Peter Bishop is a fictional character of the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.
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Fictional character biography
Peter Bishop was born on September 18, 1978, in the alternate universe, to parents Walter Bishop, also known as "Walternate," and his wife Elizabeth Bishop. In 1985, Peter acquired an extremely rare and savage genetic disease. His father, a brilliant scientist (in both universes), worked around-the-clock to save him.
Revealed in the episode "Peter," the Walter Bishop of the prime-universe watched his own son, the prime-universe version of Peter, die because of the same disease. He would frequently watch the other Peter living in the alternate universe via a "trans-dimensional window," which could allow someone to view the Other Side. Eventually, Walter formulated a compound and opened a doorway into the other universe, with the intentions of saving the other Peter from death. However, the vial containing the compound shattered on his way over to the Other Side, so he was forced to kidnap Peter, bring him over to the prime-universe, cure him, and then return him. But, after curing Peter on our side, he and his wife could not find themselves able to return him, so they raised him as their own.
Though at first resistant to this, Peter later grew up oblivious to Walter's deception, apparently forgetting it happened. He repeatedly told Olivia Dunham that he was never fond of his father, and even recalled times when Walter experimented on him. It is implied that Walter did this to see how Peter's body reacted to moving between universes. In 1991, Walter's lab assistant, Dr. Carla Warren, was killed in a fire in his lab, and Walter was locked away inside St. Claire's Mental Institution. Peter later admits to have never visited Walter, and continued to grow up despising his father. His hatred towards Walter grew to the point that Peter took books belonging to Robert Bishop, Walter's father, and sold them for money, an action that affected Walter greatly when he discovered this in 2009.
Even with his genius I.Q. level of 190, and fluency in English, Arabic, Persian, Latin, Greek, Cantonese, Russian, and Spanish, Peter became a college drop-out with gambling debts, a jack-of-all-trades, and a master con artist. He falsified a chemistry degree from MIT and managed to publish a few papers before his con was discovered. The only time he spoke to his father during Walter's initial 17-year stay inside St. Claire's was when Walter phoned to tell him that Elizabeth had died in a car crash, though Peter later discovered that she actually committed suicide because of the guilt she carried from keeping him in this universe ("The Man From The Other Side.") Additionally, Peter has trouble with the mafia because he owes an undisclosed amount of money to "Big Eddie," a crime lord who had been hunting him for some time.
Season one
Peter was first seen setting up a business deal in Baghdad, Iraq, when he was blackmailed by Olivia Dunham to gain access to his father. Peter releases Walter from St. Claire's so he can develop a cure for Olivia's lover, John Scott, though John is discovered to be a traitor (it is revealed in episode 1x13, "The Transformation," that John was actually an undercover agent working with the National Security Agency, and his love for Olivia was real).
For the majority of the early episodes, Peter despises working with his father, and in episode 1x04, "The Arrival," he prepares to leave Boston for good. But, he comes in contact with The Observer known as "September," who appears to read Peter's mind. Following this incident, Peter realizes that "The Pattern" does actually exist, and vows to remain in Boston until he discovers the truth, becoming a civilian consultant for U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in the area of fringe science.
By the culmination of season one, Peter and Walter appear to have completely reconciled. Peter even builds his father a device that could repair his water-damaged records, in episode 1x19, "The Road Not Taken." By the first season finale, "There's More Than One of Everything," Walter reveals to Peter the existence of the alternate universe, without telling him that is where he was born. Peter plays a key role in stopping David Robert Jones from opening a door to the Other Side, to kill William Bell, by closing the hole shut while Jones' body is only halfway through, slicing him in half. By this time, Walter begins leaving Peter notes explaining where he has run off to, making Peter remark to Astrid Farnsworth, "our little boy has grown up," solidifying his newfound love for his father.
Season two
In the beginning of season two, "A New Day in the Old Town," Olivia returns to the prime-universe after a visit to William Bell in the other dimension. She is gravely wounded on her way back and not expected to survive. A devastated Peter goes to say goodbye before she is taken off life-support, and after he kisses her forehead, Olivia awakens from her coma and cryptically tells Peter, "na eínai kalýtero ánthropo apó ton patéra sou (tou)," Greek for "be a better man than your father." Olivia does not remember saying this, or her experience on the Other Side, but this phrase deeply affects Peter, who explains that his mother used to say it to him every night before he went to bed. By episode 2x04, "Momentum Deferred," Olivia remembers meeting Bell in the other dimension, and learning of an impending war between both universes, and that an army of "shape-shifters" from the other side is working undercover in the prime-universe.
Peter and Walter's reconciliation reaches its peak in episode 2x10, "Grey Matters". Thomas Jerome Newton, the leader of the shape-shifters, kidnaps Walter and forces him to reveal how he opened an inter-dimensional doorway in 1985. Peter risks everything to rescue Walter and is horrified at the thought of seeing him die. In the episode "Jacksonville", Walter reactivates Olivia's Cortexiphan abilities, allowing her to identify objects from the Other Side because of a distinctive "glimmer" they display. When she looks at Peter, he projects a "glimmer", making Olivia realize he came from the Other Side. Olivia promises Walter that she will not tell Peter the truth, feeling that some secrets are far too damaging to be revealed.
In the episode "The Man from the Other Side", Walter decides he has to tell Peter the truth, but, as he is about to explain, they are called in to investigate a case. They discover that Newton is attempting to bring something—or someone—from the other universe into our world. The sonic vibrations released from Newton's device would inevitably kill anyone from this universe. When Peter shuts down the device and only sustains a concussion, he discovers his true origins. While receiving treatment in the hospital, he confronts Walter and blames him for his adopted mother's suicide. At the end of the episode, Olivia notifies Walter that Peter has checked out of the hospital and is on the run to resume his isolated and nomadic pre-Fringe life. Despite attempts to track him down, Olivia is unable to locate him.
Peter travels to Washington state where he works with local police to solve a series of murders. He believes that Newton is responsible, but is proved wrong. However, Peter later finds Newton in his motel room, and is held at gunpoint. With Peter subdued, Newton calls out to "Mr. Secretary" (the man he pulled over from the Other Side), who is revealed to be his biological father, Walter (Walternate), from the other universe.
Season three
After returning to his universe, Peter finds it difficult being able to accept Walter's reasons for kidnapping him. In 3x02, "The Box", Peter helps thwart a terrorist attack on a Boston train station; he discovers that the ultrasonic device used for the attack is part of the weapon Walternate showed him, making him realize there are pieces of it in this universe as well.
Peter also becomes romantically interested in "Fauxlivia" (the alternate Olivia), unaware that she is an impostor sent to manipulate him and Walter. Later in Season 3 in the episode "Entrada", Peter discovers the truth as prime-Olivia informs him of being trapped in the alternate Universe. After the prime universe Olivia returns, she tells Peter that her hopes of reuniting with him helped her to survive and come back, leaving Peter in a tricky situation regarding his feelings for Olivia. "Fauxlivia" returns to her home universe and finds herself six weeks pregnant, Walternate welcomes the news and offers his full support, though it seems he has an ulterior plans for the pregnancy and baby. Peter is unaware of the pregnancy or Walternate's plans.
In the episode "Marionette", prime-Olivia struggles with the thought that the man she loved could not realize Fauxlivia was an impostor. She angrily declares that she does not want to be with Peter anymore, claiming "she's [Fauxlivia] taken everything".
In the episode "6B" Peter and Olivia try to fix their relationship, but when they share a kiss, Olivia begins to see him glimmer and realizes she is afraid (as this ability is present when she is in a state of fear). She talks to him about it outside the bar opposite the apartment block they are investigating when she sees that the glow of the alternate universe can be seen emanating from the window of apartment 6B. Once the case is resolved, Olivia unexpectedly shows up at the Bishop's house with some whiskey to celebrate another catastrophe averted, talks to Peter, and tells him she wants to know how 'beautiful' she and Peter can be. This was in reference to his statement that any lingering thoughts he had of Fauxlivia were because he spent so much time dreaming of what it would be like to be in a relationship with Olivia and that it was, indeed, a beautiful thing. The two kiss and Olivia leads Peter upstairs, presumably to consummate their relationship.
In "The Firefly," September and The Observers resurface, hoping to correct a mistake he made 25 years prior. In the ensuing chase between them, Peter corners September on a rooftop and asks what will happen to him, if the "doomsday machine" will in fact destroy both him and this universe. However, September only cryptically states, "it must be difficult, being a father," before shooting him with his "air gun," knocking him unconscious. At the end of the episode, September and another Observer, December, watch the Bishop house, and reveal the reason why they orchestrated the day's events—to see if Walter is finally able to let Peter die, which he apparently is. "And, now we know," September remarks, "when the time comes, he will be willing to do it again".
Season four
Because of Peter's "erasure" from existence, a new timeline develops, which while very similar to the original one, contains slight differences. Just as happened in the original timeline, Walter was locked away in St. Claire's Mental Hospital for seventeen years, until Olivia Dunham had him released in order to help her partner and lover John Scott. However, without Peter there, they were unable to save John's life. The Fringe Division of the prime-universe is still formed after this, but the characters all have subtle personality differences. Also, other events which Peter only had a slight hand in are erased entirely, such as the prime-universe version of Lincoln Lee's first meeting with the Fringe Division.
Olivia lives with the constant feeling that something is missing from her life, and joined Fringe Division because she believed it would help her find answers. As a result of this, she has a much colder personality, and maintains an openly hostile relationship with double, Fauxlivia. She also managed to kill her stepfather (whereas in the original timeline she only wounded him), and was adopted by Nina Sharp, who continues to be a maternal figure in her life.
Without Peter's presence, Walter has even less of a grip of reality, becoming agoraphobic, afraid to leave the lab, hypersensitive to germs that may or may not be there, and prone to destructive "episodes." In order to cope with this, he has Astrid examine crime scenes while wearing an ear-mounted microphone and video camera, while he watches. He also sets up a bed in the lab, with an FBI agent stationed outside whenever he sleeps. Olivia appears to have a calming effect on him, and their relationship is more gentle and crutch-like than in the original timeline.
In "Neither Here Nor There," September the Observer is instructed by his superior to erase all memories of Peter that still remain despite the timeline's change. While September constructs the necessary device, brief apparitions of Peter begin appearing to his former colleagues. However, they are so brief that most do not notice, with the exception of Walter, who becomes so terrified that he hides in his sensory deprivation tank. His colleagues do not believe him due to his fragile mental state. Once the device is constructed however, September decides not to activate it, and Walter sees a reflection of Peter in the screen of his television, causing him to panic. The "hallucinations" continue, and become auditory, with Peter pleading with Walter to help him. This pushes Walter to the brink, and Olivia finds him about to lobotomize himself as a result. It is at that point revealed that she has dreams of Peter, and the two agree to try to find him, though they don't know who he is or why he is appearing to them.
Personality
Peter has been described as a "sort of jack of all trades", and also as a "brilliant person" who possesses "a lot of his father's innate intelligence". He is often the first person to note how insane the proposed experiments sound and tries to find logical explanations often where there are none. When he is first introduced, Peter is callous and cold to Olivia, showing little concern for Agent Scott, but he grows to become more sympathetic as details of his unhappy and often traumatic childhood are revealed. He often maintains a sardonic, cynical demeanor, but has proven time and time again to have a heart of gold. In addition, he has become far more enthusiastic about the work Fringe Division does, and his thought process has realigned itself to suit that.
Relationships
Prior to the pilot, Peter did not have a close relationship with his father, Walter. As a result, Peter grew up turning his back on science, the career field of his father. While the relationship has had many ups and downs, Peter has grown to trust and admire Walter, and consider him to be his father.
In the prime timeline, Peter was in love with Olivia, but was unaware that he fathered a child with Fauxlivia, whom she named Henry, in the alternate universe. Subsequently, at the end of season 3, when Peter is removed from the timeline as though he had never existed beyond childhood, Henry, too, ceases to exist.
In the alternate timeline, Peter married Olivia and had a daughter, Henrietta "Etta" (female version of "Henry"). After being taken by the observers when they invaded and reunited after 21 years, she was killed by Captain Windmark in "The Bullet That Saved the World". However, after Walter created a new timeline erasing The Observers from the future Peter, Olivia and Etta seemingly live happily ever after.