Alternate Timeline

September Lets Peter Drown, New Timeline — Peter was never saved by the Observer in the Alternate Timeline.

The Alternate Timeline is a version of both the Prime and Alternate Universes in which Peter Bishop died as a young boy after September did not save him from drowning at Reiden Lake following his kidnapping.

Consequently, there are many differences between the Alternate Timeline and the Original Timeline that Peter had lived in. This timeline was created by September after Peter drew the two universes together by The Vacuum. Moments after Peter tore holes in both universes to create the bridge, he flickered out of existence. The Observers outside commented on the fact that no one remembered him.

The purpose of this was to correct a series of events that led to a mistake that was Henry Dunham's birth. Henrietta Bishop's birth was needed instead, in order for the Fringe team to defeat the imperialistic Observers who planned an imperialistic purge and takeover in 2015.

An Alternate Timeline is different from an Alternate Universe (both the Prime Universe and Alternate Universe are a part of the same timeline, though dimensionally separated). As such, both universes were affected by Peter's death.

Creation and Purpose[]

Henrietta Park Before Observer Takeover — Henrietta in the first moments of the 2015 invasion.

The Alternate Timeline was created immediately following Peter Bishop's activation of The Vacuum. Peter's sacrifice resulted in the bridging of the two universes, as well as the creation of a new timeline in which he was not saved by September in Reiden Lake. In the Original Timeline, September distracting Walternate resulted in Peter living in this universe. This caused a paradox that would result in the destruction of the Alternate Universe (and a dying Prime Universe in 2026) when Peter entered the machine.

To rectify the paradox, the machine created the new timeline, so that both Peters ended up dying in 1985, expunging him from the timeline. This would allow the machine to form a bridge without Peter's influence and set the universes on track. Peter continued to bleed through into the new timeline, prompting the Observers to ask September to permanently erase him. September, however, perhaps suffering a crisis of faith or responding to an innate conscience that Observers typically seem to lack, had one more plan up his sleeve. He believed that, if Peter and Olivia were to be together, Peter wouldn't have to be erased. Therefore, he could live a happy life with Olivia and the universes would be set back on track, despite the temporary deviations from the natural order. Their relationship culminated in the birth of Henrietta Bishop.

Differences Between The Original and Alternate Timeline[]

After his kidnapping, Peter Bishop from the Alternate Universe drowned in Reiden Lake because September never saved him as he did in the Original Timeline. ("Novation") As a consequence of this:

1985—1986:
- Elizabeth Bishop committed suicide shortly after this, 15 years earlier than the Original Timeline.
  - She came to her decision while washing the dishes. She left no suicide note while the car engine was still running. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
- Nina Sharp was hated by Walter and blamed her for Alternate Peter's drowning. ("Subject 9") In both timelines, she broke the vial that would have allowed Walter to save him in the Alternate Universe rather than cross over. In this timeline, he ultimately drowned so she feels responsible for Alternate Peter's death.
- Walter Bishop lost his sanity in a shorter timeframe after losing his son. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
  - However, Carla Warren is still dead, though this may have not been what led him to being locked away. ("Black Blotter")
- Walter never intensified the Cortexiphan Trials to bring home Alternate Peter, so Olivia Dunham is unaware of her ability to cross over to the other universe. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
1985—1990s:
- Olivia ran away from the Cortexiphan trials. ("Subject 9")
- After Peter died in Reiden Lake, Walter became angry with God and planned to destroy both universes. But he asked William Bell to remove portions of his brain after he realised that he was smart enough to destroy both universes to create a third. William Bell continued what Walter started years later.
Approx. 1994:
- Marilyn (née unknown, previously Dunham) dies of cancer sometime after her older daughter, Olivia's 14th birthday. She is survived by Olivia and her 10-year-old daughter, Rachel. They were due to go into foster care but instead were adopted by Nina Sharp. ("Novation")
  - It is heavily implied that she raised the girls out of guilt as she was partially responsible for Alternate Peter's death.
  - Olivia won first place in a horseback riding competition as a teenager, as seen in a photograph with Nina. ("Novation") ("Forced Perspective")
After 2003:
- Ella Blake's younger brother (and Olivia's nephew), Eddie Blake is born. ("Nothing As It Seems")
2008—2010:
- Walter Bishop is far more disturbed and afraid of leaving the lab. ("Neither Here Nor There")
  - Astrid Farnsworth is a field agent to account for this. ("Neither Here Nor There")
  - He was released by Olivia Dunham from St. Claire’s. ("Neither Here Nor There")
  - Monthly evaluations by the director of St. Claire's were a condition for Walter's release from the institution. ("Alone in the World")
- John Scott died from his injuries in the Flight 627 investigation. Walter could not save him. ("Neither Here Nor There")
- David Robert Jones is still alive, crossed over into the Alternate Universe, and began creating Organic Shape-Shifters. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
  - William Bell never died and David Robert Jones is working for him to destroy both universes to create a third.
- Olivia Dunham and the team do not meet Nick Lane, Nancy Lewis, Sally Clark, James Heath and Simon Phillips. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
- Fauxlivia kidnapped Olivia Dunham for an espionage mission. She was locked away for two weeks, not several months.
  - Subsequently, she grew close to and charmed Walter Bishop. He later resents her for charming him deceptively. ("Making Angels")
2011—2012:
- Olivia is unaware of her ability to cross between universes. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
- Lincoln Lee (Prime Universe) never met FBI's Fringe Division until his partner in the FBI had been killed by an organic shapeshifter. ("Neither Here Nor There")
- Colonel Broyles from the Alternate Universe is still alive as Olivia's experiments in the alternate universe never took place. ("One Night in October")
  - He is secretly working for David Robert Jones. ("The Consultant")
- Fauxlivia never became pregnant with Henry Dunham. ("The End of All Things")
- Fringe Division is not aware of the Observers. ("Neither Here Nor There")
- Rachel Blake is the mother of Ella and Eddie, her second child. She and Greg are still married. ("Nothing As It Seems")

Peter Bishop's Return[]

From the moment the Alternate Timeline was created, parts of Peter Bishop were bleeding through, even though he had been erased. This had been pointed out by the Observers. Peter began appearing to Walter, who was terrified and confused. Later, in what appears to be a massive influx of energy, Peter appeared in Reiden Lake.

However, much to his shock and dismay, no one in the Alternate Timeline recognized who he was. This led to Peter's speculation that he was not, in fact, home, but somewhere else, setting him off on a goal to return to his home.

As it turned out, Peter was home all along. According to September, the reason Peter could not be permanently erased was that the people he loved (and who loved him) could not give up. Their love kept him from being entirely stamped out.

Nature of the Alternate Timeline[]

ObservingAlternate — September chose differently.

It was confirmed by September that the Alternate Timeline is still Peter's home. Both universes are the same universes from prior to Peter's erasure.

The only difference is that Peter had been temporarily erased and returned to the newly impacted universes. With this new information, the Original Timeline as things had initially played out is believed to have been replaced with this alternate history.