12 Monkeys Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Hyena
Henry A. Otero
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I loved that this was a Jennifer-centric hour, but there was too much going on.
The reintroduction of the virus (and Peters) was terrific, but let's be honest a handful of crazy Hyenas were never going to take down the Army of the 12 Monkeys. 12 Monkeys Season 2 Episode 9 was fun enough, but mostly set up.
How is Elliot Jones connected to TITAN? Is he The Witness?
Anyone else surprised how sane Jennifer was compared to all her Hyena recruits? That one girl that killed the doctor was clearly going to cause trouble later on. While it was great to see the Tall Man squirm for about a minute, you quickly got the sense Jennifer would not be able to control all the chaos.
Emily Hampshire is just so brilliant as Jennifer Goines, that the downside is I didn't really buy the performances of the crazies alongside her.
Some of the other girls' body language felt forced and exaggerated. Emily's insanity is in the eyes more than anything else. Hanging out too long with her Hyenas pulled me out of the episode, because quite honestly something just felt off.
That said, this was an entertaining Jennifer-centric episode over all.
These are the end times Tall Man, but not for humanity. I'm coming for you.
Jennifer
Back in 2044 the temporal storms were eating up the future; not cool. Old Jennifer had some clues, but as always it was tough to get a straight answer out of her. Can you believe she bit Cole?
Jennifer warned otter eyes to stay the course and that his friends were blinded by rage. Is Ramse's ego once again going to lead to more death? I was a bit disappointed Cassie went along with him.
For those not familiar with the 1995 Terry Gilliam film, that was the original theme that played when Cole arrived in 2016. It was a nice homage, but I wouldn't trade Trevor Rabin's TV score for anything in the world.
Yeah, I'm a sucker for Easter eggs, and boy does the creative team deliver on this show.
Hannah didn't seem very grateful to Jones, did she? "A woman who used a machine to cheat death" she scolded her. Their reunion on 12 Monkeys Season 2 Episode 8 was so touching, it was tough seeing the mother and daughter at odds here.
Sure, Hannah's point of view makes sense. However, we're much more invested in Jones and her mission to save her daughter. Hasn't she earned a little happiness? Hannah did soften up in the closing scene. I hope that's the true start of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Ramse and Cassie went in search of "The Keeper."
The Keeper. He's like your database. He collects information.
Hannah
The Keeper sounded dangerous, but aside from a couple of crucified "liars" outside his lab the guy proved the be fairly harmless. Whenever Christopher Heyerdahl pops up on a show, you know to expect something weirdly intense.
Well, he got Cassie and Ramse to admit their hate for one another which strengthened them as a team. Then he provided the only record of a place called Titan. It all felt kind of rushed, but did set up the next hour's adventure.
Wasn't it great to see Oliver Peters again? Is there anyone from 12 Monkeys Season 1 we haven't checked in with this season?
I thought it was interesting that Peters was working on a vaccine and that the virus came up again. The plague is part of the DNA of the series after all. Using Peters as bait was an excellent idea, and the Tall Man fell for it.
Olivia was back as well and questioning The Witness. "He lies" she told her brother, but the Tall Man's blinded by his new role.
For a second there I thought he was going to kill Olivia. Clearly her story is far from over.
Will she turn her back on The Witness joining Cole and company? I can't imagine our heroes would trust Olivia after everything she's done, can you? The Messengers offspring are not to be trusted... Period!
Predictably, Vanessa lost it and attempted a hostile take over. I still wasn't feeling the character's crazy, but her shortcomings allowed Emily to shine all the more. Luckily, Cole and Jennifer got to the Tall Man first.
I loved that the baddie reminded Cole he had killed Jennifer's father. That was such a great line. Cole's torture technique was brutal too... Ouch!
Cole: The paradoxes in the past... 1944. 1975. When's the last one? When?
Tall Man: 1957. Upstate New York. A paradox so powerful it destroys the fabric of time.
Though I got over the Hyenas quickly, the explosion came as a total surprise. Jennifer was once again all alone and feeling guilty.
Still, the writers managed to kill two birds with one stone. They got rid of the crazy revolutionaries and allowed The Tall Man to outsmart our heroes yet again. The guy is just one of the coolest villains on television.
I had a feeling Cole was the person who told Jennifer the right ending was the one she would choose. Watching it play out was sweet, just as he splintered off. I did not expect him to knock at the door the next minute. Ah, you just gotta love time travel.
Speaking of which, we learned there's a connection between Jones' ex-husband and the "Titan" project. That can't be good, guys.
Is Mr. Jones responsible for The Witness having access to time travel? The twists just keep on coming ladies and gents.
What did you think of "Hyena"? Was there just too much going on this week or did you enjoy Jennifer's revolt? What the heck is TITAN? Are Cassie and Ramse BFFs now? Your turn folks, hit the comments below and share your thoughts on the episode.
The season's almost over. Are you all caught up? Watch 12 Monkeys online via TV Fanatic now.
NOTE: 12 Monkeys Season 2 Episode 10 is titled "Fatherland" and airs on June 20.
