Peter (Joshua Jackson), Walter (John Noble), and Astrid (Jasika Nicole), after being recovered by Etta (Georgina Haig), begin to adjust to the Observer-controlled world of 2036.

Though they safely escape with Olivia, Walter is captured and taken to a secure Observer facility, where Captain Windmark (Michael Kopsa) arrives to interrogate him.

[6] On July 24, 2012, production was halted for ten days due to actor John Noble's treatment for a sleeping disorder in Los Angeles.

"I went to the hospital, had all the tests, and we put the strategies into place to deal with both of those issues, including the space-age mask that I wear to bed now," he commented to Entertainment Weekly.

'"[9] Beginning from this episode, former main cast member Seth Gabel will not appear, due to his character, Lincoln Lee, being written off at the end of season four.

It earned a ratings share of 1.1 among adults aged 18 to 49, a tie with the series premiere of the CBS show Made in Jersey.

[14] Zap2It's Carina Adly MacKenzie believed that with the season premiere, "Fringe completely reinvented itself," citing as evidence the lack of pressure to attract new viewers and instead the desire to please longtime fans.

She called Haig a "revelation" and noted her resemblance to Torv, who Adly MacKenzie asserted was "per usual, heartbreakingly perfect.

"[15] The Zap2It reviewer also found Walter's torture "tough to watch, but we can't tear our eyes away from John Noble's award-worthy performance.

"[16] Jensen concluded his review by noting the series' departure from the old episode formula of "imbu[ing] the inhuman with as much emotional resonance as their human character" in favor of "a swift-moving serialized thriller," and hoped the change "has the weight and power that we've come to expect.

Isler did however praise the final sequence with Walter, writing that it "is a great scene; artfully directed and made even more special by the fact that Fringe rarely uses pop music to set the mood.