12 Monkeys - S1E3 - Cassandra Complex
This week’s episode starts out in 2015 with Cole teaching Cassie to shoot a gun. He seems pleased with her progress even though there’s no bullets in the gun. Some Chinese take-out shows up and Cole has no idea how to eat with a fork while Cassie makes non-funny jokes. She gets a phone call and heads to a police station to answer some questions about Jennifer’s kidnapping. She describes creepy old dude, but the detective is more concerned with Jennifer. They think she murdered all the scientists – except the “one that got away.” Which, awesomely, is the black guy. The black guy almost never lives. But they also think he’s involved with her kidnapping. Cassie cleverly uses her iPhone to divert the cop and take a photo of the black man. Take that, Droid users.
Turns out she knows him. They worked together once in Haiti during an outbreak. So they head to the CDC to try and track him down. A colleague says they could really use her back – but didn’t she lose her medical license? Isn’t she known as a whack-a-do in the medical field? I’m confused. She turns him down and the fellow doc says the black guy, Henri Toussaint, died in Haiti while on a run Cassie sent him on. Damn, I was hoping he’d beat the odds. But Cole is going to head back in time to try to save him. Or something. But he’s not supposed to be in contact with Cassie while he’s there, so, of course he’s going to be all up in her face and risk everything. At least that’s what I predict.
Back in 2014, Cassie is telling handsome Aaron she wants to go to Haiti to help with the outbreak. He doesn’t want her to go, but she’s going anyway. Within minutes of being there, there’s some hubbub with a father trying to get his daughter medical help. Henri says they’ll be with him in a moment, but daddy says nope; I got a gun and she gets help now. Well, in French. Cassie, who miraculously also speaks their language, calms daddy down and gets things back in order.
Henri pays Cassie a visit with some booze and kind words of her “fearlessness.” They chat for a bit and then begin making out. Cause there is nothing that turns you on like a plague.
Back in the future, Ramse is prowling around with a gun. Some guy in camo talks some shit and Ramse almost shoots him, but then he doesn’t. I have no idea what the point of this scene is when suddenly a chick jumps out of a tree and knocks the soldier down. The soldier is about to kill her when Ramse knocks him out. I don’t know who this girl is, but both dudes are significantly bigger than her and they are armed while she is not, so I don’t know how she expected to win that one. Girl power and all, but ladies if you’re gonna pick a fight, at least try and be prepared to win.
The Haitian plague has gotten worse, but the gun-toting daddy came back and stole most of the antibiotics and pain meds. Henri knows where he can get more. As Cole arrives and begins to look for Henri (swiping a black baseball cap and a loud tiger printed button down from a local, presumably to “blend in”), he suddenly gets shot right back to 2043. And then again goes right back to Haiti. And to a really opportune spot where nobody even noticed. Yeah, they’re all preoccupied with dying and whatnot, but I’m pretty sure a vanishing and reappearing man would’ve caught somebody’s eye. He’s got a bloody nose, which I’m sure is significant but we don’t know why yet.
He goes into the tent and convinces Henri to come with him to help a family who is too sick to travel and for some reason, Henri goes with him. Honestly, if they’re that far-gone and you’ve got a line of people who could maybe still be saved, wouldn’t his priority be to the ones who still might have a chance? I don’t know much about the Hippocratic Oath, but I think he made a poor decision here. But as Henri is gathering supplies, Cassie comes up on Cole, so he dashes away. Cassie orders a quarantine and then sends Henri to get more supplies. You know, the run that kills him.
But have no fear, Cole is tailing him. Except that Henri figures it out and they get into a little tussle. Cole talks about Jennifer and the “Night Room” and promises he’s a friend (with a gun pointed at his face, no big deal). Henri agrees to tell him about the Night Room if Cole will help him get medicine back to the tents.
In the future, Ramse is talking to the “girl who jumps from trees” who it turns out he knows. They talk about some guy named Deacon that she’s “done with” and she asks if she can go with him. He sends her to a town 10 miles away instead. She says thanks for nothing and they part ways. I’m sure this will seem significant later, but for now I have no idea what that was about.
Cole and Henri make it to the friend, but they run into creepy old dude and some bodyguards instead. Old dude asks Cole to put his gun down and for some reason, Cole actually does it. But then he tries to fight off old dude so Henri can get away but old dude is freakishly strong. So old dude goes after the doc and Cole starts flashing in and out but manages to put a stray machete he finds to good use and makes quick work of the bodyguards.
Back at the tents, Cassie is losing her shit over the plague. Like just that second she realizes it’s real. Her doc friend tells her to take a break and she goes even more nuts and then storms off. She needs a nap.
Creepy old dude has Henri cornered and a gun raised to his face. But instead of shooting him, he backhands him with it. Cole shows up and knocks old dude around a bit and gives him the scar we know he later has. But old dude gets away while Cole retrieves the gun. Henri tries to leave but Cole demands to know where the Night Room is. Henri says he never really knew. He was kept blindfolded and the room always moved. But he leaves Cole with some clues to help him find it.
Back at the tent, Jules (Cassie’s doc friend) has the test results. It’s a rare strain of River Fever. Treatable. Curable. No worldwide plague like Cassie was sure it would be. He politely says “you’re nuts” and sends her home.
When Cole gets back to the future, he announces he knows where to find the virus. Um, sir, you have some vague clues that can possibly maybe help you narrow down marginally where the virus may or may not be. Slow your roll.
In 2015, he’s got Cassie shooting a loaded gun this time. And wearing boots! Finally, this girl gets some suitable footwear. They have some playful, flirtatious banter before she asks what happened in Haiti. He lies to her when she asks about Henri. Says he doesn’t know who killed him, when it was Cole who shot him right in the head. I’m unclear as to why he had to kill Henri, but it could be that something just went over my head. Regardless, it was pretty sad to watch. Poor guy. I liked him.
And we head right back to 2043 again where Ramse tells Cole about his run-in with Max (the girl who jumps from trees). They talk about some guy being dangerous, but I really don’t get this storyline just yet, so it’s all sort of foggy. Turns out Max was BS-ing Ramse and reports she’s found him to some guy sharpening a knife. He smiles and has that “I’m dangerous” look, so I figure he’s a bad guy. And that trouble is on the horizon.
Another solid episode. I think last week’s was better as the progression of events on this one was a little slow, but still good. Although I really was sad not to see Jennifer. She’s my favorite part of the show. Hopefully she’ll be back next week. I know I will.
Until then…
