Season 3, Episode 06

6955 kHz

Aired November 11th, 2010 · Written by Robert Chiappetta, Glen Whitman · Directed by Joe Chappelle

SYNOPSIS

In this episode, the Fringe team investigates a bizarre phenomenon when 15 people up and down the Eastern Seaboard all suffer retrograde amnesia from listening to their shortwave radios on the same frequency. Much to Walter's dismay, Peter presses on with piecing together the doomsday device. Just as Fauxlivia and Peter's chemistry deepens, the anticipation of Olivia's return escalates.

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

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

D-E-C-A-Y

THE OBSERVER

The Observer can be seen standing in the crowd at the crime scene after Fauxlivia killed the Shapeshifter and threw him out of his apartment window.

36:29

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

The Franklin St. Station subway sign in 'Amber 31422' shows the numbers 6-9-5-5, foreshadowing the radio station frequency investigated in '6955 kHz'.

03:20

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

"The First People" by Seamus Wiles is introduced.
The Seahorse glyph is spotted on the back of one of Markham's books.

VIDEOS

Featurettes

JJ ABRAMS EASTER EGGS

Radio stations broadcasting numbers is similar to the tower transmissions in Lost season 1, and the baby at the beginning of the episode is named Aaron. Three of the numbers they show the blonde woman typing from the broadcast are 15, 8, 42. She then gets amnesia. Lost

Lost: Lost is famous for its number sequence 4-8-15-16-23-42 and the sum of those numbers, 108.

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 #306-111110

FRINGE EVENT: Auditory amnesia pulse

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): Number stations/Shapeshifters

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: Jack Cary

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Laird Woomer (spouse), Joseph Feller (suspect), Ed Markham

LOCATION: Stockton Harbor, ME; Alford, MA

VICTIM(S): Becky Woomer, 2 radio tower employees (deceased), 20 amnesiacs, 6 HAM operators (deceased)

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

Fifteen people up and down the eastern seaboard suffered from retrograde amnesia at the same time. According to the Pentagon, the victims were all using shortwave radios. The DOD put the case on alert, concerned it was a test run for a potential terror attack.
Victim Becky Woomer's husband told investigators his wife had been part of a chat that listened to "number stations." She was trying to crack a code. Dr. Bishop determined the signal was made up of two transmissions—a safely modulated one containing the numbers, and a bottom wave pulse responsible for the amnesia. Shapeshifter Joseph Feller attached a pulse to the numbers, broadcast to keep the code a secret. He set up another incident involving a Landau Two-Eight-Seven small engine plane t hat went down outside Owings Mills, Maryland. The plane's radio was tuned in to the same frequency as the second numbers broadcast. Agent Dunham found Feller, and after a physical altercation, she threw him out a window to his death.

*Post-investigation, it was discovered that Agent (B)Olivia Dunham murdered Feller to destroy his data disk and keep her cover.

GLYPH SIGHTINGS

The seahorse glyph can be seen on the back of one of Markham's books.

23:19 Seahorse

THE REDVERSE

They don't have the proverb "All's fair in love and war."

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter ate a Red Vine, ate malasadas from Fauxlivia, made an avocado, cucumber, and cheese sandwich with chips for Astrid, asked Astrid if he could have the chips, and ate the chips.

06:36 Red Vine

30:58 Malasada

31:56 Sandwich

32:58 Chips

NOTABLE QUOTES

Walter:

"Fine. If you end up breaking the universe, this time it's on your head."

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

Setups & payoffs 2

Spoiler: S3E22
Spoiler: S5E06

Setups & payoffs (2 later episodes)

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S3E22 - The Day We Died

Markham (about the radio transmissions in "6955 kHz"):
"First of all, they're as old as dirt. They say when Marconi invented the radio, the first thing he heard was the numbers, like they were floating around in space just waiting for someone to listen."
Peter:
"So you're trying to tell me that Marconi picked up a transmission before humans invented the technology to send one?"
Markham:
"Creepy, right?"
In "The Day We Died" Peter explained that the Fringe team from 2026 sent the pieces of The Machine to the past, explaining how there could be technology broadcasting radio signals before the radio was invented.

S5E06 - Through the Looking-Glass and What Walter Found There

S5E06 Timestamp: 37:41

The radio found in the pocket universe in "Through the Looking Glass and What Walter Found There" was stuck on 6955 kHz, the same frequency as the number station broadcasts in "6955 kHz".