I know this is Fringe and that anything can happen. And I thank Fox for giving a fifth season, 13 episode pickup to wrap up the Fringe legacy in the best way possible. But what happened in "Worlds Apart" doesn't make any of that knowledge in the least bit comforting.

There was a lot of back story, most of which dealt with the continuation of David Robert Jones and his hell bent desire to destroy the universes. Not that it really mattered: once they realized what a whack job he was and that he was using cortexiphan subjects to align with their alterverse counterparts to tune the worlds to the same frequency, it came down to only one plausible solution.

My stomach plummeted when Peter suggested closing the link between the worlds.

There has never been any hiding of my deep affection for the alterverse. Proud and gutsy, we had Over There our same characters, but ones who had fought through all of the hardships that come with a dying world. Those experiences brought out the street fighters in them. Spunk and dark senses of humor even in the worst of times, the agents Over There were a tightly bound team who had each others backs.

Of course, they had a whole division, something our side was lacking. That made over there even more exciting. The changed landscape, the standing Twin Towers, a red-haired fiery willed Olivia Dunham and a mean ass Walternate brought light to Fringe just by virtue of being there.

As seasons progressed and the warring between universes stopped - thanks to Peter's sacrifice - we got to see some amazing work from incredibly talented actors as they played multiples of themselves in the same scenes. Some of the best episodes have been when the teams worked together to bring down the bad guy, and "Worlds Apart" was no different. Well, that's not entirely true.

The scene I've been waiting for, with Walter and Walternate face to face, or in this instance, sitting side by side on the floor, far surpassed what I dreamed it could be.

Everyone got the chance to work with their alternate, however briefly, for it may be the last time they ever meet.

When they still thought they had a fighting chance to stop Jones, there was a lovely scene of Fauxlivia thanking Olivia for trying to save the bridge between the worlds and of how much it meant to her for their world to heal. The scene was different than the one they shared earlier this season because Olivia remembered a different Fauxlivia with her original memories, one who hurt her far more than this one ever did. Her response was more strained and it hurt to watch. But their parting words were of mutual admiration, and after everything they've been through, what more could you ask?

There was no doubt Lincoln would stay in his new found home, with his own Olivia. It only seemed fair, since Peter was from that world, that they did a solid trade. The little wave of Alt-Astrid's hand as she said goodbye to Astrid was heartbreaking.

John Noble, sitting beside himself as the Walters; that was something to see. It only took four years to get there, and it came at a time when it may never happen again. As Walter and Walternate bonded as fathers, scientists and leaders, discussing Marcus Aurelius and their hopes to continue helping others, I lost it. Walter lost it, too. He was concerned that turning off the machine may take Peter away, and Walternate felt for him. Walternate knew that his fate with Peter was sealed for certain if the machine was turned off. Yet his concern was for Walter. Brilliantly written.

There were so many other things that came to mind to write about while watching, but none of them really mattered in the end. It just came down to what Walter said in one of his many brilliant Fringe quotes, "I think I shall miss them, more than I imagined."

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.