Post-mortem is especially appropriate, given the events of the season (fortunately not series) finale.

The episode was very nearly perfect, tying up so many loose ends:

• What Bell did to Olivia
• What September meant when he told Olivia in every foreseeable future, she had to die
• Why & how September was shot
• Why Walter had part of his brain cut out
• How kickass Olivia’s cortexiphan-enhanced abilities really were

I still feel as if the LSD episode of last season where Olivia calmly eats toast while saying the guy in the blimp was the man who kills her is somewhat unresolved, and we don’t really know where Bell has gone to now, but with 13 more episodes to come next season, we know we’ll at least get the answer to the latter.

They’ve been so excellent at following all the threads that I know we’ll get all the answers with this chance to wrap it all up properly.

Can’t help but think that if there hadn’t been the renewal, Olivia would have remained dead, but somehow secretly pregnant enough that the baby would have been born extremely premature or something like that.

The biggest crime of the series is how John Noble has not won the Emmy every single year, however. The range that man shows in any given episode of Fringe is broader than most actors ever exhibit in their entire career.

From the quote of the night:

Walter: Excuse me Miss, is that lemon Jell-O?
Nurse: These are urine samples.
Walter: Well in that case, no thank you. I’m more peckish than thirsty.

To his all-business attitude in trying to rescue Olivia from the death he’d dealt her, including slapping Peter back into reality.

To his sheer joy at seeing the Red Vines presented to him by Astrid – who he called by the right name, finally! (Definitely added because it was unknown if the series would be renewed when it was filmed.)

Nevermind his portrayal of Walternate and the two Walters he portrayed in “our” universe. And the previous scene he played against himself as Walternate comforting Walter – how can it be possible the man has not yet even been nominated?

I digress, though.

Few shows have managed to bring such a convoluted storyline through to such a satisfying conclusion, while still having more than enough ground to cover in the bonus, short season they’re getting. We’ll get to see how the Observer Future happens. And I’d wager we’ll get to see how Olivia & Peter’s daughter brings it to an end, with help from dad and gramps.

And, of course, Astrid.

Whether Olivia will be part of that team remains to be seen.

We’ve already seen at least one other future in which Olivia is killed.

Maybe September was right, and Olivia still must die.

And maybe Bell isn’t finished with her yet.

One other thing: WHAT THE WHAT was that thing Nina used on NotCharlotte?