As excited I was for the 12 Monkeys season finale, “Arms of Mine,” I felt a little let down. Maybe I had built it up too much in my mind, but I felt a little bored with this episode. It felt drawn out and the previous episode overshadowed it. Instead of leaving me on the edge of my seat, this episode tied up a few loose ends. I hope that the Season Two premiere will catapult from some of the plot elements introduced in this episode.
The episode starts out with Aaron tied up and Cole is beating him and interrogating him. This is an interesting scene because it seems to pain Cole to hurt him. Even though Cole prides himself on being pragmatic and hard in order to survive in the dystopian 2043, he does not get any joy or comfort from beating Aaron. A few punches in, Cassandra is revealed holding a gun. Gone is the skittish and unsure scientist from the first episode and a cold unwavering woman stands in her place holding a gun on her once fiancé. Aaron sold out humanity for the promise that he and Cassandra would be safe from the plague and it really did not take much to break him, either. Aaron is as weak as Cole is strong.
In 2043, Jones and her team are still confounded by the weird vine growing on the machine. Jones has given up on the mission and has returned to stoicism. I would love a little insight into what her character is thinking, but it seems that she has given up, realizing there is no future in trying to change the past. After killing several time travelers, risking her own safety, and dedicating her life to reversing the plague, it seems that Jones has surrendered a little too easily. Maybe it is a fake out? Before we can find out, Deacon and some missing members of the Blue Man Group finally attack the facility and capture Jones.
Even the Jennifer Goines scenes are a little flat for me, but I still cackled as she parodied hoity toity corporate unveilings when she revealed herself to investors and stock holders as the new head of Markridge. If anything, Jennifer knows how to make an entrance and steal a scene. She started out having the suits in the palm of her hands and then things got whacko and weird as she proclaimed that the company would start cloning extinct animals and reversing the damage it has done to the environment. When Jennifer sees Cole, her eyes light up. Her scene with Cole and Cassandra were much more entertaining. She hates Cassandra and mocks her, but still seems to have hero worship for Cole.
It is interesting to see Cassandra who is used to succeeding and being part of the privileged “in crowd” react to being despised by Goines. It really is a testament to Amanda Schull’s acting as she subtly adds a look or movement that shows anger, but also seeks acceptance from Goines while throwing in a dash of jealousy as she flirts with Cole. At first, we think that Jennifer resumes her role of informant and helper as she gives Cole information on Ramse’s alias who has been funding the Splinter Project. After they leave, Jennifer calls someone up informing them that he knows. It is disappointing to see Jennifer betraying Cole, but it is not surprising. She is the daughter of Leland Goines, unstable, and is now the puppet of the Striking Woman with the hypnotic voice. I do not think she is all bad, though. I think she is still full of surprises. She reminds me of Harley Quinn.
Up until this time Ramse had believed Cole to be dead and had been funding Dr. Jones’ (Peter Outerbridge) life’s work, a time machine. At this point, they can send something into a different time, but cannot retrieve it. That is okay with Ramse who only wants to return to 2043 and his son. Ramse and Cole have a standoff. For two men who knew each other their entire lives and considered each other brothers, I thought there would be a much more emotional heart to heart, but I was let down. Instead, Ramse gets shot by the newly-hardened Cassandra. The best part of the episode happens at the end (as usual) as Cassandra is sent to 2043 and Cole helps Ramse up and still tries to save him. Ramse has told Cole that he is not the Witness. Can we trust him?
We do see the Striking Woman with the hypnotic voice and we finally get to meet the 12. The 12 is a group of 12 babies. After we see them for the first time, there is a cut to the next scene involving the strange metallic skinned folks that are taking over the facility. They reveal that they are from the future. Are they the 12 all grown up?
As expected, everyone’s fate is up in air. Who will return next season and what will the focus be? I cannot wait to find out. I am sure the writing will even out as the characters grow even more. Despite a snag here and there, I’m still hooked.