Fringe/Characters/Observers

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The Observers

The Observers

The Observers are mysterious individuals who appear at Pattern-related events and other important moments in modern human history. At first sight, they appear to be ordinary citizens, although bald and lacking eyebrows. Their ultimate purpose remains an enigma, however, for now they simply remain at an arm's length of the series' going-ons, and very rarely get involved. It is assumed that they do not follow the naturals rules of logic, and space-time as they seem to travel and perceive time simultaneously, rather than at any given moment.

In The End of All Things, a partial origin of the Observers was revealed at last: They are a team of scientists from a very far away future, and something akin to hyper-evolved humans who have access to technology and methods to essentially displace themselves from both time and space - this lets them view and experience everything everywhere , from the beginning of time itself, to the infinite number of possible futures. That said, this sect of Observers is merely a singular, scientific cell... In "Letters of Transit", the almost full history of the Observers has been revealed. In the year 2609, Earth has become completely incapable of supporting life, and their race of hyper-evolved humans essentially traveled back in time, seeking an optimal period where they can settle down. In the year 2015, their invasion began and by 2036 have completely occupied the world under a totalitarian rule.

Tropes associated with the Observers:

January

January

"He used to know her..."

Portrayed by David Haysom

First Appearance: Season 4, Episode 1: "Neither Here Nor There"

One of the Observers. He was together with September in a crowd when Olivia met with Lincoln Lee for "the first time." He noted how she had forgotten him due to Peter's sacrifice.

Tropes associated with January:


March

March

"The boy is back. Peter Bishop has returned."

Portrayed by Steven Weller

First Appearance: Season 4, Episode 11: "Making Angels"

An Observer who was tracking Neil Chung's bizarre murders via a toxin from the future. At the end of the episode, he recovered the toxin-delivering device, and made the realization that it was the same device that September droppped in 1985 when he rescued Walter and Peter.

Tropes associated with March:


July

July

"We have a situation with August."

Portrayed by Amos Stern

First Appearance: Season 2, Episode 8: "August"

An Observer. His only known action thus far was to have been reporting on August's misconduct.

Tropes associated with July:


August

August

"She crossed my mind... Somehow. She never left it. I think... it's what they call... feelings. I think... I love her."

Portrayed by Peter Woodward

First Appearance: Season 2, Episode 8: "August"

The first known Observer to be referred to by a name, he is also the one who made Fringe Division aware of the fact that there were more than one of them. August foresaw a plane crash, and in an effort, abducts and tries to save a girl whom he had a fascination with.

Tropes associated with August:


September

September

"It has arrived..."

Portrayed by Michael Cerveris

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 4: "The Arrival"

The first known Observer to be identified, his presence has been linked to virtually almost every Pattern case recorded - simply being there and observing. Furthermore, evidence has suggested that he has appeared in events far pre-dating the Pattern - some dating back several hundred years. Who, or what the Observer really is is unknown, nor are his overall goals.

Tropes associated with September:

  • Badass: As of The Firefly, needless to say, he's stopped merely observing.
  • Big Eater: Among all the Observers, he's frequently seen eating the most (when he's not cryptically appearing for half-a-second in every other episode). And unlike the other Observers, his pallette isn't limited to inhumanly spicy sandwiches.
  • Bullet Catch
  • Charles Atlas Superpower
  • Cool Shades: The only Observer seen wearing sunglasses.
  • Defector From Decadence: According to Walter, in 2036.
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Many local New Yorkers will right away recognize our favorite baldy, as he's known to be one of the best and most versatile Broadway actors around.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: September is apparently quite guilt-ridden - As an Observer, he isn't supposed to intervene directly with important events. One such event classified as "important" is when Walternate created the cure for Peter. The only way to witness the event however was to see it in person at his lab, but doing so distracted Walternate, and as a result he failed to perfect the cure. That moment alone completely changed everything, and since then he's been doing all he can to fix that (and self-admittedly, made things even worse), regardless of December's orders.
  • Nice Hat
  • Once an Episode: The Observer is so far the only character to have appeared in every single episode of the series.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: Has traces of this. As December noted, Peter should have died well before becoming a man (back when he almost drowned, to be more specific). When September dove in to save them, he consequently altered the timeline, but believed Peter's life was vital enough to be saved (he was right). Despite all of that, the altered timeline still falls on him. In the Season 4 premiere, December ordered him to permanently erase Peter from time, but he opted out of it at the very last second. It's possible that, like August, his experiences with the Bishops have formed an attachment to him.
    • Now, he is 100% going rogue against his fellow Observers, from continually aiding Peter (as opposed to erasing him), to making discreet movements behind their backs, to downright having Peter bust him out of some prison.
    • In "Letters of Transit", Walter notes that it was in fact September who ultimately betrayed his people to help Fringe Division, and that he is partly responsible for the mysterious device that will drive them away.
  • Shipper on Deck: Finally sees that the reason why Peter was able to return at all was because of the bonds he shared with all the people he cared about, especially Olivia. And it looks like his priorities have changed to...getting the two of them back together! Awwwwww!
  • What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Victim of this trope. Jessica shoots him without remorse because apparently he can't feel pain or emotion. August and some of the more aggressive Observers from "Letters of Transit" show that this is not the case.


December

December

"Look how happy she is. It's a shame things are about to get so hard for her."

Portrayed by Eugene Lipinski

First Appearance: Season 2, Episode 8: "August"

The oldest of the Observers, he appears to be the one currently in charge.

Tropes associated with December:

December: "Their theories are fascinating."
August: "They are not theories. They are...entertainment."


Windmark

Captain Windmark

"Bite my hand and I will put you down."

Portrayed by Michael Kopsa

First Appearance: Season 4, Episode 19: "Letters of Transit"

The Observer overseeing the "native occupation" in the year 2036. Philip Broyles and the rest of Fringe Division are under his direct and callous command. He considers humans as nothing more than "animals" and will do anything to maintain control and order.

Tropes associated with Windmark:

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