Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The Geekcap: 12 Monkeys "Resurrection"

 An older Jennifer Goines burns the remains of his past including a newspaper of her breakout, her old identification, and a drawing of a monkey. Hannah rushes in and demands to know why she isn’t doing anything for the group during the storm’s descent. Jennifer simply muses that this is the end of the beginning, another cycle. Hannah pleads with Jennifer to lead them out from this storm rather than wait for Cole, but Jennifer replies that there are many endings. This is one of them.

Jones tells Cole that they only have about six or seven hours before the facility itself is engulfed by the storm. Cole offers to splinter away immediately, but Jones remarks that would have no way to predict where he would land at that time. At this point, she states that they are moving more on hope than calculations which may have been prevented by a better physicist. Cole reassures her that he trusts in her abilities. Using a reluctant Dr. Lasky, they find that they can make a calculated jump in approximately six hours, right when the storm would be upon them. Though Jones is aware of the situation, she notes that it was Adler who was more versed in setting locations. Meanwhile, a figure breaks Ramse and Adler out from their rooms.

Jones: The worst thing about betrayal is that it never comes from one's enemies.

Ramse and Adler meet up with Cassie, revealing that there are other members of the military who have lost their faith in Jones. With the piece of the map that Ramse ripped, Adler traces the location of Titan to Colorado. He theorizes that he could use the machine to splinter Ramse and Cassie almost instantly to that spot. There, Ramse believes that they can exact their revenge and use the Witness’s form of time travel to escape, hopefully undoing everything that he has done. Cassie asks about what they should do about Cole, but Ramse instead insists that they shouldn’t bet on Cole being on their side. Cassie wonders what should happen if they are wrong. Ramse approaches her and asks if she’s sure the Witness is in Titan. Remembering her vision, Cassie replies yes. Ramse tells her that she can’t think twice on that belief.

The military and scientists pack up the evidence in hopes of evacuating, though they are still unsure about what to do with Cassie, Ramse, and Adler. Suddenly, one of their soldiers is shot, bleeding out in the hall. With the situation critical, they require the help of a doctor: Cassie. Cassie tends to the soldier’s wounds, though she remarks it is only delaying the inevitable. Cole offers Cassie a chance to go back to 1957 with him, but Cassie responds that he is only running away from the real problem. Cole claims that Cassie is only shutting him and everyone out, truly running away. They are interrupted by another shot in the hall. Unable to trust her, Cole handcuffs Cassie to a table as he goes to explore what the noise was.


In the hall, Cole confronts Ramse at gunpoint as they stand at odds with each other. Ramse reveals that they are after the time machine against Jones and Cole’s wishes. Cole warns his old friend that this move could lead to the deaths of everyone in the facility, but Ramse replies that he’s already dead. Cole, who no longer has a family, couldn’t understand. Cole retorts that he always considered Ramse part of his family, making their standing that much more tragic. Instead of killing him, however, Ramse leaves Cole alive as his men move for the machine.

Cole informs Jones that Ramse is after machine, imploring her to start the splinter sequence as soon as they are ready. In the meantime, Cole searches and finds Deacon who sits naked drinking extensively as he sings “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” Cole asks Deacon for his help in fighting back Ramse and his men. Deacon lashes out against Cole, replying that everyone who asks him for help ends up deserting him after they are done just like his men and Cassie. Cole implores him that after making it through the virus and the scavengers that he can’t simply give in to a storm, a remark that reminds Deacon of his brother. Cole reminds Deacon that he is a survivor, someone who is needed on this mission. Deacon then agrees to help Cole but quickly vomits in the hall after joining. To make matters worse, Cole believes that Ramse will be headed to the core power system and proven right when the lights go out. When Deacon arrives at the core, he finds the electrical system has been taken.

Whitley then reveals that he has joined with Ramse as he allows the men to seize control of the machine from Jones. Jones reminds Ramse that they would not be able to splinter without the power core he stole, but Ramse says that they don’t have to worry about that. Jones tries to appeal to Adler after their experience together. Adler, however, throws back that all their work has led to nothing. Now, they can go on the offense. Ramse releases Cassie who asks about what happened to Cole. While Ramse admits that he did not shoot Cole directly, he advises not to be concerned about him since he is now on an opposing side. Just as Adler works on the machine, Cole arrives to hold the man at gunpoint. With the military surrounding his friend, Ramse advises Cole that he can’t take out all of them. Cole actually agrees, saying he doesn’t have to take all of them out. Cassie tackles Cole, diverting his shot to Adler’s leg as the rest move out. Cassie fights Cole to submission, but Cole understands what she’s doing. He tells her that, although she can kill the Witness or him, she’ll still be afraid of herself for letting the Witness into the base in the first place. Cassie doesn’t answer him but leaves and locks the room behind her.

Near the machine, Cassie tends to Adler as they reprogram the coordinates. Jones confronts Whitley about his betrayal, especially since it means a betrayal of his father’s dedication. Whitley ultimately believes that this was only her mission rather than his, meaning he had no attachment to it. Ramse then threatens her to keep quiet by holding her at gunpoint. Undeterred by the threat, Jones then slams her head against Ramse. Despite the attack, they leave Jones handcuffed to a table, though Whitley threatens Ramse should he ever really try to kill Jones.


Soldiers outside the building spot a vehicle leaving, discovering that Cole has escaped. To their knowledge, Cole has left to meet up with the Daughters. In the forest, the women implore Cole to speak with Jennifer since she has refused to leave. Once Cole arrives, Jennifer correctly deduces that he needs her help to take back the facility. However, she also remarks that in the times that they have shared together, even the ones they haven’t yet, she has noticed a change in him. He is becoming a leader. Unfortunately, she adds, being a leader requires sacrifice, even sacrificing someone he cares about most. She asks him if he is willing to sacrifice someone to save the world. Once he replies yes, she agrees to join him, since she has never said no to him.

Whitley and his fellow soldiers watch outside the facility and spot the Daughters marching down the south loading dock. Ramse and Whitley then deplore their men to the location, but Whitley is stopped by a reappearing Deacon. Deacon kills the lookout soldiers but spares Whitley as he fires a flare to the others. Instead of moving to the loading dock, Cole, Jennifer, and the Daughters sneak in over the wall while the rest of the Daughters, including Hannah, move to the machine.

Cole and the Daughters then ambush the lab, releasing Jones and Lasky to reprogram the machine by holding the others at gunpoint. Deacon arrive, perfectly content with seeing Cassie and Ramse put in their place. When Ramse makes a remark, however, Deacon turns on him, raising his gun. In the chaos, he accidentally shoots the older Jennifer. Cassie quickly runs to tend to the woman, but prospects are looking grim. The Daughters then threaten that if Jennifer will die, everyone inside the base will die as well.

Cole and Cassie move Jennifer to the back as Cole recognizes this as the sacrifice Jennifer had mentioned. She was aware that the day would arrive, but she is also aware that the Daughters will destroy the facility if she would die. The only way to change that path is for a resurrection of sorts through her younger self, the one who lost her way in 2016. Cole then rushes to Jones to ask for a splinter. While Jones reminds him that they don’t have the power or coordinates yet, Cole adds that they don’t need those features when making a return jump, a splinter back to the place he just left.
In 2016, Jennifer speaks with Cole just as he was about to splinter back to the future. He reminds her that there are many endings, but the right one is the one that you choose. He then splinters away, just as the present Cole arrives to ask for her help. Jennifer reminds Cole that she has never said no to him and agrees to his plan.

Cole returns to 2044. However, this time, he brings along the present Jennifer in the splinter. Recognizing their leader, the Daughters kneel before their resurrected Mother.

Cole brings Jennifer to the back where she sees her older self. Though they cannot approach each other to closely for fear of paradox, the two can speak with each other as older Jennifer requests some privacy with herself. Jennifer realizes that this is September 23, 2044, the day she dies. With that date in mind, the older Jennifer tells her younger self that her Daughters will need a leader as she vowed a resurrection. Jennifer doubts her strength, but her older self offers a new choice. Jennifer can take the Daughters on a path to fight at Titan, a path that leads to death, or lead the group far away from the storm in hopes that Cole can stop the paradox. Jennifer asks what decision she made, leading the dying figure to reveal that she lead the Daughters away from the base. However, she remarks, she would have lead the women to Titan if she had been braver. She also reminds Jennifer that there are many endings, but the right one is the one that she will choose. Before finally dying, the older Jennifer reminds her self that she loves her.

Jennifer: Hello egg. I'm chicken.

Jennifer returns to the crowd, ordering the Daughters to lower their weapons. With her older self’s guidance, she forms a new plan. Cole will splinter back to 1957 to stop the paradox while Cassie, Ramse, and the Daughters will take the fight to Titan. Jones reminds her that the machine does not have enough power for two trips, but Jennifer responds that they will not splinter to Titan. Using her guidance, the Daughters will navigate through the storm to Titan on land.

The groups prepare for their separate missions. Cole reminds Ramse and Cassie that the Witness is always one step ahead of them, so they must be careful. Ramse reminds him that they know what to do, but Cassie leaves without looking at Cole. As the storm reaches its peak, Jones preps Cole to be sent back to the beginning of 1957 with nearly a year to track down and stop the paradox. However, without the base, she warns, there will be no way of bringing him back. Nevertheless, Cole plans to leave before Jones calls back her thanks for his belief in her. The two then share a hug before Cole splinters to 1957.

Cassie, Ramse, Jennifer, and the Daughters begin their trek to Titan. Looking back, Cassie and Ramse spot the storm engulfing the facility. Without sharing a word, Cassie immediately runs back to the base. Before the storm settles, Cassie has Jones splinter her to follow Cole in the past.
The storm finally takes over the base as the building crumbles under the temporal force. Lasky is incinerated by the force as Jones and Hannah try to find another way out of the lab. The two are separated by a blast. With no time left, Jones orders Hannah to leave without her. Despite her own wishes, Hannah obliges, finally referring to Jones as her mother. Now alone, Jones stands by her machine as the storm engulfs her as well.

In 1957, Cole arrives at the Emerson Hotel. There, he is surprised to find a just-arriving Cassie who tells him that she doesn’t want to be afraid anymore.

Notes from 2044

  • Anyone spot that brief moment between 2016 Jennifer and Deacon? Perhaps there may be another connection on the horizon.
  • For those who didn't catch Jennifer's reference, the line about “Mayday mayday! Terrorists have taken over the Natakomi building in Century City!” is from the original Die Hard.
  • Apparently, Deacon was a fan of The Breakfast Club after endlessly singing "Don't You (Forget About Me)."
  • The director of this episode, Kevin Tancheron, should be a familiar name. He has also directed episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl!

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