Season 5, Episode 10

Anomaly XB-6783746

Aired December 21st, 2012 · Written by David Fury · Directed by Jeffrey Hunt

SYNOPSIS

The science team makes a raid on a former Massive Dynamic lab to get the equipment they need to communicate with the Observer Child. Meanwhile, Nina Sharp helps the fugitive team avoid capture and is faced with a lethal choice.

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

THE GLYPHS

This episode's glyphs spell:

S-E-N-S-E

THE OBSERVER

Observers are featured in this episode.

19:14

EPISODE CLUES

Previous Episode Clue

Walter's journal in 'Black Blotter' contains drawings of black Labrador Retrievers, foreshadowing the use of one of Massive Dynamic's secret "black labs" in 'Anomaly XB-6783746'.

22:16

Next Episode Clue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Michael displays Observer-like abilities without any tech.
Walter called Astrid 'Acid'.
Timestamp: 25:29

Michael gave Nina her memories back.
Timestamp: 35:56

Nina is dead.
Timestamp: 39:38

Michael can show emotion as he cried when he saw Nina's dead body.
Timestamp: 41:50

Michael gave Walter his memories back.
Timestamp: 42:42

Donald is September.

VIDEOS

Featurettes

Interviews

Commentary

WALTER'S FOOD

Walter offered a grape Red Vine to Michael and ate a waffle stick.

00:59 Grape Red Vine

09:03 Waffle stick

NAMES FOR ASTRID

Walter called Astrid 'Acid'.

NOTABLE QUOTES

Captain Windmark:

"He is no child. He is a chromosomal mistake. A genetic anomaly. Designate progeny XB-6783746. Like all anomalies he was scheduled to be destroyed. But he went missing. It was a great mystery in my time. No one knew what became of him. Until now."

Nina Sharp (to Captain Windmark):

"Do you know why you tilt your head in that way? It's an involuntary reflex in your physiology. It changes the angle at which sound waves hit the eardrum, allowing in more stimuli. Like a lizard. I've studied them too. Intriguing characters. Their brains have evolved over 320 million years, yet for all their evolution, they form no bonds. Love does not exist for them. They are incapable of dreaming, of contemplating beauty, of knowing something greater than themselves... not unlike your kind. The experiments we conducted right here in this lab yielded a surprising result, because for all your years of evolution, you inadvertently redeveloped and honed primitive instincts that we moved beyond long ago. So in reality, you're the animal."

EPISODE CONNECTIONS

Callbacks 3

S1E19
S2E15
S2E22

Callbacks (3 earlier episodes)

S1E19 - The Road Not Taken

S1E19 Timestamp: 32:38

S5E10 Timestamp: 05:53

The Observers read Nina's phone call from the impressions her sound waves made on the glass in her office in "Anomaly XB-6783746", like Peter did in to hear the phone call Nancy Lewis made in "The Road Not Taken".

S2E15 - Peter

S5E10 Timestamp: 42:44

Walter (in "Peter"):
"Why did you save us?"
September:
"The boy is important. He has to live."
In "Anomaly XB-6783746" Michael gave Walter back memories of the original timeline and showed him that September's words about "the boy" also referred to Michael.

S2E22 - Over There (Part 2)

Captain Windmark (about Michael in "Anomaly XB-6783746"):
"Like all anomalies, he was scheduled to be destroyed. But he went missing. It was a great mystery in my time. No one knew what became of him."
Michael's disappearance in the future was a mystery, like Peter's disappearance in the Redverse.
Fauxlivia (in "Over There (Part 2)"):
"You know, when people find out that you're back... you're gonna be famous."
Peter:
"What do you mean?"
Fauxlivia:
"Well, your kidnapping. It's a famous story."