“The Recordist” is episode three of season five of Fringe.
In the previous episode, “In Absentia”, the team found a tape by Walter in which he said the plan was on a series of video tapes. Astrid is cutting another free of the amber with backseat help from Walter. The other three return and they play the tape, which is number three. Walter has stored them out of order, which surprises no-one. It says to go to a location in Pennsylvania, but cuts out before saying what to do at that point. The area is undeveloped.
Astrid remains behind and the others arrive at the coordinates. It appears to be abandoned, but a boy is seen hiding behind a tree. He runs off, and then they’re surrounded by armed people with black growths on their skin. They’re taken to a fairly high-tech camp and disarmed. A man recognises Walter and then Olivia and Peter, saying they haven’t aged a day and are supposed to be dead. Walter explains about the amber. When the man, Edwin, holds out his hand, Walter hesitates and is told they were exposed to whatever it was when they got there. Walter asks if they’ve met before. Not in the way he thinks.
Underground, there’s a facility that has the history of every major historical event since the invasion, to prevent it being rewritten by their oppressors. Walter asks about the growths. Edwin thinks it’s something to do with the area. They should leave or they’ll end up the same way. Walter explains they can’t; there’s a plan to defeat the invaders, which he can’t remember but believes will be successful, and there’s something to get from this location. Edwin searches his database to see if Walter has been there before.
Edwin’s son, River, speaks to the others. He’s drawn comic books about their exploits and wants them signing because they’re his heroes.
Astrid is working on the tape at the lab and gets more from it. They’re to find a mine. She calls Olivia, who passes the call to Walter. Edwin says there was a gold mine in the area.
In Manhattan, the Observers have located the Fringe team in rural Pennsylvania.
The team find a shaft in the mine with a rope hanging down. There’s something on the end which proves to be a very dead person. Walter says they’re covered in the same bark-like growth as the living, but worse. He thinks the condition may originate in the mine and being closer to the source causes a more intense reaction. He wants them out so that he can conduct an analysis to determine how to enter deeper safely.
The team are running out of time to find what they’re after. Not only are Loyalists heading in to confront them, but the growths affecting those living in the area are starting to affect them as well.