Black Blotter



Season 5, Episode 09
Aired: December 14th, 2012
Written By: Kristin Cantrell
Directed By: Tommy Gormley

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Resources: IMDb | Wikipedia | Transcript
Listen: The Fringe Podcast
Black Blotter

The Glyphs



This episode's glyphs spell: G-U-I-L-T

Walter took drugs and worked through his long-standing guilt for the death of his former lab assistant.

Glyph symbol GGlyph symbol UGlyph symbol IGlyph symbol LGlyph symbol T
Glyph symbol G
Glyph symbol U
Glyph symbol I
Glyph symbol L
Glyph symbol T

The Observer



Observers are featured in this episode.

Observer

Timestamp: 30:38

Episode Clues



Previous Episode Clue

A banner behind Peter in 'The Human Kind' foreshadows the pixies Walter sees while high in 'Black Blotter'.

Previous episode clue

Timestamp: 08:26


Next Episode Clue

Unknown

Next episode clue

Items of Interest



  • Sam Weiss died 10-15 years earlier in a shootout with Observers trying to protect the radio signal relay used to locate Michael. (Image 1)
  • Walter had visions of Carla Warren. (Image 2)
  • The vision of Carla is trying to convince Walter to present himself to the Observers as a brilliant scientific asset, like Bell did.
  • Carla came to the lab to burn documentation on Walter's life's work, which grew into the fire that killed her. (Image 3)
  • Donald took Michael from the pocket universe and hid him with a family 8 months after the invasion. They've been broadcasting the radio signal for over 20 years.
  • Michael remembers Olivia.
  • Walter's vision is an homage to the segues seen in Monty Python's Flying Circus. (Image 4)
  • Walter relives memories as projections and experiences new conversations as if they're VHS recordings because his mind is so bent on figuring out the plan from the tapes. (Image 5)
Item of interest: Sam Weiss
Image 1: Sam Weiss
Timestamp: 17:55
Item of interest: Carla Warren
Image 2: Carla Warren
Timestamp: 20:04
Item of interest: Walter's life's work
Image 3: Walter's life's work
Timestamp: 21:56
Item of interest: Walter's Monty Python-esque vision
Image 4: Walter's Monty Python-esque vision
Timestamp: 31:53
Item of interest: Walter's memories
Image 5: Walter's memories
Timestamp: 39:27

Glyph Sightings



  • A frog can be seen on the dock when Walter is high.
  • A frog can be seen in Walter's Monty Python trip.
  • A seahorse can be seen in Walter's Monty Python trip.
Frog
Timestamp: 25:30
Seahorse
Timestamp: 32:09
Seahorse
Timestamp: 32:09

Walter's Food



Walter hallucinated that he made a chocolate cake.
Connection: Cake hallucination
Cake hallucination
Timestamp: 09:04

Connection Chart


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

Episode Connections



S2E15 - Peter

  • In 'Black Blotter' Walter had a vision of his scuffle with Nina at Reiden Lake from 'Peter' and later recalled other memories from that day.
Connection: Walter's vision
Walter's vision
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 11:23
Divider


S2E19 - Brown Betty

  • Walter had his life's work in a journal in 'Black Blotter' just like he did in the fairy tale he told Ella in 'Brown Betty'.
Connection: Walter's journal
Walter's journal
S2E19 - Brown Betty
Timestamp: 17:10
Connection: Walter's journal
Walter's journal
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 22:02
Divider


S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11

  • The neon green fairy seen in the black market in 'Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11' is like the green fairy Walter hallucinated in 'Black Blotter'.
Connection: Neon green fairy
Neon green fairy
S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11
Timestamp: 08:32
Connection: Hallucinated green fairy
Hallucinated green fairy
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 06:26


Spoilers for future episodes below!




S5E11 - The Boy Must Live

  • The password to retrieve Michael in 'Black Blotter', "Black Umbrella", came from the poster for Singin' in the Rain, from which September chose his new name (Donald O'Connor) in 'The Boy Must Live'.
Connection: Black umbrella
Black umbrella
S5E11 - The Boy Must Live
Timestamp: 15:14