“Subject 9” is episode four of season four of Fringe.
Olivia is asleep when the curtains blow and objects start being pulled from her bedside table. Then a swirling mass of energy appears and the alarm goes off and she wakes to see it over her. She grabs her gun but it’s gone. And the alarm goes off again, at the same time it did before.
At the lab, Walter is doing something with a lot of camera flashes when Olivia arrives. In the previous episode, “Alone in the World”, Olivia showed Walter a drawing of a man she was seeing in her dreams. Peter. Walter is trying to capture the apparition on film. He has 28 cameras in a circle and he believes the apparition may be out of phase and not visible from all directions. It seems he got the idea whilst watching The Matrix.
Oliva explains about the energy mass she found above her bed and how it moved metal objects into a pile on the floor. She removes her jacket, showing a burn from where the energy touched her, and asks Walter if she’s doing this like she did as a child. Walter wants a sample. He’s got Olivia’s jacket, and inside he finds a letter from Dr Sumner, who wants Walter back. Olivia hasn’t filled in her recommendation yet.
Olivia and Astrid go to Olivia’s apartment. Walter is observing through Astrid’s earpiece. He tells Olivia to go to the bathroom. Then Olivia calls to Astrid, who goes there to see the door shut. Walter is calling out and Astrid asks what he’s talking about. Then the events happen as they just did.
At the lab, Walter got a recording of the events before they happened. He thinks they affected time, and remembers something similar, bar the time affecting, from 25 years ago. A boy who began to develop the ability to astral project during the cortexiphan trials. He would attract metal objects to him. Bell also theorised the children might share a psychic link and perhaps the boy is trying to contact Olivia. Olivia was always the strongest and the others recognised that. All Walter can remember is that it was Subject 9.
Olivia and Astrid head to Massive Dynamics. Nina Sharp tells them the cortexiphan files have been sealed for 30 years and some have been lost. Walter is making comments about Nina to Astrid. Nina pulls Olivia side as Astrid goes to check the files, as she realises that the Fringe event is happening to Olivia.
Olivia tells Astrid about the trials and they find Subject 9. Cameron James. At the lab, Walter has packed a suitcase; he’s going to go with Olivia. Even though he hasn’t left the lab in three years. They arrive at Cameron James’ apartment in New York and Olivia picks the lock. The mail is addressed to a Mark Little, but Walter says that Cameron James still lives there. There’s no metal. A woman comes to the door, Olivia identifies herself and the woman says Little won’t be back until tomorrow evening.
Olivia and Walter head to a hotel for the night. Walter tells her he will be fine. Olivia is also on edge and heads to her next door room. Then hears crashes coming from Walter’s room, where he’s freaking out about germs. She calms him down, saying it’s all in his head. Walter has managed to cut both his hands.
Walter is feeling guilty about the cortexiphan trials, and he’s also worried that Olivia might send him back to St. Claire’s. More minor differences between this universe and the original one can be spotted.