12 Monkeys returned for season two with “Year of the Monkey” written by the creative team of Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett and directed by David Grossman. It was great to see almost everyone back for season two with the exception of Noah Bean as Aaron. It was also great to see Emily Hampshire and Todd Stashwick upped to regulars after they both delivered consistently compelling performances in season one. As for Bean, time travel will always make guest appearances possible!
I loved the re-cap done by Olivia (Alisen Down) at the beginning – “Let me tell you a story…” It succinctly sums up the themes that are clearly going to play out this season and the dynamics between the characters. A man finds hope in a woman – Cole (Aaron Stanford) in Cassie (Amanda Schull); His brother turns his back on him to save his son and joins the enemy – Ramsey (Kirk Acevedo) joins the army of 12 Monkeys. The man couldn’t let his brother die because the woman had taught him love.
Picking up from last season, the teams have been all shook up. The action in 2016 picks up three months after the finale with Cole and Ramsey reluctantly working together, though it’s great to see that they have at least come some way in re-establishing their friendship. I really like the chemistry between these two. I loved Cole calling Ramsey “old man” and how much that annoyed him! Ramsey points out that Cole believes in the future while he believes in the past – but are these two things necessarily incompatible? I think that is going to be subject to ongoing discussion. Olivia is hunting the Traveler because his cycle is complete – and you can’t run from fate. Or can you? I loved the continuation of this running philosophical question.
The show delivers with more great stunts and special effects as Cole and Ramsey take the upper hand with a terrific explosion and then make their escape – Ramsey very reluctantly – by jumping off a bridge! Olivia is rattle, however, because “none of this was foreseen” – maybe fate isn’t as carved in stone as she thinks?
Cole and Ramsey have spent 3 months underground, but the army keeps finding them. However they figure out that Ramsey has a tracker in him and go to Dr Kalman – played by the always wonderful Brendan Coyle (formerly Bates on Downton Abbey). Ramsey worked with Kalman at Markridge. Kalman doesn’t want to get involved, but Cole convinces him because Kalman owes Ramsey. Cole thinks that Kalman owes Ramsey in the same way he feels he owes Cassie. He tells Kalman the story of her taking the bullet out of him, and explains that he owes her because she made him better – not just in the sense of saving his physical being, of course.
Cole may believe in the future, but he’s not an idiot – and I love that about this show. The characters are complex. Cole may have softened his world view, but he hasn’t lost his street smarts, so when Kalvan paralyzes Ramsey so that he can turn him over to the 12 Monkeys in exchange for protection from the virus, Cole is ready for him.
Kalvan monologues in true villain fashion to Ramsey that the army is using Jennifer to disperse the virus and it’s happening in New York during Chinese New Year – it’s the year of the monkey after all. Cole takes out Kalvan, declaring that he never became anything better, even as Kalvan protests that he wanted to. Ramsey doesn’t initially tell Cole about Jennifer.
Cole and Ramsey are about to split up when Ramsey does tell Cole. Cole asks why he’s telling him and Ramsey says part of him thinks it won’t make a difference anyway. Cole will keep trying and failing and just end up dead – it’s fate.
We get a terrific “crazy” scene with Jennifer as she tries speed dating in attempt to find someone, anyone, to stop her. As always, Hampshire gets the best lines – “You got moxy and I like your tie!” Dallas calls 911 but doesn’t shoot her – but he does tip off the future.
In 2043, we pick up only four days after the last episode. Cassie and Katarina (Barbara Sukowa) are going to be a force to be reckoned with I think. Jones tells her, “Grieving over who we were will only get in the way of who we need to be.” The Messengers are demanding that Jones sends them through time. Meanwhile, Jones is giving herself injections “so time moves around her.” This is puzzling – but so freaking cool – as you’ll find out in the second episode!!!
The messengers won’t say where or when they want to go, they just give Jones coordinates. Jones seems to comply but in a wonderfully gruesome special effect, she’s set the machine to only splinter part of the messenger! I loved that both Deacon and Jones found this funny – for different reasons of course.
Jones defies them because she knows they can’t kill her, so they threaten to kill Cassie in another examination of the role of fate. Jones says they can’t kill Cassie because Cassie’s message is the thing that started all the time travel to begin with – and she hasn’t sent the message yet. The Messenger insists that if something is meant to be, it will be and is about to kill Cassie when Rodell (Billy MacLellan) breaks through Jones’ encryption of the program.
It’s interesting that Deacon also tries to save Cassie even before he has a real reason to. She notices that he has Wilson’s Disease. And yes this is real and her diagnosis is spot on. Cassie gets him to help her by promising to go back and bring him the medicine he needs. He tells her no initially, but he’s clearly thinking about it.
Not surprisingly, he reconsiders and is Cassie’s initiation into the brutality of the future – and the beginning of her change in attitude. He has her kill the guard by jamming a knife six inches into his throat while Deacon holds him. She protests that she’s a doctor, and he fills her in on the reality – “Do no harm died 30 years ago.”
Deacon lets in the West 7, including Marcus (Demore Barnes) who is still be held as a prisoner. I was hoping that Barnes would also be bumped up to series regular this year. Deacon simply releases him and arms him – after all, they’re all on the same side now against the Messengers. As they rush to blow up the machine, the lights keep flickering as more Messengers are sent through time. We get another great explosion – complete with cartwheeling Messenger.
Deacon saves Jones from the Messenger trying to kill her and Jones is happy to see Markus again. She is determined to rebuild the machine, but it will take six months.
In 2016 in New York, Cole sees Jennifer and chases her in a parking garage. She’s relieved that someone is going to stop her – it’s restored her faith in humanity! But Cole can’t do it. He won’t kill her. And does he really need to if she gives him the virus?
However, they are interrupted by Olivia’s man (David Richmond-Peck) who tells Jennifer, “you’re entire life has lead to this moment. The Witness has spoken.” And to Cole, he says, “You’re cursing fate. The real tragedy is the time you waste running from it.” But he does concede that Cole has changed things – right before Cassie shows up and cold-bloodedly shoots him in the head. This is not the Cassie Cole knew. This Cassie has lived in the future for some time – she tells him it’s now 2044 her time, so maybe an entire year has passed for her now?
The episode ends with Cole and Cassie holding guns on each other. Cole wasn’t willing to kill Jennifer, so is there any chance he’d kill Cassie to protect Jennifer? But we’ve just seen that Cassie is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the virus. Great twist on last season!
The episode starts some great discussions rolling. I found the episode a little slow as it got up to speed. Still loving the time puzzles we are faced with and the larger philosophical questions the show brings up, not to mention the terrific acting, writing and direction. What did you think of the episode? Are you disappointed that Cassie and Cole seem to be split apart again? Splintered apart? 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, Agent Carter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Defiance, Bitten, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. 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.
