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List of Fringe characters

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This is a list of characters in the science fiction television series Fringe.

Primary characters

Olivia Dunham

Main article: Olivia Dunham

Peter Bishop

Main article: Peter Bishop

Walter Bishop

Main article: Walter Bishop (Fringe)

Secondary characters

In the FBI

Phillip Broyles

Phillip Broyles (played by Lance Reddick) is a Homeland Security Special Agent and head of the Fringe division, which was established to investigate a series of terrorist/unexplained phenomena. While Broyles comes off as professional and by-the-book, he is surprisingly flexible when it comes to dealing with the unusual circumstances of Pattern-related cases. He initially harbors an intense dislike for Dunham, due to Olivia's successful prosecution of Sanford Harris, a good friend of his. Broyles eventually warms up to her, however, impressed by her intelligence, professionalism, and ability to do her job. In the season two premiere, he shares a kiss with Massive Dynamic employee Nina Sharp, implying a past or continuing romantic relationship. He also asked a Senator to refer to him as "Colonel" during a closed hearing stating that was his designation through "six wars." He then said "or Special Agent if you prefer." There was a case a long time ago that Broyles became obsessed until it eventually broke up his marriage. In the episode "Earthling," he closed the case. He told his now married ex-wife and she told him that she was proud of him. It was also revealed that he has kids.

Astrid Farnsworth

Astrid Farnsworth (played by Jasika Nicole) is an FBI Junior Agent who serves as Olivia's assistant. She is stationed in the lab with Walter, who can never remember her name (e.g. calling her "Aspirin", "Asteroid", etc.). Though her work is mostly clerical, she has a number of skills which come in handy during their cases; cryptanalysis, knowledge of Latin, linguistics, computer hacking, and so forth.

Charlie Francis

Charles "Charlie" Francis (played by Kirk Acevedo) is an FBI Special Agent, who holds the position of a supervisor. He is a close friend and colleague of John Scott and Olivia. Olivia often comes to him with requests for manpower and other resources. Charlie is later promoted to Second-In-Command of the Fringe Division, making him the immediate subordinate of Phillip Broyles. Acevedo was at first rumored to not be returning for season 2, but this was soon proved false. In the premiere of Season 2, Charlie Francis is killed and replaced by a shapeshifter. The shapeshifter is later killed by Agent Dunham in episode 4 of season 2. Charlie's death weighs heavily on Olivia's guilt, due to her inability to identify the shapeshifter sooner and the danger of their division's work.

Sanford Harris

Sanford Harris (played by Michael Gaston) was originally a high-ranking officer of the United States Marine Corps. He is a close friend of Phillip Broyles. One evening he got drunk and sexually assaulted three female Marine privates; a crime for which he was exposed and prosecuted by Olivia, resulting in several years of imprisonment. The conviction was later overturned, but Harris' career was ruined. Harris then joined the Department of Homeland Security, rising in rank to become a high-level consultant for the Pentagon. He is called in to audit the procedures of the Fringe Division, and puts a clear emphasis on Olivia's actions. As his position makes him her superior officer, Olivia does her best to humor him. Harris is eventually exposed as a ZFT operative during an investigation of two pyrokinetic women. Olivia tracks Harris during his abduction of the second woman and is locked in a room with her. With her out-of-control powers, it was expected that Olivia would be vaporized when the woman exploded; Olivia instead helps her focus her powers on Harris, who is quickly incinerated.

John Scott

John Scott (played by Mark Valley) is an FBI Special Agent who, in the pilot episode, is Olivia's partner and lover. During an investigation of a flesh-dissolving toxin, John is exposed to the toxin after the lab producing it explodes with him nearby. He is placed in a medically-induced coma, and during this time Walter devises a procedure to link his mind to Olivia's in order to gain information about the suspect who caused the explosion. With that information, they locate the suspect, from whom they gain the necessary understanding of the chemical to cure John. Shortly thereafter, it is discovered that John financed the creation of the toxin. A subsequent high-speed chase results in John's death. His corpse is delivered secretly to Massive Dynamic, to serve as an information gathering source.

As a result of their mental link, part of John's consciousness is transferred to Olivia, allowing her to communicate with him through hallucinations and dreams. Her mind begins integrating and purging his consciousness, resulting in her mistaking his memories for her own. He also continually tells her that he loves her "Always", and intends to prove it to her. While following his "ghost" she discovers a hideout of his where he seemed to be conducting an independent investigation into the "Pattern". She also finds an engagement ring with the word "Always" written inside, suggesting John was intending to propose to her, which she takes as a personal keepsake.

Before his consciousness disappears completely, she learns that John was working undercover for the NSA against ZFT, and whatever relationship they had was real. Admitting her love for him, Olivia says her goodbyes to John before he fades away forever. Olivia later tells Broyles that even though John is still considered a traitor by the FBI, she knows in her heart that he was a hero.

In Massive Dynamic

Nina Sharp

Nina Sharp (played by Blair Brown) is a high ranking employee of Massive Dynamic who is part of the Fringe division. She has worked for the company for 16 years and literally owes it her life, claiming that their research helped remove her cancer and replaced her arm with a technologically advanced prosthetic. In truth, as seen in "Peter", she lost her arm while trying to prevent Walter from transporting to the other universe to cure the alternate Peter. In "The Cure", she claimed to have known Walter (presumably before he was institutionalized) and to have met Peter when he was a toddler. In the season 1 finale, she is non-fatally shot in an elevator and an extremely powerful energy source hidden in her bionic arm is stolen by David Robert Jones. She later arranges for Olivia to meet with William Bell. In the season two premiere, it is implied that she and Special Agent Broyles once shared a romantic relationship, and that she might still harbor feelings for him. It was revealed in the episode "Of Human Action", that she has been trying to communicate with William Bell through an old computer but is not sure if he is receiving the messages. She usually knows more about cases than she lets on, or is actually behind them like in "Of Human Action."

William Bell

William Bell aka "Belly"(played by Leonard Nimoy) is the CEO of Massive Dynamic and former lab partner of Walter Bishop, who, while consistently mentioned throughout the series, first appeared in the first season finale. Olivia is taken into a parallel world to have a meeting with him, where he is shown to reside in an office within the South Tower of the still-standing World Trade Center. While there, Bell reveals a lot of information about the alternate dimension as well as the invasion that will happen, though he warns Olivia that her memories of their meeting may end up being lost or disjointed from travelling across dimensions. Bell tells her to look out for a man with a unique mark on his head and to stop him from being revived, though Olivia fails to do so. The man is revealed to be Thomas Jerome Newton, the shapeshifters' leader.

In the episode "Grey Matters", it is revealed that 17 years ago, Bell and Walter Bishop agreed to have the latter's brain tissues, which contain knowledge of opening the dimensional gateway, removed. Bell convinces Walter that the knowledge must be kept safe from harmful elements who may exploit it. Using the alias Dr. Simon Paris, Bell personally oversaw Walter's brain tissue removal surgery. This apparently led to Walter's mental disability. Later, Bell installed those tissues into three patients in different mental hospitals in order to preserve the tissues' lifespans and have them committed indefinitely for safekeeping. However this plan ultimately fails, when the shapeshifters remove the tissues from the patients and reconnect them to Walter's brain in order to access the information.

In the B-universe, William Bell proves to be a true and most loyal friend to Walter, despite their constant bantering back and forth. Not much is revealed about William, only that in the other universe he and Walter never had the chance to meet, because the young William was killed in a car accident. This resulted in changes, such as Massive Dynamic never being founded in the second world. In the end of season 2, William helps Olivia rescue Walter from the hospital after he has been wounded, and tells the group that Olivia once opened a crack between worlds. He claims earlier that she would be able to re-open it with her ability and get them home. But when the time really comes, he reveals that his atoms are so unstable he could not survive crossing over again because he has done it so many times. He provides the power from his own body as the energy needed to return Olivia, Walter, and Peter home, apparently dying in the process. Before they leave William tells Walter that he removed parts of his brain because Walter asked him to, "Because of the man you were becoming."

In the Pattern

David Robert Jones

David Robert Jones (played by Jared Harris) is a biochemist, at first imprisoned in a German jail, and the main antagonist of season 1. He first appears in the series when Olivia contacts him in order to find the antidote for a parasite in Loeb's body. He agreed to help her, but only in exchange for the opportunity to ask an associate one question. The response is a coded message picked up by Loeb. Using a teleportation device created by Walter Bishop, Loeb breaks Jones out of prison. In "Ability," ailing from side effects of his teleportation, Jones turned himself into the FBI and presents Olivia with a series of tests, the first of which is a challenge to turn off a series of lights with her mind (made possible by a chemical she had supposedly been treated with, Cortexiphan) in order to prevent a biological bomb from being detonated. She is able to do this, but Jones then disappears again, leaving only the cryptic message "You Passed." In the season 1 finale, he tries to escape to an alternate reality to confront William Bell but is killed when Peter closes the portal while Robert is only halfway through, cutting him in half.

Mitchell Loeb

Mitchell Loeb (played by Chance Kelly) is an unscrupulous, rogue FBI agent working with Jones to further the goals of ZFT. He sets Jones free with Walter's untested teleportation device, stolen from several individual safe-deposit boxes, using a mathematical equation and a device that allows him to temporarily disrupt the particles in a solid object and pass through them. Following his and Jones' abduction of Agent Dunham, Dunham shoots Loeb's wife Samantha (Trini Alvarado) in self defense. Loeb is currently in federal custody.

September (The Observer)

September (played by Michael Cerveris), often referred to as the Observer, is a mysterious figure seen at the scene of many Pattern-related events. He consistently wears a suit, is bald and has no eyebrows. He doesn't appear to visibly age, and has a number of odd habits (such as ingesting a large quantity of spicy foods without a single reaction - which is probably because he has problems with taste sense indicated in episode where Bishop asks him to try his root beer float to which he replies "I probably would not taste it"). He has also been shown to be telepathic to some degree, and possesses unusual pieces of technology. He has appeared (albeit very briefly) in every episode thus far.[1] In the episode "The Arrival", he was tracking a mysterious metal cylinder that burrowed its way up from the ground. At the end of the episode it burrowed its way back into the ground and he called someone to inform them the departure was "on schedule." Afterward, Walter told Peter that a man that looked identical to the Observer once saved them when their car crashed into an icy lake a long time ago.

Near the end of the episode "Inner Child", it is hinted that there are many Observers. Evidence includes the appearance of a child with similar features as the Observer, who shares an ominous glance with the real Observer in the last scene. Earlier in the episode, the C.I.A. agent mentions "we may have found another one" on his cell phone. He was also seen speaking to someone on a cell phone in "The Arrival" discussing the beacon. In the episode "August", it is confirmed that there are others as we see September conversing with 3 other observers and the title character of the episode, referred to as August on screen, is an Observer. A later episode, "Peter", established that the Observers exist in the parallel Earth as well, with September apparently able to move between them.

At the end of the episode "The Road Not Taken", he tells Walter it's "time to go" and Walter walks off with him. In the season one finale, we find out that the Observer took Walter to help him find the device that can close a portal to the alternate universe.

At the end of the season two episode "Fracture", the Observer is seen to have at least one briefcase with pictures of Walter in it. The season two episode "August", is devoted almost entirely to the mysteries surrounding the Observer. This is the first time that multiple Observers are shown at the same time. They all appear to be named after months and dress identically. It also is shown that the Observers can move fast enough to catch bullets fired at them, and that Observers have been recorded at historic events for thousands of years (through paintings and photographs). A conversation between the Observer 'August' and Walter suggests that the Observers are enforcers, policing both travel between the two dimensions and disruptions in time.

The Observer is also seen on occasion in other Fox programs. For example, on April 7, 2009, the Observer was seen on American Idol.[2] He was on the front row and clearly shown near the beginning of the episode. This appearance, along with others at televised sports events, including a close-up appearance at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, is part of a viral marketing campaign by Fox Television.[3] The Observer's latest appearance outside of Fringe was on November 15, 2009 at a football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. However, unlike his previous appearances, the observer is now seen sitting next to a similar looking man, indicating the possible existence of multiple observers.

The Observer was named in the credits of "The Arrival" as "September". Although the accuracy of this was debated, with fansites suggesting it was an error, the later episode "August", while it did not confirm Cerveris' Observer's name, did introduce another Observer referred to on screen by the name August.

There is a featurette titled "Beyond the Pattern: The Mythology of Fringe" in the Extras section on disc 4 of season 2 of the Blu-Ray release. In this featurette, Pinker referred to both August and September by name while discussing the episode titled "August" which verifies that September is indeed his name.

Listings of The Observer Sightings complete with pictures, document his appearance in every episode.[1]

The Shapeshifter

First appearing in the Season 2 premiere, the shapeshifter (played by Mike Mitchell, Luke Goss, Simone Kessell and Kirk Acevedo) is an agent/assassin working for an unknown faction from another dimension who has orders to kill Olivia Dunham and presumably prevent her meeting with William Bell. However this failed, Olivia met Bell and obtained some important information. He pursues her through dimensions and both end up in a violent car accident. Afterwards, he finds and kills a random apartment resident and takes his likeness. Later, he kills and impersonates a nurse to interrogate Olivia for any information she knows. When Olivia doesn't remember anything, the shapeshifter tries to kill her but is stopped by Amy Jessup. A search for him ends with Charlie Francis struggling with the shapeshifter and supposedly killing him. However it is revealed at the end of the episode that the shapeshifter killed Charlie and has taken his place. Later, Dunham kills him after finding out that the shapeshifter took Charlie's body.

The presence of the shapeshifter was first documented by Walter Bishop in an experiment to open a person's "third eye", where a subject mentioned the shapeshifter's characteristics and the tool he uses. First the shapeshifter crushes his own skull into a deformed shape before using a device that allows him to connect himself and the target to be replicated via a three-pin plug into the roof of their mouths. He has displays of superhuman strength and is able to overpower almost anyone, and is also resilient to bullet wounds due to his mercury build in his blood. However a strong blow to the head, like a bullet wound, will kill him. Without the shapeshifting device, which is attuned to a specific owner, the shapeshifter will be unable to change into anyone else and slowly die if he doesn't receive a new device. He receives his orders from an unknown superior through the use of a special typewriter that allows them to communicate between dimensions. William Bell reveals that shapeshifters were created in order to withstand the negative side-effects a normal human will be unable to from passing through dimensions, and their mission is to find a man marked with a symbol on his head that has the ability to open a gateway between dimensions.

Thomas Jerome Newton

Thomas Jerome Newton aka "Omegaman" (Sebastian Roché) is the leader of the shapeshifters and the main antagonist of Season 2. When Olivia is transported to the Alternate Universe, she meets William Bell, who warns her that the shapeshifters active in her universe are looking for Newton, and seek to resurrect him, as he has the knowledge to re-open the gateway between their universes. Olivia was returned to her universe, but does not remember in time to stop the shapeshifters from succeeding in recovering Newton's cryogenically frozen head. Newton is successfully revived by his fellow shapeshifters when his head is reconnected to his body. Newton and the shapeshifters then tracked down and extracted three pieces of brain tissue, which all previously belonged to Walter Bishop, from three separate mental patients. Newton synchronizes the brain tissues to a kidnapped Walter in order to interrogate the scientist on his knowledge of opening the gateway to the Other Universe. Once he acquires the information, he deliberately poisons Walter in order to make his escape from Olivia Dunham. Newton later re-surfaces experimenting in opening portals to the Other Universe, and later works to bring the shapeshifters' superior - simply referred to as "Mr. Secretary" - over to the prime universe. When Peter goes AWOL from Fringe Division upon learning of his real history, he finds himself tracked by Newton and other shapeshifters, who appear to be luring him out to capture him. Newton later corners Peter in his hotel room, and introduces him to Mr. Secretary - who is revealed to be Peter's real father; Walternate, from the Other Universe. Newton is revealed as a shapeshifter himself and apparently commits suicide in the season 3 episode "Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?'.

Minor characters

  • August (Peter Woodward) is an Observer. He was killed after going rogue against his fellow Observers.
  • Brandon (Ryan McDonald) is a leading scientist at Massive Dynamic, offering assistance to the Fringe team on multiple occasions.
  • December (Eugene Lipinski) is an Observer.
  • Elizabeth Bishop (Orla Brady) is Peter's mother, who committed suicide several years before the series began.
  • Ella Blake Dunham (Lily Pilblad) is Rachel's daughter and Olivia's niece.
  • Rachel Dunham (Ari Graynor) is Olivia's sister. She is a young single mother and is in a temporary living arrangement with Olivia during season 1. She seems to share a mutual attraction and several mutual interests with Peter Bishop which noticeably concerns her sister. However, following her moving out of Olivia's apartment, nothing further has developed beyond the first season.
  • James Heath (Omar Metwally) was one of the children that Walter and William Bell treated with Cortexiphan.
  • Amy Jessup (Meghan Markle) is an FBI agent with the New York Field Office introduced in the first episode of Season 2. She quickly becomes interested in and involved with Fringe Division. She seems more open to the existence of extraordinary phenomena than most other outsiders to the group, though it is suggested at the end of the episode that this may come from a religious standpoint.
  • Nick Lane (David Call) was one of the children that Walter and William Bell treated with Cortexiphan. He was partnered with Olivia during his time being treated, and has the ability to make people around him have the same emotions as he does. After leaning to control his power, he helped Olivia and Walter cross over to the other universe to save Peter. He was shot and killed by Lincoln Lee, a member of the other universe's Fringe division, who seemed to know the alternate Nick.
  • Samantha Loeb (Trini Alvarado) is Mitchell Loeb's wife and partner in crime. She is killed in a gunfight with Olivia.
  • Smith (Roger R. Cross) acts as the right hand man or second in command to the Shapeshifter and then to Thomas Jerome Newton. He is eventually shot dead by Olivia.
  • Dr. Carla Warren (Jenni Blong) was Walter's lab assistant. She died in a fire, which resulted in Walter being sent to a mental hospital.
  • Sam Weiss (Kevin Corrigan) is an acquaintance of Nina Sharp. He helps Olivia regain her ability to walk, and begins to establish a friendship with her. He operates a bowling alley, and his rehabilitation efforts with Olivia initially involve her practicing the sport.

B-Universe characters

  • The Other Universe version of Walter Bishop (Noble), nicknamed Walternate/"Mr. Secretary" is the United States Secretary of Defense, and directly oversees the alternate and more powerful Fringe division. He also serves as the immediate superior to the shapeshifters, with their leader - Thomas Jerome Newton - being extremely loyal and protective of him (possibly being friends). Walternate, making arrangements through Newton and other shapeshifters, successfully travelled to the prime universe, and was later brought to see Peter for the first time since he was taken by his counterpart. Walternate convinces Peter to return home to the Other Universe, though he later goes back, though not before Walternate appears to have Olivia replaced by her own counterpart, as part of an unknown plan regarding Peter.
  • The Other Universe version of Olivia Dunham (Torv), variously nicknamed Altlivia, Alt-Olivia, Fauxlivia, Otherlivia, and Bolivia[4] is an agent of alternate and more powerful Fringe division. As of the end of season 2, Bolivia is in the prime universe, having taken Olivia's place without the knowledge of the Bishops, and maintains a close relationship with Peter for unknown reasons.
  • The Other Universe version of Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) is alive and an agent of the alternate and more powerful Fringe Division. He first appears in the alternate universe in the two-part Season 2 finale "Over There" and is currently part of Season 3.
  • Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) is a agent of the alternate and more powerful Fringe Division in the Other Universe, and is a leading investigator working with alternate Olivia and Charlie.

One and two-episode characters

See also

References

  1. ^ a b http://fringe-theobserver.blogspot.com/
  2. ^ http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/04/fringe-american.html
  3. ^ Schneider, Michael (April 15, 2009). "Fringe element haunts Fox shows". Variety. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
  4. ^ http://whosnews.usaweekend.com/2010/09/anna-torv-on-her-dual-roles-in-fringe-from-olivia-to-bolivia/
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