What are the Observers up to?

Making Angels is a solid episode, that gives Jasika Nicole a chance to shine in her dual Astrid roles. Written by Akiva Goldsman, J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner, it first aired on 3 February, 2012.

A man, Neil (Chin Han), seems to have a unique ability to see all aspects of time at once, just like an Observer, and he’s going around mercy killing people to spare them from horrific fates that he sees for them.

While Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter (Joshua Jackson) investigate, cementing their new/old partnership, Walter (John Noble) works to figure out how to send Peter home.

Things are complicated by the arrival of Astrid’s alternate, who is having a particularly tough day and has come to their universe to interact with herself. Fauxlivia follows to make sure everything is okay, and it makes for some interesting byplay between her and Walter.

As Neil’s case is further investigated, the viewers learn where his abilities came from, and how it all ties back to the night when September (Michael Cerveris) saved Peter’s life in the lake. And the Observers are not aware that Peter is back, having entered this timeline somehow.

I love the stuff with both Astrids, and you can tell that seeing alternate Astrid’s personality and style has a profound effect on our Astrid.

A smart, very enjoyable episode that layers out the characters on both sides, and continues to move the mythology arc forward. It also cements my affection for Astrid.

Welcome to Westfield was written by J.R. Orci and Graham Roland. It first aired on 10 February, 2012.

The team is summoned to Westfield, Virginia and is plunged into a strange event that seems to have been triggered by David Robert Jones (Jared Harris) as some sort of test. An augmented magnetic field seems to be merging the Westfield of both universes, but not just the location, its inhabitants as well, and that is causing some crazed and violent outbursts.

On top of that, the team can’t seem to be able to get out of town.

It’s smart, and scary, as we see characters shift from one personality to another, and not all of them are pleasant. They attempt to reconcile two existences, and that is causing the town to be torn apart unless Walter can figure out a way to resolve it.

Even as the team figures things out, the field seems to have had an effect on Olivia, whose dreams about her other self’s romantic relationship with Peter have increased. Is the timeline shifting around Peter, is Olivia in danger, and how are the Observers involved?

Man, this season is delivering smart, and engaging episodes. It’s a series that just gets better and better.