The Bullet that Saved the World



Season 5, Episode 04
Aired: October 26th, 2012
Written By: Alison Schapker
Directed By: David Straiton

Recaps: Fandom Wiki | Fringepedia | AV Club
Resources: IMDb | Wikipedia | Transcript
Listen: The Fringe Podcast
The Bullet that Saved the World

The Glyphs



This episode's glyphs spell: W-O-U-N-D

The loss of Etta wounded Peter to his very core, setting him up to face the same challenge Walter once faced: how far would you go to make things right after the loss of a child?

Glyph symbol WGlyph symbol OGlyph symbol UGlyph symbol NGlyph symbol D
Glyph symbol W
Glyph symbol O
Glyph symbol U
Glyph symbol N
Glyph symbol D

The Observer



Observers are featured in this episode.

Observer

Timestamp: 38:10

Episode Clues



Previous Episode Clue

A sign picturing a dove on an old building in 'The Recordist' foreshadows the first mention of "The Dove" in 'The Bullet that Saved the World.'

Previous episode clue

Timestamp: 41:10


Next Episode Clue

Graffiti on an overpass in 'The Bullet that Saved the World' reads "Manifest Destiny", foreshadowing the Observer's shipping manifest the Fringe team decodes in 'An Origin Story.'

Next episode clue

Timestamp: 31:05

Items of Interest



  • Walter called Astrid 'Astriff'.
  • Walter saved samples and equipment from all previous Fringe cases.
  • 'The Dove' is mentioned.
  • Etta is dead.
  • Peter lost the same daughter twice, like (season 4) Walter lost the same son twice.

Walter's Food



Walter tasted his decades-old donut hole.
Connection: Donut hole
Donut hole
Timestamp: 15:20

Names for Astrid



Walter called Astrid 'Astriff'.

Connection Chart


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

Episode Connections



S1E02 - The Same Old Story

  • WALTER in 'The Same Old Story': "You have no idea where I've hidden things!"
      Walter retrieved his plans for destroying the Observers from a hiding place in a wall in the subway platform beneath Newark-Penn Station in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Divider


S1E09 - The Dreamscape

  • A butterfly shadow box like those seen in 'The Dreamscape' was seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Butterfly box
Butterfly box
S1E09 - The Dreamscape
Timestamp: 09:00
Connection: Butterfly box
Butterfly box
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:49
Divider


S1E14 - Ability

  • The Fringe team used the skin-growth toxin from 'Ability' as a weapon against the Observers and Loyalists in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Skin growth toxin
Skin growth toxin
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 27:07
Divider


S2E03 - Fracture

  • Parts of Officer Gillespie from 'Fracture' were seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Officer Gillespie
Officer Gillespie
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 13:18
Divider


S2E09 - Snakehead

  • The creature from 'Snakehead' and images of it were seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Snakehead creature
Snakehead creature
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 13:26
Connection: Snakehead creature
Snakehead creature
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:48
Divider


S2E14 - Jacksonville

  • The merged wall paintings from 'Jacksonville' were seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Merged paintings
Merged paintings
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 06:58
Connection: Merged paintings
Merged paintings
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:10
Divider


S2E15 - Peter

  • The universe window from 'Peter' was seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
  • WALTER in 'Peter': "You can't imagine what it's like to lose a child."
      Etta died in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Universe window
Universe window
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:44
Divider


S3E12 - Concentrate and Ask Again

  • The blue powder dispersal doll from 'Concentrate and Ask Again' was seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Blue powder dispersal doll
Blue powder dispersal doll
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 13:18
Divider


S3E14 - 6B

  • An ambering device, first (nearly) used by the Blueverse Fringe team in '6B', was seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Amber device
Amber device
S3E14 - 6B
Timestamp: 30:05
Connection: Amber device
Amber device
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:29
Divider


S3E22 - The Day We Died

  • The End-of-Dayers used light bombs called Electrilights in 'The Day We Died.' Loyalists threw a light bomb at Peter in the sewer tunnels in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Electrilight
Electrilight
S3E22 - The Day We Died
Timestamp: 04:16
Connection: Light bomb
Light bomb
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 03:57
Divider


S4E16 - Nothing As It Seems

  • The Porcupine Man from 'Nothing as it Seems' was seen in Walter's storage vault in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Porcupine Man
Porcupine Man
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 14:10
Divider


S4E22 - Brave New World (Part 2)

  • The title 'The Bullet that Saved the World' refers to the bullet Olivia was shot with in 'Brave New World (Part 2)'.


Spoilers for future episodes below!




S5E06 - Through the Looking-Glass and What Walter Found There

  • Cecil mentions the Observers using a light bomb in 'Through the Looking Glass and what Walter Found There', which is what Loyalists threw at Peter in the sewer tunnels in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: Light bomb
Light bomb
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 03:57
Divider


S5E08 - The Human Kind

  • Olivia shot her captors in 'The Human Kind' with the bullet she took from Etta in 'The Bullet that Saved the World'.
Connection: The bullet necklace
The bullet necklace
S5E04 - The Bullet That Saved the World
Timestamp: 41:07
Connection: The bullet necklace
The bullet necklace
S5E08 - The Human Kind
Timestamp: 35:22