12 Monkeys, S03E05: Causality
Jan. 23rd, 2023 05:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annavereSomething of a mixed bag when put together, and some of the comedy veered a little too farcical for my taste, but I was giggling too much to really mind.
First and most important: Alisen Down has comic chops! Her Jennifer impression was the absolute best part of the episode, and was Dollhouse-worthy imitation. That entire tour of Jennifer's imagination was perfection, and I got heart eyes at Deacon's reaction: He was the only person sitting at that table who was really into Jennifer's presentation, and he was grinning the whole time. Then she came up to him later and checked if he was alright with his role in the plan. They're cute together. More please.
Also, Katarina's once a season Very Serious Statement "we are running out of time" will never not be funny. Ironies of fixing the world through time travel.
The heist itself, with the Jesse Pinkman-approved emphasis on no one even knowing the burglary took place, ended up going spectacularly awry in various amusing ways. Best parts were everything involving four year old Jennifer and Deacon's whole robbery, but I liked almost all of it. "Have your existential crisis somewhere else."
There were a surprising number of excellent character moments in the midst of the lunacy. Deacon picking up on the weird Cole/Cassie vibe, and his later attempt at prying the lid off that by nearly provoking a bar fight with Cole. Pouring accidental gasoline all over the show's latest philosophical question (nature vs. nurture) with his assumption that Sam would have turned out just like Ramse. I loved how casually they buried the hatchet and pretended not to be on the verge of brawling. Smooth.
Cole, not handling Ramse's death at all well and crumbling beneath the weight of fathering a complete psychopath who ends the world resulted in a stellar scene. Aaron Stanford's delivery when he confessed "I killed people for nothing, for scraps... I just killed the only conscience I ever had" got to me.
Cole/Cassie have decided to keep the origin of the Witness to themselves, like that isn't going to backfire spectacularly down the road. Trusting Olivia to keep quiet seems like a really bad plan. On the other hand, they did have a quiet and civil talk about Cole's decision in 1959. Cassie has become the voice of hope and Cole of fatalism, reversing their positions once again.
Meanwhile, in the future, a debate on the inevitable destruction of the facility and the empty world of 2063 led to, of all the unexpected things, a Whitley scene. He talked about himself and everything. He's thrown back in with Jones, and I wish the gap between Ramse's coup and Whitley's return to Raritan had been explored. Everyone is picking a corner betwixt hope and fatalism here as well, but the positions are extremely blurred by this point. Hannah arguing to abandon the clearly doomed ship and save themselves. Katarina, in fury, rebelling against fate, or the God she said did not require her belief: "I refuse to surrender, to accept that this is the world that we deserve." Whitley saying if the ending is known, "why not go down fighting?" and looking to Jones for another "batshit crazy plan to get us out of this mess."
Also, the tentative forgotten friendship between Jennifer and Cassie finally got an acknowledgement, with Cassie offering to meddle on Jennifer's behalf with the whole mommy dearest issue. Jennifer also got to face down her father. So there was a lot to like about this one.
First and most important: Alisen Down has comic chops! Her Jennifer impression was the absolute best part of the episode, and was Dollhouse-worthy imitation. That entire tour of Jennifer's imagination was perfection, and I got heart eyes at Deacon's reaction: He was the only person sitting at that table who was really into Jennifer's presentation, and he was grinning the whole time. Then she came up to him later and checked if he was alright with his role in the plan. They're cute together. More please.
Also, Katarina's once a season Very Serious Statement "we are running out of time" will never not be funny. Ironies of fixing the world through time travel.
The heist itself, with the Jesse Pinkman-approved emphasis on no one even knowing the burglary took place, ended up going spectacularly awry in various amusing ways. Best parts were everything involving four year old Jennifer and Deacon's whole robbery, but I liked almost all of it. "Have your existential crisis somewhere else."
There were a surprising number of excellent character moments in the midst of the lunacy. Deacon picking up on the weird Cole/Cassie vibe, and his later attempt at prying the lid off that by nearly provoking a bar fight with Cole. Pouring accidental gasoline all over the show's latest philosophical question (nature vs. nurture) with his assumption that Sam would have turned out just like Ramse. I loved how casually they buried the hatchet and pretended not to be on the verge of brawling. Smooth.
Cole, not handling Ramse's death at all well and crumbling beneath the weight of fathering a complete psychopath who ends the world resulted in a stellar scene. Aaron Stanford's delivery when he confessed "I killed people for nothing, for scraps... I just killed the only conscience I ever had" got to me.
Cole/Cassie have decided to keep the origin of the Witness to themselves, like that isn't going to backfire spectacularly down the road. Trusting Olivia to keep quiet seems like a really bad plan. On the other hand, they did have a quiet and civil talk about Cole's decision in 1959. Cassie has become the voice of hope and Cole of fatalism, reversing their positions once again.
Meanwhile, in the future, a debate on the inevitable destruction of the facility and the empty world of 2063 led to, of all the unexpected things, a Whitley scene. He talked about himself and everything. He's thrown back in with Jones, and I wish the gap between Ramse's coup and Whitley's return to Raritan had been explored. Everyone is picking a corner betwixt hope and fatalism here as well, but the positions are extremely blurred by this point. Hannah arguing to abandon the clearly doomed ship and save themselves. Katarina, in fury, rebelling against fate, or the God she said did not require her belief: "I refuse to surrender, to accept that this is the world that we deserve." Whitley saying if the ending is known, "why not go down fighting?" and looking to Jones for another "batshit crazy plan to get us out of this mess."
Also, the tentative forgotten friendship between Jennifer and Cassie finally got an acknowledgement, with Cassie offering to meddle on Jennifer's behalf with the whole mommy dearest issue. Jennifer also got to face down her father. So there was a lot to like about this one.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-25 09:18 pm (UTC)"I just killed the only conscience I ever had"
SOB. That line was custom-made for me, since the bit that hooked me on the Cole/Ramse ship was back when they were with the West VII, and Ramse was first shown to fill that role. (One of the deleted scenes from S1 also shows it earlier, but that was the scene where I noticed it.)
Oh, hi, Whitley! (If you ever end up doing for Marcus Whitley what you did for Gabriel Sims, I will certainly be right there to cheerlead.)
no subject
Date: 2023-01-26 07:39 pm (UTC)...I'm guessing no one's written any good Whitley fic, then? Ideas are accumulating, anyway, and that's all I'll say for now.
I continue to miss Ramse with every episode. My Dreamwidth spell checker does not.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-27 12:25 am (UTC)...but no, there's not much. :)
I continue to miss Ramse with every episode. My Dreamwidth spell checker does not.
LOL!
no subject
Date: 2023-01-28 07:58 pm (UTC)I'll save that story for when I've finished the show.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-29 12:02 am (UTC)Your hopes shall be rewarded. ♥
(now I need a Hannah icon!)
no subject
Date: 2023-01-29 02:57 am (UTC)