Fringe theory: the Observers already had the red universe
What if in seasons 2 and 3 when we saw the red universe, the Observers had already invaded and were in charge? We’ve always watched the show from the fringe team’s perspective, so what if we simply weren’t shown the Observers’ control? A few things make me think more was going on than what we saw.
1. Walter’s portal – When Walter crossed over to save Peter, he disrupted the balance between the universes. Why was the red universe decaying faster than ours? The show gives us one explanation: time moves differently over there, so the rate of decay is faster. But what if the Observers were contributing to the destruction of the red universe and that’s why it was faster? In season 5, we see that the Observers installed machines to change the chemical composition of the atmosphere. They could have made similar changes that hurt the red universe.
2. Advanced technology – People are mostly the same but with minor differences in each universe, so what allowed people in the red universe to rapidly advance technology? Maybe the Observers traded their tech for the humans’ submission.
3. Show Me – Everyone in the red universe has to carry ID at all times and show it for everything, even boarding a public bus. Why are the people in the red universe under such strict control? The Observers insist on it. It’s not far from requiring Loyalists to have an official stamp on their cheek.
4. Cold-hearted Walternate – Maybe Walternate’s hardened personality is a result of reporting to the Observers. If he is a liaison between humans and Observers, he will act cold and calculating to match how the Observers act. Think of how Broyles is in “Letters of Transit.”
5. The fringe division as clean-up crew – In the red universe, the fringe division’s main responsibility is to respond to fringe events. Amber locations when necessary. Figure out how to patch their deteriorating world. They do investigate situations, but more often than not, it feels like they’re an extension of the government sent out to keep the peace. Foot soldiers but not leaders.
So if the Observers were in control of the red universe, what happened to them in season four? I think the Machine interferes with their influence. When the machine was not put together, the Observers could take over the red universe. Why didn’t they invade our universe too? Peter and Olivia are together on this side, and together they are capable of stopping the Observers. Follow the path of least resistance.
At the end of season 3, Peter activated the Machine and bridged the two universes. The Observers can’t be in power while the Machine is running, so their influence unraveled and the red universe began to heal. Observers could still visit but they couldn’t invade and take over any more.
We can take the “fixed point in time” idea from Doctor Who and apply it here. Peter was supposed to connect the two universes to save them from the Observers. That’s why September kept showing up to help. He wanted to keep the timeline in tact.
So what went wrong? William Bell wanted to create a new universe and destroy the others. Peter had to turn off the Machine to stop him, and that made both universes susceptible to an Observer invasion. At the end of season 4, September appeared to Walter and warned that the Observers are coming. And here we are in season 5.
I don’t know how plausible this theory is, but it’s fun to play around with the ideas in Fringe.