 Writing for Mania.com , Stephen Lackey thought the alternate universe plotline was risky because it had the potential to cause Fringe to " mak [ e ] a complex plot convoluted by taking off in flights of fancy with the writing and forgetting what has been written before , " but he does not believe that point has been reached yet . He also thought the meeting between Olivia and Bell " wasn 't as epic as it has been teased , " but enjoyed the " fascinating " cliffhanger at the end , ultimately calling it a " good " episode . Website blogger io9 listed " Momentum Deferred " as one of the " crucial " episodes new viewers must watch to get into the show . In January 2013 , IGN ranked the episode as the third best of the series , explaining that " the early seasons of Fringe specialized in putting Olivia in dire circumstances and letting her fight her way out like a she @-@ boss . ' Momentum Deferred ' was one of those episodes , and it brought more exciting moments than most series get in a whole season . " 
