better pace. It’s a shame it took this long to reach this part of the puzzle, where a few of the pieces at last click satisfyingly into place".[5] Erin Dougherty of Cinema Blend thought the episode "was actually well thought out, well written, and not confusing at all. Plus, the characters seemed to be complete. Now, all the brains behind this could-be great show have to do is keep it up".[6]
"Overnight, this show went from ho-hum TV for me, to must-watch TV. I am only unhappy that we have to wait until January for more episodes."
A.V. Club's Zach Handlen graded the episode with an A-, praising the opening as "quite good" and believing the tie between Walter and his past research "changes the game" ("Having Walter be, in a way, the source of the current disturbance suddenly made everything that much more important").[7] Jane Boursaw of TV Squad liked the revelation about Walter's safe deposit boxes, but questioned Olivia's logic to get out of her SUV when fleeing her kidnappers.[8] SFScope's Sarah Stegall exclaimed, "Now this is science fiction! I was absolutely thrilled by this week's episode". She elaborated by praising Olivia's "B story" about her and John Scott's memories, the series' use of "cold-blooded" villains, and believed "the elements of the show are finally achieving some balance."[1] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, critic Andrew Hanson noted "Wow. Fringe brings its first chapter to a close, and it really does feel like the end of a chapter. What started as the 'wacky science project of the week' builds to an episode that feels like a mini season finale."[9] Television Without Pity gave the episode an A,[10] while website blogger io9 highlighted "Safe" as one of the "crucial" episodes new viewers must watch to get into the show.[11]
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