Dr. Katrina Jones truly shines in this week’s episode of “12 Monkeys” as a complex badass who is willing to do anything to get what she wants. While we’re still reeling from last week’s revelations, circumstances escalate to critical levels in both timelines as audiences discover that the good guys aren’t so good after all.
We start off with Cole in 2017, wandering the streets of Chechnya and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everything seems to be in chaos as the plague has now been fully released with most of the world’s population infected. He comes across a small group of people watching an emergency television broadcast from the CDC in Baltimore and none other than Cassie being interviewed. She’s asking for all people immune to the virus to make their way to Baltimore because the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta is no longer operational. Yikes.
Meanwhile in 2043, Jones is quelling some dissension in the ranks. Some on her team had heard the rumors that Foster had found the cure to the plague. She quickly explains that he had cured the 2033 version of it and not the current mutation (which has gone through 2 changes already). She reiterates that the colonel lied to give his people hope and to allow him to continue his obsessive search. According to her, Project Splinter was only way to save humanity and for that they need Spearhead’s core.
We jump to the Spearhead compound where Ramse has arrived to usher Elena and his son to safety before the impending attack. Elena is resistant to leave though, saying that this was their home and that Foster wasn’t lying. She was in the lab when they had found the cure. She convinces Ramse to let her show him evidence, but Foster and his men catch them before she is able too. They are locked up in a room and soon after gunshots are heard, ushering in Team Splinter’s arrival. Their assault is bloody, quick, and decisive thanks to the help of Whitley’s father, who is convinced by his son to aid them. The greatest shock of the episode comes when Jones is alone with Foster and they are once again arguing their fundamentally different views on the best course of action. We learn more about their past together in the early days of the plague, when their loved ones were still alive. Foster reminisces that back then they were both better people because they had hope. While Jones agrees, she adds that at the time she was still a mother and then proceeds to shoot him in the gut without even flinching.
Jones is one cold lady. You can see in her eyes that when her daughter died a part of her died as well. She is now just as single-minded as Foster was when he killed all those officials who wanted to move out of Spearhead. The poor guy is in complete shock and keeps gaping at her while she coolly gazes back unfazed. Damn. Well the core is definitely hers now.
This episode also takes us to 2041, where we find out how Ramse and Cole first became involved in Project Splinter. The two men tried to take on a whole bunch of Whitley’s guys but get caught naturally. Whitley beats the crap out of them trying to determine how much they knew about the facility when Jones walks in and asks Cole for his name. Once he tells her, she says that she’s been waiting for him for a very long time. The doctor lets them hear Cassie’s recording and explains what Project Splinter’s goal is. Cole thinks the German doctor is crazy and attempts to break out, but Ramse prevents him from getting away. He realizes that they are much better off in there and takes the leap of faith that Jones could be telling the truth. Ramse once again shows audiences that he’s the guy to trust (for now!!).
Changing gears to 2017, Cole manages to make his way to an American base where he is allowed in and surprisingly finds a female officer who’s been waiting to take him back to the States. He arrives at the Baltimore CDC via armored truck as protection from the throngs of angry and scared people looking for a cure. As Cole is ushered into the building, he doesn’t notice Jennifer outside with the protesters. She dons the role of preacher to a small crowd of women who watch her with mixed expressions. Amongst her babble is this gem: “When disappearing men die on their sword, we daughters shall make from 12 what man could not. An army.” This little speech makes me wondering if after Cole’s splinter the last time she saw him she somehow joined up with the Army of the 12 Monkeys because she felt abandoned.
Inside the CDC, Cole finally meets Cassie who isn’t doing so well herself (she is though sporting the strip of white hair ala Rogue). Dr. Railly says that she thought that they had stopped the plague in 2015 and that Cole had disappeared, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Apparently a lot had happened between them as well in the last two years leaving Cole totally perplexed by the statement (can we get any vaguer?). She passes out for a few moments and wakes up not remembering having spoken to him minutes ago. Cassie asks him if he’s found the red forest and when he looks confused she realizes that he doesn’t know yet. He wants her to tell him everything but the virologist says she can’t change the path he’s on. Cassie hands Cole a piece of paper and makes him promise to always keep it to himself and on his person. It’s an important address that his life depends on. The next few seconds are heartbreaking for Team Casserole as Cassie says her final words and dies. Cole soon splinters to 2043, the gash he made on her watch disappears and becoming the watch he eventually finds in the future. AAHHH!!!!!!!! Tears are pricking my eyes just a wee bit.
In the future timeline, Jones is able to bring Cole home to his present via Spearhead’s core. Before that happens however, Jones takes a printout showing the cured status of the 2041 virus mutation and then BURNS IT. That’s right, she freaking lied!!!!! Jones couldn’t stand to live in a world where her daughter was still dead and so screw everyone else. At this point my mind was just going WTF over and over and over again. Because this really could mean that Jones somehow caused the whole virus to begin with and that would mean she is the bad guy. Holy crap.
But let’s get back to Cole. He returns to 2043 to an empathetic Jones who understands the rawness of his emotions as he tells her of Cassie’s death. At some point Ramse comes back to the facility having escaped Spearhead with Elena and Sam. While hiding out, Elena manages to make Ramse doubt Jones, asking what if she was the one who actually lied and not Foster. When the two best friends meet they find themselves on opposing sides. Ramse asks Cole how he can be with Jones when she murdered half of Spearhead and lied about the cure. Cole though is too emotionally wrought from Cassie’s demise that all that matters to him is the mission. Ramse tells him that he found Elena and that he has a son, which has changed his perspective even more now that he has his child to protect. They get into a nasty argument with Ramse saying that Cassie was supposed to die, earning Cole’s ire. He then pisses Ramse off by scoffing that his kid is already dead because there is no future. Guys can’t we all just get a long?
In this action-packed episode, let’s take a moment to lament the death of Colonel Foster. He was a character that made a big impact during his brief time in “12 Monkeys” (though he may be poised to return during a jump to the past!) with his larger than life view of himself. I was seriously hoping he would be alive for a few more episodes, but the shock was well worth it and his untimely passing served to show audiences Jones’ stone cold persona.
Speaking of Jones, it’s interesting to see how both she and Cole have people in the past to save while Foster and Ramse were trying to save those in their present. Its evident here that the road to hell is paved with good intentions as all four characters are motivated by the same thing and have committed terrible acts in order get what they want.
This episode takes us to a whole new place as everyone continues to have their own agendas, except Cassie perhaps. I have a feeling we will see some very surprising things from Dr. Railly between 2015 to 2017 that will make us question her as well. Something to do with the red forest maybe? She made it sound like a real place and not just a hallucination. Those two years also must be a critical time for Jennifer Goines who appears to be crazy as ever, but whose side is she on now? Well, we’ll find out soon enough.
It feels like we’re entering a new chapter in the series as Ramse and Cole’s friendship ends due to their choices and circumstances. Their relationship has been a constant on the show and now that it appears to be over I honestly don’t know what to do with myself. Cole no longer has a moral compass and this time it doesn’t look like he’s going to see Ramse’s point of view the way he did while they were still with the West VII. Things will probably get worse as Cole seems to be on the same path as Jones in securing their loved ones’ futures.
What is in store for us on next week? A lot more madness I hope. “12 Monkeys” continues to be a show full of twists and turns at every corner and where the unexpected is the norm. Thank goodness for that.
“12 Monkeys” airs Fridays 9/8 central on Syfy.
Follow Nicole on Twitter: @niixc.
Images courtesy of Syfy.
