“Momentum Deferred” is a thrilling, momentous episode of Fringe. After a couple of episodes which danced around the larger issues at stake for the series, this installment dives headfirst into the murky waters of its over-arching plot and character issues. The result is easily one of the most entertaining – if not most accessible – episode of the series to date. From start to finish, it’s filled with character and plot revelations which have will have profound, and lasting, effects on the series as a whole. The result is an episode which puts the series back on track to become something truly remarkable and memorable.

The “mystery of the week” revolves around the bizarre and deadly attacks on a number of cryogenics facilities. Fortunately, though, this mystery is relegated to a mere backstory, in favor of an increased focus on Olivia’s memories with William Bell – and the machinations of “the enemy” from the other side. Add in a return of one of Walter’s former female “patients” and the episode is literally brimming with very relevant and insightful developments. Put simply, almost no amount of screentime is wasted on superfluous or unnecessary plot or character devices.

More specifically, this is the episode in which both the false-Charlie subplot and the Olivia-amnesia plot reach their respective resolutions. The fact that the two are related – that Olivia’s remembrances and Charlie’s efforts to discover them – makes this episode one of the most significant thus far. As we learn, Olivia’s conversation with William Bell involved the revelations that the “other side” is looking for a specific person to help them open a gateway between our universe and theirs. That Charlie eventually learns this information from Olivia – and conveys it before she kills him – is vitally important to the rest of the show. For this episode, though, Olivia’s fateful confrontation with Charlie is everything that a fan could have hoped for – personal and tragic.

Overall Grade: A-

“Momentum Deferred” is the episode that Fringe fans were waiting for.  It finally begins to confront some of the larger issues facing the series … and it does so in a dramatic, exciting manner.  All told, this will easily be one of the can’t-miss installments of the series.

Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
Filed under: Fringe

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