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Fugue   Credits   Transcript   Images    

"Fugue" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of Sanctuary, and the fifty-fourth episode overall in the series.

This episode is the first and only 'musical'-styled episode.

Synopsis[]

A mysterious abnormal attacks, and Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman discover there is only one way to communicate with this unusual enemy, through music.

Plot[]

Cold Open[]

The team has cornered a violent humanoid Abnormal with a naturally armored body in the Sanctuary; the creature throws Will Zimmerman through a wall, and resists the others' attempts to stun it. Helen Magnus gets an upgraded stun weapon from the armory and is able to take the abnormal down. As Will drops a blanket over it, it returns to its original form -- Abby Corrigan.

Act I[]

Abby is taken to a secure isolation room, and Will mentions that this is the third transformation she has been through in 24 hours. Meanwhile, Henry Foss and Abby's partner at the FBI, Agent Gavin Crealy, search the site of the first incident.

Magnus suggests to Will that he has to find a way to keep Abby close to the real world and the people who care about her. He sits watch at his girlfriend's bed for two days, but there are no changes. When Declan MacRae arrives, he puts on some music, causing Abby to instantly wake up and demand to know what is going on—in a singing voice. Will and Declan try to talk to her, but she can only communicate by singing.

Act II[]

Magnus discovers that Abby's brain is undergoing changes that cause her to be able to understand the harmonic frequencies of singing, but not those of normal speech. They are able to establish a dialogue with by singing to her, and ask her what happened. She cannot remember what happened to her, and is getting weaker.

Henry and Gavin have made no progress. Henry decides to talk to the local red-list dealers, but just at that moment Gavin finds something on his scanner. They identify a thermal residue that leads them to a slimy cocoon.

Back in the Sanctuary, Magnus identifies the cocoon as similar to that of a galvanic blood tick, which often pairs up with other organisms. She deduces that Abby was purposely infected by Hollow Earth insurgents to see if the Sanctuary team would be able to counter the effects.

In the infirmary, Will tries to sing in order to be able to communicate with Abby. When Gavin arrives, Will angrily accuses him of letting his partner down, and tells him there is no way to make this right.

Some time later, Abby wakes up and identifies Will. However, when he calls her Abby, she gets up and reveals to be the parasite who has taken control of her. Singing to him, she quickly overwhelms him and tries to seduce him, but Magnus and Declan arrive just in time to sedate her.

Act III[]

Henry checks up on Will and convinces him to take a break. He later sings a folk song to Abby for comfort.

Magnus arrives in the main lab, where Declan has set up a video conference with a number of head of house and Richard Feliz. They start to complain about a number of difficulties related to the global networks change in relations to the United Nations. To Magnus' shock, everyone suddenly starts to sing.

The team continues to work on Abby's case, but apparently to no effect. Will wakes up from his sleep, and discovers that Abby has disappeared. He finds her at the Sanctuary's rooftop, ready to jump. He finally overcomes his shyness and sings to her in order to make her return to safety. In the song, he confesses to her that he loves her and that he thinks she is the love of his life. She answers that she loves him too, and jumps off the wall.

Act IV[]

A shocked Will watches as Abby falls. However, halfway down, she once again transforms into the mysterious armored abnormal, and lands safely. Before she can get away, Magnus stuns her once more.

Magnus scans Abby's brain again, discovering that her brain is already undergoing permanent changes. Will is unwilling to give her up, and so is Magnus. She goes to the library to investigate further, and has a vision of her father singing to her. She remembers a theory of his about the origin of abnormal species, which suggests that abnormals are created when a being's DNA violently tries to differ itself from the rest of the gene pool, becoming something new and unique.

Magnus figures out one possible solution to Abby's "disease"; they could implant a giant salamander parasite larva into her body to attract the mutant DNA to an even more malleable host. However, that creature would evolve rapidly and eventually fight its ways out of Abby's body, possibly killing her.

Act V[]

Will is afraid of the consequences, but Magnus is adamant in her decision to use the procedure. Both leave, not noticing Gavin, who overheard the whole conversation.

Henry and Declan take Will to a holding cell to keep him from interfering. However, Gavin stuns Henry some time later and frees Will.

Magnus and Declan are in the process of performing the operation; the advanced salamander larva breaks through her abdomen, wounding Abby seriously.

Act VI[]

While Magnus and Declan try their best to revive Abby, Will has to watch helplessly, and sings a soft "just stay". Eventually, Abby's pulse comes back.

Some time later, Will comes to see Abby in one of the guest rooms where she is recovering. She remembers what he told her on the roof, and considers their relationship "disaster-proof" now. Will counters that he can handle anything, as long as he doesn't have to sing.

Finally, Will and Magnus have to talk. She asks him to be truthful, and he admits to being angry about the way she went over his head. She explains that she chose him as her protégé exactly because he would not compromise about the things he believed in, and that she is very proud of him.

Cast[]

Series regulars
Guest starring
Featuring

Soundtrack credits[]

"Why Can't I Understand You?"
Written by Damian Kindler and Andrew Lockington
Performed by Pascale Hutton
"Have I Become A Monster"
Written by Damian Kindler and Andrew Lockington
Performed by Amanda Tapping and Pascale Hutton
"I'm The Thing You Fear The Most"
Written by Damian Kindler and Andrew Lockington
Performed by Pascale Hutton and Robin Dunne
"The Parting Glass"
Traditional
Performed by Ryan Robbins
"The Conference Call"
Written by Damian Kindler and Andrew Lockington
Performed by Robert Lawrenson, Carlo Rota, Anjali Jay, Conrad Coates, and Amanda Tapping
"Please Just Let Me Go"
Written by Damian Kindler and Andrew Lockington
Performed by Robin Dunne and Pascale Hutton
"Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid"
Written by Jim Byrnes
Performed by Jim Byrnes

Quotes[]

GAVIN: I say we do a door-to-door canvassing of the neighborhood. Someone's got to have seen or heard something.
HENRY: If someone saw something, it would be headline news. Most abnormals are pretty good at staying out of sight.
GAVIN: Yes, we're dealing with monsters, but the basic tenets of detective work still apply here...
HENRY: [Impatiently] Dude!
GAVIN: Sorry. I said the "M" word. Please don't werewolf on me.
HENRY: HAP. Hyper-accele... Never mind. Scan the area. Full spectrum.

Extras[]

  • Making-Of Featurette: "Fugue: Making a Musical"

Deleted scene: Scene 27 "Queen Of Analogue"[]

INT. - OLD CITY SANCTUARY - UPPER LEVEL - LIBRARY
[Magnus is sitting at a table surrounded by several open books and journals piled on top of each other.]
MAGNUS: [singing softly]
♪ I'll go where you lead me ♪
♪ On rivers of roses or rain ♪
♪ I'll go... ♪
[Henry enters the room pushing a cart carrying vinyl records.]
HENRY: That sounds nice.
Magnus: Oh. It-It's a song my father used to sing to me. After he returned from his time in America in the 1900s. He used to call them "Spirituals". I always found it comforting.
HENRY: Okay, Berlioz through Verdi. You sure you don't want this on an mp3 or .wav file?
MAGNUS: Certainly not.
HENRY: Ah, why would you? You're the queen of analog.
MAGNUS: And proud of it.
HENRY: Progress?
MAGNUS: Of sorts. The fact that the creature prevented Abby from killing herself is very intriguing.
HENRY: Yeah, that's one way of putting it. I'd say we're damn lucky.
MAGNUS: See, most parasites simply abandon their hosts when they become compromised or die. This one protected her, which indicates some sort of symbiotic relationship. The key is her response to music. Look at this. [points to book]
HENRY: Coma patients?
MAGNUS: Asleep for decades suddenly waking up when a particular section of an opera or symphony is performed. And this. Children who suddenly display heightened mental powers when certain melodies or cadences are performed. Music unlocks parts of our brain we didn't even know exist.
HENRY: Lady Gaga.
MAGNUS: [confused] Hmm?
HENRY: I... agree with you.
MAGNUS: [points to record player] Put that on.
HENRY: Sure.
[Henry sets the needle on the record and soft instrumental music starts to play.]
HENRY: Oh, sweet.
MAGNUS: In his journal, my father claims that one of his patients began being able to read people's thoughts but only when that exact piece of music was being played. [pauses to listen to music] The harmonies were in sync with his own aural vibrational patterns. If we keep allowing Abby to sing to us, that might help her remain human. Uh, think of it like a language that's keeping her psyche grounded.
[Henry's cell phone goes off, playing a howling wolf ringtone. Henry answers the call.]
HENRY: [on cell phone] Yo.
HENRY: [on cell phone] Yeah, we're in the library.
HENRY: [on cell phone] Oh, crap. Okay. [ends call]
HENRY: Doc, it's Declan. The heads of house conference call started ten minutes ago.
MAGNUS: Oh, bloody hell. I completely forgot.
[Magnus gets up from the table and hurries out of the room.]
[Henry picks up a record from the cart and reads the personalized inscription written on it.]
HENRY: "To Helen, who helped us find our Joshua Tree, love Bono." No way...
[Henry quickly and excitedly goes over the the record player and carefully switches out the current record for the one he just picked up.]

Deleted scene: Scene 31 "Trust Your Instincts"[]

INT. - OLD CITY SANCTUARY - UPPER LEVEL - HALLWAY OUTSIDE MAGNUS'S STUDY - NIGHT
[Magnus is about to walk into her study when she notices Gavin sitting on a sofa just down the hallway.]
[Magnus calls to Gavin and walks over towards him.]
MAGNUS: Agent Calver.
[Gavin is pulled from his thoughts and stands up to face her.]
MAGNUS: Is everything alright?
GAVIN: Oh, you betcha. How is she?
MAGNUS: Honestly, I don't know. But we've lots of road left, so chin up. Look, why don't you go to the kitchen. Help yourself to whatever you'd like. I think there's a nice pot roast in there that Henry made a few days ago. Or, or, use one of the guest rooms if you need to rest.
GAVIN: That's very kind, but I think I'm just gonna... ...sit here and... ...not... ...touch... ...anything.
MAGNUS: Agent Calver.
GAVIN: Gavin.
[Magnus invites him to sit down with her on the sofa.]
MAGNUS: Gavin. None of this is your fault. No one could have known what you and Abby were actually walking into.
GAVIN: Again, it's very kind. But I completely disagree. You would have, Will, Henry for sure would have totally sensed something. Me, I, I didn't even know there were super powered creatures roaming the Earth until two months ago. Let alone insurgents. Henry's right. I'm a by-the-book kinda guy and that simply does not work in the world of... ...abnormals.
MAGNUS: You sound rather like me when I started out. When my father handed me the mantle to his life's work, the original Sanctuary, I wanted to do it very differently from him. Create stricter protocols, more definitive guidelines for how we do everything.
GAVIN: And how'd that work for ya?
MAGNUS: Horribly. Because in order to do anything well you have to trust your instincts completely. I learned that making a decision you regret is far better than the alternative.
GAVIN: Which is?
MAGNUS: To do nothing. That is the worst crime of all. I believe Will put it best from some sports film he loves so much. "Don't think, Meat. Just pitch."
GAVIN: [laughs]
MAGNUS: I really have to get back to work. Do try the pot roast. It's quite good.
[Magnus gets up and leaves, walking towards her study.]
[Gavin stays, sits back into the seat, and lets out a reflective breath.]

Notes[]

  • Trivia: According to several tweets, this episode would feature the return of Jim Byrnes as Gregory Magnus.
  • Trivia:' This is Sanctuarys first musical episode. Music and lyrics were done by series creator Damian Kindler and composer Andrew Lockington.
  • Reused Plot: The plotline for this episode is recycled from Episode 3x14 - "Metamorphosis". In that episode, Will Zimmerman is infected by a cillobar spore he picked up previously in Hollow Earth. The spores multiply and individually inject their own DNA into his cells, transforming him. Nothing Helen Magnus does is able to stop or significantly slow his genetic changes. Eventually, she uses modified spores carrying Will's own DNA to infect the changed cells, mutating him back to normal. In this episode, Abby Corrigan is infected by a modified parasite by Hollow Earth insurgents. This insurgent parasite genetically modifies Abby's DNA, mutating her into an entirely new never-before-seen creature. Magnus states that any DNA lock she tries is overcome by the creature. She then resorts to putting a genetically simpler, more malleable lifeform into Abby to attract the invading DNA, causing it to leave Abby's cells alone, returning her to normal.
    • Considering similar circumstances, it is unknown why neither Will Zimmerman nor Helen Magnus acknowledge or try to use modified cillobar spores to save Abby Corrigan, even though Will references his own previous body-snatching situation.
  • Trivia: When Henry Foss and Gavin Crealy are at the alley site, the scene opens with an in-joke on a bakery sign: Kindler, Tapping, and Wood are advertised with a splash screen of "Nice Buns". These are the names of the three executive producers including series creator Damian Kindler, leading actress Amanda Tapping, and director Martin Wood.
  • Trivia: Henry Foss sings 'The Parting Glass'. This Scottish song goes back to the 1600s, and nowadays is most popular in Ireland. Henry sang part of the contemporary version, which didn't appear till after the mid-1800s.
  • Continuity Error: Abby Corrigan is put in a supposedly secure medical room. Characters are shown having to enter a code to enter or leave the room. But several times characters are shown entering / leaving without entering the code.
  • Trivia: Pascale Hutton who plays Abby Corrigan is a trained opera singer.
  • Continuity Error: In Deleted Scene: Scene 31 "Trust Your Instincts", Helen Magnus mistakenly addresses Gavin Crealy as "Agent Calver" rather than as "Agent Crealy".
  • Chronology: In Deleted Scene: Scene 31 "Trust Your Instincts", Gavin Crealy admits that he never knew of abnormals until two months ago. Gavin is first introduced in Episode 4x03 - "Untouchable". In that episode, he had just joined the FBI's new abnormal division, becoming Abby Corrigan's partner.
  • Character Error: At end of the episode between Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman, Magnus says that she hired Will Zimmerman because he doesn't compromise and would be a brilliant leader of the Sanctuary Network because he always fights for what he believes is right. This is wrong on three accounts: 1) Magnus hired him for his ability to see beyond the ordinary, 2) a trait of a good leader is their ability to compromise, and 3) what someone believes is right does not also unequivocally make it the best decision.

Gallery[]

References[]

SanctuarySeason 4
● 01 Tempus ● 02 Uprising ● 03 Untouchable ● 04 Monsoon ● 05 Resistance ● 06 Homecoming ● 07 Icebreaker ● 08 Fugue ● 09 Chimera ● 10 Acolyte ● 11 The Depths ● 12 Sanctuary for None, Part I ● 13 Sanctuary for None, Part II
Story Arc   :   Abnormal Insurgency
● 3x11 Pax Romana ● 3x19 Out of the Blue ● 3x20 Into the Black ● 4x02 Uprising ● 4x03 Untouchable ● 4x05 Resistance ● 4x08 Fugue ● 4x10 Acolyte ● 4x12 Sanctuary for None, Part I ● 4x13 Sanctuary for None, Part II
Story Arc   :   Mary Anne Zimmerman
● 1x01 Sanctuary for All, Part I ● 1x02 Sanctuary for All, Part II ● 1x05 Kush ● 1x10 Warriors ● 3x19 Out of the Blue ● 4x03 Untouchable ● 4x06 Homecoming ● 4x08 Fugue
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