Bullet Points: Fringe part 1

I'd like to take a forensic look at the magic bullet that struck Olivia Dunham in the last episode of Fringe, "Brave New World Part 2".  It only stands to reason that we should compare it to the bullet that Ella Bishop wore around her neck in "Letters of Transit".  I say this because many of us deduced that the bullet that Ella wore around her neck was in homage to her mother (we think) and she wore it to honor her mother's sacrifice.  (We're also assuming that Olivia is Ella's mother.)

As we look at the bullet above that Ella wears we can see an obvious indentation that both bullets share.  The bloodied bullet (very top) may look slightly different as its indentation seems more cratered than the cleaner version as seen below.  This difference may be due to the angle of the camera, the fact that the bullet is in reverse view and because the top one is covered in fresh blood which may also distort the damage to the spent slug. 

The bullet in the second photo seems flattened at the end of its crater as we approach the front part of the slug.  While the bloody bullet seems to have a curvature to it as seen by the merest of reflection from the light.  Please look closely at this difference.  We could surmise that. A: continuity was lost in the props department and they used more that one bullet prop. or B: the angle, the light and the blood have distorted or view or lastly C: there are two separate bullets and each have a alternate narrative.

If we go back to the bloody bullet note that we are looking at the tail end of the bullet that, at one time, was connected to the the cartridge.  It seems slightly misshapen.  The hammer that struck the cartridge would only inflict damage on the shell itself so it doesn't seem likely that it should be damaged.  Compare it to the bullet that Ella wears and you'll note that the curvature of its base seems wholly intact.  However, it must be noted that we can only see limited portion of the bullet base, therefore we can draw no final solution.

Bullets are made of soft lead.  Any damage that the bullets incur is due to that nature and any sort of structural damage is possible.  The front of the Ella bullet is facing us and from this we can derive several facts.  If this was a dumdum or hollow point bullet the end would not be flat as shown above.  Those types of bullets are meant to cause massive material damage and would cause grave tissue mutilation.  It would leave the type of wound that even cortexiphan immersion could not withstand.  A full metal jacketed bullet would also cause irreversible damage as it would have passed completely through Dunham's head and left a large exit wound.  Something from which a cortexiphan cure would have been impossible.

If the two bullets pictured are indeed the same then we can surmise that they are of standard issue for the 9mm Luger that Walter Bishop fired to disable Olivia.  A further extrapolation of the facts would lead us to believe that the bullet is of the 115 or 105 grain.  Here is a brief description of the Luger and its ammo taken from the site "Lonesentry.com.

"Since 1908 the Luger pistol has been an official German military side arm. Georg Luger of the DWM Arms Company² in Germany developed this weapon, known officially as Pistole 08, from the American Borchart pistol invented in 1893.

The Luger is a well-balanced, accurate pistol. It imparts a high muzzle velocity to a small-caliber bullet, but develops only a relatively small amount of stopping power. Unlike the comparatively slow U.S. 45-caliber bullet, the Luger small-caliber bullet does not often lodge itself in the target and thereby impart its shocking power to that which it hits. With its high speed and small caliber it tends to pierce, inflicting a small, clean wound.

When the Luger is kept clean, it functions well. However, the mechanism is rather exposed to dust and dirt".

There are two salient points that we can take from the above description.  The first of which is, despite the high muzzle velocity the stopping power is limited.  This would also explain why the bullet didn't shatter Dunham's skull.  It is also noted that it leaves a "small clean wound" the type of which Dunham suffered as seen below.

It should also be added that to perform at maximum potential the Luger must be kept clean in order to "function well".  Take note of how the weapon was stored in the picture below.

The Luger was kept in a glass encased wooden box.  This not only serves to showcase the fine antique weapon but also keeps it in top working condition should anyone want to use.  It seems William Bell not only took pride in his possession but also took great pains to see it preserve its functionality should the need arise.

With the fact assembled above we can safely assume that both bullets pictured are indeed the same.  From this we can pursue a secondary line of reasoning which would entail,

• Motive
•  History
• Plausibility and Causality
• Time Frame Scenarios
• Legacy

 However, it would be prudent to preserve some modicum of skepticism should the bullets be two different entities and if so we'll entreat more theories if applicable.

Coming soon, "Bullet Points: Fringe part 2".