On-Set Scoop: Fringe’s Anna Torv on the Future of Peter and Olivia

Since the beginning of Fringe, viewers have rooted for its leads to get together romantically. And while the road to love for Peter Bishop (Josh Jackson) and Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) was bumpier than for most normal folk (an accidental child with her doppelganger…), they finally settled in happy domesticity during Season 3. That is, until Peter realized his destiny and no longer existed.

As we now know, Peter’s return will not be the reunion he expects with his “soulmate.” But how does Olivia feel about this stranger in their midst? Warner Bros took Wetpaint Entertainment to Vancouver to meet with Anna Torv, and we got the actress’ (double) take on her character’s epic romance, Peter’s replacement, and what it’s like to play a round against herself. 

Wetpaint Entertainment: What can you tease about Olivia and Peter’s reunion?

Anna Torv: She doesn’t know who he is. He never existed and doesn’t exist in this universe, so it’s certainly not the reunion that Peter would be wishing for. All of a sudden this stranger appears and says he’s not a stranger at all.

Does Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) play any part in Olivia’s and Peter’s impending reunion?

Well, Lincoln is here to stay, so I think probably more for Peter that’s something… I’m interested to see what happens there because all of a sudden there is another man in Olivia’s life, not necessarily romantically, but they start working together. They’re partners.

Peter has been replaced?

It would seem that way, right?

Alt Broyles (Lance Reddick) is still around, but is baby Henry doomed forever?

(Laughs) Well, that’s sort of the intricacies that you get into, because… I mean I still slip up, trying to work out what things happened and what didn’t happen. But there’s no possible way that Henry could happen in this timeline because Bolivia never met Peter.

Do you see Peter and Olivia as an epic love story?

I don’t know! I was surprised that they made it so domestic at the end of last season. I kind of thought that it could have been strung out a little bit more to become a little more epic, but every time they do put them together they split them apart. So, possibly. I’ve said it all along — it’s set up that way, so of course you have to go with that. Of course.

In the absence of Peter, Olivia is kind of Walter’s surrogate child. How does that change once Peter comes back?

The changes really are on Peter’s side. He’s entering this world and no longer has a place, and things are different, whereas Walter and Olivia and Astrid have just made do. This is how they’ve always known it to be. And I think that’s the only thing that’s shifted, and the only thing I’ve thought about. They’ve still been fighting the same things, everything’s pretty much the same; it’s just the relationships that are a little bit different because you add another person and the dynamic shifts. I guess with Walter and Olivia, they’re closer. They’ve had to be because there wasn’t that buffer, that was Peter.

Our readers love your interaction with yourself. What is that like for you?

“One Night in October” was the first time we did quite a lot of it, so that was a massive learning curve. I hope I get to do more because I think I’ve got the technical side under control and I think next time I’ll be able to have a little bit more fun with it.   

Alt-Lincoln seems to have feelings for Bolivia.

But she’s still with Frank. I think it’s kind of sweet. I think they’re friends – ultimately at the end of the day they’re really great mates [Editors note: See what Seth Gabel has to say about that…]

Will Olivia and Bolivia get along better once they have to work together against the force that threatens both universes?

They don’t really get on — at all. I can imagine that. I think that would be such an awkward working situation, to be working with a person that’s kind of like you, but not really. So I think there will always be that [tension], and I think that’s true between all the Alts.

Do you have a blast playing Bolivia?

Yeah, she’s fun. I feel mean saying “more fun than Olivia” because Olivia, God bless her, has done me good. But there’s a few different things. In the alternate universe Alt-Lincoln is the head of the Fringe Division so I feel like he carries that burden that Olivia has to carry on this side, and you have to be very serious and you get all of the stuff that is straight up, and when I’m not playing that you can be more free because the responsibility isn’t yours anymore. That’s why playing characters that are a little bit on the periphery are the best! Like Walter, too, you know? You can come in, do your thing and leave the burden for someone else!

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