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It may come as no surprise to hear this, but storytelling is an art of deception. The aim of good storytelling is to sell the viewer on the believable nature of unfolding events, and also to ensnare the viewer on an emotional and intellectual level. Of course, behind the scenes, stories are planned. The extent of that planning varies, depending on the storyteller. But generally speaking, the better the planning, the better the story. But this is also where you run the risk of problems.
Only time will tell if the gambit of airing four episodes as a “preview”, then waiting almost a month to resume, will help or harm the ratings. The numbers for those first few episodes were relatively good for a returning series, and I’m sure that the increase in quality overall will help matters. But I have never been a fan of pulling a show off the air, especially when it’s important to build momentum.
To say that this episode moves quickly is an understatement. Launching directly out of the end of “Letters of Transit”, the writers are clearly intent on telling an intricate and detailed final tale in the “Fringe” universe. Few shows are this ambitious, and it speaks to the dedication of everyone involved in the production of the show that this leap to the future actually works well as the final chapter to the narrative.