The Lifeboat trio realized that they aren't living in a black-and-white world.

Instead it's only shades of gray on Timeless Season 1 Episode 12.

Modern villain Flynn jumped back to 1872 to team up with Wild West outlaw Jesse James in search of another way of extending his mission – the only other time-machine pilot who was hiding in Indian territory.

And they left a string of bodies along the way – good guys, bad guys, Indians. It just didn't matter to them.

And for once, Wyatt was more than happy to set history right – with a bullet.

What part of 'Jesse James is killing people' don't you understand? People are dying that aren't supposed to, and the longer he's alive, the more he's going to mess up history. And since when am I the one who's worried about messing up history?

Wyatt [to Rufus]

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Thank God he was soon back to his old self during a philosophical discussion with Rufus over what constitutes murder.

Rufus: Doesn't the casual way we talk about murder every bother you?
Wyatt: It isn't murder.
Rufus: Then what is it?
Wyatt: It's stopping bad guys from hurting good people. And no, it doesn't bother me.

• Permalink: It's stopping bad guys from hurting good people. And no, it doesn't bother me.

But they teamed up with Bass Reeves, a marshal who saw things in simple terms and insisted on arresting James, doing what's right.

Law ain't perfect but it's all we got. If we ain't got that, we got nothing.

Reeves

• Permalink: Law ain't perfect but it's all we got. If we ain't got that, we got nothing.

Reeves is thought to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger, and the episode does an admirable job at poking fun of the Lifeboat cowboys' vision of the character.

The Lone Ranger's black? That's ... awesome.

Rufus

• Permalink: The Lone Ranger's black? That's ... awesome.

The same goes for Tonto (the Spanish word for fool), who in this case is a deputy named Grant Johnson.

Rufus: So we're going to track James, right? Follow his horse's hoof prints, stuff like that?
Grant: Yes, through broken twigs and scent in wind, the spirits will guide us.
Rufus: Really?
Grant: No, not really. We're going to interview witnesses and find out where they went. We're lawmen. Tontos!

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James himself was a interesting character, an old-time villain with a modern-day penchant to believe his own press.

And that painting he kept staring at. Very symbolic, as it appeared to show the end of the road. No happy trails for him.

It didn't help that the trio didn't have their head in the game.

Like many viewers, they're tired of the cycle of chasing Flynn back in time, foiling his plans to some degree, then returning home, no closer to solving the mystery of Rittenhouse.

Lucy hung on this long because she hopes to find a way to bring her sister back into existence.

She's feeling guilty because she's the only person who remembers her sister, yet she missed her sister's birthday.

No wonder that she was the one who set history right when it came to James. She's pissed and discouraged, and he was in the right place at the wrong time.

Rufus had problems of his own.

He made a big, principled stand against being Rittenhouse's spy, and they had to take it, since he's the only pilot remaining.

So now, Jiya is being trained to replace him in six months.

Mason: What did you think would happen? That you'd get on your proud little soap box, make a speech and they'd just slink away into the darkness?
Rufus: Please don't do this.
Mason: You asked me to pick a side. Well, I did. Now I suggest you reconsider your allegiances, because once she's trained, you become expendable.

• Permalink: You asked me to pick a side. Well, I did. Now I suggest you reconsider your allegiances,...

Thought Mason come back from the Dark Side? Think again.

Jiya's a smart woman who is quickly finding out what she's up against. I think it's time for Rufus to read her in before she gets in too deep.

Then there's Wyatt. Flynn told him who murdered his wife on Timeless Season 1 Episode 11.

So naturally, he made a prison visit to try to wheedle a confession out of the guy.

He must have heard enough, because he's recruiting Rufus to steal the Lifeboat and take him back in time to save Jessica ... somehow.

That's Wyatt, a man of action without much of a plan. Tune in next week for Wyatt and Rufus' Excellent Adventure.

Finally, there's Flynn. What does he want with Emma?

Does he need another pilot so he can dump Anthony, who always seems to be wavering? Does that mean Anthony will go back to the side of the angels?

Better yet, which is the side of the angels? There's a large body count on either side, and each of the "good guys" has at least one kill to their credit.

And this was still another hour that didn't advance the Rittenhouse storyline much, unless you count finding out there's another pilot out there. 

It's time to accelerate things, as there are only three episodes left until the (hopefully) season finale.

To catch up on Rittenhouse, watch Timeless online.

So who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys? Is everyone in it strictly for their own purposes, or is there some selflessness involved? What's Emma's role in all this? Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.