12 Monkeys, “Divine Move,” was directed by Magnus Martens with the teleplay by Christopher Monfette based on a story by the creative team of Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett. This was yet again a fast paced episode with action on multiple time fronts. A special mention of Demore Barnes (Whitley) who really does some outstanding work in this episode. Kirk Acevedo (Ramse) is also terrific in the episode, but I’m sad to see his character seemingly lost as an ally. This episode also has a high body count as we lose both Max (Romina D’Ugo) and Elena (Amy Sloan).
Ramse is clearly determined to protect his present, future, and past with his family who would never have existed outside of this time frame. As the episode begins, he takes the serum they need to send Cole (Aaron Stanford) back in time and sets fire to all the files in the lab. But he only knocks out ? and drags him out of the lab so he doesn’t burn.
Cassie (Amanda Schull) and Aaron (Noah Bean) discover they’ve become adrenaline junkies and have settled back into their relationship. Neither are happy to see Cole when he shows up – and not just because he somewhat hilariously catches them with their pants down.
Cassie is sure that they stopped the virus in Chechnya because everything was burned. I still question the fact that they said they removed the bodies and didn’t find Cole, so clearly the bodies weren’t burnt completely past the point of recognition. Aaron, of course, wants to blame everything on Cole. Aaron isn’t wrong in asserting that Cole doesn’t know how to stop it, and he hits on Cole’s own insecurities when he says if Cole’s there only chance, they’re in trouble. It’s telling that Cole doesn’t defend himself. Cassie, however, quickly realizes the leak is Oliver Peters (Ramon De Ocampo).
Cassie and Cole go after Peters through a last address provided by the CDC. Cassie is running out of hope and is worried about Cole’s clearly deteriorating health. She tells him about going to Chechnya. Cole tells her that he’s worried about Ramse. Cole insists that nothing stays the same.
They find Peters’ husband covered in flower petals. She says it’s the Tall man (Tom Noonan), and it’s a plague trick to use flowers to cover the smell of death. Cassie laments that they’ve changed nothing. Can things not be changed and not be the same at the same time? Cole again has a flash of the broken glass of milk and another nose bleed.
Cassie once again proves how smart she is by finding Peters’ private journal in a volume of Proust. They retreat to a bar to go through it. I loved the music in this scene with Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” playing in the background. Perfect musical choice! And Cole’s choice too. The journal reveals the thing in the Night Room was the Annapurna remains. It was excavated in the early 80s. They also find a clue to the White Dragon in Tokyo in 1987. Cole is sure that is where they can stop it. Cassie’s expertise comes in handy again when she knows that Peters will need animal subjects to test the virus on and can trace them through the CDC’s sources.
Cole is worried about what’s happening with Cassie, but she outrights says, “all the splintering is killing you.” She’s a scientist after all. Cole returns and collapses, forcing Jones (Barbara Sukowa) to put him in a “treatment” - reconditioning system for molecular stabilization - before he can attempt one final splinter. Meanwhile, Cassie’s own drinking problem seems to be getting worse.
Meanwhile, Ramse is hiding out in an old Wilderness Adventure park. He killed a couple of scavengers to prevent them from finding them. Ramse tells Elena that he’s stopped them and brought the serum for insurance. Elena shares Ramse’s fear that if they change the future, they’ll never meet and Sam (Benjamin Meranda) will never be born.
We’re introduced to the Daughters – an all-woman cult. Ramse remarks that they’re strong, having survived in the open all this time. And of course the big reveal is that Jennifer (Emily Hampshire) is still alive and well in 2043. Frankly, I'm not a fan of aging makeup, and I found it distracting here though Hampshire gives her usual terrific performance. She tells Ramse he’s brave. Apparently, they’ve been selling the herb that was given to her and Cassie. She doesn’t seem quite as crazy but does say, “Daughters of mothers and midnights and fathers, it’s all out of order.” “Undo what I’ve done, you’ve done, Cole’s done. Can’t undo the plague.” She wants to know where Cole is and gives Ramse a necklace that she says he’ll need. She also tells him he’s a good friend and that something will happen that will change things for him. She also tells him that not everything is pre-ordained. She also says that death is both cause and effect.
Jones gives her word that Ramse won’t be hurt, but insists he can’t stand in the way of the mission. Cole insists that he can’t let his last act in this timeline be hurting Ramse. Even Jones is beginning to think about what she’s doing: “Anything we do, even if we undo it, it happened nonetheless. In God’s eyes.” Whitley wonders if she’s channeling Foster but she assures him, “I don’t think that God’s wrath requires my belief.” Whitely wants clarification if he has to choose between Ramse or the injections, and Jones says they need the injections. Naturally it’s Elena who’s killed trying to prevent violence.
Ramse promises to always be there for Sam and then immediately leaves. Meanwhile, Whitley is furious with himself and Jones. He tells her shooting Elena was an accident and that he made it right – by shooting the soldier who killed her. He also vows that he’s not going after Ramse. He insists that with whatever time he has left, he should be a father to Sam. He tells Jones, “Someone, someday, will judge us for what we’ve done.” Barnes is simply excellent in this scene. I hope there is more Whitley to come.
Aaron comes back and wants Cassie to stop following Cole blindly. He’s worried the next time she’s killed she won’t come back. She tells him she can do it alone but doesn’t want to. Aaron comes with her to help track down the monkeys. Cassie finds Peters in a shipping container. He’s completed the virus to protect his husband. Once he knows Jason is dead, he tells Cassie he’s too dangerous alive and asks her to kill him. But Cassie can’t cross that line. She tells him to find a hole and crawl into it. Aaron, meanwhile, runs into the Striking Woman (Alisen Down) who tells him Cassie is very important and asks him what he’s willing to do to keep her alive.
Ramse returns with the serum, and Whitley tries to get him to just leave it and go. Ramse says he just wants to talk to Jones for assurance that they’ll leave him and his son alone. Jones wants him to think of all the people who lost children during the plague. Ramse is on to her. He knows she’s doing all of this to bring back her own daughter. In the firefight that ensues Max is killed. With nowhere else to go, Ramse splinters back to 1987 Tokyo to protect his son. Cole is in time to see Max die, but not stop Ramse.
Aaron and Cassie discuss Peters. Aaron wonders if Cassie should have just left the gun and let him kill himself. Cassie says the virus is already done, so what’s the point. Aaron says that Peters isn’t innocent, but he gets it – he was only trying to save his husband. Cassie is astounded - and appalled that he does. He was helping to destroy the world to save just one person. Aaron tells her, “One person that you love. In the end, isn’t that all that matters?” And she says no. It’s a question that runs throughout the episode and really ties it together.
Cole only has one more jump. Jones tells him they’re out of time. He has to find the source of the plague and eliminate it. Cole says that if Ramse tries to stop him, he will kill him. Ramse survived the jump, but he’s clearly not well – or simply overwhelmed by the past. Of course, we only saw Cole after he’d spent some time looking for Cassie, so maybe he was also this messed up on his first jump.
Things are definitely coming to a head. Somehow, Cole must manage to get more jumps – it’s hard to believe that next week will really be his last jump. But only three more episodes to the end of the season! What did you think of the episode? Would you risk the world to save just one person? Let me know your thoughts in the comments 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.
