Discussion: Walter Bishop/ William Bell

"I just had this thought last night after watching the last episode. The same initials as well as the fact that they worked together but only Walter went to the mental institution and the fact that they never show Bell. I think what may be used as an ending for the series is that Bishop/Bell was doing all this fringe science research and the government thought he was too dangerous so they put him away but he was somehow able to get his technology and ideas out to Massive Dynamic, which then enabled the cells to begin the Pattern knowing full well that it would eventually prompt them to seek Bishop and get him out of the institute so he could continue his research and eventually take over Massive Dynamic more actively. I know it's a long shot and I would hate for Walter, who is such a likable character, to go in this direction but it would certainly be a gutsy twist."

"there's one flaw to this theory. the guy who just beamed out is not connected to Massive Dynamic. how do we know? Massive Dynamic does not have a hold of her. Nina is shocked that she was picked up. And she sounds interested in figuring out where Olivia is. That leads me to believe she does not have Olivia.

that being said, it is an interesting theory given his knowledge of walter's past work. i wonder how he knows all about walter's previous work..."

"I have ben thinking about this for a while now. i think that Walter is Bell. in most split personality cases the person uses letters in there name, first name different last, same last different first, in Walter's case both his and bells names start with W and B, in last weeks episode i think that the when walter saw himself in the mental hospital he was seeing Bell. this would make sense when nobody sees Bell and according to walter they worked together and all of Massive Dynamics. this will be the big end of the season twist this is why they wont show William Bell. he is Walter Bishop. they are one in the same."

"Another possibility: Walter/William is a loose metaphor for Bill Gates (Student/Protege)/Paul Allen (Professor/Mentor), co-founders of Microsoft, another "sinister" multinational corporation out to control the world, that found its origins at Harvard where Gates and Allen met as student/professor... In this interpretation of Fringe, Bishop (Allen) is the true genius, developing all of the amazing, "impossible" things that we witness each week from his basement lab at Harvard, aided by Bell (Gates). Then, about 17 1/2 years ago, Bishop suddenly learns that Bell isn't just interested in the science but seeks to profit/do terrible things. Bishop begins to squirrel away his research, his notes and inventions, in old cars/garages (recall reference to more than one car), safe deposit boxes, etc., across the Northeast. In an attempt to enjoy maximum benefit without sharing, while avoiding ethical or other public scrutiny, Bell engineers (no pun intended) an incident that sees Bishop locked away, thereby freeing Bell to develop Massive Dynamics without rival or partner... As for Bishop's wife/Peter's mother, we already know it is "a long story for another day" (Peter's words to Olivia)... Look for her to appear in the company of Bell, as in Bell takes ideas, inventions, patents, and Bishop's wife, completing the coup that drives Bishop over the edge, rendering him incapable of defending himself, and taking from him any immediate reason "to go on.""