Season 4, Episode 05

Novation

Aired November 4th, 2011 · Written by J. R. Orci, Graham Roland · Directed by Paul Holahan

SYNOPSIS

The body count builds as a new human-hybrid shapeshifter seeks to perfect the technology that makes her possible. Former Massive Dynamic scientist, Doctor Malcolm Truss, unwittingly contributes to the cause. Nina Sharp makes amends with Walter and encourages his effort to connect with Peter.

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

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

S-T-I-L-L

See the glyphs explanation for S4E08 - Back to Where You've Never Been.

THE OBSERVER

The Observer can be seen behind Olivia at the crime scene outside the Truss home.

10:34

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

The labels "GOOD", "EVIL", "TRANSFORM", and "EJECT" on the wall in 'Subject 9' hint at the Shapeshifter plot in 'Novation'.

27:34

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Peter was supposed to die in both universes on that night in 1985.
New Shapeshifters can switch between all bodies they've stolen.
Timestamp: 41:37

The Shapeshifter uses a Hermes 3000-brand typewriter. Hermes Trismegistus ("Three-times blessed") was the mythical alchemist who purportedly discovered the Philosopher's Stone referred to in season 4's title card. In Greek mythology, Hermes was the Great Messenger of the Gods and the patron of boundaries, and of the travelers who cross them.

VIDEOS

Featurettes

JJ ABRAMS EASTER EGGS

Timestamp: 21:32

The gas station had an ad for Slusho! Slusho!
Timestamp: 41:32

The Shapeshifter opened locker number 47. 47

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 #405-11411

FRINGE EVENT: Hybrid Shapeshifters 2.0

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): Shapeshifters

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham, Lee

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: Brandon Amaltov

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Dr. Malcolm Truss, Peter Bishop

LOCATION: Eden, VT

VICTIM(S): Karen Truss (deceased), Donald Kellen (deceased), Vermont state trooper, Agent Warrick (deceased), ambulance driver (deceased)

CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

A murder victim with translucent skin tipped off the Fringe team about the presence of another active Shapeshifter. The woman was the ex-wife of Dr. Malcolm Truss, a research scientist who had worked in the Bio-Tech Department of Massive Dynamic ten years prior. Dr. Truss, retired to Vermont, was abducted from his home the same morning as the killing. One of Dr. Truss's projects involved cellular replication that used the genetic data of the healthy cells of a patient to replace the damaged ones. Dr. Bell closed the project, citing ethical concerns. Because of his extensive Shapeshifter knowledge, consultant Peter Bishop helped determine that a Shapeshifter had kidnapped Dr. Truss to perfect itself. Peter Bishop also discovered a tracking system in the new version of Shapeshifters that allowed the team to find the Shapeshifter and Dr. Truss. It was later determined that Dr. Truss was a willing ally to his abductor and had developed a serum to help with the hybrid's tissue degeneration issues. The correction elevated the Shapeshifters to a more dangerous threat because of their ability to blend seamlessly with humanity.

GLYPH SIGHTINGS

The flower glyph can be seen on the wall in Karen Truss's house.

03:24 Flower

THE TIMELINE WITHOUT PETER

Peter drowned when he and Walter crashed through the ice on Reiden Lake because the Observer never saved him.
Timestamp: 12:29

Nina raised Olivia and Rachel. Their mother had died, Olivia had killed their abusive stepfather, and Nina stepped in to raise them before they could be put into the foster system.
The team (aside from Peter) don't know about the Observers.
Peter was supposed to die in both universes on that night in 1985 before the Observer's interventions.
Olivia had a horse-riding ribbon.

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter made custard.

24:51 Custard

NOTABLE QUOTES

Peter:

"There are two universes -- ours over here and another one that's just like it, just slightly different. The other universe is dying. And because they're interconnected, ours is dying as well."

Olivia (to Broyles and Astrid):

"How does he know all this?"

Peter:

"So you built a machine to save us, to form a bridge between the two worlds so that we could work together to heal them both. And you created it so that I was the power source. Only I could activate it, but you told me that when I did, there would be consequences."

Walter:

"There is a machine, but I didn't build it. I don't know who you are, what your agenda is, or why you claim to be my son."

Peter:

"Do you have a son, Walter? You and Elizabeth, did you have a son?"

Walter:

"Yes. He died... a long time ago, when he was just a boy."

Peter:

"And then you found another version of him in the other universe. And he was dying, too. So you crossed over to save him."

Walter:

"Yes. But I couldn't."

Peter:

"What do you mean you couldn't?"

Walter:

"That lake where we crossed over was frozen. The ice broke. We fell through. I tried to hold on to him... but he drowned."

Peter:

"The Observer didn't pull us out of the lake that night? Well, that must be it, Walter."

Astrid (to Olivia and Broyles):

"What's an Observer?"

Peter:

"It all makes sense now. That has to be what happened. I was supposed to die that night in both universes, but when I didn't, I became a paradox, and now, for the two worlds to heal, I had to be deleted. But if I'm already dead in both universes, then why am I here? How am I back? Something's gone wrong, Walter. Something's happened."

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

Callbacks 2

S1E06
S2E15 , 2 connections

Setups & payoffs 2

Spoiler: S4E08
Spoiler: S4E11

Callbacks (2 earlier episodes)

S1E06 - The Cure

S1E06 Timestamp: 34:33

S4E05 Timestamp: 12:29

Olivia had a horse-riding ribbon in Nina's old photograph in "Novation". Nina rode horses herself in "The Cure" so it stands to reason that Olivia would have done so as well in the timeline where she was raised by Nina.

S2E15 - Peter

Carla Warren (to Walter in "Peter"):
"Some things are not ours to tamper with. Some things are God's."
Later, in the timeline without Peter:
Dr. Malcolm Truss (in "Novation"):
"Bell shut down the project. And all he could say was, 'Some things are not ours to tamper with. Some things are God's."
S4E05 Timestamp: 19:14

Walter looked at Peter's coin in "Novation" from the night Peter died in "Peter".

Setups & payoffs (2 later episodes)

Spoilers for future episodes below

The connections from here on are to episodes that come after this one. Once you've watched them, these same connections appear unblurred on their own episode pages.

I've watched up to

Your choice is remembered in this browser only and unblurs connections to episodes you've already seen — here and on every other episode page. It's the same setting as the gear in the menu bar, so you can change it from anywhere on the site.

S4E08 - Back to Where You've Never Been

S4E11 - Making Angels

December (in "Making Angels"):
"You're right. It's September's."
March:
"He must have lost it in 1985 the night he didn't save the boy."
In "Novation" Peter realized that the Observer's lack of action that night is what changed everything.
Walter (in "Novation"):
"That lake where we crossed over was frozen. The ice broke. We fell through. I tried to hold on to him... but he drowned."
Peter:
"The Observer didn't pull us out of the lake that night? Well, that must be it, Walter. It all makes sense now. That has to be what happened. I was supposed to die that night in both universes, but when I didn't, I became a paradox, and now, for the two worlds to heal, I had to be deleted."