The story of Walter Bishop has really been at the core of the show since the very beginning. Though his intellect is second to none, he is also deeply disturbed and very crazy. This hasn't always been the case, though. Through recollections and flashbacks we are treated to a very different Doctor Bishop who is not only lucid and relatively sane but also commands the attention and respect of those around him.
This leads us to one of the greatest mysteries the show will pose to the viewers: What could possibly make such a great man fall so far as to spend years in a mental institution while his partner went on to change the world? The answers of the 'what' and 'why' are nowhere as shocking as the 'who.' In the end, we are left with the story of a broken man who not only went to the very edge but fell over and was never able to return.
