12 Monkeys, “Atari,” was directed by David Grossman and was written by the team of Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett – the series’ creators. . It’s a tightly written and action-packed episode. Most of the episode takes place in the future as the compound comes under attack. Cassie (Amanda Schull) bookends the episode, and while we don’t see much of her in the episode, she is nonetheless very busy in the present. It’s clear that Matalas and Fickett are expanding the universe of the movie into the future for the television series. I’m excited for the action to continue on two fronts.
The episode really introduces Todd Stashwick as Deacon, the Scavenger King of the West Seven Gang. Stashwick is brilliant as the psycho-sociopath leader of the scavengers. His restrained delivery and matter-of-fact, logical justifications of his actions are all the more chilling.
The episode begins in 2015 and this week’s time jumps become even a bit more confusing as we have flashbacks to 2032 mixed in with the time jumps. As the episode opens, Cassie is understandably curious about Cole (Aaron Stanford). For his part, he doesn’t want to share a past he’s decidedly not proud of. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to lose Cassie’s friendship, but there also is a part of Cole that wants to succeed in his mission in order to wipe out that past. If he does succeed, this Cole will be erased – and so will any friendship or relationship that he has with Cassie.
The first flashback to 2032 shows us Cole and Ramse (Kirk Acevedo) scavenging on their own. When they come upon a dog, neither one of them can shoot it even though they are starving. It’s a good place to pick up on them when their humanity hasn’t been compromised by the situation they’re in. It’s also really funny watching them try to make the other take the shot – Ramse even comes up with a new rule – “You saw it, you kill it.” We get a glimpse of how close the two have been. They still remember a time before the outbreak. Ramse tells Cole they’re “in Atari” and then explains it’s a game he used to play and when you were out of moves or there was only one move left whether you liked it or not, you were in Atari. Cole says, “So, that’s bad?” And Ramse tells him to stay out of Atari.
When Cole is called back early, we see that Whitley (Demore Barnes) is underestimating the threat from the West Seven. He scoffs at the Scav King. But this draws a line between Whitley and Cole and Ramse. They’ve been in Atari, and he hasn’t. For all his cynicism and dislike of Cole and Ramse, he clearly hasn’t faced the same hardships or seen the depravity such desperation can foster and create.
Once they are in Deacon’s camp, Cole and Ramse drift apart. Deacon sees from the moment he meets them that Cole is the more desperate of the two and Ramse has the stronger moral code. Deacon tells them that the world belongs to the immune, and asks them to join him. They already know about the West Seven’s reputation. Ramse immediately says no, but Cole says they’re listening. Deacon takes advantage of the weakness between them, setting Max (Romina D’Ugo) to befriend Cole and further isolate Ramse. As time passes, Cole is more willing to follow Deacon’s brutal orders, but Ramse continues to be the voice of reason. Deacon pushes too hard when he essentially puts Cole in Atari by telling him to kill Ramse after Ramse challenges Deacon’s actions on a raid. Instead of killing Ramse, they leave together – and we still have 11 years to account for!
Cole meanwhile sees Cassie and Ramse as very much alike as they both have a strong moral compass. We learn as well that there is an Elena in Ramse’s past. In the end, Ramse tells Cole to take the shot with Cassie. After all, it’s possibly the only chance at happiness he will get.
I loved the way they played with time in the episode. We see the raid play out and go badly for those in the compound. Somehow Deacon knows about the tunnels – little do we realize that Cole himself told him. We also hear someone call to Cole – and only later realize it’s Max calling to the other Cole. The best set up, of course, is Ramse saying he’s in Atari over the radio only to be cut off by gunfire. We are left thinking that we’ve just lost Ramse. Of course, it turns out that Cole is the one doing the shooting and he has the disorienting experience of hearing his own voice over the radio.
It’s interesting that Jones (Barbara Sukowa) takes her last shot to get Cole away – it’s the best move of course because Cole could find the answer and reset everything preventing the raid from ever happening. I really liked the scene between Jones and Cole as they say what they think is goodbye. It says something that they exchange first names. In this world, people don’t get to know each other because you are just likely to lose them anyway. It’s clear that despite her best efforts, Jones is growing care about Cole, he’s becoming a friend. It’s why he doesn’t want to get close to Cassie and tell her anything about himself. In the end, of course, the gunfire damages the machine creating a one time only short jump, allowing Cole to both start (by revealing the tunnels) and end the raid. Cool, complex, and a bit confusing!
Acevedo and Stanford have a couple of great scenes in this episode. While we don’t see much of Cassie, we do see that she’s starting to embrace the concept of a “greater good” – that some few may have to die so the many can live. While waiting for Cole to return, she finds the location of the Night Room by using her best lying and bullshitting techniques. She is becoming more like those in the future in her desperation.
If you read my advance preview you may have seen my two favorite quotes from the episode, one from Ramse: “Atari is bad,” and one from Deacon: “Beating on you is really just for me.”
What did you think of the episode? Did you like getting more background on what makes Cole tick? Did you enjoy the time-play? Are you starting to feel like there’s no escaping fate? Who do you think is the better villain, Deacon or the Pallid Man? Don’t you want to see them thrown together somehow? Todd Stashwick teased that the hallucination Cole experiences contains all kinds of spoilers – so do go and watch that frame by frame if you can! Let me know your thoughts on the episode below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
