Alone in the World

The Glyphs

This episode's glyphs spell: R-E-B-O-R-N

The Observer

The Observer can be seen walking in front of the Harvard lab building.

Episode Clues

Previous Episode Clue

Professor McClennan's professional library in 'One Night In October' contains the book Killer Mindscapes by S. Pores, foreshadowing the fungi that can form mental connections with people from 'Alone in the World'.

Next Episode Clue

A book titled Astral Projection and Other Psychic Phenomena in 'Alone in the World' can be seen in Walter's Lab, foreshadowing the astral projection ability Cameron James demonstrated as a child in 'Subject 9'.

Items of Interest

Walter called Astrid 'Aspen'.
Olivia has been seeing Peter too. (Image 1)

Item of interest: Olivia researching her vision of Peter — **Image 1**: Olivia researching her vision of Peter
Timestamp: 05:19

Fringe Division Case File

U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

121 105th Street • Washington, DC 20735
Phone: (202) 555-2100 • Fax: (202) 555-2101
E-mail: washington.fbi@fbi.com

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE #403-10711

FRINGE EVENT: Organism with a neural network connection to a human

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): N/A

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham, Lee, Farnsworth, Mace

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: David Gorelick, Nicole Duron

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Aaron Sneddon

LOCATION: Hyde Park, MA; Roxbury Crossing

VICTIM(S): Brian O'Toole (deceased), Matthew Mitnovitz (deceased), 2 morgue technicians, homeless man, male technician, Agent Lee

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

Two twelve-year-old boys reported missing for a few hours were found dead in an advanced state of decomposition and stench. During the autopsy with Dr. Bishop, one body succumbed to advanced mold contamination and exploded into a chalky cloud. Dr. Bishop determined it was a single organism fungal mass that had created a vast neural network. Rapidly evolving communication skills enabled it to form a psychic bond with a young boy named Aaron Sneddon (10). The fungus released neurotoxins to paralyze a host, in this case the two boys. Sneddon's own health became interwoven into the needs and feelings of the mass, as it sought more water and nutrients to grow. As it grew, the organism—which Dr. Bishop referred to as Gus—became more self-aware and more conscious of how alone it was in the world. It forged a link with Sneddon's limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, over their shared sense of isolation. Sneddon became sicker as t he organism spread into the sewers of Boston, seeking new hosts. Dr. Bishop was able to treat the boy with epinephrine, and the fungus and Sneddon's brain waves separated. Nina Sharp enlisted Massive Dynamic to create a potent toxin that contained the fungus safely afterward.

The Timeline Without Peter

Monthly evaluations by the director of St. Claire's were a condition for Walter's release from the institution.

timelinewithoutpeter: Walter's evaluations — Walter's evaluations
Timestamp: 01:10

Walter's Food

Walter made strawberry milkshakes and asked for a grape popsicle.

Connection: Strawberry milkshakes — Strawberry milkshakes
Timestamp: 20:14

Names for Astrid

Walter called Astrid 'Aspen'.

Notable Quotes

BROYLES: "I'm sorry, but you know as well as I do we can't sacrifice countless lives to save one boy."

Connection Chart

A visualization of all the ways this episode connects to other episodes. Scroll down to see the actual connections.

Episode Connections

S1E08 - The Equation

In 'Alone in the World' Walter was evaluated by the director of St. Claire's, Dr. Bruce Sumner, who tried to get Walter readmitted in 'The Equation'.

S1E15 - Inner Child

The boy in 'Alone in the World' played with the same action figure Peter showed to the Child in 'Inner Child'.
Walter used the same neural halo in 'Alone in the World' as he used on the Child in 'Inner Child'.

Connection: Action figure — Action figure
S1E15 - Inner Child
Timestamp: 33:23

Connection: Neural halo — Neural halo
S1E15 - Inner Child
Timestamp: 30:33

S3E05 - Amber 31422

Despite Walternate's efforts to mold Olivia's mind into Fauxlivia's, Olivia kept seeing Peter and Walter in 'Amber 31422'. Similarly, in 'Alone in the World' Peter didn't exist in the rewritten timeline yet Olivia kept having visions of him.

Connection: Vision of Peter — Vision of Peter
S3E05 - Amber 31422
Timestamp: 03:02

Connection: Drawing of Peter from Olivia's visions — Drawing of Peter from Olivia's visions
S4E03 - Alone in the World
Timestamp: 41:56