Bloodline (Fringe)

Plot

In the parallel universe, Fauxlivia is returned home by her mother Marilyn after a pre-natal test for viral propagated eclampsia, a virus that killed her sister and sister's baby. Believing she is being followed, she contacts Lincoln Lee, who sends a security detail, but she is kidnapped before they arrive. Her abductors extract a secret tracker each agent carries, leading Walternate and Lincoln to suspect an inside job. Astrid Farnsworth identifies a taxi belonging to Henry that passed Fauxlivia's home frequently.

Lincoln and Charlie track down Henry, who explains he has been watching Fauxlivia, surprised she seems different from his previous encounters; Henry is unaware he helped the prime universe's Olivia escape. Lincoln forces Walternate to admit Fauxlivia was switched with Olivia and that the child is his grandchild. Marilyn learns Fauxlivia's test is positive and warns Charlie she will die if she has the child. During the search, Fauxlivia undergoes treatment to accelerate her pregnancy.

She escapes and contacts Fringe division, but suffers labor pains. Henry drives Lincoln to her location, and they help deliver a son. Both mother and child recover under tight security; doctors determine the accelerated pregnancy outpaced the virus, allowing survival.

Production

The script for "Bloodline" was handled by co-executive producers Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker, with Dennis Smith directing. Editor Timothy A. Good described it as the second half of a two-part story, following "The Plateau," which the same writers had penned. Executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman had intended Fauxlivia's pregnancy from the character's creation, emphasizing it would not follow a typical pregnancy arc but would be "Fringe-ified."

TVLine reported in late January 2011 that Andre Royo would appear later in the season; he returned as cab driver Henry Higgins from the parallel universe for his third guest spot, marking his last credit on the show to date. Amy Madigan also returned as Marilyn, Olivia's mother. Recurring guest stars Seth Gabel, Kirk Acevedo, Ryan McDonald, and Michael Cerveris reprised their roles as Lincoln Lee, Charlie Francis, Brandon Fayette, and September the Observer.

One-time guests Kendall Cross and Françoise Yip appeared as Nurse Joyce and Dr. Rosa Oporto. Fox promoted the episode with a "movie-style trailer," similar to earlier promotions for "Entrada" and "Marionette," and released a Science Olympiad lesson plan on gestation for schoolchildren.

Cultural references

Accelerated growth of unborn children was a major plot element of the first-season episode "The Same Old Story." The "viral-propagated eclampsia" in this episode is fictional, though eclampsia is a real medical condition. When Henry is located, he reads an Opus the Peahen comic, the parallel universe's counterpart to the Opus comic strip by Berkeley Breathed. In the parallel universe, the film Taxi Driver was directed by Francis Ford Coppola rather than Martin Scorsese, and The West Wing is shown entering its twelfth season.

Reception

"Bloodline" aired the day after Fox announced Fringe's fourth season renewal. Actor Lance Reddick thanked fans for their support. SFScope columnist Sarah Stegall was surprised but delighted by the renewal. The episode was watched by an estimated 3.9 million viewers, earning a 1.5/5 ratings share among the 18–49 demographic, a 15 percent increase from the previous episode. Fringe helped Fox place second for the night among adult viewers behind NBC, but third among total viewers behind NBC and ABC. Reviews were mixed to positive. Sarah Stegall called it "one of the more quietly brilliant episodes of Fringe to date," praising its connections to earlier seasons and emotional highlights. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker described it as "a beautifully modulated hour" that established anxiety about the pregnancy.