So we finally know the most burning question in the show's history!
Tyrone.
Lincoln's middle name is Tyrone.
This episode focused heavily on Lincoln and his clone from another universe, the man I call Flee. Flee, mind you, is ten times cooler than Lincoln. So, whenever the show goes to the other universe, I am actually excited (unlike some of you who seem to think only the stupidity of the other universe matters).
First, let me quote my favorite moment in the episode, as Flee and Fauxlivia describe a series of killings in their world.
Flee: She reports that during the attack someone saved her.
Fauxlivia: You think this may have something to do with the vigilante cases PD's been working?
Flee: My thoughts exactly. Local police received a dozen similar reports in the last few months. Criminals going missing. Junkies mysteriously vanishing. Victims calling in claiming that their assailants were attacked mid-crime.
Lincoln: Maybe Batman's moved to The Bronx.
Fauxlivia: What's a Batman?
Lincoln: The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. (Seeing that they are still confused) Billionaire playboy puts on a cape to clean up the streets of Gotham.
Flee: Oh, you mean Mantis!
Lincoln: Seriously? Your hero is an insect?
Fauxlivia: Oh, 'cause nothing says 'badass' like a flying rat?
So Lincoln, trying to avoid the mental stress of seeing Olivia happy with Peter while having totally forgotten him, decides to stick around in the alternate universe and help solve Flee and Fauxlivia's case. As they work, Flee questions Lincoln's reason for volunteering to stay. Lincoln takes this opportunity to note the differences between the two.
Lincoln: Yeah, I noticed that about you. Your unwavering confidence.
Flee: Thanks.
Lincoln: Bordering on self-aggrandising narcissism.
The two discuss their differences and begin to compare life experiences as a way to define the point of divergence, where one became different from the other, but find nothing.
Anyway, so on Lincoln's hunch the investigation leads them to believe that the bad guy is a shape-shifter. That's really convenient since Lincoln is hell-bent on finding them since one killed his partner. And the colonel, who we know is a corrupted douchebag working for the bad guys, punts his theories and knees him in the groin for good measure.
Stuff happens and the shape-shifter is found. But when he has the opportunity to kill the massive pussy Lincoln, he doesn't. He is then captured and the evil Colonel Broyles calls on the evil Nina, aka Fina.
It is really impressive how expensive this show can look.. a show that's getting lower ratings in season 4 than CHUCK was... but looks like it is made for ten times as much. What the fuck kind of shitty deal did NBC make with WB? Or is it really just about Torv being the niece of the dude who owns FOX? If so, then bring on season 5 and an increased budget!
So, Lincoln convinces Fauxlivia to let him interrogate the captured shape-shifter as the evil dudes send their assassin to take him out. Through his questioning, Lincoln learns virtually nothing. Yay.
As the prisoner is transported out of the jail, the sniper assassin fires and misses his target but hits Flee. Oh no! Not the cool one, dicks!
Pussy Lincoln goes all badass on the shape-shifter dude and gives him an inspirational speech about defining his place in the world or some crap that is meant as a juxtaposition of their respective lives. Meh. What happened to these writers? These can't be the same cats who wrote the second half of season 2, or season 3. Did they really get this lazy?
Anyway, still in the alternate universe, Fina is betrayed by her assassin, who is actually just the shape-shifter who Lincoln speechified, and captured by Fauxlivia.
Sadly, Flee dies from his wound, even though he once survived being burned to a crisp. What's the point of living anymore in a world where he doesn't exist but pussy-boy does?
Lincoln brings the shape-shifter over to the other side to be studied by Walter.
Then, as Fauxlivia cries over Flee, Lincoln returns to give her moral support. And by moral support I mean that he's totally going to bang her.
If I had to rate this episode, and there's really no reason why I should, I'd give it:
65 out of 100
Maybe the death of Flee will have greater meaning down the road, and maybe the shape-shifter thingy will play itself out over the next few episodes, but this was mostly a dud outside of the couple of moments of dialogue I quoted.
