by Graham Osborne
It feels somewhat unlikely that 12 Monkeys will continue for a second season. That’s not to say it’s not a good show, however, there’s only so many times Cole and co. can succeed in destroying a version of the virus before discovering that there’s another sample that’s been hidden at the bottom of the handbag of that nice lady Mrs Trellis who lives in the flat opposite one of the scientists working on the virus, and who once borrowed a cup of sugar from them. It’s hard to see how far they can take this before something really drastic has to happen that will shake up the status quo.
It feels somewhat unlikely that 12 Monkeys will continue for a second season. That’s not to say it’s not a good show, however, there’s only so many times Cole and co. can succeed in destroying a version of the virus before discovering that there’s another sample that’s been hidden at the bottom of the handbag of that nice lady Mrs Trellis who lives in the flat opposite one of the scientists working on the virus, and who once borrowed a cup of sugar from them. It’s hard to see how far they can take this before something really drastic has to happen that will shake up the status quo.
This week’s episode is relatively Cole free, as the writers leave him trapped in the bombed out building from last week and look to the future, as the scientists at Project Splinter struggle with fixing their reactor which powers the facility, whilst Dr. Railly travels to Chechnya to find out more about the aftermath of last week’s airstrike.
With the focus off Cole, the cast trapped in the future (finally) had their time to shine. The episode chooses to explore the argument between prevention and cure, with a look at Dr. Jones’ previous employment trying to work on a vaccination for the Plague, and how she started attempting to alter the timeline for a brighter future. There is a great contrast between the team at Project Splinter and the team at Project Spearhead, with the former seemingly run in a more harmonious fashion and the latter being portrayed in a more dictatorial fashion. As the episode progresses, these first impressions are altered, with Spearhead taking on a seemingly more utopic vision when compared to Splinter, with an above ground complex and enough power for people to live comfortably.
With the focus off Cole, the cast trapped in the future (finally) had their time to shine. The episode chooses to explore the argument between prevention and cure, with a look at Dr. Jones’ previous employment trying to work on a vaccination for the Plague, and how she started attempting to alter the timeline for a brighter future. There is a great contrast between the team at Project Splinter and the team at Project Spearhead, with the former seemingly run in a more harmonious fashion and the latter being portrayed in a more dictatorial fashion. As the episode progresses, these first impressions are altered, with Spearhead taking on a seemingly more utopic vision when compared to Splinter, with an above ground complex and enough power for people to live comfortably.
Interspersed with the future segments are Cole and Dr. Railly’s scenes. Each segment follows on from the climax of last week, where a drone strike on a complex in Chechnya supposedly destroyed the virus. The editing during this sequence is a delight to watch, setting up a future where Cole is the reason the virus is unleashed, only to pull the rug from underneath and twist the ending to add another layer of time travel to the plot. It is skilfully done, and understated in its simplicity.
Yesterday was a good episode, with some wonderful acting and a great ending which leaves the question of where the story is going to go next up in the air. There’s plenty of life left in 12 Monkeys yet, but there needs to be some indication of how it will continue after the Plague is finally eradicated, otherwise there’s no hope for the show in the longer term.
Yesterday was a good episode, with some wonderful acting and a great ending which leaves the question of where the story is going to go next up in the air. There’s plenty of life left in 12 Monkeys yet, but there needs to be some indication of how it will continue after the Plague is finally eradicated, otherwise there’s no hope for the show in the longer term.
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