S01.E08: Yesterday

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

The Core that powers the time machine is fading. To get Cole back from the past, Jones must convince her former colleagues at the military operation "Spearhead" that her mission is worth saving.

[merylinkid]

Ya know, this his how you do scifi.    Real moral dilemmas faced by real people with some snazzy technology thrown in.   

 

What do you do?   Try to stop the plague in the first place, knowing that is a long shot and it might happen anyway just because it's plague time.   Or search for a cure to the virus, knowing you might not predict the mutuation right.   You only have enough power for one.

 

Then you have Cole lost in time.   Cassie thinks he's been erased.   Boy is she in for a surprise.   And how awesome was the boyfriend "You go, do what you gotta do, I'll be here when you get back."   That is a good man.  

[wanderingstar]

I like that this show continues to surprise me. 

 

So, Cole ended up in 2017 and the virus is still happening. I'm intrigued. 

 

I'm also intrigued to find out more about Jones. 

 

Love Love LOVE Ramse.  Wonder if we'll see his wife and son again.

 

Lots to process from this ep.

[Chaos Theory]

This is turning into one of my favorite shows.

 

I like the fact that everything (like Cole getting lost in time) isn't solved quickly and with each mystery or problem that does get solved a a bunch more believable ones begin to pop up.  

 

Wait....Sam.  I knew a Sam on a time travel show  once.   Speaking of.  I wondered briefly what the point of Sam was then I realized that everyone in the future so far didn't really have anything to lose if Cole succeeds.  They just poof and get to go back and live their fife over again without the plague.  Now Ramsey has something to lose.  Sam never exists if Cole succeeds.  

 

I also like the idea of an alternative plan.  The cure idea which is just as much an illusion as the time travel one.  Neither has a good chance of success and realize a great deal on blind faith and "any means necessary approach"  why by the way is my favorite approach.  

Edited March 7, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[Grammaeryn]

I'm calling it, Maggie Q will play The Witness.

[Shriekingeel]

A lesser show would have made the Xander Berkley character a mustache-twirling Evil Fundie rather than the real-seeming person we saw.

Barbara Sukova was great in this one. Still looks beautiful too.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Loved the time jump at the end, but may have to re-watch to determine exactly when he jumped two years ahead.  I'm guessing during the first retrieval attempt, not the second when he was mid-push on that beam.

[thuganomics85]

Xander Berkeley!  They really are going to bring everyone from NIkita to this show, at this rate.  Enjoying watching how his character and Jones played off one another.  So far, I prefer him as an antagonist compared to Deacon.  He's clearly a guy who will do horrible things to get what he wants, but there are reasons to it that I can somewhat understand.  And, his endgame is well-meaning: finding a cure.  It's just that it's probably not likely at this point, and he refuses to see this.  Either way, I'm intrigued.

 

Overall, a lot of great stuff for both Ramse and Jones.  Kirk Acevedo and Barbara Sukowa both shined in all of their scenes.  I'm glad the show made sure to put interesting characters in the future stuff, so Cole's absence doesn't hinder it.

 

So, Cole did managed to survive that explosion.  But, oh look: he's now in 2017 thanks to a failed splinter, and the plague has already begun.  I have to admit I figured something was up, but I still fell for the twist.  Got all excited for Cole/Cassie's reunion, only for it to be torn away.  I can't wait to see what Cole does now, since he still doesn't have a way back.

 

I guess Cassie/Aaron are officially back together.  I hope Aaron at least gave her a "Totally sorry I didn't believe you about the time traveling stuff!" apology present.  But, now, they think the plague has been stopped, so they're in for a rude awakening.

I think this show really has hit its stride these past few episodes.

[ottoDbusdriver]

So, Cole did managed to survive that explosion.  But, oh look: he's now in 2017 thanks to a failed splinter, and the plague has already begun.  I have to admit I figured something was up, but I still fell for the twist.  Got all excited for Cole/Cassie's reunion, only for it to be torn away.  I can't wait to see what Cole does now, since he still doesn't have a way back.

 

The big question is -- did the plague survive the missile explosion in Chechnya and infect rescue workers (that cab driver that Cassie used said that the Russian military had the place locked down after the explosion) or did the plague start somewhere else ?

[shapeshifter]

...And how awesome was the boyfriend "You go, do what you gotta do, I'll be here when you get back."   That is a good man.

That scene bothered me, because neither the words nor the acting made me believe he really meant that, and I don't know if that's on purpose or just a bit of weakness in my favorite current show. Also, both times Cassie embraced Aaron, she was holding onto her own arms instead of holding him, and again, I'm not sure if that was a directorial choice to subliminally say that she's just holding onto him for security, or if it's poor acting/directing. I'm leaning toward's it being on purpose.

The big question is -- did the plague survive the missile explosion in Chechnya and infect rescue workers (that cab driver that Cassie used said that the Russian military had the place locked down after the explosion) or did the plague start somewhere else ?

I'm assuming it started there because the English speaking woman had started to cough.

[AlliMo]

Kirk Acevedo is killing it. So glad to have him back on screen.

 

I feel like this is the episode is where this show took a turn from adequately entertaining to approaching a #Fringe level of being genuinely compelling, and that a lot of that has to do with having such a talented cast.

[FurryFury]

This ep was kind of a yawnfest, to be honest. I don't care about Ramse to such an extent as to be interested in his ex and his child. I did like his scenes with Whitley, though. 

 

It's really turning into a weekly game of "Guess the next Nikita alum". I think I want to see Melinda Clarke next.

 

I hope we'll return to Cassandra/Cole soon, nothing on the show comes close to this relationship. I've also missed the cult storyline this week.

Edited March 7, 2015 by FurryFury

[shapeshifter]

What is the significance of the episode title, "Yesterday?"

When I first saw it, I'm of an age where it caused me to start humming: "Yesterday / All my troubles seemed so far away. / Now it looks as though they're here to stay. / Oh I believe in yesterday."

But then I quickly realized this is a show about time travel, so it's not just a reference to a Beatles song.

And next week's episode is titled "Tomorrow."

Sorry to be so dense, but what am I missing?

This ep was kind of a yawnfest, to be honest. I don't care about Ramse to such an extent as to be interested in his ex and his child....

While this was probably the weakest episode, I think it could be a setup for his grown son to meet "Jose," which would mean Ramse gets in the machine, but if so, why go to the future beyond 2043? Edited March 7, 2015 by shapeshifter

[merylinkid]

 

hey just poof and get to go back and live their fife over again without the plague.  Now Ramsey has something to lose.  Sam never exists if Cole succeeds.

 

Whoa, I never thought of that.   I mean, I guess Ramses could track down his girlfriend and make sure they have a kid.   But it might not be THIS Sam, it will be A Sam, if you know what I mean.   

[Evie]

The big question is -- did the plague survive the missile explosion in Chechnya and infect rescue workers (that cab driver that Cassie used said that the Russian military had the place locked down after the explosion) or did the plague start somewhere else ?

The explosion was in 2015, right? I think it must have followed the original timeline and started in 2017. The girl said the plague was all over the world but it seemed like relatively early stages to me. I wondered last week why Cole or Cassie didn't at least consider that stopping the 2015 alt-universe outbreak in Chechnya wouldn't necessarily prevent the 2017 outbreak. The 12 monkeys are still out there, and I doubt that was the only sample of the virus.

[Dusty]

 

I mean, I guess Ramses could track down his girlfriend and make sure they have a kid.   But it might not be THIS Sam, it will be A Sam, if you know what I mean.

 

Well AltRamses wouldn't know about Sam or the girlfriend if the timeline is reset.  They might not ever meet if they actually prevent the plague in the alternate timeline. The only people that are for sure to exist are the ones who already did before the plague.

 

I feel like I missed the part where Aaron and Cassie got back together. Once he finally saw Cole splinter and believed her did he (or they?) just assume that well now that the misunderstanding is over with all our relationship problems are done so we can totally be together again?  I know there was the scene in the last episode when he saw her in the dress.  I guess they were already back together then? 

[dirtydi]

I hope there is something more to Aaron (secretly a bad guy) because he is boring.  If Jones tries to take over Spearhead, I fear that his son will get killed and Ramse will be at odds with Jones and Cole.

[seamusk]

This episode was great, though i'm going to have to re-watch to fully comprehend what happened when.  Specifically the when part.

 

At the end, I thought the anvil was, "Why don't you combine efforts to at least introduce the cure to the 2033 virus to 2015?"  Would that work?  Am I barking up the wrong tree?

 

I liked the additions to the 2043 storyline this week.  They really added to that story and made it more interesting.  I'm really going to have to re-watch the whole season at some point to fully grasp all of the details.  What a great job they've done with this show overall. Are there a few things I could nitpick?  Absolutely. But I really am enjoying it.

[solea]

I'm split as to how I feel about this episode, but I think I'm more on the side of "awesome".

 

My only complaint really is that most of our main characters weren't interacting with each other.  Cassie not interacting with Cole.  Cole not interacting with either Cassie, Ramse or Jones.  And while the reveal with Cole at the very end of the episode was terrific, all the scenes of him alone dragged a bit up until that point.

 

Yet the episode set up some great dilemmas for these characters.  Jones wants to prevent the plague, and will get back her daughter if she is successful presumably.  Ramse finds he has more to live for in 2043 than he thought and will likely lose it if this timeline is reset.  And I'm even more intrigued with Cole.  Yes, his current timeline kind of sucks, and the loss of 7 billion people is tragic, but still...what would convince someone to doggedly facilitate and pursue an endeavour that will result in his never having existed?  Jones and Ramse have something to gain/lose either way, but Cole is the ultimate loser, if you will.  What drives him? 

[kat165]

I wasn't too thrilled with this ep as much as I love Kirk Acevedo. I missed the Cole and Cassie interaction. I was confused when we were shown him being rescued and then Cassie was standing there looking at the same spot and he wasn't rescued. Her reaction was kind of puzzling too. She smiled and said that no one was rescued and the plague was stopped. Something to be glad about for sure, but she seemed to get over Cole's loss quite suddenly/coldly. I thought she would have been more upset that he didn't make it. She seemed entirely too happy.

[Notwisconsin]

What's in it for Cole? A new and different life as a new and different person. That's what's in it for everybody besides the kid.

[wanderingstar]

I'm really going to have to re-watch the whole season at some point to fully grasp all of the details.  What a great job they've done with this show overall. Are there a few things I could nitpick?  Absolutely. But I really am enjoying it.

 

This show reminds me of season 3 of Continuum, where I didn't understand what was happening a lot of the time, but I still loved it. And when I re-watched it, I was able to understand all the intricacies, it was even more fun. Looking forward to doing that with this show.

[shapeshifter]

This show reminds me of season 3 of Continuum, where I didn't understand what was happening a lot of the time, but I still loved it. And when I re-watched it, I was able to understand all the intricacies, it was even more fun. Looking forward to doing that with this show.

I think this show is a little easier to follow than Continuum, but maybe I'm just deluding myself. Heh.

[seamusk]

I think this show is a little easier to follow than Continuum, but maybe I'm just deluding myself. Heh.

Or, since it's only season 1, maybe it will be more complex by season 3. OMG I love time travel!

[Cthulhudrew]

This was one of the weaker episodes to me, but at the same time, it had a lot of really interesting character moments (notably Ramse and Jones' in 2043). Definitely laying the groundwork for a lot of what is to come, so it may actually end up being one of the more important episodes in the mythos down the road. I echo solea's comment that I'm kind of torn on this one.

 

That said, it still continues to surprise and intrigue me. I knew that Cole couldn't possibly be being brought up just as Cassie showed up (how could he have survived down there for weeks without food and water?); wasn't expecting that he'd jumped forward through time, though. Helena's appearance was unexpected- I figured her story had to come up at some point, but didn't see it happening here. She disappeared 5 years ago; if I recall my 12 Monkeys timeline, then that means Cole and Ramse met her after they fled the West 7.

 

I am thinking more than ever that the Witness will turn out to be Ramse. Now that he knows about his son, he has more reason than ever to want to try and make sure the timeline turns out the way it has- or at least he will, if he starts to get closer to his son.

 

I thought the 2015 storyline lagged somewhat, and Cole seemed remarkably intact considering the damage to the fortress. I guess he must have jumped right as the missile salvo initially hit the building? Or did he splinter twice somehow- once each time they tried pulling him back?

 

Ramse and Whitley seem to be getting along better, at least.

[kat165]

Could someone please enlighten me on "The Witness?" I've seen it mentioned here a few times but in terms of what we've seen so far I'm lost. Was "The Witness" first mentioned in the Red Forest ep (which I didn't understand either, ie why Cassie was drugged and told to see that red forest vision)? Thank you. :)

 

And witness to what?

Edited March 8, 2015 by kat165

[Cthulhudrew]

I can't recall when exactly the Witness was first mentioned, but I believe the name was first dropped by the pale scarfaced guy who said that the Witness was the mastermind behind the Army of the 12 Monkeys. Again, that's just my recollection, and it may be flawed.

[Rhetorica]

Could someone please enlighten me on "The Witness?" I've seen it mentioned here a few times but in terms of what we've seen so far I'm lost. Was "The Witness" first mentioned in the Red Forest ep (which I didn't understand either, ie why Cassie was drugged and told to see that red forest vision)? Thank you. :)

And witness to what?

I thought the hallucinogenic trip through the red forest was to meet or communicate with the Witness, who hasn't been identified yet. But, we may have seen him/her. I assume we're going to soon. The Witness saw the plague begin, and possibly also caused it. It may be the person in glass who was a failed experiment of Jones. 

[coppersin]

My current theory is that the Witness is one of Jones' experiments that was 'lost in time.' It feeds into my other theory that whatever Jennifer and Cassie were forced to drink has similar properties to the treatment that made Cole immune to time travel issues.

It would be interesting if their hallucinations of him (I'm assuming the guy in the gas mask is the Witness) were them mentally traveling to wherever/whenever he is while their bodies stay behind.

Speaking of that gas mask, two thoughts. One, it's probably hiding his face for the big reveal that, gasp!, we know who it is, but it could also be hiding some gruesome physical damage since we know that Jones' earlier attempts didn't always come back intact. And two, every time I see the gas mask guy, no matter how serious the moment, a part of me thinks, " Are you my mummy?" because Doctor Who has clearly ruined me forever.

[Rhetorica]

And two, every time I see the gas mask guy, no matter how serious the moment, a part of me thinks, " Are you my mummy?" because Doctor Who has clearly ruined me forever.

Ooh, I got chills reading your last line. That was creepy.

[shapeshifter]

...Speaking of that gas mask, two thoughts. One, it's probably hiding his face for the big reveal that, gasp!, we know who it is, but it could also be hiding some gruesome physical damage since we know that Jones' earlier attempts didn't always come back intact. And two, every time I see the gas mask guy, no matter how serious the moment, a part of me thinks, " Are you my mummy?" because Doctor Who has clearly ruined me forever.

Hah!

I'm weary of gruesome reveals. Can't we just have a third eye?

[Maverick]

 I agree from a real world perspective, the gas mask is to hide someone we already know (or will know).  In show, though. it most likely has to do with the virus.  The Witness is either a carrier and trying not infect anyone and alter the time lime or is a time travel who doesn't want to contract the virus.   Plus. gas masks are just creepy.

[BrokenRemote]

Ya know, this his how you do scifi.    Real moral dilemmas faced by real people with some snazzy technology thrown in.   

 

What do you do?   Try to stop the plague in the first place, knowing that is a long shot and it might happen anyway just because it's plague time.   Or search for a cure to the virus, knowing you might not predict the mutuation right.   You only have enough power for one.

 

Then you have Cole lost in time.   Cassie thinks he's been erased.   Boy is she in for a surprise.   And how awesome was the boyfriend "You go, do what you gotta do, I'll be here when you get back."   That is a good man.  

 

That's what I'm loving about this show, all of it!  At the end of last week, I was really struggling to figure out where they'd go next, and I didn't expect everything that happened this week.  That's my idea of a good show: one where I don't see what's coming down the road.  I loved the scene where you think Cassie is there while Cole's being pulled out of the wreckage, and that moment of dissonance when it becomes obvious that he's not.

 

And I really like that the boyfriend is not the stereotype of a jerk that I was afraid we were going to get.  I like that he's got some dimension to him, that he's supporting her, even if we don't feel that he's 100% into it.  I like my characters with some shades of gray, with a realistic amount of human characteristics, contradictions and facets, and I'm getting that with this bunch.

 

This is turning into one of my favorite shows.

 

I like the fact that everything (like Cole getting lost in time) isn't solved quickly and with each mystery or problem that does get solved a a bunch more believable ones begin to pop up.  

 

Wait....Sam.  I knew a Sam on a time travel show  once.   Speaking of.  I wondered briefly what the point of Sam was then I realized that everyone in the future so far didn't really have anything to lose if Cole succeeds.  They just poof and get to go back and live their fife over again without the plague.  Now Ramsey has something to lose.  Sam never exists if Cole succeeds.  

 

I also like the idea of an alternative plan.  The cure idea which is just as much an illusion as the time travel one.  Neither has a good chance of success and realize a great deal on blind faith and "any means necessary approach"  why by the way is my favorite approach.  

 

It didn't strike me when I was watching, probably because there's so much to take in, but you're so right.  The presence of his son absolutely creates a terrible dilemma for Ramse.  I could see him changing sides over having found his son and not wanting him gone.  (While I was watching, I was thinking it wouldn't be surprising if he changed sides just to be with the ex and his son, but I really didn't think about him actively working against Jones in order to keep his son in existence.)

 

I'm split as to how I feel about this episode, but I think I'm more on the side of "awesome".

 

My only complaint really is that most of our main characters weren't interacting with each other.  Cassie not interacting with Cole.  Cole not interacting with either Cassie, Ramse or Jones.  And while the reveal with Cole at the very end of the episode was terrific, all the scenes of him alone dragged a bit up until that point.

 

Yet the episode set up some great dilemmas for these characters.  Jones wants to prevent the plague, and will get back her daughter if she is successful presumably.  Ramse finds he has more to live for in 2043 than he thought and will likely lose it if this timeline is reset.  And I'm even more intrigued with Cole.  Yes, his current timeline kind of sucks, and the loss of 7 billion people is tragic, but still...what would convince someone to doggedly facilitate and pursue an endeavour that will result in his never having existed?  Jones and Ramse have something to gain/lose either way, but Cole is the ultimate loser, if you will.  What drives him? 

 

It didn't bother me that Cassie and Cole weren't together, although I'll admit that their chemistry (not necessarily romantic, just good chemistry) is a major reason this show succeeds and it definitely showed itself missing this week.  I'm ok with the occasional episode where they're apart, because it heightens the tension and makes their reuniting more meaningful.

 

I hope that the fact that there aren't a ton of people at this particular board doesn't mean that the show hasn't found a big enough audience to continue.  I'd love to see it have a limited arc, though--if it were to be dragged out for seven years or something it would get tiresome, them constantly almost succeeding but never quite getting there.  But I can definitely see maybe 2 or 3 seasons and I'm enjoying the ride more every week.

[Cthulhudrew]

Speaking of the Witness, I'm wondering if the vision of intact house/destroyed house that we saw in Red Forest is indicative that the Witness may be somehow connected with an alternate timeline? (Of course, it could just be a time travel related issue with just past/future versions of the same house instead).

[Tarasme]

 

I am thinking more than ever that the Witness will turn out to be Ramse. Now that he knows about his son, he has more reason than ever to want to try and make sure the timeline turns out the way it has- or at least he will, if he starts to get closer to his son.

I hadn't given much thought to the identity of the Witness. Also, I don't think Ramses will be as reluctant to give up Sam as maybe we think, initially. Ramses, at this point in the plot, is convinced that they're all going to die from the mutating virus. That includes Sam.

 

The only way, Ramses currently believes, to give his son a long healthy safe life is to complete their mission and reset. It might actually get to be more important to him now to reset, realizing that he could have a family- whether this one or not- and that they could live happily together, sans plague. There's a chance Ramses has no future w/o the plague but he believes they're all certainly doomed now.

 

I think he might give up a short time with Sam, at the end of which he'll probably have to watch young Sam die horribly, and roll the dice on a million possible futures he could have with his children. Maybe next week Ramses will change his tune and throw in with the Cure contingent- I could see it go either way.

[waving feather]

I don't know how I feel about this episode. While it's interesting and the writers have managed to circumvent expectations once again with regards to the plot, I was not very engaged. I think it's the lack of emotional beats. I like Ramse but I don't know how well he works without Cole. I was bored by his baby mama storyline to be honest. It just came out of nowhere and I was not invested in their characters. So I realised that Cole needs to be present for me to enjoy Ramse (or Jones) to the fullest. In a way, Cole is the glue of the show for me. Something was missing from 2015 with Cassie and Aaron as well. It bodes well for the show that the presence of the main character is felt. I can't say the same for every other show.

 

Now my question is, which was the splinter attempt that pulled Cole to 2017?

[shapeshifter]

Now my question is, which was the splinter attempt that pulled Cole to 2017?

I agree with your whole post, but in answer to this part, I'm pretty sure it was when they were trying to bring him back but the machine died because of mechanical trouble with the "core." It seem as if they started to bring him forward in time, but only got as far as 2017 (and without moving him geographically).

[Whimsy]

So, Cole did managed to survive that explosion.  But, oh look: he's now in 2017 thanks to a failed splinter, and the plague has already begun.  I have to admit I figured something was up, but I still fell for the twist.  Got all excited for Cole/Cassie's reunion, only for it to be torn away.  I can't wait to see what Cole does now, since he still doesn't have a way back.

I knew they weren't going to be reunited because Cole would've been down there for 2-3 weeks.  Without food or water for that long, Cole would've been dead. 

 

That scene bothered me, because neither the words nor the acting made me believe he really meant that, and I don't know if that's on purpose or just a bit of weakness in my favorite current show. Also, both times Cassie embraced Aaron, she was holding onto her own arms instead of holding him, and again, I'm not sure if that was a directorial choice to subliminally say that she's just holding onto him for security, or if it's poor acting/directing. I'm leaning toward's it being on purpose.

 

Dusty, on 07 Mar 2015 - 1:33 PM, said:

I feel like I missed the part where Aaron and Cassie got back together. Once he finally saw Cole splinter and believed her did he (or they?) just assume that well now that the misunderstanding is over with all our relationship problems are done so we can totally be together again?  I know there was the scene in the last episode when he saw her in the dress.  I guess they were already back together then?

IA.  The sudden together-ness of Cassie and Aaron caught me off-guard.  Also, I didn't really get the sense that Cassie was totally into it. 

 

The explosion was in 2015, right? I think it must have followed the original timeline and started in 2017. The girl said the plague was all over the world but it seemed like relatively early stages to me. I wondered last week why Cole or Cassie didn't at least consider that stopping the 2015 alt-universe outbreak in Chechnya wouldn't necessarily prevent the 2017 outbreak. The 12 monkeys are still out there, and I doubt that was the only sample of the virus.

Yeah, I don't understand why they would think that the plague would've been stopped with that explosion.  They need to wipe out ALL of the 12 monkey army in order to really wipe out the threat.

 

 

I liked the additions to the 2043 storyline this week.  They really added to that story and made it more interesting.  I'm really going to have to re-watch the whole season at some point to fully grasp all of the details.  What a great job they've done with this show overall. Are there a few things I could nitpick?  Absolutely. But I really am enjoying it.

I knew from the first episode that I was going to enjoy this show and I was going to want to re-watch it from the beginning.  I'm waiting until this season is over and then I'm re-watching.

 

I was confused when we were shown him being rescued and then Cassie was standing there looking at the same spot and he wasn't rescued. Her reaction was kind of puzzling too. She smiled and said that no one was rescued and the plague was stopped. Something to be glad about for sure, but she seemed to get over Cole's loss quite suddenly/coldly. I thought she would have been more upset that he didn't make it. She seemed entirely too happy.

This scene REALLY confused me.  What about that proved to Cassie that no one was rescued?  I mean, yes the destruction was catastrophic, but she seemed so certain no one was rescued without her actually talking to anyone.  I'm really looking forward to Cole and Cassie's reunion- I'm assuming in 2017.

[christed]

Oke so opinions here, thìs is about the possible outcome of how they are probably going to solve it.

I heard Katarina say ''Foster did find a cure, to the virus of 2033'' ''Not to the one we are facing now'' ''all he managed to do is cure a variation that is already dead, it's already history'' so is she basically saying they will in the future use Fosters cure to the version in 2033 with time travel to stop the disease? Is it that simple?

[Netfoot]

so is she basically saying they will in the future use Fosters cure to the version in 2033 with time travel to stop the disease? Is it that simple?

 

But will stopping the 2033 variant of the disease be sufficient?   The first outbreak is 2017, I believe, and this is what lead to mass death and societal collapse.  Those who were immune lived on in small numbers in essentially a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  The disease, continues to mutate, becoming more virulent, killing more and more of the survivors with each fresh outbreak.  Projections indicate that soon, even the so-called immune will succumb and mankind will cease to be. 

 

Foster wants to find a cure, and we heard that he did find a cure for the 2033 mutation, but that the disease mutates faster than cures can be developed.  He believes his processor farm will allow him to win that race and defeat the disease in 2043.

 

Jones, on the other hand, doesn't simply want to stop the disease.  She wants to prevent the original 2017 outbreak, and thereby prevent the mass death and societal collapse from happening in the first place.

 

What I want to know is what possible motive could the Army of the 12 Monkeys have.  They seem to be striving very purposefully towards a self-destructive goal.  I can't begin to think why.

[shapeshifter]

...What I want to know is what possible motive could the Army of the 12 Monkeys have.  They seem to be striving very purposefully towards a self-destructive goal.  I can't begin to think why.

I shudder a tad to write this out loud, but I'm sure there are many eco-terrorists who believe eliminating most of the population would save the world from ecological disaster. I think this might have already been hinted at and/or mentioned as being the motive of the 12 monkeys in this show. Anyone else recall?

Anyway, it is not surprising that those who would not only believe this, but who would act on it, are not likely to have thought it through very completely.

I'm glad the writers of this show brought up in this episode that the virus is mutating and will eventually wipe out everyone. I like to think most terrorists don't want to eliminate all of humanity. But I suppose some do. :(

[kat165]

Cthulhudrew, thank you. That helps a lot.

 

Thank you, Rhetorica. If this is so, I wonder why the lady from Gracepoint (forget her character's name or did we even learn what her character's name is?) would want her to see the Witness in her hallucination?

 

Coppersin, that's an interesting theory. But why would Cassie/Jennifer (and was she giventhe same drug?) be given a drug to immune them against time travel related issues? I like that theory about allowing them to travel to the Witness without their bodies. That's a cool theory. But again, why would the woman want her to?

 

hehe, Doctor Who can have that effect on one.

 

yeah, gas masks are creepy.

 

Broken, that worries me too, the ratings. I also don't want to see this show go on past its sell/sense date, but I would like to see at least another season or too. I hope the response here is not an indication of the ratings.

 

Waving feather, I too was kind of bored with the baby mama drama although I love Kirk. It creates kind of an interesting verge for Kirk's character, but I'm not into it. I missed Cole too. He has more of a presence & I'm more interested in what he's up to. Sorry, Kirk.

[Netfoot]

I'm glad the writers of this show brought up in this episode that the virus is mutating and will eventually wipe out everyone. I like to think most terrorists don't want to eliminate all of humanity. But I suppose some do. :(

 

Eco-terrorists.  Ummm.  I don't know.  See, I can believe in eco-terrorists taking down the financial and industrial structures of the modern world, and accepting that a major reduction in population is a necessary consequence of the plan to put us back before the industrial revolution.  But those eco-terrorists always see themselves as amongst the survivors.  They're quite happy when contemplating a life reading their bible by the light of a whale-oil lamp.  But I don't see them as quick to adopt a scheme that kills everyone, including their own ecologically enlightened selves.  Because they, by definition, are obviously worth saving!

[shapeshifter]

Yes, Netfoot, I too doubt the 12 Monkeys intended to wipe out all of humanity--but it could still be the result they unwittingly unleashed.

I was speaking more broadly about possible groups and/or individuals in the real world who would be willing to annihilate the human race altogether--which scares me--so I will stop speaking about it.

[magicdog]

The only way, Ramses currently believes, to give his son a long healthy safe life is to complete their mission and reset.

 

 

Exactly.  Ramse won't even remember this life if Cole accomplishes the mission.  Besides, while some may think, what they have in 2043 is better than nothing, they may look into their child's eyes and think this is not a world they want them to live in.  Factor in the likelihood that all humanity will die out eventually due to the latest viral mutation and you are certain that anything else would be an improvement and resetting the timeline would be worth the risk.

 

 

What I want to know is what possible motive could the Army of the 12 Monkeys have.  They seem to be striving very purposefully towards a self-destructive goal.  I can't begin to think why.

 

 

I can't imagine why either unless they think they're special snowflakes and can avoid contracting the virus somehow.  

Edited March 12, 2015 by magicdog