Peter Bishop

Grew up… a sickly child. When he was 7, Peter was diagnosed with an extremely rare and untreatable genetic disease. Walter Bishop, his father, worked relentlessly to find a cure. It is unknown how Walter eventually saved him, but it seems that a great price was paid for Peter’s health. Walter was later charged with experimenting on humans and committed to an insane asylum – leaving Peter to grow up without his father.

Living… in Boston, Massachusetts. A series of unexplained scientific events have been occurring worldwide, leaving governmental agencies befuddled. A special Homeland Security task force, called Fringe Division, has been charged with investigating these crimes. Olivia Dunham, one of their agents, sought Peter out to help her get Walter Bishop out of St. Claire asylum. Peter unwillingly complied and is currently living with his father, investigating fringe events and trying to determine their origin.

Profession… brilliant (ex)con-man. Olivia perfectly describes Peter’s professional career: “A high school drop-out, I.Q. at 190 – which is 50 points north of genius. Misfit. Nomad. Hasn’t kept a job longer than two months… briefly a college chemist and professor.”

Interests… freedom, gambling, traveling, and evading the law (he has been arrested seven times). With a genius level IQ, Peter always had a knack for counting cards – a skill he used to win significant sums of money through gambling. His luck caught up with him when a casino cheated, leaving Peter seriously in debt to a man named “Big Eddie.”

Relationship Status… single. He also has a strained relationship with his father. When Olivia first reaches out for his help accessing Walter at St. Claire, Peter stubbornly says, “I’d rather stay here in Iraq. That is how much I want to see my father.” Peter remembers a very chaotic childhood and blames his father for it. He viewed Walter’s incarceration as “the first truly peaceful period in our home.”

Challenge… believing in the impossible, and establishing a relationship with his father. Peter constantly serves as the voice of reason when Walter comes up with seemingly impossible scientific claims, particularly when his experiments place a member of the group in danger (usually Olivia). Peter is initially so speculative of pseudoscience that he asks, “You are telling me what – that my father was Frankenstein?” After experiencing an event that unquestionably confirms “The Pattern” – unexplained scientific phenomena occurring around the world – Peter decides to stay and become a civilian consultant for the task force.

Personality… brilliant, loyal, logical, pragmatic, and sarcastic. Even though Peter’s unhappy childhood made him very cynical, he has a heart of gold and will do everything in his power to help his loved ones.