12 Monkeys Round Table: Batsh*t Crazy!
Henry A. Otero
at
.
It's clear the writers of 12 Monkeys have meticulously planned out every detail of the show. They're definitely not flying by the seat of their pants.
Little things like Jennifer's medical file missing in 2043 because Cassie swiped it in the past. Or the 2006 newspaper clipping that leads her to the mental institution. This show has smarts, and the details pay off big time. It's safe to say the series is a must watch for fans of good sci-fi.
Join TV Fanatics Paul Dailly, Carissa Pavlica, Stacy Glanzman, Carla Day and Hank Otero as they discuss Emily Hampshire's performance, the Pallid Man and more about 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 2! We want to hear your nutty theories, so please share them in the comments below.
How do you feel about spending time in 2043? Are there any characters there that stand out to you and why?
Paul: I'm really not enjoying 2043. I much prefer the storyline in 2015. The best part of the show is the dynamics between Cole and Cassie.
Carissa: I think it's imperative we spend time there. In a time travel mystery such as this, understanding why it's so important to get back to change the future adds to the urgency. It's difficult for me not to feel a special affinity to Ramse, given Kirk Acevedo's other wacky world show, Fringe.
Stacy: I agree with Carissa that it's necessary we spend time in 2043. They didn't really do that in the movie, but for the show it helps to see where Cole is coming from and what he's trying to change. Honestly, none of the characters in 2043 have stood out to me so far.
Carla: I find 2043 as interesting as the present day, though I wouldn't want to spend too much time there. I want to know more about Jones, who she is, how she got involved in this, why she was able to finally get time travel to work, and what strings she pulled to get Cole to happily agree to this mission. I hope we get to see her in the present day at some point. I loved when Cole stood up to Jones. Their relationship and the push/pull between them has me intrigued.
Hank: While I agree with Paul that the Cole/Cassie relationship is the best part of the show, the ladies have a point it's important to understand 2043. Spending time in the future is one of the biggest changes from the film and I am absolutely loving it.
Share your thoughts on Emily Hampshire's performance. Did she measure up to Brad Pitt?
Paul: I really liked her. In a lot of the promotional efforts from Syfy she resembles Kate Beckinsale from her Underworld days. She has an excellent acting range and plays crazy really well. I can't really compare her to Brad Pitt as I've yet to see the original movie.
Carissa: I haven't seen the theatrical 12 Monkeys since it first appeared on pay television so my only recollection of Pitt in the role is as of him cocking his head and looking strangely at the camera, acting insane. It wasn't very nuanced in my very slim perspective, so I'll have to give it to Emily! She reminds me a lot of Taryn Manning. They'd make excellent sisters in something.
Stacy: I just watched the movie for the first time about a week before this show premiered and I loved Brad Pitt. I thought Emily Hampshire did a great job and will fill the role nicely, but it's pretty hard to trump Brad Pitt.
Carla: Like Carissa, I haven't seen the original since it first came out. I plan on watching it again soon. Since I don't remember Brad Pitt's performance specifically, I'll just comment on Hampshire. She was awesome as the crazed Jennifer Goines. She immediately drew me with her antics and felt for her given the false guilt she feels. Plus, there was a fun chemistry between Jennifer and Cole that I want to see explored.
Hank: Honestly, I was a bit worried because Brad Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for his performance. His take on Jeffrey Goines is pretty iconic, though I agree with Carissa it wasn't very nuanced and a bit over the top. Emily blew my mind though, she was simply brilliant and a few minutes into the episode I forgot all about Brad Pitt.
The Pallid Man is a disturbing villain. Do you think he has knowledge of the future timeline?
Paul: He sure is! Who kills someone and makes flowers grow on the corpse? We've not seen enough of him to make a judgement about the future, but I'm guessing he does know quite a bit.
Carissa: He reminds me a bit of a well-dressed clown. I'm not sure what I think of him. He's obviously incredibly disturbed, more so than Jennifer. His isn't fleeting. It's in tact. He has knowledge of time shifting, definitely. It wouldn't surprise me if it's from the future.
Stacy: He kind of reminds me of the gentlemen from Buffy, but no where near as creepy. I don't know that he has knowledge of the future timeline, but he knows Cole so maybe he has information that Cole doesn't have yet.
Carla: He knows more than we know he knows at this point. I'm not sure what secrets he holds or if it's about the past, present or future yet. The only thing I'm sure about when it comes to him is that he's creepy, he's deadly and I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him.
Hank: By mentioning Cole, I got the impression he knows all about time travel and the future. Hell, I've even theorized the old dude is from the future. It seems like it's the Pallid Man's job to make sure things play out the way they're supposed to. Why should the heroes have the only time machine?
What do you make of the "Night Room" and is the virus really locked inside?
Paul: I really don't know. I don't think the virus is locked in it. That would be way to easy. Someone will probably have gotten there first and took it.
Carissa: I'd say it's real, the virus was probably created there, stored there or something was done there, but when they get there, the Army of The 12 Monkeys will have done something with it. Finding the room will be a hell of a lot easier than finding the virus, that's for sure!
Stacy: I think finding it is an important step and will lead to clues on the virus, but I agree with Carissa that it won't be there by the time they get there.
Carla: My guess is that the virus doesn't exist yet in 2015. The "Night Room" is a secret, nefarious scientific something that the Pallid Man and his people are willing to kill over, but it's likely nothing we would expect. That's my hope too.
Hank: I'm not sure it's a room at all, but I do agree the virus is probably not located there. I like Carla's theory and I'm hoping the "Night Room" turns out to be something none of us are expecting. It can't just be some room right? Don't let me down writers.
Does Jennifer have access to other timelines via visions? Did the Pallid Man give her something to facilitate these trips at the end?
Paul: Quite possibly. I was thinking he was giving her the virus at the end of the episode. I'm totally clueless with this one!
Carissa: I have no idea what she was seeing. It looked more like hallucinations. Or else it's a lot more like Fringe than I thought and we have other dimensions and she's seeing through the thin veil between them. Yeah, I got nuttin'.
Stacy: That didn't really cross my mind. I don't think she has access to other timelines, but that would be interesting.
Carla: I never considered visions. I thought he was drugging her to pull out her memories of the "Night Room," and/or information about the missing scientist. I'd rather the series stay more grounded in authentic feeling realities and time travel without going into the realm of visions.
Hank: We know there's a fine line between genius and insanity, so it's always possible Jennifer's tapping into something she doesn't understand. Didn't Da Vinci sketch ideas for inventions hundreds of years before their time? Nostradamus was famous for his prophecies. I'm not sure the writers will go there, but what if Jennifer is experiencing time out of order? Perhaps Cole's not the only time traveler?
Watch Jones give Cole his next mission. Here's a sneak peek at this Friday's installment...
