The episode was written by co-producer Brad Caleb Kane and staff writer Julia Cho and directed by filmmaker Frederick E. O. Toye.
The episode relates the intersecting stories of a subterranean feral child looked after by Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and the return of a serial killer from her time before joining the Fringe Division.
Meanwhile, Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) receives a fax, which he recognizes as a taunting invitation from the serial killer the Artist (Jeremy Shamos), who kills women and "displays" them in gruesome poses.
Olivia spies a van with a yellow tree-shaped air freshener, and recalling the child's candy display from earlier, determines that the Artist is inside.
Olivia and Broyles arrange the transfer of the child to an adopting family, in large part to keep him away from Eliot Michaels (Erik Palladino), an alleged “social worker” who wants to claim him for CIA research.
The episode was written by co-producer Brad Caleb Kane and staff writer Julia Cho and directed by filmmaker Frederick E. O.
[1] The episode also featured guest stars Spencer List as the Child, Jeremy Shamos as the Artist, Erik Palladino as Eliot Michaels, Victor Williams as Phil, Alicia Goranson as Samantha Gilmore, Matt Mulhern as Dennis, Sandra Daley as Dr. Winick, Jimmy Palumbo as Mike, and Phil Nee as Archie.
[7] When asked by a reporter if he was "infuriated" with Fox because of the Idol-induced delay, co-creator J. J. Abrams replied "I will say that I have a different opinion about the network, but I, too, have heard from a number of people [about the issue].
According to Murray, "The serial killer stuff in 'Inner Child was fairly pat—with elements swiped wholesale from Thomas Harris and Michael Connelly—and the 'keep Lil’ O away from Eliot' operation struck me as a little sloppy, if not actively implausible.
But the episode was fast-paced and creepy, with a few good Walter lines (my favorite being a tie between 'Agent Dunham knows what a penis looks like' and 'obviously I was sitting on the toilet') and the return of his wonderfully ridiculous mad scientist device, 'the neural stimulator.