12 Monkeys “Emergence” was written by Richard E Robbins and was directed by David Grossman. This was another terrific episode that was carefully plotted, fitting delightfully in unexpected ways with the previous episode. Kirk Acevedo is delivering wonderful performance after wonderful performance, and I love what he does with Ramse in this episode – I adore it when he gets to be sarcastic. Barbara Sukowa is clearly having a ball with Jones and she is a joy to watch every week as well. I’m very much enjoying her pairing with Michael Hogan as Eckland.
The episode opens with Jones asking Ramse for a favor. He’s the last Traveler that they have and they need him to rescue Cassie (Amanda Schull) and Cole (Aaron Stanford). I loved that Ramse was utterly sarcastic until he realized that Cole was in danger and then he was totally on board. As an added incentive, Jones promises to set Ramse free with his son on his return.
I also love the careful writing in this show. I had almost given up – because most shows would never have figured out a solution for a plot hole like this – but Adler (Andrew Gillies) tells Ramse that the shot he’s given is more painful but will mean that the splintering won’t be deadly anymore. Let’s not forget that Cole was one jump away from death last season! And bless you writers for not forgetting!
Ramse is going back before the paradox that caused the very fabric of space/time to be ripped apart. Jones tells him that he’s to place a classified ad – he’ll list a time and place for her to lock on to. I loved Ramse repeating that Jones was NOT convincing that it would work – her emphasis on it being just a theory really wasn’t comforting! I also loved Ramse telling her that he could only fix one of her screw ups at a time.
I thought it was a little hilarious that Ramse would splinter, stand up, and be hit by a car! Because of course, there’s no reason that wouldn’t happen! And of course, it would happen to poor Ramse. He ends up in the hospital. Jones sent him back with only two days to spare because she didn’t want him having a lot of time to think about what he was doing and renege somehow. If you are a fan of
Defiance, you might have recognized the wonderful Trenna Keating as Ramse’s nurse.
I loved that we flash again to Cole receiving that mysterious phone call with no one on the line – and we see that it was Ramse trying – and failing to reach out to him. In the end, Ramse is playing catch up and only arrives at the Mission Cross Asylum after Cole and Cassie. He runs into Vivian (Scottie Thompson) who recognizes him. She tells him he shouldn’t be there – his cycle is complete.
Ramse tells her that the cycle has changed. He also tells her that he’s infiltrated the enemy. He asks her to help him stop Cole and Cassie! He gives himself away to her and the audience when he says that the Witness spoke to him directly. However, she is clearly touched by Ramse’s love for his son – a story the Witness has told many times. It also explains Vivian’s own love for the child she thought she’d never have – and who turns out to be the Pallid Man (Tom Noonan)!
Wasp (Mitchell Verigin) arrives and handcuffs Ramse to the heater, so he misses his opportunity – assuming he ever really had one – to stop the paradox. Ramse gets free in time to see Cassie and Cole taken away in handcuffs. Agent Gale (Jay Karnes) starts out by beating Cole in an attempt to learn what they were doing. It’s hilarious that because of the time period, they assume that Cassie is simply following her boyfriend’s lead. If only they knew!
Gale turns out to be an unexpected ally – thanks to HG Wells! Gale also has the picture – and is the one at the end of the episode to write on the back of the picture – leaving the breadcrumb that they will need in the future.
Ramse rescues them from Gale and Agent Stack (Jeff Teravainen). Cassie and Ramse actually agree on something – they need to get back to 2044, but Cole insists they need to find Vivian. Cassie and Ramse go to place the ad and then end up at the bar together. Ramse tells her he doesn’t care if she hates him but she shouldn’t hate Cole. Ramse tells her that Cole is loyal to a fault and that he feels guilty for what he turned Cassie into. Cassie tells Ramse she doesn’t hate Cole. But that isn’t good enough for Ramse, and he tells her to forgive Cole – because Cole would forgive her the same way Cole forgave Ramse.
Meanwhile, Cole sees in the paper that Vivian did survive the paradox and he goes to see her in the hospital. Kale comes to Cole there – he’s noticed things! The necklace Cole gave away is a design that won’t come out until next year. Parts of Ramse’s body have aged differently from each other. There was that weird explosion… Cole tells him that he thinks Kale wants to do the right thing – and Kale does, getting Cole in to see Vivian.
Vivian is shocked that she’s still alive. She spent her whole life preparing to die in 1944. She tells Cole that Crawford was primary. The monkeys want to stop time’s cruel destruction and unlock the infinite. Vivian manages to disarm Cole and knock him out, but the Witness won’t let her kill him.
Kale returns to the Emerson with Cole. Ramse offers to take the blame for the murders – and I can’t help but think that is going to make things difficult for him “in the future”. Cole invites Kale to watch while they splinter. Ramse goes first, and Cassie tells Kale, “Yeah. You won’t forget it.” She still remembers her first time watching Cole. I loved Kale’s, “Holy shit!” I’m hoping – and betting we see him again!
Meanwhile, Jones has been busy in 2044 trying to figure out what is going on. She has determined that the disruption to space/time in 1944 is causing the anomalies in 2044. The anomalies are pockets of time. The men had aged hundreds of years in minutes. While the team examines the remains, they are watched by the Daughters.
Jones tells Eckland that she’s not happy fumbling around in the dark, so she goes to Jennifer (Emily Hampshire) for enlightenment. She tells Jones that there are no straight lines, no cause/effect. She tells her the story of the column of ants. An ant in line sees only the one in front and the one behind – but if he steps out of line, he can see the whole thing. A simple analogy of time would be seeing the immediate past and future while living in your present – but if you stepped out of time, you would see the entirety of it.
Jennifer tells Jones that Jones doesn’t know how time works. She offers Jones tea made of red forest leaves. Jones declines, telling her that it will bring visions but also kill and that she doesn’t have the time to “break on through to the other side” with Jennifer – nicely quoting Jim Morrison, who Jennifer tells us was primary!
When Jones discovers that a message has not come through from Ramse and that Adler is not checking constantly for it, she completely loses it. She tells them that the very fabric of their existence is unraveling! Sukowa had to love shooting this scene and she nails it.
I loved Eckland asking her why she was being an asshole! She’s trying to be right rather than finding an answer. He reminds her that she is both and explorer and a scientist. He reminds her that she pushes boundaries and that’s what makes her unique. He is frustrated that she can’t remember him, but her reminds her that he does know her and remembers what she told him: When the explorer is lost, they go full speed into the unknown.
Jones returns to Jennifer and drinks the tea. She seems to fall through time. Jennifer is there – in her younger incarnation. The show does a much better job using CGI to de-age Jones than the make up used to make Jennifer old. Regardless, they are back in the moment in which the smart monkey was no longer a monkey. But Jones tells her it didn’t happen in one day – it happened because man was given time. Jennifer insists that time needs them – some more than others. The primaries are the most important. Destroying the primaries means a paradox and no past, present, or future.
When Cole returns, he and Jones are on the same page about what the Monkeys are planning. The de-briefing degenerates into a fight between Cassie and Ramse which Cole brings to a halt. The red forest is a temporal Hell on earth. Ramse tells Jones that it’s her mistakes that caused it. Cole shuts them all up, telling them to look outside – the monkeys have already won and they have to stick together. They may not have any leads now, but they must find a way – as they always do. The need to bury the past – it may be the only way to save the future. Thankfully, Ramse insists he’s staying to make sure it all works out!
In 1971, we see Vivian die – and that she did have a son – and he is the Pallid man! Fast forward to 2016. Jennifer is checking herself in to a clinic to get the voices to stop. This seems awfully familiar! The pallid mam is just outside – He doesn’t go in, so what are his intentions?
Another fast paced and intricate plot – love the writing on this show – and Acevedo and Sukowa’s performances! What did you think of the episode? Is it time for Cassie to forgive Cole? 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.
