12 Monkeys “Immortal” was written by the team of Ian Sobel and Matt Morgan and was directed by David Greene, who is the cinematographer on the show. Greene also previously directed Lost Girl. Sobel and Morgan previously wrote for From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. There are some pretty good classic scares in this episode, including a segment that seems like a direct homage to The Shining. Once again, I was blown away by the careful layering of the writing on the show. I love how all the timelines dovetail into each other. This episode gets pretty philosophical, but this show does a masterful job of avoiding being preachy about it.
The episode begins on the roof in 2044 with Jones (Barbara Sukowa) who is joined by Eckland (Michael Hogan). He’s finding it hard to believe that the raging Red Storm was caused by the murder of a few crazies back in time, but Jones tells him, “this is causality driven insane.” Eckland asks, “Hell on Earth?” And that is exactly how the Red Forest is described later in the episode.
I loved the fake out of Cole (Aaron Stanford) and Ramse (Kirk Acevedo) stalking someone. Ramse tells Cole to wait, but he impulsively jumps in – only to be shot with an elastic by Sam (Peter DaCunha)! It’s hilarious – but it also sets up the theme that will run throughout the episode. Cole is all leap and no look…
There’s a fabulous scene between Acevedo and DaCunha. Sam says to Ramse, “You could have stopped a lot of people from dying. I know you love me, but it’s not just about my future, it’s about everyone’s.” It’s clear that he appreciates what Ramse is trying to do – be a father – but he also wants Ramse to be able to do what’s right. They’ve already changed time, and Sam hasn’t disappeared. There was never any guarantee that changing the past would result in Sam’s never being born – at least I never saw that the possibility for him to be born regardless didn’t exist in any timeline. At any rate, Sam convinces Ramse to volunteer to go with Cole on the lates mission.
Jones and Eckland brief Cole on Kyle Slade (David Dastmalchian). He was ex-military, a drifter and died on July 22, 1975. There are still four unaccounted for Messengers and Jones shows Cole the pictures of the two she suspects went after Kyle to paradox him. Slade is believed to be the serial killer, The Immortal. Cole is not impressed that he’s supposed to protect a serial killer, but Jones tells him that how he prevents Slade from being paradoxed is up to him. After all, if he’s dead, he can’t be paradoxed, right? That’s even Slade’s excuse for the killings he did overseas.
Cole will be going back to find Slade through his last victim – Victoria Mason (Diana Bentley) – also killed on July 22, 1975. She was his last victim and the only one who was identifiable.
Ramse shows up and announces he’s coming too – “You’re all leap, no look, little brother.” Ramse insists that he can go with him or just wait and get sent later by Jones to rescue Cole… Love the banter between these two and it’s great to see their relationship back to the way it was. Ramse asks about Victoria, and Jones says that she doesn’t recommend getting involved. She doesn’t want them to alter time any more than they already have. Ramse and Cole are both unhappy about that order. Loved the musical interlude of Foghat’s “Slow Ride.”
In 2016, Cassie (Amanda Schull) is looking after Jennifer (Emily Hampshire) by keeping her medicated. Jennifer is sure the Emerson is both old and haunted. She says that ghosts are just replays and that traumatic events are recorded into the places they happened. We get a flash of someone punching their fist through the wall – and later see a messenger do it while trying to kill Ramse. Is this sensitivity to “ghosts” and echoes a gift of the primaries?
In 1975, Cole is drinking a TAB – so seventies! He and Ramse banter about what used to pass as coffee in their camp – and Ramse never does say what they were drinking if it wasn’t actually coffee…. They are waited on by Victoria, Slade’s victim. Ramse and she flirt. He asks what there is to do around there and she says, “It’s New York City, man. Everything’s fun if you’re doing it right!” Cole warns him not to get involved with the locals – they’re going to have to let her die after all – but then they see she has a son! Cole wonders what happens to him if she dies and Ramse points out whatever did happen is what happens.
Things are never clearly black and white in this world, however, and Victoria isn’t the perfect single working Mom – they see her buy drugs before she is suddenly attacked by Slade. Cole just can’t accept that this is the guy they have to save. Ramse warns him again that they can’t change time any more than they already have, but of course, Cole rushes out again and slugs Slade. He drops Victoria and time changes. The shockwaves incapacitate Cole and Ramse and allow Slade to get away. And a Messenger shows up.
I was a little surprised that they told Victoria the truth. Ramse is pissed at her when she pulls out her drugs and takes them away from her, telling her she just got a second chance and shouldn’t waste it. Cole suggests that they use the cops to find Slade.
Cole and Ramse pose as journalists and give Detective Damato (David Marciano) and Detective Franklin (Danya Nearon) the background on Slade in exchange for a “ride along exclusive” – complete with a little future newspaper blackmail.
Meanwhile in 2016, Cassie goes to get ice and the lights flicker and she hears a voice whisper her name – this is one of those creepy The Shining hallway moments. Cassie finds Aaron (Noah Bean) in a room. He tells her that they saved him from the fire and nursed him back to health – though he is quite disfigured. He tells her that he’s not the enemy and neither are they. He tries to convince her that they’re all fighting the same war and that they have powers beyond what they can comprehend. Cassie points out that Aaron betrayed them and tells him that she wishes he’d just stayed out of it. Aaron tells her that he only thought of her in his last moment and how he didn’t get to say he was sorry.
Back in 1975, the police have cornered Slade in a store and he’s taken a hostage. Once again, Cole rushes in. Slade recognizes James Cole! Cole is all set to give him to the cops to protect him from the Messengers until Slade tells him that he can take him to the Witness.
But it’s too late and the cops take Slade away. So naturally, Cole goes to steal a cop car. I adored Ramse’s tortured monologue here: “Don’t do that. That’s a cop car. Ahh… I’m an idiot” – and he gets in the car! Acevedo is just so, so good in this scene! They catch up with the detectives and Cole takes Slade, locking the Detectives in the back of the cop car. Ramse tells Cole he’s forgetting their mission and he cautions against trusting Slade – he’s being as crazy as Slade clearly is!
Ramse tells Cole, “You never listen” and then reminds Cole that he has a kid. Cole is tired of hearing that. He just gets in the Detectives car and tells Ramse “it was always my mission, not yours.” He takes off, leaving Ramse to run off back to Victoria at the Emerson.
Ramse returns to find one of the Messengers (Adam Kenneth Wilson) has Victoria tied up. He recognizes Ramse as the Traveller. The two fight, Victoria gets a knife and manages to free herself and distract the Messenger allowing Ramse to save her and kill the Messenger. He tells her to go home and take care of her boy. Her life isn’t about her anymore. And it’s clear that that is how Ramse feels about Sam – he wants to make him proud, but he also wants to make sure he can continue to protect him.
There’s a really nicely structured sequence of scenes that cut back and forth between 2016 and 1975 as Cassie and Aaron talk and Cole and Slade talk. In 2016, Aaron says the only true enemy is time and there’s only one way to undo the clock. In 1975, Slade says that the Red Forest is Hell on Earth. In 2016, Aaron insists that the Red Forest is beautiful. It’s the only way to be with the ones you love forever.
In 1975, Slade insists that the Witness wants to be Immortal in his timeless forest. “Can you imagine destroying time itself so everything that’s left is living and dying in the same moment? An eternal now. Everything you’ve ever known, anyone you’ve ever loved. There’s no future, no past, forever red.” Slade takes Cole to his killing room and it’s delightfully horrific with body parts hanging from the ceiling all over. It’s also booby-trapped.
The “Witness” is hanging in a cage with a “skin” face. Slade tells Cole that he needed help with the Witness, so he “sent up a flare” to get Cole’s attention – Victoria’s murder. She was identifiable so that Cole would know where and when to come. It’s why Victoria was the only identifiable victim! Slade insists that Cold finish what he started.
Once it’s done, they can both go home to the future. Slade uses the same descriptions that Aaron used with Cassie, telling Cole that the Witness has abilities and technologies way beyond Cole’s and that the Witness has been travelling longer. Slade wants Cole to use the dagger made out of his one bone to kill him. Slade tells Cole: “Time wants you to kill the Witness. It has to be you.” But of course, when Cole takes off the mask, he recognizes one of the Messengers (Evan Spergel).
As Cole says “You’re not the witness,” we flip back to 2016 and Aaron is hurting Cassie’s hand. His eyes turn black, and she recoils in horror – HE’S the Witness! And then he changes his face to Cole’s – maybe he chose the wrong face to persuade her with? And suddenly she’s in the lobby and Jennifer is there covering up for Cassie’s seemingly crazy behavior.
In 1975, Cole tells Slade all he has is a Messenger, but Slade pulls a gun on Cole, insisting he kills the “Witness.” Ramse shows up and pulls a gun on Slade and then the Detectives show up and trip the booby trap. Slade tries to kill Cole. The Messenger gets the dagger and is about to paradox Slade, when Ramse kills him.
Slade ends up on his knees with Cole training a rifle on him. Slade tells Cole: “You were sent to protect me. I’m immortal. I’m not meant to die.” And Cole tells him, “Everybody dies,” right before he shoots him. And the Witness wants to stop time to be immortal.
In 2016, Cassie sends Jennifer away because she doesn’t think Jennifer is safe with her any more. I loved Jennifer acknowledging the irony before she suggests that the whole thing was probably in Cassie’s head. Cassie insists it’s real, and Jennifer is gleeful that the whole thing means that the Witness is afraid of them – what they’re doing is working! But Cassie doesn’t think she has the fight in her.
Cassie tells Jennifer that the Witness wants to destroy time, so there’d be no more death. Schull is excellent here in demonstrating how confused and fearful she is here as she finishes, “He made it sound almost beautiful.” Her own guilt over Aaron was almost her undoing. Jennifer insists it’s not beautiful: “It’s the time clock that makes us better. Makes us love harder. It’s what makes us human.”
Back in 2044, the temporal storms have receded, and Cole and Ramse share a moment on the roof. Cole apologizes for continuing to leap without looking. Ramse tells him, “I used to think you were insane… it’s something in here (he touches his chest)… One of these days, it’s going to help us out of this mess.” Cole begins, “Hey man, you know I lo…” and Ramse cuts him off in mock horror – “NO! You never SAY that!” Cole denies it and says he was going to say he loves whiskey.
The two make their way back inside. Cole teases Ramse about being an emotional new parent and Ramse counters that Cole was going to declare his undying love for him. But as they leave the roof, Ramse quietly says, “me too.” These two have terrific chemistry!
The final scene is in 2016. Jennifer has left and left a note for Cassie. She tells her she’s got plenty of fight left but to take it back to the future while Jennifer takes it to the streets. Cassie sits alone in the apartment and the lights flicker. She sees the Witness standing in the corner and suddenly her eyes turn black as the episode ends! What does it mean??? Is she now the Witness? Was she the Witness all along? Has she been possessed? Is she simply having another vision?
I loved the philosophical questions this episode brought up. What would we be willing to do to spend eternity with our loved ones? Is death what makes us human? I want to know what Deacon (Todd Stashwick) is going to make of Amanda once she gets back – she seems so broken, maybe she needs him to toughen her up again! What did you think of the episode? 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.
