With the return of "Fringe" to American TV, shouldn't the question be "Is Peter Alive....?"

Continue past the jump to learn more but be warned, here be SPOILERS!

Follow up:

Well, in true Hollywood tradition (even though it's made in Canada) of course he is, he's arguably the centerpiece of the story. There are many theories floating around the "Fringeoverse" as to what happened to him in the Season 3 finale. My favourite being that he has ascended to become an "Observer", the 1940's looking folk who seem to have the power to change destinies with their little electronic notebooks. This was further envisaged by Joshua Jackson's (Peter Bishop) late appearance on the Fringe panel at SDCC. Dressed in matching suit and trilby (a la Observer), some people really went overboard with the idea. Personally I think Josh was having a cheeky bit of fun at the fans expense, having previously read the Fringe forums.

However I have a theory that Peter may have been one of the "First People" (talked about in the last episode), who built and planned "The Machine" many millennium ago, as a fail-safe option, against the disintegration of the universes they had created. The fact that only Peter (or his DNA) can operate the machine successfully, shows this was planned a long, long time ago, though probably without the death and destruction the machine has caused. Olivia also plays a pivotal role in the workings of the machine, so is interlinked to Peter in more ways than is apparent. Is she also a member or ancestor of the “First People”...?

For the uninitiated the series is about Fringe Division, a secret government department affiliated to the FBI. Headed by director Phillip Broyles, Agent Olivia Dunham, Astrid Farnsworth lab assistant to Dr Walter Bishop (the archityple mad scientist), and jack of all trades son Peter Bishop. Basically, Fringe science operates on the edges of normal science, in ways that defy logic. This is because there is another parallel universe that makes all this possible where Walter tore a hole in the fabric of the universes. Both universes are on a collision course because Walter Bishop passed into the alternate universe to steal the other Peter Bishop, when his own son suddenly died from a genetic disease. This resulted in cracks appearing in the alternate world, threatening its survival, so alternate Dr Bishop (known as Walternate) has virtually declared war on our universe to ensure his own worlds survival. It's much more complicated than that, but that's enough info for any newcomers to understand the shows premise.

In the season 3 finale Peter seemed to disappear within the universes, whilst trying to form a bridge between the two worlds, so that a dialogue could be forged to offset the inevitable Armageddon. So plenty to whet the appetite for the new season.

Fringe returns on the Fox Network on Sept 23rd. UK dates haven't yet been announced, but true fans will surely find a way to view it, sooner rather than later.