Season 2, Episode 04

Momentum Deferred

Aired October 8th, 2009 · Written by Zack Stentz, Ashley Edward Miller · Directed by Joe Chappelle

SYNOPSIS

This episode follows the theft of cryogenically-frozen heads by shapeshifters from the parallel universe in their search for a specific head, while the Fringe team attempts to prevent this. Meanwhile, Olivia struggles to remember her conversation with William Bell.

Synopsis provided by the Fandom Wiki, Fringepedia, and Wikipedia.

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

M-E-M-O-R-Y

Olivia received a flood of memories from her prior meeting with William Bell.

THE OBSERVER

The Observer watches the conversation between Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie outside Massive Dynamic.

37:19

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

As Diane Burgess exits her cab in 'Fracture', the symbol drawn by William Bell for Olivia in 'Momentum Deferred' is visible on a stone fence post.

34:22

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

A ringing bell triggered Olivia's memories of her meeting with William Bell.
Bell knew Olivia from many years ago.
The cryonics storage and research company 'Elias Cryonics' used the middle name of Walt Disney (Walter Elias Disney) playing on the urban legend that Disney had his body cryonically stored for reanimation at a later time.
Leonard Nimoy played Doctor Kibner in the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Both Charlie (a Shapeshifter) and Rebecca Kibner are nods to this role.
A theft of human heads happened in Denver in 2022.
This episode was originally titled "This is the Night Mail".

VIDEOS

Featurettes

Behind the Scenes

JJ ABRAMS EASTER EGGS

Shapeshifters bleed 47% mercury. 47
Shapeshifter Charlie broke thermometers and poured their mercury into a Slusho! cup. Slusho!

47: J.J. Abrams projects tend to feature the number 47 in some way.
Slusho!: Slusho! is a fictional company created by J.J. Abrams for Cloverfield.

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE

U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation

121 105th Street • Washington, DC 20735
Phone: (202) 555-2100 • Fax: (202) 555-2101
E-mail: washington.fbi@fbi.com

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE #204-10809

FRINGE EVENT: Shapeshifters

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): N/A

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham, Francis

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: Karl Davis

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Rebecca Kibner, Nina Sharp

LOCATION: Medford, MA

VICTIM(S): 3 Elias Cryonics guards, 2 Shapeshifters, Joe [redacted]

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

Three cryogenic facilities were broken into in the span of a week. Boston, New York, and Chicago facilities were targeted for their frozen heads. A dead body found outside the Boston facility was revealed to be a Shapeshifter connected to an ongoing Fringe Division investigation. To aid in discovery, Dr. Bishop enlisted a long-ago research subject, Rebecca Kibner, who had the ability to identify Shapeshifters from the other universe.
The science team, led by Agent Dunham, established that there was a symbol being sought on the stolen heads that will probably correspond to their Shapeshifter leader. The agents connected their leads to Laston-Hennings Cryonics, but they were fifteen minutes too late to stop the thieves. However, it was revealed that Agent Francis was compromised and killed, and a Shapeshifter had taken his place. Agent Dunham was able to stop the Super Soldier with a shot to the brain.

GLYPH SIGHTINGS

The apple glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
The butterfly glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
The flower glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
The frog glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
The leaf glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.
The seahorse glyph can be seen as Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie fight in the alley.

37:59 Apple

37:59 Butterfly

38:01 Flower

38:01 Frog

37:59 Leaf

38:01 Seahorse

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter ate a strawberry and had coffee.

03:25 Strawberry

17:37 Coffee

NAMES FOR ASTRID

Walter called Astrid 'Astro'.

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

Callbacks (2 earlier episodes)

S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything

S1E20 Timestamp: 45:37

S2E04 Timestamp: 24:05

William Bell had a bell on his desk in "There's More Than One of Everything". He rang it after he introduced himself. A ringing bell in "Momentum Deferred" is the catalyst for Olivia remembering the events of her meeting with Bell.

S2E01 - A New Day in the Old Town

Olivia (in "A New Day in the Old Town"):
"Something's hidden."
Shapeshifter Nurse:
"Where is it hidden?"
Olivia:
"I can't remember."
Olivia was told details about the location of Newton's head and she remembered those details in "Momentum Deferred".

Setups & payoffs (6 later episodes)

Spoilers for future episodes below

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S2E14 - Jacksonville

Rebecca Kibner (about Shapeshifters from the other side in "Momentum Deferred"):
"They seemed to have a certain glow about them. I realized I was recognizing people that didn't belong."
Rebecca noticed the same glow about Peter as Olivia did in "Jacksonville".

S2E15 - Peter

Rebecca Kibner (about Shapeshifters in "Momentum Deferred"):
"They seemed to have a certain glow about them. I realized I was recognizing people that didn't belong."
Peter has the same glow about him after was taken from the other side in "Peter", because he doesn't belong in the Blueverse.

S2E22 - Over There (Part 2)

S2E04 Timestamp: 26:06

William Bell (in "Over There (Part 2)"):
"I've travelled between universes so many times, my atoms are ready to split apart with the slightest provocation."
William Bell was unwell and needed oxygen in Olivia's memories in "Momentum Deferred" which could be because of how many times he crossed over.

S3E16 - Os

S2E04 Timestamp: 25:37

William Bell (in Olivia's memories in "Momentum Deferred"):
"How do you like your tea?"
Olivia:
"I don't want any tea."
Suddenly she found herself drinking tea, disoriented from the timeslips.
Walter (about Bell in "Os"):
"All he'd need to do was to prepare someone by inserting a microscopic soul magnet inside them. And he proposes using injections, food, or a cup of tea--"
Bell put his soul magnets into the tea that Olivia drank.

S3E17 - Stowaway

S2E04 Timestamp: 25:37

S3E17 Timestamp: 14:51

William Bell (in Olivia's memories in "Momentum Deferred"):
"How do you like your tea?"
Olivia:
"I don't want any tea."
Suddenly she found herself drinking tea, disoriented from the timeslips.
Walter (about Bell in "Os"):
"All he'd need to do was to prepare someone by inserting a microscopic soul magnet inside them. And he proposes using injections, food, or a cup of tea--"
Bell put his soul magnets into the tea that Olivia drank, and Olivia's body was possessed by William Bell in "Stowaway".

S4E21 - Brave New World (Part 1)

S2E04 Timestamp: 26:06

Bell was unwell and needed oxygen in Olivia's memories in "Momentum Deferred" which could be because he had lymphoma as Nina revealed in the alternate timeline in "Brave New World (Part 1)".