12 Monkeys, Season Two, Episodes 6 and 7
Dec. 30th, 2022 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annavereI'm mashing these two eps together because the first is a mixed bag and the second is a major downer.
Immortal
The genre hopping finally served up a serial killer. Yuck. However, Slow Ride invading the opening credits had me laughing, as did the sheer seventiesness of the episode. Also, Ramse is an accomplished flirt (unlike Cole - sorry, Cole). Why doesn't he do this more often?
In a realistic touch, Deacon was probably bedridden with Cole's bottle of whiskey because he's nowhere to be seen in this episode. Meanwhile, Sam being adorable playing with his father and Cole, which was all the better to twist the knife shortly thereafter, and I should have been more suspicious, but I wasn't. :(
"Immortal" serial killer primary guy was not at all interesting, nor was his whole "I have the Witness" fakeout. That whole plotline was only good for the Ramse/Cole stuff, all of which was charming. Stealing a cop car! Wise advice against sleeping around while time traveling! Appalling fashion sense! Undying love! That was all great.
The Witness keeps getting creepier. Have to say I'm not thrilled at the use this put Aaron to. Poor guy should be allowed to rest in peace - I did not want to see him covered in burns and the black eyes of evil. I'd rather he not have returned, and I'm glad it wasn't actually him. Demonic possession always weirds me out, and speaking of which...
Meltdown
That was horrifically depressing. Good Lord. They ramped up the horror movie aesthetic with dark corridors, botched science experiments and what not.
So, stuff I liked:
Dr. Eckland. He was great in every scene this episode, all the better to twist the knife when he was disintegrated. I was so entertained by his oil and water partnership with Deacon (reminiscent of Cole and Aaron, with the civilian guy nevertheless trying his absolute best over the strenuous disbelief of the badass stuck with him). Plus, he continued to be so good for Kat, someone she so clearly needed in her life, and then she had to watch him disintegrate before her eyes, and okay, heroic sacrifice. Eckland got Doyled, and got some beautiful final words insisting that love goes beyond time's power to undo. I could deal with it.
Then Sam. His loss came out of nowhere after another episode spent being wonderful with his modeling skills and how he clued them in to the underground river - he was all set to grow up smart, courageous and remarkably well-adjusted, and he got (best-case scenario) Connorized. It wasn't even telegraphed, it was just one second and he's gone. :( There's symbolic weight there, I suppose. Any prior hope for a future is gone with the end of time, anyway, so the child character has to go too. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
Deacon also got some excellent moments, and managed to survive the episode despite them. His tendency to respond with inappropriate sarcasm to every problem (the GIs were not appreciative, poor guys) and his surprising sensitivity to Cassie upon her having been put through something deeply traumatic were both enjoyable. Finally, his decision to send Ramse into the hostage situation because he knew he couldn't kill Cassie himself was oddly touching. Grand romantic gestures look very different on Deacon than they do on Eckland - 'I love you so I can't shoot you, which means I'll send someone else to do it.' And at the same time, it was selfless, giving up something personal in an attempt to save the facility/world. Interesting development.
Meanwhile, the third romantic gesture didn't quite work so well on me - that being Cole getting Ramse to shoot him so that Cassie would fight back against her possession. But given the likelihood that the Witness needs Cole alive (Tall Man's mother said in '44 that he was "important"), why am I supposed to believe that Cassie breaks free when Ramse shoots Cole, as opposed to the Witness simply letting her go? Why am I supposed to believe that these two have this deep, powerful connection and that Cassie knows Cole better than anyone? It's not that I dislike the pairing, it's just less interesting to me than everything else going on around them.
Specifically in this case, Ramse. Ramse who has now lost the son he tried so hard to save, the blame for which can be laid at Cassie's feet (I don't think he's really gonna care about the possession excuse). This means, after his completely heartbreaking discussion with Katarina, his decision to walk out in the storms might indicate a desire to avoid going postal. If he stays in the facility, he will try to kill Cassie (and maybe Katarina), so he leaves. Probably more for Cole's sake than anyone else's. I realize he'll likely be gone for an episode at least, but considering how utterly stricken Cassie is left by what happened to Sam, this is the interaction I am most looking forward to.
Immortal
The genre hopping finally served up a serial killer. Yuck. However, Slow Ride invading the opening credits had me laughing, as did the sheer seventiesness of the episode. Also, Ramse is an accomplished flirt (unlike Cole - sorry, Cole). Why doesn't he do this more often?
In a realistic touch, Deacon was probably bedridden with Cole's bottle of whiskey because he's nowhere to be seen in this episode. Meanwhile, Sam being adorable playing with his father and Cole, which was all the better to twist the knife shortly thereafter, and I should have been more suspicious, but I wasn't. :(
"Immortal" serial killer primary guy was not at all interesting, nor was his whole "I have the Witness" fakeout. That whole plotline was only good for the Ramse/Cole stuff, all of which was charming. Stealing a cop car! Wise advice against sleeping around while time traveling! Appalling fashion sense! Undying love! That was all great.
The Witness keeps getting creepier. Have to say I'm not thrilled at the use this put Aaron to. Poor guy should be allowed to rest in peace - I did not want to see him covered in burns and the black eyes of evil. I'd rather he not have returned, and I'm glad it wasn't actually him. Demonic possession always weirds me out, and speaking of which...
Meltdown
That was horrifically depressing. Good Lord. They ramped up the horror movie aesthetic with dark corridors, botched science experiments and what not.
So, stuff I liked:
Dr. Eckland. He was great in every scene this episode, all the better to twist the knife when he was disintegrated. I was so entertained by his oil and water partnership with Deacon (reminiscent of Cole and Aaron, with the civilian guy nevertheless trying his absolute best over the strenuous disbelief of the badass stuck with him). Plus, he continued to be so good for Kat, someone she so clearly needed in her life, and then she had to watch him disintegrate before her eyes, and okay, heroic sacrifice. Eckland got Doyled, and got some beautiful final words insisting that love goes beyond time's power to undo. I could deal with it.
Then Sam. His loss came out of nowhere after another episode spent being wonderful with his modeling skills and how he clued them in to the underground river - he was all set to grow up smart, courageous and remarkably well-adjusted, and he got (best-case scenario) Connorized. It wasn't even telegraphed, it was just one second and he's gone. :( There's symbolic weight there, I suppose. Any prior hope for a future is gone with the end of time, anyway, so the child character has to go too. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
Deacon also got some excellent moments, and managed to survive the episode despite them. His tendency to respond with inappropriate sarcasm to every problem (the GIs were not appreciative, poor guys) and his surprising sensitivity to Cassie upon her having been put through something deeply traumatic were both enjoyable. Finally, his decision to send Ramse into the hostage situation because he knew he couldn't kill Cassie himself was oddly touching. Grand romantic gestures look very different on Deacon than they do on Eckland - 'I love you so I can't shoot you, which means I'll send someone else to do it.' And at the same time, it was selfless, giving up something personal in an attempt to save the facility/world. Interesting development.
Meanwhile, the third romantic gesture didn't quite work so well on me - that being Cole getting Ramse to shoot him so that Cassie would fight back against her possession. But given the likelihood that the Witness needs Cole alive (Tall Man's mother said in '44 that he was "important"), why am I supposed to believe that Cassie breaks free when Ramse shoots Cole, as opposed to the Witness simply letting her go? Why am I supposed to believe that these two have this deep, powerful connection and that Cassie knows Cole better than anyone? It's not that I dislike the pairing, it's just less interesting to me than everything else going on around them.
Specifically in this case, Ramse. Ramse who has now lost the son he tried so hard to save, the blame for which can be laid at Cassie's feet (I don't think he's really gonna care about the possession excuse). This means, after his completely heartbreaking discussion with Katarina, his decision to walk out in the storms might indicate a desire to avoid going postal. If he stays in the facility, he will try to kill Cassie (and maybe Katarina), so he leaves. Probably more for Cole's sake than anyone else's. I realize he'll likely be gone for an episode at least, but considering how utterly stricken Cassie is left by what happened to Sam, this is the interaction I am most looking forward to.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-30 07:04 pm (UTC)I had a thought about the serial killer episode. It's been remarked how odd it is that there are so many Primaries in one place, but my theory is that they all had to be there specifically because whats-his-face was murdering them. Like, Time created backups for that particular nexus. Loop-de-loop-deloop, as Jennifer would say.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-31 11:49 pm (UTC)I look forward to your Eckland headcanon. :)