Momentum Deferred

Momentum Deferred



Season 2, Episode 04
Aired: October 8th, 2009
Written By: Zack Stentz, Ashley Edward Miller
Directed By: Joe Chappelle

Recaps: Fandom Wiki | Fringepedia | AV Club
Resources: IMDb | Wikipedia | Transcript
Listen: The Fringe Podcast | TFP Rewatch
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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.

Glyph symbol MGlyph symbol EGlyph symbol MGlyph symbol OGlyph symbol RGlyph symbol Y
Glyph symbol M
Glyph symbol E
Glyph symbol M
Glyph symbol O
Glyph symbol R
Glyph symbol Y


THE OBSERVER

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

Observer

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.

Previous episode clue
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Next Episode Clue

During the alley fight scene between Olivia and Shapeshifter Charlie in 'Momentum Deferred', the graffiti reads "to sleep perchance to dream." This foreshadowed the main theme in the plot of 'Dream Logic'.

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. (J.J.)
  • Shapeshifter Charlie broke thermometers and poured their mercury into a Slusho! cup. (Slusho!)

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE

Fringe Division case file
Fringe Division case file: Momentum Deferred

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.
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Glyph Sighting: Apple
Apple
Glyph Sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
Glyph Sighting: Flower
Flower
Glyph Sighting: Frog
Frog
Glyph Sighting: Leaf
Leaf
Glyph Sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter ate a strawberry and had coffee.
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Walter's Food: Strawberry
Strawberry
Walter's Food: Coffee
Coffee

NAMES FOR ASTRID

Walter called Astrid 'Astro'.

CONNECTION CHART

A visualization of all the ways this episode connects to other episodes. Scroll down to see the actual connections.
Connection chart: Momentum Deferred

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything

  • 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. (Image 1, 2)
Connection: Bell on William Bell's desk
Image 1
S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything
Bell on William Bell's desk
Connection: Bell in the lab
Image 2
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Bell in the lab
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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".

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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".

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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.

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S2E22 - Over There (Part 2)

  • 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. (Image 1)

Connection: Bell taking oxygen
Image 1
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Bell taking oxygen
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S3E16 - Os

  • 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. (Image 1)

Connection: Olivia drinking tea
Image 1
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Olivia drinking tea
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S3E17 - Stowaway

  • 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". (Image 1, 2)

Connection: Olivia drinking tea
Image 1
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Olivia drinking tea
Connection: Bellivia
Image 2
S3E17 - Stowaway
Bellivia
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S4E21 - Brave New World (Part 1)

  • 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)". (Image 1)
Connection: Bell taking oxygen
Image 1
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Bell taking oxygen
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