S2.E20

Brown Betty

Episode aired Apr 29, 2010
TV-14
44m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Walter has just smoked a drug that he calls "Brown Betty" when Olivia arrives at the laboratory to leave Ella with Astrid. The girl asks Walter to tell a story and he creates a detective sto... Read allWalter has just smoked a drug that he calls "Brown Betty" when Olivia arrives at the laboratory to leave Ella with Astrid. The girl asks Walter to tell a story and he creates a detective story where the Fringe Division are the characters.Walter has just smoked a drug that he calls "Brown Betty" when Olivia arrives at the laboratory to leave Ella with Astrid. The girl asks Walter to tell a story and he creates a detective story where the Fringe Division are the characters.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

3.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos15

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Top cast20

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Anna Torv

Olivia Dunham

Joshua Jackson

Peter Bishop

Lance Reddick

Phillip Broyles

Blair Brown

Nina Sharp

Jasika Nicole

Astrid Farnsworth…

John Noble

Dr. Walter Bishop

Michael Cerveris

September…

Ari Graynor

Rachel…

Ryan McDonald

Brandon Fayette

Lily Pilblad

Ella

Candus Churchill

Dead Singer…

Sarah Hayward

Nurse
(as Sarah Ann Hayward)

Tom Pickett

Dead Singer…

John Prowse

Dead Singer…

Erica Van Briel

Assistant

Isaiah Adam

Deputy
(uncredited)

Lisa Aitken

Mental Patient
(uncredited)

Leonard Nimoy

Dr. William Bell
(voice)
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Interestingly, during this musical episode, the two regular cast members of Fringe (2008) who have the most Broadway musical experience do not ever sing. Blair Brown (Nina) has had singing roles in Broadway productions of "The Threepenny Opera" and "Cabaret." And Michael Cerveris (The Observer/September) is better-known as a Broadway leading man than as a television or film actor; he has had lead roles in Broadway musicals such as The Who's "Tommy," "Titanic," "Assassins," "Sweeney Todd," "Lovemusik," and "Evita"; was nominated for Tonys for all but one of these; and won a Tony for "Assassins." In 2015, Cerveris won another Tony Award, this time for the musical "Fun Home."

Goofs
During one scene where Olivia visits Nina, there is a Windows logo on the back of a flat screen monitor. The time period this episode often portrays would have been before Windows existed. However, this is all part of Walters "noir" story, where characters also use mobile communication devices.

Quotes
Ella: Don't you know? All good stories start with "Once upon a time" and end with "Happily Ever After"

Connections
Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Musical TV Episodes (2014)

Soundtracks
For Once In My Life
(uncredited)
Performed by Anna Torv
Written by Ronald Miller and Orlando Murden

User reviews23

Featured review

10/10

Some reviewers need to check their egos

The reviewers giving this episode 1 star clearly think they're too smart and serious to enjoy a lighthearted episode in this series. Being someone who enjoys a bit of "fluff" just as much as a deep, thought-provoking story, I loved this episode. It was actually the first episode that made me say "I love this series!" It worked in the context of a story being told by a heartbroken man under the influence and yes, I may have shed a tear or two at the end. Y'all need to get over yourselves.