“The Human Kind” is episode eight of season five of Fringe.
Olivia is waiting in a car at night. Anil joins her. He has an Observer implant, identical to the one Peter revealed he had in the previous episode, “Five-Twenty-Ten”, and some ammunition.
Peter is working on Windmark’s future actions in Etta’s apartment when Windmark and another Observer appear in the corridor outside. He’s gone by the time they enter. The second Observer says Peter has gained the ability to run futures. The diagram shows Windmark being in the apartment at that time. Peter is watching from the street below.
Walter and Astrid are watching a new tape when Olivia arrives. The tape says to retrieve an industrial-sized magnet from Fitchburg. Olivia explains what Peter did and has an implant, and why he did this. Walter needs to see how the implant reacts with an actual brain. The one from the porcupine man. Peter rings at this point; he’s in New York. He called them to warn them not to go back to Etta’s. Walter warns him that what he’s doing is dangerous and that Peter was supposed to keep Walter from slipping. Peter isn’t changing his mind. Afterwards, Olivia says she will get the electromagnet.
Peter is foreseeing Windmark’s future; a test run it looks like.
Olivia arrives in Fitchburg and speaks to someone called Carlos about the electromagnet. He tells her to wait here then finds a woman and says there’s someone looking for an electromagnet. He brings up a holo of Olivia. The woman says it’s her and to send them now.
The woman introduces herself to Olivia as Simone. They have the electromagnet and have been expecting her. For many years they’ve been waiting for someone to come for that electromagnet. It’s been om the back of a truck for 21 years. Not long after the invaders came, a man arrived and spoke with Simone’s mother about a way to save the world that needed a giant magnet. It sounds like it was Walter. Simone’s mother kept the magnet lacked and ready, and made Simone promise to keep the candle burning. Fuel is coming and Simone says Olivia doesn’t mind waiting. Simone knows things, she says. Like Olivia has a slug in her pocket.
Walter and Astrid are implanting the brain, though he doesn’t think it will work. The implant flies into the brain and they get some data before the device stops working, because the brain is dead. Extrapolating the data shows an implanted brain developing new ridges and more convolutions. The cerebral, cortex becomes so thick it overrides the area used to control emotions. Walter finds this remarkable. And worse than he feared.
Olivia is concerned she might be betrayed, especially as there’s a reward for her. Peter is not only being affected by the implant; he’s essentially sparring with Windmark who is much more experienced. And if Peter doesn’t remove the implant in time, he will be permanently changed.