12 Monkeys Season 2, Episode 9
Although the team has split up for a two front war in this week’s 12 Monkeys episode, it’s difficult to decide which mission is more important, dangerous, or impactful. On the one hand, it was nice to return to the subject of the virus, which is still obviously a big problem, but on the other hand Cassie and Ramse made progress in the pursuit of the Witness. So will it be East Germany in 1961 next or upstate New York in 1957? Will audience interest be doubly piqued as the two battles converge, or will their attention be halved as the plots divide? That’s because viewers aren’t used to seeing Jennifer out of the loop, and since she’s sometimes seen as a humorous character, her rare emotional moments can be quite powerful. As a result, her utter defeat after being manipulated by Pallid Man is understandably and noticeably painful for her, but her uncertainty was a perfect mirror for Cole as they delivered the same cryptic advice to each other about the right ending being the one you choose. 12 Monkeys isn’t afraid of a good ontological paradox! Pallid Man’s misdirect was well-played, but he continues to come out on top in unexpected ways: how he managed to have the M-510 virus squirreled away already, for example, is a mystery! Nevertheless, the new direction for the Army of the 12 Monkeys is intriguing both because of Olivia’s usurped power and mistrust of the Witness and because of the new technology analyzing a missing corner of the Word of the Witness. Not to mention the big reveal at the end that Eliot Jones will help build Titan at Pallid Man’s behest! More successful were the moments between Hannah and Jones, who went through a very believable transition from long-estranged family to a cautiously optimistic mother and daughter. Hannah may be undiplomatic in repeatedly calling Jennifer “Mother,” but Jones realistically appreciates the lack of “pretty lies” about their situation. And of course the discussion of Hannah’s father ties in nicely with his shocking appearance at the end of the episode. So viewers are left wondering how Jennifer will recover and form the real Daughters and how Eliot Jones will use his engineering expertise to build – what? A stronghold of some sort? To hear some theories about this and other fan reaction for 12 Monkeys, subscribe to the author’s 12 Monkeys Uncaged podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.
