- "The truth is, I like coming over here. Especially after it rains... W-when my world started to break down, and the light doesn't reflect through moisture the way it used to. We haven't seen a rainbow in over 20 years. As our world started to repair itself, I began to imagine the people from my side would start to see them again. You know, something so beautiful. So perfect. I still find myself looking up. After it rains..."
- ―Fauxlivia to Olivia.
Olivia Dunham is a special agent of Fringe Division in the Alternate Universe, a sector of the Department of Defence. She spearheads many investigations with her partners Charlie Francis and Lincoln Lee publicly. She is sometimes referred to as Bolivia (originally by the writers, meaning B-Olivia), Fauxlivia (by fans and later Walter Bishop) or Alt-Liv.
This version of Olivia is an expert marksman, having earned an Olympic gold medal. She is shown to be ruthless, agreeing with Secretary Walter Bishop to pose as her counterpart in disguise to complete a mission in the war between the two universes. She believes it is a task to defend her universe but later regrets her decision upon realizing the ruthlessness of Secretary Bishop and her child to Peter Bishop, who she had fallen for while undercover.
She does not harbor the same insecurities as her counterpart. In this universe, Olivia never had an abusive stepfather and her mother is still alive. As a result, she is much more emotionally open and expressive, not at all like her reserved and steely counterpart. However, this version of Olivia is more ruthless at her job and does not fully empathize and connect with her victims the way Olivia does.
In the alternate timeline, Peter's death meant that this version of Olivia did not share a romantic relationship with him and did not have a son. Instead, she develops a friendship with the prime universe Walter Bishop, who remains resentful of her until they reconcile and he helps her with the death of her partner, Lincoln Lee. This loss softens Olivia and leads to a romance with the prime universe Lincoln Lee.
Biography[]
Background information[]
Alternate Olivia is a part of the more aggressive and ubiquitous version of Fringe Division along with Colonel Phillip Broyles, Charlie Francis, Lincoln Lee and Astrid Farnsworth. Fringe Division in the alternate universe is part of the Department of Defense. She joined the Fringe team in less than 2 years.
Although similar to our universe's counterpart, she doesn't have Olivia's eidetic memory. Often, her Shape-shifters weren't quite careful with their missions which made her even more ruthless by killing these shape-shifters to help save her cover.
She is said by Peter Bishop to be quicker to smile than "our" Olivia and can also be seen to joke around more often with her colleagues. Her body language is more active while talking and her posture is less stiff and more relaxed. She has won an Olympic medal for shooting, which accounts for her impeccable marksmanship.
Unlike the Prime Universe's Olivia Dunham, her mother Marilyn Dunham is still alive and living in Tarrytown, 45 minutes out of New York City, but her sister, Rachel, died in childbirth due to having the VPE virus. There is no mention of an abusive stepfather. Her teammates, Charlie Francis and Lincoln Lee are close friends and they are more often playfully bantering with one another for amusement. They were also willing to sacrifice themselves for Fauxlivia and willing to kill to save her life. She had once shared a kiss with Lincoln Lee.
The Alternate Fringe Team
She had a live-in boyfriend who is a virologist for the CDC named Frank Stanton with whom she had met during a cholera outbreak in Hoboken. They had the same tattoo with one on her nape and another on his back. They were briefly engaged until he left her when her infidelity was known.
Comparison to Olivia[]
Similarities to Olivia[]
The Olivias.
- Her mother called her Olive as a child. ("The Firefly")
- Both kept their hide-a-key in the same place. ("Over There: Part 2")
- Both ended up in law enforcement.
- Both had a living will. ("A New Day In The Old Town") ("Over There: Part 1")
- Has a close relationship with her work colleague, Charlie Francis. ("Olivia")
- Both developed romantic feelings for a version of their work colleague, Lincoln Lee.
Differences to Olivia[]
Fauxlivia in the fourth season.
- Her sister and her sister's child are dead. ("Over There: Part 2")
- Never had a stepfather. ("One Night in October")
- Her mother is alive and did not die of cancer. ("Over There: Part 2")
- Quicker with a smile. ("Over There: Part 1")
- Does not have eidetic memory. ("The Box") ("6955 kHz")
- An expert markswoman. ("Olivia")
- Does not drink alcohol. ("Over There: Part 1")
- More active body language.
- Less stiff posture and more relaxed.
- Keeps her backup gun in her jacket, not her purse. ("Over There: Part 2")
Season 2[]
Fauxlivia's happy moments with Frank
Walternate explains to her about the other universe, but tells her that the other people who have crossed over are not to be trusted; she is dismayed to learn one of the people is the other version of herself.
Olivia breaking in Fauxlivia's apartment
She shows Peter Bishop around and learns more about her counterpart until she is confronted by her in her own apartment. Olivia demands to see Peter Bishop, while they learn of each other's background and Bolivia falsely agrees to help her, before she points her gun at her and tries to call Fringe for back-up. The two then get into a physical confrontation, before Bolivia is knocked out.
Later, as she wakes up, she continues the search for Olivia and the others, as she agrees to Walternate's plan to replace Olivia while she is captured. She goes to the Prime Universe with Walter and Peter as her new assignment, as the Bishops are seemingly unaware of her true identity. ("Over There: Part 1")
Season 3[]
Fauxlivia's tattoo removal.
In the primary universe, she replaced Olivia and developed a relationship with Peter Bishop, who originally had feelings for "our" Olivia and thought he was in a relationship with her, not realizing she had been replaced. Although she slipped several times, she had managed to deflect any awkwardness around Peter with playful teasing. This made Peter ignore the signs that he wasn't with the right Olivia. ("The Box")
She developed genuine feelings for Peter Bishop despite initially seducing him to cover her tracks. Upon her return to her universe, she agreed to marry Frank Stanton, but then discovered that she was pregnant with Peter Bishop's child resulting in her fiancé leaving her for good. ("Entrada") ("Immortality")
After learning that she is a carrier of a virus called VPE—a disease that kills the birth mother and child—she decides to abort the baby. However, before she is able to do so she is kidnapped by scientists who trap her in a warehouse and accelerate the baby's development. She escaped the lab and called Lincoln for help. Lincoln brought along Henry the taxi driver. When they reached Fauxlivia she began to go through labor. While Lincoln held Fauxlivia in his arms he told her he loved her. She delivered a baby boy.
Fauxlivia with her son, Henry.
Later at the hospital, her mother Marilyn Dunham came to visit her and her new grandson, who is named Henry Dunham. Fauxlivia is unaware that when her new son's blood is taken, its all part of a plan conducted by the baby's grandfather, Walternate. ("Bloodline")
Fauxlivia investigated a strange energy reading which was a direct result of Walternate's activation of the doomsday machine. She tried to convince him to stop his plan of destroying the blue universe.
Fauxlivia is caught trying to cross back for Peter's help.
Subsequently, she asks Lincoln to care for Henry while she went rogue. She broke into the Department of Defense at Liberty Island in order to cross over to the Prime Universe. Under gunpoint, she demanded that Brandon Fayette (Alternate Universe) provide her with the equipment to cross over to the blue universe. However, he provides her with a dud and she is later caught and placed in a holding cell. ("6:02 AM EST")
In a prior time loop, Fauxlivia and billions of others died in 2011, when Peter stepped into the Vacuum. Art depicts Beyond the Fringe.
Near the end of the season, Fauxlivia is brought to the observation deck in which the doomsday device is activated. He asks her to turn the machine back on using her capabilities (according to the First People text). She refuses.
In the last few moments of the season, both Olivias stand face to face in the Blue Universe glaring at each other. They are forced to work together in Season 4 to make amends for the mistakes Walter made years prior. ("The Day We Died")
In a prior time loop, Fauxlivia, her son Henry, and Captain Lincoln Lee, among billions of others, perished after Peter stepped into the Vacuum. The future of that prior time loop is depicted in the season 3 finale "The Day We Died" where the Fringe Team operate much like the Parallel Universe in 2026, 15 years after Peter caused doomsday for the Other Side.
Their deaths are visually depicted in a comic strip of "Beyond the Fringe", explaining the First People lore, written by Joshua Jackson.
Alternate Timeline[]
Without Peter, Fauxlivia "really got" to Walter.
Fauxlivia returns to an old job: impersonating her other self.
Background Information[]
Similarities[]
- Kidnapped Olivia from the Prime Universe and stole her life. ("Neither Here Nor There")
- Fauxlivia's espionage mission was still to steal pieces of the Vacuum from the Prime Universe.
- During her mission, she charmed Walter Bishop with baked goods and Portuguese shortbread. ("One Night in October")
- Walter in the previous timeline recalled her using baked goods for deception in "Entrada".
Differences[]
- No longer has a son with Peter. ("The End of All Things")
- Has no strain with Walternate. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
- Still dating Frank Stanton. ("One Night in October")
- Has been Lincoln's partner since 2006. ("Everything In Its Right Place")
- Crossed over to another universe before Prime Olivia did. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
- Walter says Olivia was "kidnapped [by Fauxlivia] to the Other Side", instead of being kidnapped from the Other Side. (Because without Peter, there was no mission for Olivia and Walter to rescue him back).
Season 3 finale[]
Fauxlivia seemingly agrees with Olivia.
The Vacuum began to turn on by itself. Fauxlivia was brought in due to the drawing suggesting she had a connection with the device.
She appeared in a lab coat, as she observed Olivia who suggested they start to fix both worlds to Walter and Walternate. ("The Day We Died")
Season 4[]
The version of Fauxlivia, who never knew Peter: sometimes dubbed "Amber-fauxlivia".
One week later, a truce is formed. The Olivias exchange their case briefings in cardboard boxes. Olivia now expresses doubts about the truce, and says it won't work because Fauxlivia is not trustworthy.
Fauxlivia suggests Olivia is the problem, and is incapable of trust. Olivia grimaces the irony, coming from the person who kidnapped and stole her life. Fauxlivia states that it only made her more homesick for her universe.
Later, she meets Lincoln Lee from the prime universe for the first time. Olivia shows her a device that was powering a new form of human shapeshifters, and Fauxlivia states she will look into it. ("Neither Here Nor There")
As part of their truce, and with no other option, Fauxlivia's Fringe Division requests the Prime Fringe team's help for a case in the Alternate Universe. The case pertains to John McClennan, a highly intelligent serial killer with an IQ of 220. In the prime universe, Professor McClennan's area of study is serial killers, so he is recruited to help.
Old habits: Fauxlivia pretends to be Olivia again for a case.
Fauxlivia once again poses as Olivia to bring the illusion that the psychologist, John, who has agreed to stop a serial killer (unaware of it being his counterpart), is still in the prime universe. She states Charlie, who is on his honeymoon with Mona Foster, thinks she is insane for doing it.
Professor McClennan quickly learns the truth and escapes. Both Olivias track him down, where they find Alt-John preparing to kill Prime-John. However, John is saved and Alt-John is killed.
Prime Olivia confides in John that she also came from an abusive home and mentions her stepfather briefly. Later, she corrects Fauxlivia's potential assumption that buttering him meant she was lying. Intrigued, Fauxlivia asks what happened to Olivia's stepfather. Olivia simply states, "I killed him", shocking Fauxlivia. ("One Night in October")
Fauxlivia proposes Olivia is right about Walternate.
Between "Alone in the World" and "Wallflower", Fauxlivia has a break-up with Frank Stanton. The reason for the break-up is not given. Alt-Lincoln is helping Fauxlivia through this break-up, as mentioned in "Enemy of My Enemy".
Fauxlivia "reunites" with Peter Bishop, after catching both Peter and Prime Lincoln go on a rogue crossover mission to help Peter return to his timeline. Reluctantly, Fauxlivia agrees to help.
She proposes Olivia is not paranoid, and Walternate may be involved in the new form of shapeshifters, while Alt-Lincoln believes Peter and Lincoln have sinister intentions. ("Back to Where You've Never Been")
Fauxlivia jokes to Alt-Lincoln that Prime Lincoln is "funny looking".
However, both are incorrect: David Robert Jones of the Prime Universe is responsible, and Lincoln and Peter have noble intentions. Both she and Lincoln locate him as he describes the process of creating human shapeshifters. He declares himself a parent while a disturbed Fauxlivia says, "You must be really proud". ("Enemy of My Enemy")
Jones continues to pose a threat, but Prime Lincoln Lee continues to return to help them on cases, as they are unaware Colonel Broyles is working for Jones (who promises to cure his son if he follows his orders).
Broyles gives away the location for where Fauxlivia and Lee plan to move one of Jones' shapeshifters who they hope will co-operate, which results in the team being ambushed. Fauxlivia's expert marksmanship to target the ambusher proves to be successful, but Lincoln is shot by the sniper in the process and does not survive the surgery. ("Everything In Its Right Place")
Olivia kills the sniper.
Fauxlivia is heartbroken by her loss but is comforted by Prime Lincoln Lee. She begins drinking alcohol left by Frank before he moved out. as a result of her grief. She is oddly comforted by Walter, despite his previous hostilities towards her. They work together to find a mole.
She is able to get Nina Sharp to confess it is Broyles without her knowing it. After this, Lincoln agrees to stay longer to help her out. ("The Consultant")
The Alternate Fringe Team say goodbye.
Jones' ongoing threats prove to be too dangerous for the universes to keep working together, so they decide to close the portal in order to stop his plan for combining the universes.
Fauxlivia says goodbye to Olivia, as the two have formed a mutual respect for one another in their time working together. She admits that there's a lot of qualities that she admires about her, much to Olivia's amusement that she was going to say the same thing. ("Worlds Apart")
Season 5[]
In the year 2036, Olivia, with the use of Cortexiphan, crosses over from the prime universe in the hope that she can cross back and retrieve the Observer child Michael from Liberty Island.
The Lees.
Olivia and Lincoln Lee. Season 5
She comes into contact with her older counterpart and Lincoln Lee, now married with one son, Trevor.
Once Olivia has returned to the alternate universe, Lincoln Lee and Fauxlivia prevent two Observers from harming Olivia and Michael.
Fauxlivia aids Olivia in transporting Michael to Battery Park on her side so they could transport back to the Prime Universe. ("Liberty")
Trivia[]
Fauxlivia the markswoman.
- The writers originally referred to the character as Bolivia, as she is Olivia in the B (meaning secondary) universe. The name did not catch on, and fans simply referred to her as Fauxlivia, and later Altliv when she did not disguise herself as the prime Olivia.
- Anna Torv initially preferred this version of Olivia but grew to prefer the prime Olivia more later on.
- Fauxlivia dyes her hair to suit Olivia's blonde hair colour after she crossed over into our universe.
- Olivia claimed that this version of Olivia is the better version of her as she had a better life than Olivia's. This Olivia did not face the same hardships as ours:
- She never had an abusive stepfather. In the alternate timeline, Olivia shot her stepfather at the age of nine, which caused her to be less empathetic to others. The parallel universe Olivia did not believe this at first, but it proved how different the lives of the two Olivias were, and contributed to this version of Olivia accepting the prime Olivia as her own person rather than a shell of herself.
- This Olivia was never dosed and experimented on as a child with Cortexiphan, which traumatized Olivia to the point where she had repressed her memories of it and developed a very hardened demeanour, in contrast to this Olivia who is "quicker with a smile" and can easily joke around with colleagues.
- This Olivia's mother never died so she had a normal upbringing with her sister.
- She has won an Olympic medal for shooting and proves to be an excellent shot, unlike Olivia. However, she doesn't possess Olivia's photographic memory nor seems to be a linguist.
- This version of Olivia detests alcohol and is seen usually with a glass of water, unlike the prime Olivia who drinks alcohol frequently.
Alternate Universe Characters
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