"...is that a cow?"
- Charlie Francis
Gene is the name given to the milk cow requested by Walter Bishop during the reopening of his lab in 2008. It is unknown who named her Gene, but Olivia is the first to use the name.
Peter Bishop explains that since cows are genetically very similar to humans and experiments can simulate the effect on humans: they are an "ethically" acceptable test subject when using a human might be lethal.
No tests are carried out on Gene during the Pilot episode, although she does show an interest in watching SpongeBob SquarePants.
Gene appears multiple times throughout the series, mostly in the background.
In the flash-forward of the fourth season finale, Gene was not seen in the future version of this universe and had likely passed, as the adult Ella Dunham states that she misses the cow.
In the fifth season, Gene can be seen trapped in the amber triggered by Walter in his lab at Harvard.
Trivia[]
- Gene has been "re-cast" several times since the Pilot episode, mostly because of the change in venue between studios in Toronto, New York and Vancouver.
- In the Season 2 episode "Northwest Passage," Peter Bishop gives the alias of 'Gene Cowan' at the second hotel he stays at.