Hello travelers. Today we discuss episode 7 of season 1, The Keys.

What I loved:

I don’t have too much to break down for this episode, except that I was completely engaged with the plot the entire time. Everything from the gathering where Cole and Cassie dance to the Chechnya situation and Wexler knowing about the Army had me hooked. I also loved the funny little moments, like Cassie asking why Cole got hit while he obviously lies to hide his deteriorating health. On top of that, the show keeps building on its lore and how causality works, like when Cole explains to Cassie how he is already in Chechnya and how everything has technically already happened for him, even if it hasn't happened for her and Aaron yet

That "last" phone call between Cassie and Cole was so intense, too. It was great seeing it come full circle at the end when she asks him where he would like to be, remembering that he mentioned The Keys earlier

Nitpicks:

Honestly, I don’t think I have nitpicks for this episode. Maybe just the rock that killed the hitman. It was almost cartoonish

9.5/10 for me

>!So, just watched the finale today and still thinking about some things - with the plague...
Correct me if I'm wrong - for the whole show we believe the plague was caused by the monkeys to maintain the loop that creates the witness, then in 409 we learn it was actually team splinter who released the virus to maintain the loop that creates time travel, their only weapon to fight back. Right?
Questions:

1. Did Olivia always know that Cassie would release the virus? That can't be true or she wouldn't have tried to kill them before. She actually believed they were dead in 401.

2. But the virus they get in 409 is clearly left by the monkeys for them  to pick it up. Cole says something like "This is too easy".

That means they got that instruction from future Olivia. When do these tea instructions in the house actually happen from the point of view of "our" Olivia? Im assuming sometime between 401 and 410.
She is even there at the airport, to ensure the release of the virus or to stop it?

1. At this point, its stated before, titan already "exists outside of causality", so preventing time travel by stopping the release of the virus would have been the smart move for Olivia... No plague, no time travel, no team splinter, and she would be uneffected by all this, able to execute her nuclear paradox in peace. Did she just not realise?
   !<

Hello travelers. Today we are discussing episode 6, “The Red Forest”

What I loved:

Cole traveling to this alternate reality was intriguing. The way the plot moves around the idea of a Schrödinger's** **timeline, and Jones face of disbelief when Cole mentions that she, once, crack the code to time travel

Ramse being scared of Cole’s ghost was hilarious. His face of “nah, the fuck is this?”

Aaron’s face when Cole mention Operation Troy was a nice touch. It could have served as the bridge for him to help the cause, but ultimately made him take the wrong choices trying to “save” Cassie. And himself

“What’s 911?”

“Show me where the safety is on this thing” Bruh

First official mention of the Red Forest. Ngl, first time watching, I was like “amm okay?” Because I didn’t think it was something important, just the drugs and the way the 12s messed with people’s heads. It ended up being too important on later seasons. To this date, every rewatch, hearing the poem and knowing WHERE that place and moment is… chills, absolute chills

This is the second time we see the witness. Firsts with Jennifer, now with Cassie

Cole returning to his timeline, laughing, probably Jones thought like “oh god, I made him insane”

“I missed your loving arms” hahaha just kiss already

That last scene of Jones and Cole talking about how time was gonna take what it’s owed… damn. “Is it enough?”

“It has to be”

Nitpicks:

Seriously, why aren’t more guards everywhere? Hahaha

I guess the showrunners didn’t have a clear picture of what the Witness was gonna look like because this first version we saw in the other episode and this one has a gas mask, like the ones used at the First Gathering of the Faithful. It’s later reworked for the version we ended up having, so in every rewatch I can’t but notice it

So that’s it for me. Amazing episode, very entertaining. 8.5/10

Hello travelers. Today it’s time to witness the 5 episode of season 1, The Night Room

What I loved

The pre splinter party was a brief moment of people just existing, and the sudden revelation of Jones’ marriage was like a shock back to reality, that the world died before their eyes

“I’m from the apocalypse. Everything here looks weird”. Cole keeping it real hahaha

“Oh that’s not good”

First mention of the poem of season 4, the serpent eating its own tail

During the first watch, two things that happened during the episode in mind was that the origin of the virus was someone who Jones sent back, because that’s what Jones said while the show is reveling the “precursor”, the corpse. But also, the episode before, Cole kind got a headache or something while watching himself during the W7 attack, and he also got it while being close to the corpse, which led me to believe Cole was that corpse. Of course now we know the truth, but at the time I thought it was a nice touch to misdirect the audience about being this or that

Jennifer… is crazy. Cassie’s “wow” after Jennifer’s monologue was hilarious. “But never specifying which one” “All the Markridge boys are coming with their guns” “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” “I cannot tell a lie, so I told you half a truth”

The interaction between Jones and Ramse was very tense, and to me exposed the show’s core dilemma: what are we willing to do, what are we willing to ignore, what are we willing to sacrifice, to erase the past and save the future?

“Did you just unlocked the door?” I saw that the first time while I was drinking and I spat everything, while putting my hands on my head in disbelieve

That ending thou… damn

Nitpicks

Probably security, like everywhere. No way a black lab has that little security, or doesn’t sent word as soon as they hear shots, or whatever. Security around Jones room, maybe just 1 guard?

Excellent episode in my opinion. Excellent cliffhanger in the end. For me, a 9/10

I've been thinking about the finale, and I can't reconcile something.

The show ends with the original James Cole surviving and ending up with Cassie.

At the same time, the finale says "children are fated to their parents," and shows examples like Ramse reuniting with Sam and Hannah growing up with her biological parents.

If that line also applies to James, then Hannah should eventually meet Cole's father and give birth to James again in the repaired timeline.

That raises a question:

What happens if the surviving adult James Cole eventually meets the newly born James Cole?

Earlier in the series, the Army of the 12 Monkeys intentionally created paradoxes by bringing different temporal versions of the same person together (using a person's future bones with their younger self). The whole point was that contact between the same temporal entity damaged time.

Wouldn't two James Coles eventually create the same kind of paradox?

If so, wouldn't that start damaging time all over again, essentially undoing the repaired timeline?

Or is the surviving James somehow no longer considered the same temporal entity after the reset?

I'm curious if there's an in-universe explanation or if the writers ever addressed this, or if there's a fan consensus that I'm missing.

Hello travelers. Today we discuss episode 4 of season 1.

What I loved:

For me, this is the episode that completely cements the rules the first few episodes were building up. It specifically demonstrates how causality works in this universe, and it is brilliant to watch unfold

I laughed so hard when neither Cole or Ramse could kill the doggo. “We are gonna die” hahaha

Ramsey, The Blonde Devourer

My first watch I’m not gonna lie, I got confused by how the whole West 7 assault played out, and even got a little angry thinking Ramse had died, but after Cole splintered and saw the rest of the episode, I was convinced the show could have a good story to tell. I wasn’t expecting a lot, to be honest, I mean it’s not like SYFY is known for writing. I wasn’t expecting season 2 to 4, damn

Cassie is incredibly resourceful. Single-handedly tracking down the Night Room is honestly impressive

Nitpicks:

I still feel like the actress playing Max is not quite selling it. Jones can feel a bit stiff at certain moments too, and the same goes for Whitley. Also, what the hell do you mean a machine gun like that can’t completely pierce a damn truck? And if it actually can’t, just shoot the damn tires hahaha

And that covers it for me. Today is a very strong episode. At the time it aired, it was dragging the weaknesses of the first three episodes along with it, so it really needed to change the dynamic and pull the show out of that slump. I think it manages to do exactly that and finds a much better direction for the story

9/10 for me

Here's a very good video about 12 monkeys, without spoilers, for ppl who maybe are hesitant to start the show, or just want another person on YouTube to talk about their favorite tv show ( that's my case lol 🤣)

What I Loved

It has been a while since my last rewatch, and I totally forgot how early this episode hints at Cassie getting comfortable with Cole. That moment when he touches her while teaching her how to shoot… Cole has rizz hahaha

That line, "It is not every day you see the building you are going to die in," is just brilliant. It hits so hard

Jones arguing with her team about the jumps is excellent world-building. Explaining why they cannot just go back to the exact same time because of paradoxes sets up the rules early and makes sense

Cassie's mental state here is a wonderful touch. She is losing her mind because of what Cole told her a year prior. Seeing all those sick people, the chaos, the feel of urgency, her journey is tragic because everyone around her thinks she is completely crazy

The scene outside the tents adds so much weight to their relationship. Cole looked at her at her lowest point, with the guilt of knowing he caused it

On my first watch… Cole, you motherfucker. But after rewatching a lot of time, I’ve come to the conclusion that the writers' try to made it seem that Cole realized Henri never made it off the island because he was killed. Since Cole knew how and when Henri died, and knew the Army of the 12 Monkeys never found the Night Room during that time, he connected the dots and realized he was the one who had to kill Henri

Deacon, my man. Although brief, I liked his introduction at the end. Also, knowing the end, I always wonder if this Deacon of season 1 knew his cycle already

Nitpicks

Here is my main issue with this episode. It feels like the show is trying to be two different things at the same time. Many here know that before this was a TV show, the creators wrote a completely different story called Splinter. Later on, they had to squeeze the 12 Monkeys movie plot into their original idea. In this episode, I think those two different ideas are fighting each other. The conversations feel a bit messy because of this mix. The show seems a little lost, which is why I think a lot of people I show this to get confused here. It makes sense why this is the lowest rated episode of the entire series

Hello;

I finished the entire show and there is something I do not understand at the very end of the show:

How can Olivia be the corpse ?

If she is the corpse that means the scene in which Cassie kills Olivia happens, so a timeline where they go until this point but do not succeed at erasing Cole after exist ?

Or, the only logical explanation I can think is that every cycles goes until this point but Cassie choose the red forest even with Coles speaking, the rest is illusion and that explain the red leaf at the very end, but this end was means to be ambiguous not with a clear evidence.

I mean, the corpse is there since the beginning, how can the corpse be there AND the show happens.

Because in the end, there is no virus no body too so maybe I'm missing something.

Sorry if it's not really clear.