“The Bishop Revival” ended with a fairly big twist, in which it was revealed that the Neo-Nazi killer, Alfred Hoffman, wasn’t really a Neo-Nazi at all — he was the real thing, as evidenced by his appearance in an old photograph of Walter’s father taken during the Third Reich. Walter said that some things were better left unanswered regarding Hoffman’s apparent ability to not age. But does Walter know how Hoffman is able to show up in both time periods?
In my TVOvermind review of the episode, I speculated that Hoffman was an Observer-like entity that existed outside of time. While this could possibly be correct, I found another little tidbit of information that puts forward another, much more likely theory.
The comic series released online (and later available as part of a trade paperback compilation) explores the early careers of Walter Bishop and William Bell. In one particular episode, Walter and William build a time machine and travel back to Nazi Germany, where they meet Walter’s father Robert Bischoff, though Bischoff was using the alias Hans Froelich (this would explain how Walter knew his father even though Bischoff died in 1944). Though Walter and William’s time machine did not travel back through time with them, it’s revealed that Bischoff had created an identical time machine. Walter and William use the time machine to travel back home, and Walter reveals that he also used rigged the time machine to send any unwanted visitors (in this case, Adolf Hitler) into the prehistoric era. Bischoff also destroys the time machine after Walter and William teleport back home.
However, the fact that Bischoff built a time machine makes it seem obvious that Hoffman stole Boschoff’s notes before Bischoff emigrated to America, and, in addition to making the selectively deadly toxin shown in the episode, also constructed a time machine which he used to travel to the present.
Sam McPherson began writing for Walter's Lab in August 2009. He also writes for the sites TVOvermind, MovieOvermind and SpoilerTV, in addition to being an administrator on Lostpedia since March 2009. Sam's favorite shows are Lost, Fringe, Doctor Who, Flight of the Conchords, FlashForward, True Blood, and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Follow him on Twitter (@mcphersonator) or send him an email (sammcpherson@tvovermind.com).
I dont think he traveled in time since Walter analyzed a skin sample from our german and says that its over 100 years old and decaying or something like that.
So my theory is that he did something with his DNA so he wouldnt age or something of that nature.
Walter says when first discussing Nazi science that they were working on immortality (as well as molecular bombs and UFO’s). I think Hoffman had got hold of the secret–but it looks like it died with him. Wonder if he got it from Robert?