Novation

Novation



Season 4, Episode 05
Aired: November 4th, 2011
Written By: J. R. Orci, Graham Roland
Directed By: Paul Holahan

Recaps: Fandom Wiki | Fringepedia | AV Club
Resources: IMDb | Wikipedia | Transcript
Listen: The Fringe Podcast
Learn: Science Olympiad Lesson Plan
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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.

Glyph symbol SGlyph symbol TGlyph symbol IGlyph symbol LGlyph symbol L
Glyph symbol S
Glyph symbol T
Glyph symbol I
Glyph symbol L
Glyph symbol L


THE OBSERVER

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

Observer
Timestamp: 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'.

Previous episode clue
Timestamp: 27:34
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Next Episode Clue

Locker #47, accessed by the Shapeshifter in 'Novation', foreshadows the 47 minute maximum time period of the time chambers opened in 'And Those We've Left Behind'.

Next episode clue
Timestamp: 41:32

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.
  • 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. (Image 1)
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Item of interest: Hermes 3000 typewriter
Image 1
Hermes 3000 typewriter
Timestamp: 41:37

VIDEOS

Featurettes

JJ ABRAMS EASTER EGGS

  • The gas station had an ad for Slusho! (Slusho!) (Image 1)
  • The Shapeshifter opened locker number 47. (J.J.) (Image 2)
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Item of interest: Slusho! poster
Image 1
Slusho! poster
Timestamp: 21:32
Item of interest: Locker 47
Image 2
Locker 47
Timestamp: 41:32

FRINGE DIVISION CASE FILE

Fringe Division case file
Fringe Division case file: Novation

GLYPH SIGHTINGS

  • The flower glyph can be seen on the wall in Karen Truss's house.
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Glyph Sighting: Flower
Flower
Timestamp: 03:24

THE TIMELINE WITHOUT PETER

  • Peter drowned when he and Walter crashed through the ice on Reiden Lake because the Observer never saved him.
  • 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. (Image 1)
  • 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.
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Timeline without Peter: <b>Image 1:</b> Photo of Olivia in Nina's office
Image 1: Photo of Olivia in Nina's office
Timestamp: 12:29

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter made custard.
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Walter's Food: Custard
Custard
Timestamp: 24:51

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."

CONNECTION CHART

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

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

S1E06 - The Cure

  • 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. (Image 1, 2)
Connection: Nina with a horse
Image 1
S1E06 - The Cure
Nina with a horse
Timestamp: 34:33
Connection: Olivia's horse-riding ribbon picture
Image 2
S4E05 - Novation
Olivia's horse-riding ribbon picture
Timestamp: 12:29
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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."
  • Walter looked at Peter's coin in "Novation" from the night Peter died in "Peter". (Image 1)
Connection: Peter's coin
Image 1
S4E05 - Novation
Peter's coin
Timestamp: 19:14
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S4E08 - Back to Where You've Never Been

  • The Shapeshifter knew to find Dr. Truss in "Novation" because it was working for David Robert Jones, as revealed in "Back to Where You've Never Been", and both Jones and Truss previously worked at Massive Dynamic.
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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."
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Episode Information
Episode Synopsis
The Glyphs
The Observer
Episode Clues
Items of Interest
Videos
JJ Abrams Easter Eggs
Fringe Division Case File
Glyph Sightings
The Redverse
The Timeline Without Peter
Walter's Food
Names for Astrid
Walter's Lab Notes
Notable Quotes
Connection Chart
Episode Connections