Fringe Review: Episodes 20 (6:02 AM EST) and 21 (The Last Sam Weiss)

This is a double review this week, and I'll be upfront about why I wasn't on the ball about last weeks. episode.
I did one viewing of Episode 20, titled 6:02 AM EST, and realized it was one of what I call the chess episodes. What happens is, all season (or it can come from earlier seasons, if the show is really well done) is that chess pieces are molded a created among the things that occur and lessons we're taught. Then prior to the finale in the proceeding one or two episodes all these pieces are set on the board. All of the things necessary for the epic game of chess have to be put into place. These two episodes put all those pieces on the board. Even the description of the episode, 6:02 AM EST, "the beginning of the end of both worlds" gives me this feeling.

Honestly, I really dislike these kinds of episodes. I completely understand their necessity, but the only way they can feel less formulated to me is if they exude a certain amount of intensity, so that I'm not caught up in what feels like obvious piece placement. Not to say that they aren't good episodes, they're just not my favorite. These two episodes did not accomplish the level of intensity that I needed to NOT feel this way (yeah, I did a double negative, sue me). So when I don't hit the OMG in the chess logistic episodes, you get a list.

6:02 AM EST

• Because Walternate turned on the machine in the Red Universe we get a series of Weather phenomenons in the Blue Universe.
• Olivia and Peter are separated so that Peter can sneak into the machine, which backfires (literally).
• Faux-livia attempts to cross over and is caught and isolated.
• Sam Weiss magically appears to Olivia at the hospital where Peter is to help her with the machine after experiencing his own phenomenons proving the machine's activity.

The Last Sam Weiss

• Olivia goes with Sam because he has unpublished pages from the book the machine is drawn from.
• Astrid talks Walter into a cafeteria trip which introduces them to the lightning storm phenomenon.
• Since Peter has been left unattended, and the hospital is over capacity with the lightning victims, he's free to sneak off on a long cab ride to New York to get a lucky silver dollar.
• Walter decided that the Blue Universe machine has to be moved to the same location as the Red Universe machine (Liberty Island) due to magnetic field that has been created between the two universes.
• Olivia can now add "crowbar" to her resume.
• In Peter's confusion, thinking he was going to visit Walternate, he heads to Liberty Island.
• Olivia acts as crowbar and lets the less confused Peter into the machine properly.

Like I said, these episodes aren't my favorite. I did really like the moment when Olivia figured out the type writer, but the only thing I found really interesting between the two episodes is Sam and Nina's insistence that things aren't happening the way the "should" be happening.

I also get a good kick out of Fringe's attempts to try and sell me things. I'm not sure it's supposed to be funny, but the Nina/Boyles video call  had me snorting and the trick driving car in the lightning storm turned my giggle box right over.

Best of 6:02 AM EST? How YOU doin?

Best of The Last Sam Weiss? I did work in a bowling alley.

So help me along with this. Peter has been launched into the future?

And it's a Red Universe future because of the towers, but the future has a Fringe division that recognizes Peter as an Agent? Possible combo-verse? Possible third-verse? Why do I feel that the next episode will begin not with a red or a blue, but with a completely different color? Yellow? Guess we'll have to wait and see!