So, it’s not new that I’m a bit conflicted about this season.

On the one hand, I like each episode. They’re good, solid post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

Tonight’s episode, with the mysterious calcification, the important super-red quartz stone that will Save the Day, the Minority Report information cubes with human history – all absolutely solid science fiction.

It occurred to me, as I watched, that if this were the first season of Fringe, I’d love it.

But it’s not.

I can’t pretend the Observers are suddenly extremely unobservant. In the preview for the next episode (in two weeks?? Gaah!), Peter says the Observers are two steps ahead of them all the time. But they’re not. In fact, an extremely simple car switcheroo fools these newly unobservant Observers. And they needed their human quislings to find them and inform them of where our beloved Fringe agents are.

Is it just a matter of the time paradox changing things? Are the human historians we met tonight the future Observers?

I will admit, tonight’s episode made me feel as if this is leading to something that makes sense of this strange future we see. We also found out a bit more of how there are pockets of humans who are not a resistance, but live outside the realm of Observers and are allowed to stay there.

For now.