Ep 2. The Same Old Story

The Same Old Story is the second episode of the science fiction television show, Fringe, which aired its first season in 2008. The episode revolves around a case where a young woman dies due to aging at an alarmingly fast rate, leading to the discovery of a drug that is responsible for causing the rapid aging.

The episode begins with a bizarre scene where a woman named Tess receives a phone call from a man who asks her whether she is pregnant. After confirming that she is, the man tells her that she needs to inject herself with a serum to stop the pregnancy from progressing any further, and that he has already sent it to her. Tess injects herself with the serum, but within minutes, she starts aging rapidly until she eventually dies, leaving the observers stunned.

The Fringe team, consisting of FBI agent Olivia Dunham, Dr. Walter Bishop, and his son Peter, are brought in to investigate the case. They realize that the woman's body had aged at a rate of ten years per hour, and that a drug was responsible for causing her death. As they inspect the crime scene further, they find a vial of the same serum that was used by Tess, leading them to believe that the case is not an isolated incident.

The team then interviews Tess's fiancé, who tells them that she had come into contact with a man who had promised to take care of her pregnancy. He provides the team with a sketch of the man, who they identify as Dr. David Esterbrook, a plastic surgeon who owns a cosmetic clinic in the city. They suspect that Esterbrook may be involved in the making of the serum, so they decide to investigate him further.

In the meantime, Olivia visits a medical examiner who tells her that the serum contained a hormone called "Cortisone 10," which causes premature aging. He also tells her that the hormone was extracted from the tissue of a mummified corpse that was discovered in Egypt.

The Fringe team then tracks down Esterbrook and interrogates him, but he denies having any involvement in the creation of the serum. However, Peter discovers that Esterbrook was lying, and that he had worked with a scientist named Dr. Ben Loeb to create the serum. The team then tracks down Loeb, who is found dead in his car, with a bullet wound in his head.

Following Loeb's clues, the Fringe team discovers that the serum was developed as part of a biological weapon by a company called ZFT, which paid Loeb to develop it. They also realize that Tess was not the first victim of the serum, and that several other women had died before her.

As the team works to find a way to stop the spread of the serum, they realize that Tess's baby is still alive, and that it has aged at an alarming rate due to the serum that is still in Tess's system. The team must race against time to find a way to save the baby before it dies of old age.

The Same Old Story is a gripping and intense episode that sets the tone for the rest of the series. It introduces viewers to the Fringe team and their unique approach to solving cases that involve unexplainable phenomena. With its impressive visual effects, engaging storyline, and compelling characters, The Same Old Story is a must-watch for fans of science fiction and crime dramas.