Although some had suspected it for quite some time, last week’s episode all but confirmed that the characters are caught in this massive time loop. Pallid Man (Tom Noonan) and the Army of the 12 Monkeys had always been right behind Cole (Aaron Stanford) wherever and whenever he splintered, and that was solely because of Ramse (Kirk Acevedo). He had gone back to 1987 to stop Cole and the mission in order to save his son and inadvertently becomes “The Witness” for Olivia and the Army. However, Ramse would never had gone back in time if it weren’t for Cole and his relentless pursuit of the virus, and around and round we go. My head was spinning by the end of the episode, as I’m sure was true for most of the viewers. Well, the paradox continues in tonight’s penultimate episode, and you thought you were dizzy last week? You just wait.

A NEW THREAT, AN OLD THREAT FOR TEAM COLE

Things did not look good for Cole in the final scenes of last week’s episode. Even though he narrowly escaped the clutches of the thugs from 1987, he had been shot, and his molecular structure was still breaking down from all of the repeated splintering. Fortunately for us and for Cole, Cassie (Amanda Schull) remembers the piece of paper her future self gave to Cole before she died. The paper has a NYC address written on it, and it turns out to be of a person that we are very familiar with — the very young Katrina Jones (Barbara Sukowa).

Even though we have seen just about every other character on the show in some past time jump, I still was thoroughly surprised to find that the key to saving Cole’s life was the young, 30-something, recently-divorced Dr. Jones (and, BTW, wow! Does this woman ever age?). However, upon thinking a moment, it does make sense. Cole’s body is breaking down at the cellular level, and if there is anyone who can save him, it’s Dr. Jones because after all, this *is* her techology. What a very cool twist.

But, young Dr. Jones isn’t an easy sell. At first, she thinks Dr. Railly is a crack pot, and it takes Cassie pulling a gun (actually a fake gun which Dr. Jones notices almost immediately) to get Dr. Jones to even listen to her. Finally, Cassie shows Dr. Jones pictures of her own future work on quantum splintering, all research that had never been published. Cassie goes on to explain that Cole is her friend in the future, and if Dr. Jones doesn’t come back with her, he will die. Jones still has her doubts, but does decide to go back with Cassie to see if she can help (or perhaps because of curiosity alone).

When she gets there and after running some blood tests, she pretty much confirms what Cassie already knows — Cole has splintered too many times, and yes, he is dying. But, then, Cassie tells her about how she and Cole first met and about the watch paradox. Jones found the story to be amusing and even quoted Cole from back in the Pilot, providing further confirmation that they are in a time loop and that Cole had met Jones even before he had first met Cassie.

Mother Nature doesn’t like it if you rearrange her furniture — Jones to Cassie

But this very paradox then triggers the mother of all crazy ideas to save Cole. The paradox in the Pilot was created because Cassie’s watch came in contact with the future version of itself. What if Cole’s present-day blood was introduced into the future Cole? A paradox would be created, which could very well stop the quantum shifting, thus saving Cole. Pretty cool idea, eh? I think so too, but to make this work they would have to find the very young Cole to get a sample of his blood. This will prove to not be so easy.

It turns out young Cole lives only an hour away with his father, Matthew, and Jones and Cassie don’t exactly get a warm reception, especially after Cassie does the very crazy thing of trying to tell Matthew the real reason of why they are there and why they need Cole. Time travel? A future plague? The Army of the 12 Monkeys? Yeah, I probably wouldn’t trust them either. But, wait — the Army of the 12 Monkeys? Matthew recognizes the name, and it’s something that his fruit-loop ex-wife (and Cole’s mother) was always ranting about. She said that Matthew had to be sure to protect Cole from this Army of the 12 Monkeys. Well, it still wasn’t making 100% sense, but it was enough for Matthew to go with Cassie and Jones so that he could find out for sure.

While this decision does, in fact, save future Cole’s life, it unleashes a horrible chain of events that would change Cole’s life and timeline forever. This is where things start to get a little crazy, folks, and the paradox within a paradox begins. It is also where we learn the significance of the visions Cole had been having — the breaking of the glass of milk, the drop of blood, the firing of a gun.

If you hadn’t noticed at the beginning of the episode, Aaron (Noah Bean) was becoming more desperate and more angry. He wants only to grab Cassie and hunker down and is royally pissed that she doesn’t seem to care and keeps fixating on Cole. While Cassie was in NYC trying to track down the present-day Jones, I swear I thought Aaron was just going to let Cole die when he had that seizure. But when Jones shows up and it looks like Cole may actually live, this is when he finally snaps.

It’s Aaron Marker. I want to make a deal — Aaron to Olivia AKA “Striking Woman”

Well, this can’t be good. In exchange for protection for both him and Cassie, he provides the location of Cole to Olivia. And, since Olivia is the leader of the Army of the 12 Monkeys, it doesn’t take a genius to guess what is coming next.

After Dr. Railly draws the blood from the young Cole but before she can administer it, Pallid Man and his thugs show up. Here comes some of the best scenes of the episode, some really great stuff. Cole’s father, Matthew, had always known that the Army would eventually find them and steps up to confront Pallid Man, giving Cassie, Jones, and his son time to escape. And, just like future Cole had remembered it, his father doesn’t make it.

Where is Cole? — Pallid Man

One step ahead of you, asshole! — Matthew Cole

But, it’s not over, and future Cole still has his Ace in the hole to play — the injection of young Cole’s blood. This creates the mother of paradoxes, and blows the place to smithereens.  Everybody see the look on Pallid Man’s face when it happened? Priceless.

So, now we have the time loop almost full circle. Young Cole is now an orphan, and so, Jones and Cassie end up having to drop him off at Child Protective Services. Here, Cassie and future Cole watch at a distance as Cole and Ramse meet for the first time and become friends. This is perhaps the biggest paradox of the episode and honestly, one that I don’t really understand. We know from the last episode that Cole knows that Ramse is the Witness and the one who leads the Army of the 12 Monkeys right to him. If that is the case, why doesn’t future Cole stop the initial meeting? If Cole never meets Ramse, then perhaps he won’t be there to derail the entire mission. Could it be because Cole truly does believe in not disrupting the timeline (which is the reason why Jones wouldn’t accept any information about the future from Cole)? But if that is true, then why is Cole even here? After all, the whole point of the mission is to go back in time to change the past. Hmmmm…..

WELCOME BACK, DEACON

And, we all thought that Deacon (Todd Stashwick) was gone for good, right? No, surely we weren’t that naive! In 2043, Whitley (Demores Barnes) shows back up at the base but carrying the head of one of his men. Holy crap! And, the rest of his group is right outside, all dead and most of them decapitated.

Here we have the introduction of a new villain, and for the lack of a better term, I’m just going to call the group Pale Men because of their light face color. These men want to get inside the compound (no doubt to get Dr. Jones and/or her time machine), and who better to help them with that task then our good ‘ole pal, Deacon.

This facility, what’s inside is very important to us. Are you sure you can get us in? — Creepy Pale Man

It will be my pleasure — Deacon

Uh oh. Who in the heck are these people, and what do they want with Jones and her machine?

And, what’s next for Cole and Cassie? Because of the paradox, he is now healthy again but he is also permanently bound to 2015 and can’t go back. What will be their next step in stopping the plague when they no longer have the help of Jones and her time machine?

Finally, what about that Red Ivy that appears on the time machine in the final scenes of the episode? Dr. Adler said it wasn’t of their time, and we should recognize it as the ivy that Dr. Railly saw in the visions after Striking Woman drugged her in “The Red Forest.” Most of our questions have been answered, but this one still remains a mystery. Well, folks, next week is the season finale, and hopefully, we won’t have to wait long to get an answer.

The season 1 finale of 12 Monkeys airs next Friday at 9/8c on Syfy.

Critic Grade — A

 

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