Fracture

(WARNING Review Contains Spoilers)

Fringe returns with another one off episode filled with twists and turns. Filled with fun set pieces, and a shocker of a beginning this was one of the better standalones.

“Fracture” begins when a police officer crystallizes then explodes in a crowded train station, killing almost everyone in range. With an opening like that, you know your in for an exciting hour of television, and “Fracture” in many ways delivers. The plot involving a strange drug administered to a group of Iraq veterans leads the Fringe team on one of their first out of country assignments to a rather bland looking Iraq. However, despite this the scene comes off as poignant and powerful.

However, many elements of the episode are left open for interpretation. It is discovered that the attacks are being caused by a rogue Army leader who hopes to use his human bombs to prevent a mysterious group from transferring information. How he discovered this plot, and why he decided to turn his men into living crystalline bombs is a plot line that is never truly delved into, and the episode feels lacking because of this. However, all this ends with a perfectly written ending, that genuinely shocked me.

Score: B+