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
Momentum Deferred

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

Timestamp: 37:19

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

Timestamp: 34:22


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

Timestamp: 39:19

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.

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




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 #204-10809


FRINGE EVENT: Shapeshifters

CLASSIFIED CASE CONNECTION(S): N/A

AGENTS ASSIGNED: Dunham, Francis

SUPERVISING AGENT: Broyles

FILE ARCHIVED BY: Karl Davis

WITNESSES/CONTACTS: Rebecca Kibner, Nina Sharp

LOCATION: Medford, MA

VICTIM(S): 3 Elias Cryonics guards, 2 Shapeshifters, Joe [redacted]


CASE REPORT SUMMARY:

Three cryogenic facilities were broken into in the span of a week. Boston, New York, and Chicago facilities were targeted for their frozen heads. A dead body found outside the Boston facility was revealed to be a Shapeshifter connected to an ongoing Fringe Division investigation. To aid in discovery, Dr. Bishop enlisted a long-ago research subject, Rebecca Kibner, who had the ability to identify Shapeshifters from the other universe.
 The science team, led by Agent Dunham, established that there was a symbol being sought on the stolen heads that will probably correspond to their Shapeshifter leader. The agents connected their leads to Laston-Hennings Cryonics, but they were fifteen minutes too late to stop the thieves. However, it was revealed that Agent Francis was compromised and killed, and a Shapeshifter had taken his place. Agent Dunham was able to stop the Super Soldier with a shot to the brain.

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.
Apple
Timestamp: 37:59
Butterfly
Timestamp: 37:59
Flower
Timestamp: 38:01
Frog
Timestamp: 38:01
Leaf
Timestamp: 37:59
Seahorse
Timestamp: 38:01

Walter's Food



Walter ate a strawberry and had coffee.
Connection: Strawberry
Strawberry
Timestamp: 03:25
Connection: Coffee
Coffee
Timestamp: 17:37

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.

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.
Connection: Bell on William Bell's desk
Bell on William Bell's desk
S1E20 - There's More Than One of Everything
Timestamp: 45:37
Connection: Bell in the lab
Bell in the lab
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 24:05
Divider


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'.


Spoilers for future episodes below!




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.
Divider


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.
Divider


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.
Connection: Bell taking oxygen
Bell taking oxygen
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 26:06
Divider


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.
Connection: Olivia drinking tea
Olivia drinking tea
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 25:37
Divider


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'.
Connection: Olivia drinking tea
Olivia drinking tea
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 25:37
Connection: Bellivia
Bellivia
S3E17 - Stowaway
Timestamp: 14:51
Divider


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)'.
Connection: Bell taking oxygen
Bell taking oxygen
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 26:06