WELCOME TO BELLIVIA

BELLIVIA

(The body of Olivia Dunham hosting William Bell's consciousness)

I don't know why 'Fringe' isn't doing better in the ratings. (The show reached an all-time low this past Friday, but to be fair, it was competing against "March Madness".) It's one of the most creative programs on the air today and it's the best, pure sci-fi program* from the United States in a long time, perhaps since 'The X-Files' at the height of its excellence.

All I know is - 'Fringe' has been bountiful for Toobworld with all the new concepts as well as a new alternate dimension. And I'm going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

These last two weeks, 'Fringe' has brought back the consciousness of the late William Bell (once played by Leonard Nimoy) who's temporarily stuck in the body of the main character, FBI Agent Olivia Dunham, until a suitable host body can be found. (Probably somebody brain dead?)

I thought they might have resolved this problem by the end of the latest episode, "Stowaway", but I should have realized it would be better for the show to keep "Bellivia" in peril a little while longer.....

The storyline for "Stowaway" certainly seemed to lend itself to being the resolution - a woman who couldn't die trying to get her soul to hitch a ride with suicides. (It reminded me somewhat of "Tithonus", an episode of 'The X-Files'.) Dana Grey would have been the perfect host for "Bellie" once her soul had fled. Except for one thing - Paula Malcolmson, the actress who played Dana, is blonde... and I don't think star Anna Torv would want the competition.

But the episode presented another option for a resolution, one which might still come to pass......

Since last season, Seth Gabel has had a recurring role on 'Fringe' as Fringe Division Agent Lincoln Lee "Over There" (the nickname give to their alternate dimension.) But finally we got to meet his counterpart from Earth Prime-Time. FBI Agent Lincoln Lee worked out of Hartford, Ct. And when "she" met him, "Bellivia" identified "herself" as an agent for Fringe Division (perhaps hoping to gauge Lee's reaction. After all, plenty of others have crossed over from "Over There" in the past.)

Soon enough Lincoln Lee was knee-deep in the wonders of Fringe science - like Peter said, his security clearance now was many layers deeper just by walking into the lab at Harvard.

I was wondering when we'd finally meet the other Lincoln Lee, as his "Over There" counterpart had had quite an engaging storyline so far. I've even been thinking that maybe they wanted to find a way to make Seth Gabel a part of the regular cast. Up until now, I thought that meant his character would cross over to this world. But now perhaps they have a unique way to do so if they so decide.....

Make Lincoln Lee the new host for William Bell.

Once I got that idea in my head, I thought for sure Agent Lee was in for it by the end of "Stowaway". But again, maybe they're saving it up for something special - May Sweeps? The Season Finale?

Although they parted ways at the end of the episode and Agent Lee headed back to Hartford, he could return before the end of the season to assist on another case. And this time he might be left seriously injured by some turn of events, badly enough to leave him an empty shell... one which William Bell could occupy.

And Seth Gabel wouldn't have to worry about affecting the Nimoy speech pattern ever after like Anna Torv is currently doing as "Bellivia". In order to avoid detection by those who knew him, like fellow agents and especially family and friends, William Bell would have to adapt his own persona to reflect that of the late Lincoln Lee. (In a way, it's much the same situation when Fiona Glenanne dropped that thick Irish accent from the pilot episode of 'Burn Notice' to better blend in.) So eventually, even though he was still William Bell on the inside, he'd be acting like Lincoln Lee on the outside.

It's just an idea. Let's see how it plays out.....

BCnU!

PS:
CliqueClack TV has presented another viable option - that at the end of "Stowaway", William Bell/Olivia slipped soul magnets into the tea offered to Peter Bishop. It could be that he plans to use Peter as his new host......