12 Monkeys: Season One, Episode Three – “Cassandra Complex”

First aired January 23rd, 2015.

The episode opens with Cole (played by Aaron Stanford) and Cassandra (played by Amanda Schull) giving each other lessons. He teaches Cassandra how to use a gun while she teaches him about Chinese food and how to use a fork.

Cassandra is called to be interrogated about the abduction of Jennifer Goines (played by Emily Hampshire). While there, she learns the official story behind Jennifer’s incarceration is that she killed her coworkers. Cassandra also sees a photo of the coworkers including Henry Toussaint (played by Lyriq Bent) the other survivor from Jennifer’s team. She recognizes him as a doctor she met while working overseas in Haiti during a viral outbreak in 2014. When Cassandra learns Henry died there during a medical supply run, Cole volunteers to go back in time and interrogate Henry. Cassandra warns him not to let her see him, fearing it could alter the timeline. In 2043, lead scientist Jones (played by Barbara Sukova) agrees to send Cole to Haiti after exhausting all other options. However, she warns him that solar flares at the time can cause interference that can disrupt his trip.

Chinese food and gun training is not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. These Monkeys must be like the Umbrella Corporation if they have the power to make up stories for the public. I want to learn a little more about them. As of now, all I know is they leave monkey drawings around and want to destroy the world (or destroy the world accidentally messing with the virus). I feel like the organization would be more threatening if they became a more physical presence on the show. I’m curious as to what would happen if Cole talked to Henry and saved his life and became a new ally to Cole and Cassandra. But that sort of thing would be too dangerous, so I don’t see Cole going out of his way to change the past.

Cassandra went to Haiti because she was worried the viral outbreak might be connected to the 12 Monkeys. She tries to enforce deadly measures to keep it contained but when the virus is identified and vaccines are handed out her credibility is further damaged. Meanwhile, Cole arrives but the solar flares cause him to sporadically flash between 2043 and 2014. He finds Henry and convinces him that he doesn’t work for the 12 Monkeys and asks about the Night Room. Unfortunately, Scar Man (played by Tom Noonan) arrives with some thugs to interrogate Henry. Cole defeats the thugs in part because the flashing through time helps him avoid their attacks. He saves Henry from Scar Man (and gives him the scar) and learns that Henry doesn’t know where the Night Room is. That said, he tells Cole that it’s a mobile lab and it can be found by tracking down specialized equipment in the lab. But as Henry walks away, Cole shoots him in the head. He tells Cassandra he doesn’t know what happened to him.

Obviously, the heavy handed approach doesn’t work, so Cassandra should consider dialing it down. Also, I don’t know what she thought was “the virus” considering it was years before Cole said it first began. Cole flashing between the future and the past was pretty cool. It was like he had teleporting powers. Scar Man is apparently the main agent of the 12 Monkeys but they must have stronger and perhaps younger people. I mean, sure, he’s not bad in a fight, but when push comes to shove, he isn’t the most threatening person around. As soon as Cole gave him that scar he ran out of there like his ass was on fire. Cole shooting Henry seemed very cold but, honestly, I completely understood it and in the long run it was the smart albeit cruel thing to do. The 12 Monkeys would have eventually found Henry and possibly gotten the information as well, not to mention the possible damage he could have done by telling Cassandra about Cole.

Meanwhile, in 2043, Cole’s friend, Ramse (played by Kent Acevedo), runs into Max (played by Romina D’Ugo), a former acquaintance from their old band of brutal survivors. Max claims she left the group but Ramse is wary and directs her to another survivor camp. It turns out Max lied about leaving the group and gives them the location of the lab, intending to raid it. It should be interesting watching Cole fight battles both in the past and the future. There hasn’t been much action in the future so this should really shake things up. Cole’s association with this group should also explain why he was locked up in that prison in the pilot.

Quotes & Thoughts

“This is good. What is it?” “General Tso’s chicken.” “That guy was a general?”

Cassandra took a job at the CDC where she died in the future. Maybe she should have looked for employment elsewhere.

“I’ll never tell you where it is, you’ll have to kill me.” “Eventually, yes…but there’s other things we can try, but they’re worse.”

All this time traveling has got to be exhausting.

If you enjoyed Manny’s trip through time, you can find the rest of his work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers. You can also follow him on Twitter @KN_Manny.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Friday Fiction: Talking to A Ghost – Part 3
• What If…? Is A Really Fun Marvel Show
• The Magnus Protocol Reviews: “Getting Off”
• Friday Fiction: A Different Sort of Life
• Severance: A Disquieting Science Fiction Tale