Momentum Deferred

Season 2, Episode 4, Aired
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Episode Summary

Agent Dunham, still recovering from her traumatic visit to the alternate reality, is given a concoction by Walter to help her remember. Another woman being experimented on by Walter is introduced. Meanwhile the Fringe team look into a series of robberies that are linked to shapeshifting.
9.4
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • Unexpected

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By dreamgoat, Jan 27, 2012 Report Abuse
    Wow what a show the best yet in my opinion. I hope they keep up this type of paste because everything is working out great and in great flow. Shapeshifter or first wave are on the move and got what they want. Olivia found out from Bell that she was created to be the guardian gate between two worlds. A romance spark between Walters former patient that can see who doesn't belong in this world. She looked at Peter and saw something, I don't know why they keep this a secret they through enough clues in here to know that hes not from this world its time to let this out. I wonder why Bell said your going to need Peter by your side, hope I'm not the only one wondering by this but Peter is a complete mystery.moreless

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    0 0

  • YEAH!!! LEONARD NIMOY!!!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By shre123, Sep 27, 2011 Report Abuse
    What a great episode! First off, finally! Some action from Spock himself. We finally get to see the venerable Sci-Fi actor in his latest role yet as William Bell, associate and close friend to Walter Bishop.The episode starts off as usual with spills and chills, this time with Mercury Blood and the "Attack of the Shapeshifters" much like the one parading around now as Agent Francis. This is pretty much the Pay-Off episode as Olivia learns of what she saw when she was in the alternate dimension. The rest is a big huge mystery waiting to unfold as the other universe's biggest threat falls unto this world and agent dunham and her team might be the best chance at saving it. The episode is fraught with brilliance of Walter Bishop, an old ally, and of course freaky and gory situations. Superb ep, can't wait to see more.moreless

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    13 2

  • 'Momentum Deferred'! Hah! What an unfortunate pun, eh? How apt a title!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By screenagedkicks, Sep 27, 2011 Report Abuse
    'Momentum Deferred'! Hah! What an unfortunate pun, eh? How apt a title! Fringe has been doing exactly that for the last three weeks, kicking all the crucial narrative development to the curb in favour of delivering a load of half-arsed stand alone episodes that lack weight and feel like they've been written on the back of a beer mat. Fortunately for the somewhat ailing show, this episode doesn't live up to its title. Instead, it manages to be easily the best thing that the writing staff have done since season one's finale and in fact, it might even be better than that. Barely anything about the script feels blase or predictable, with the possible exception of Walter's encounter with his former experimental subject, which comes across as a little too tacked on, as if Miller and Stentz felt like they couldn't go an entire episode without including some sort of emotional investment for everybody. Mind, it does give John Noble an entirely new set of emotions to play around with so perhaps we'll forgive it.

    Everything else, however, is fairly riproaring and beguiling stuff, and just to make things even more palatable, loaded with actual answers. The shapeshifter storyline is pulsatingly dramatic once you've got past the absurdity of it all (I mean come on, wasn't this supposed to be about 'fringe science'? Things within the realm of possibility? Mercury-blooded robotic shapeshifters from a parallel universe? Um, yeah, see that all the time!) The story moves along at a brisk pace, starting in curiosity as Curtis from 24 rummages through a bunch of severed heads and ending in the unfortunate death of Agent Francis at the hands of good old Dunham. We get a truckload of Leonard Nimoy, which can be nothing but a good thing, and his dialogue with Olivia actually offers up a whole host of explanations, as well as fresh intrigue, which is definitely refreshing to see.

    More often than not, this show spends time piling on the questions rather than answering them, so this feels like something of a treat. You start to feel like your patience and persistence is paying off - writers and producers, this is what we need to see more of, and if you insist on doing hours that are independent of the central mythology, at least load them with the abundant level of intrigue and number of layers that we see here. You can do it guys... now don't let us down again.moreless

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    5 0

  • The return of William Bell

    10
    "Perfect"
    By ionee24, Dec 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    Olivia's memories finally kick-in in the middle of an on-going investigation triggered by "Charlie"'s colleagues. Intriguing how it was Bell the one who sent the message to Peter instead of his mother and how adamant is Bell that the strongest one of his children should keep Peter by her side, as if that would be a problem all things considered.

    However Bell explains to Olivia that he can't go back where he belongs he either omits or doesn't know if Peter can cross over to where he belongs so Olivia remains as unaware of Peter's true origins as Peter is about the true nature of Walter and Rebeca Kibner's relationship.

    The most important piece of information Bell shares with Dunham is the existance of hybrids like "Charlie", that not only allows Olivia to stop the shapeshifter impersonating agent Francis but also gives us a hint as to why it's so dificult to cross over from one Universe to another, Olivia and Peter being the only few sucessful cases up to date.moreless

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    15 2

  • OMG!! seriously OMG!!!

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By sequoa84, Dec 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is easily the best episode of Fringe so far. Not only did it have like the perfect story, perfect acting, and perfect drama, it also answered a lot of lingering questions posed in season 1, and the basic question of what the show is all about.

    Number 1, we know what transpired during Olivia's rendezvous with William Bell, including why the twin towers are still there. Number 2, we finally know the role of Olivia in the whole scheme of things. We get to know why she is in the Fringe division, why she was experimented upon as a kid, and why she was pulled into the parallel universe. We also now know for what reason Massive Dynamics was created.

    The shape shifter mystery is also solved and Charlie Francis is officially out. The idea of having a love interest for Walter seemed a little far-fetched, but I am happy hey decided against treading that path. Now, it's a wait and watch situation for the new mystery- the one involving the guy who'll open the gate between the worlds.

    I don't know- I think this is the best Sci-Fi we'll ever get.moreless

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    27 4
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Trivia: As the shape-shifter beats Olivia, graffiti on the wall says "To Sleep Perchance to Dream." This is a clue toward the next episode, "Dream Logic," where dreams play a major part in the story. Edit
    • Trivia: The Observer can be seen with his back to the camera in the foreground as Olivia and the shapeshifter leave Massive Dynamic. Edit
    • Trivia: The glyph code for this episode is MEMORY. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Injoke: Thomas Jerome Newton is the name of David Bowie's alien in the 1976 movie The Man Who Fell to Earth. Edit
    • International Airdates: UK: October 25, 2009 on Sky1/Sky1 HD Latin America: November 03, 2009 on WB Sweden: December 10, 2009 on Kanal 5 Australia: January 13, 2010 on GO! Germany: March 29, 2010 on ProSieben Poland: September 30, 2010 on TVN Finland: October 13, 2010 on MTV3 Czech Republic: December 17, 2010 on Nova Cinema Edit
    • Injoke: "Charlie" drinks the mercury from a Slusho cup. Slusho has appeared in other J.J. Abrams productions such as Lost, Star Trek, and Cloverfield, starting in a Season 1 episode of Alias where Vaughn offers one to Sydney Bristow and tells her "They're delicious." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Peter: Walter, I thought that we agreed this was a stupid idea. Walter: Oh, no, you decided. I still maintain that the principle is perfectly sound. Peter: He wants you to eat worms. Walter: Not just worms, flatworms! Edit
    • Walter: Agent Francis, hello. Charlie: Hey. Walter: You all right? You look pale. Charlie: Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night. Walter: Oh. I may be able to help you with that. A little cannabis before bedtime does wonders, huh? Edit
    • Walter: Let's see how this thing operates. Astrid: What are you saying, that this is not a person? Walter: My dear, I'm not certain that you're not simply a figment of my imagination. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Olivia Which version? Don Siegel or Philip Kaufman? As per the previous line, Olivia is referencing Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The 1956 movie directed by Don Siegel was based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. The remake in 1978 is the Philip Kaufman version. Leonard Nimoy starred in the remake, although no one here comments on his strong resemblance to William Bell. Other remakes included Body Snatchers in 1993 and The Invasion in 2007. Edit

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