Dr. Walter Bishop

Walter Bishop is a brilliant "Fringe" scientist with a taste for strawberry milkshakes and Red Vines — and a history of mental instability. Years ago, he and partner William Bell discovered a parallel universe, "the Other Side." After Walter's young son, Peter, died of a terminal illness, Walter crossed over to cure Peter's double on the Other Side. But he ended up kidnapping Peter and triggering a cosmic imbalance that caused the slow destruction of the Other Side.

Peter's vengeful true father, "Walternate," tried to destroy Walter's world. But Peter foiled that plan by using Walternate's "doomsday machine" to create a bridge between universes, so both sides could fix things together. Then Peter vanished from reality . . . and Walter got more broken.

Wracked with guilt, Walter still worked with Fringe Division but was even more reclusive. To Walter's knowledge, Peter had died right after he brought him over. So when he saw the adult Peter return — first as a vision, then in the flesh — he refused to believe the man was his son.

That didn't stop Walter from figuring out that Bell was the mastermind of a plan to collapse both universes and create a new one. After the two Fringe teams saved their worlds, Walter accepted Peter and happily anticipated his future grandchild. But now that a new threat is looming, Walter faces a challenge unlike any even he has known.


Secretary Walter Bishop, aka Walternate

The Walter Bishop of the Other Side is far different from his "mad scientist" counterpart. "Walternate" is the U.S. Secretary of Defense, doesn't have brain damage, and always wears suits. He can be ruthless — kidnapping Olivia, deceiving Peter, and even resolving to destroy the other universe to save his own — but he's not without morals.

After his son, Peter, used the Machine to create a bridge between universes and then vanished from reality, Walternate didn't remember him. He only recalled the boy Walter kidnapped, and how that act triggered the slow destruction of Walternate's world. Still, he kept his word to work with his hated counterpart's Fringe team to heal both sides.

But trust in Walternate was shaken after a new type of shapeshifter emerged, similar to the ones he created, but human. When Walternate discovered it was the work of David Robert Jones, he enlisted Peter to convince the other Fringe team that he was not their enemy. He even supported Peter and Walter's plan to remove the bridge, handicapping his world but foiling William Bell's plan to destroy both universes.

Before returning to his side forever, Walternate soothed Walter's fear that Peter would vanish again. The former enemies shared a final moment of understanding . . . and hope for a better future.