Actress Anna Torv says she has a wish for her character of Olivia Dunham. She hopes that for the upcoming fourth season of Fringe that Olivia will be “less tormented.”
“I want to see how much of Olivia’s turmoil and sadness is connected to Peter, or things that have happened with him around,” she says. “Are those things gone [without him]? Is there room, perhaps, for her to unbutton her coat a little bit?”
Torv, who plays both Olivia and her double on the Fox series, added that she is keen to explore “a different take” on her character.
“Is there room for a different take on her?” she speculated. “Is she softer or is she harder [without Peter]? I am hopeful that she won’t be as tormented. I think she needs a break.”
I would say that this is the natural progression of Olivia. After her experience with William Bell in her mind, and the need for the Fringe team to go into her mind and rescue her, she came out far stronger and more confident and self-assured about herself (even though she had met the man who she believed would be the one to kill her). Even with Peter being erased from time, it would appear that mental experience with Bell had for the most part remained.
With all of that I would think it’s only appropriate for Olivia to continue on in a stronger, less tormented manner, and I would personally like to see that character development for Olivia as well.