This week's Fringe, "Enemy of My Enemy," has been a long time coming and is a very welcome treat.

Olivia is whispering again, much like she did in season one. We are introduced again to the relationship of Olivia and Astrid as they are laughing together over Walter's experiments. They seem so much closer in this universe. Finally, the setup for season four is paying off.

DRJ: I have not missed David Robert Jones' time sensitive threats. Now with the cross-hatched scars on his face and his labored breathing, I just wish he would drop dead. One of my very favorite scenes in years was Peter humiliating him in the interrogation room. His threats sounded so desperate along side Peter's jabs. Yes, he managed to kill a gaggle of people in a children's ward of a local hospital, but Peter had him rattled whether he wanted to cop to it or not.

Broyles and Nina: Questioning Broyles' loyalties on one side of these new universes makes me question them on the other, as well. Is anyone else running into this? It's just so wrong for Broyles to watch DRJ drive away and let him go. I cannot wrap my head around him as a big bad. Nina was always teetering on the edge of good and evil, but Broyles on our side was stiff and cold due to the cards life had dealt him and kind and understanding on the other for the same reason. Perhaps Belly really rubbed Nina's the wrong way. Not that I can recall a recent mention of William. Help me out; what am I forgetting?

The Ear Bobbles: They didn't give Lincoln a groovy ear clip, and yet he was able to talk and they all heard him. So what kind of phone did he have? Granted, its a little inconsistency, but I wish bluetooth clips would take that form, and once you see one it's easy to notice when they are no longer present. He wasn't talking into his sleeve, so what gives?

Astrid: I think it would have been an interesting twist if the Astrid in the expected universe had been autistic rather the the alternate. However, her autistic alternative is far more lively and still different than the one we were used to. She reminds me of Max on Parenthood. Excitable in her genius.

Elizabeth: When Elizabeth told Walternate she thought she could help Peter, I never guessed she would would want to visit Walter. Mentally, I gasped. I can only imagine what Walter was feeling as he brushed Gene as she appeared. It turned out to be a very lovely scene.

The Alternates: The scene of the alternates sitting across from each other with the Bishops at the end of the conference table was symbolic. I wish Walter could have shared in the pride that Walternate felt when Peter noted he was the variable that Jones didn't count on and he was the way to get through to Jones. I didn't realize they were passing so freely through the universes, but was happy they were when Walter and Peter had their conversation. Peter is slowly, and unknowingly, falling for these people he thinks are not his own.

I hate to toot my own horn....oh, who am I kidding? I like to toot it. So, toot toot! Nina is the contact on this side for Jones, so the triple threat is Jones, Broyles and Sharp. For shame on her. She raised Olivia. She must have a heart of solid rock to be able to hurt a girl she has raised from childhood. I pity her. I also hope she dies. Mercy is not my strong point these days and I want the bad guys to melt like Jones did the first time we saw him. Let all three of our evil doers waltz around wrapped like mummies until they rot or are captured.

The intensity will only grow as the episodes continue. I can't imagine a standalone in the midst of such turmoil. Yes, I have been wrong before, but try to pry our minds away from the core plot at this point seems impossible. Let us know what you think the in the comments! Let's keep the Fringe dream alive!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.