The panel for Fringe Season 4 kicked off with a sizzle reel recapping the show's last 3 seasons, with Peter (Joshua Jackson) conspicuously absent from the footage. Where is Peter? Did he ever exist? Will he come back?
The entire cast of Fringe and the show's key producers were on hand to answer our questions... As long as our questions were about anything related to Season 4 and Peter's fate. Pinkner was very clear that the audience Q & A would find "more success" asking questions about previous Fringe seasons than it's current one.
But the conversation did steer toward Season 4 and Peter, and showrunners J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner were very careful - and cryptic - with the details they let out.
"There is no Peter," Pinkner said. "Peter doesn't exist... But we'll let you know when he shows up." This answer also cleared up any question that the previous season was all some sort of It's A Wonderful Life "dream" of Peter's. Season 3 and it's game-changing finale really happened, and Peter is, for now, no more.
Eventually, following a faux audition reel for the role of Peter Bishop - featuring everyone from Damon Lindelof to Community's Danny Pudi (Abed!), to Heroes' Greg Grunberg to Michael Emerson(!) - Joshua Jackson came out on stage for an unannounced, surprise appearance, wearing The Observer's costume. When asked what is the significance of this look for Peter and if it hints to future storylines for the character, Jackson dodged the question.
Later, Jackson did speak to what Peter's head space will be should the character return.
"Very different version of what we've seen before," Jackson said. "He is in a very different place."
Another character who will undergo change is Astrid, and maybe her doppelganger as well. "[We'll see] a different kind of Astrid then we've seen before," actor Jasika Nicole said. And this season, Jaskia implied that Astrid will get a gun, and she did so by singing "Astrid's Got a Gun" to the tune of Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun."
And that's all the discussion the Fringe Team was willing to have with the packed crowd in Ballroom 20. So basically, if you want to know what happens next, you'll have to wait until Season 4 premieres.