Meanwhile, Olivia Dunham experiences a violent, disorienting seizure while driving. She later discovers she has been having “focal seizures” linked to the cortexiphan trials she underwent as a child. Dr. Walter Bishop (before being taken) left a clue for her: a name—Sam Weiss.
8.5/10 Essential for: Mythology lovers, cortexiphan backstory, and anyone wondering who Sam Weiss really is. fringe 1x21
Here’s a write-up for (aired May 12, 2009). Title Significance “The Last Sam Weiss” refers to a mysterious author of a cult bowling book titled The Zen of Bowling . Sam Weiss is not a bowler or a Zen master in the usual sense, but a cipher for a hidden lineage of people who understand the “patterns” of the universe—essentially, a secret keeper. Plot Summary The episode picks up immediately after the previous episode’s cliffhanger: Walter Bishop has been kidnapped. The kidnappers are from Massive Dynamic (acting on orders from Nina Sharp, though she claims she’s trying to protect him). Walter Bishop (before being taken) left a clue
Simultaneously, Peter and Astrid search for Walter. They find that Walter had been secretly investigating a “First People” artifact—a glyph that appears repeatedly in ancient sites and in the kidnapping notes. The kidnappers are revealed to be led by Mitchell Loeb (the shapeshifter from earlier episodes), but also involve Nina Sharp, who admits to faking Walter’s kidnapping to hide him from the real danger: . Title Significance “The Last Sam Weiss” refers to
Olivia tracks down Sam Weiss (played by Kevin Corrigan), who runs a bowling alley. He cryptically explains that he is the last in a line of “consultants” who help people through “world-changing events.” He gives her a puzzle box to open, which contains a key and coordinates to a storage unit. Inside: old Massive Dynamic equipment and a video of young Olivia performing a cortexiphan test—demonstrating telekinesis (pyrokinesis, more accurately: moving particles to create heat/fire).