The Time Team went on their final mission on Timeless Season 3 Episode 1 and despite things looking a little bleak at first, there were happy endings all around.

How apt was that final montage featuring "Time After Time?"

I shed so many few tears and felt so many feels while reminiscing about all the good times we had with this trio. I'm not good at goodbyes. 

If you're judging the success of two-hour series finale movie based solely on how many storylines the writers wrapped up in a neat little Christmas bow, then damn, it was a massive success.

The writers didn't miss a beat tying up loose ends, season-long mysteries and answering lingering questions. So much information was just dumped on us, and I'm not complaining! 

Every cliffhanger was addressed and ultimately, everything came full-circle. Isn't that what we wanted from the finale in the first place?

Agent Christopher: Listen, when the Mothership jumps we chase it. That's been protocol since day one. What is the point of getting Rufus back if we just let Rittenhouse decimate history?
Connor Mason: Are you joking?
Jiya: Future Lucy said we need Rufus to stop Rittenhouse.
Agent Christopher: Rufus trained you to pilot the Lifeboat for this very reason. The world needs saving. It's what Rufus would want. We need to find and stop their sleeper agent.

• Permalink: Listen, when the Mothership jumps we chase it. That's been protocol since day one. What is...

I've seen many fans share concerns about the finale being rushed or strewn together simply to appease fans, but how can we complain when we received this Christmas miracle?

Regardless of what transpired, I was just happy that we were blessed with some closure.

Timeless Season 3 Episode 1 picked up right where it left off on Timeless Season 2 Episode 10 with future Lucy and Wyatt traveling back to the present to give Lucy and Wyatt the journal holding all the answers to Rufus' rescue. 

Related: Timeless Season Finale Review: Back to the Future

Given their rough-around-the-edges appearance, it seemed like 2023 wasn't going too well for them. 

No wonder they risked everything by re-visiting their timeline with the hopes of changing their reality.

While I hoped that we'd see more of Wyatt and Lucy's interactions with their future-selves, it wasn't possible as the side-effects of existing in your own timeline still resulted in insanity and death. 

Though future Wyatt and Lucy didn't stick around for long, they did reveal some useful information right off the bat: Rittenhouse still existed in 2023, and Jessica lied about her pregnancy. 

Many of us predicted that Jessica was lying because if she lied about her involvement with Rittenhouse she'd have no qualms faking a pregnancy.

And honestly, I'm glad she did because it made getting rid of her much easier. If she was pregnant, we'd actually have to feel guilty about murdering her.

It's unclear to me why Wyatt and Lucy couldn't just tell their present-selves how to get Rufus back, but I guess watching Wyatt come to the realization that he was to blame for Rufus' death and ultimately, that he had to kill his wife, was more interesting.

Jiya: Whoa, this thing has autopilot.
Wyatt: What? As in anyone could fly it?
Jiya: Apparently. You just plug in the date and location. I guess future me built a Delorean out of a Lifeboat. It's a joke Rufus would have made. I wish he could see this.

• Permalink: Apparently. You just plug in the date and location. I guess future me built a Delorean out of...

Flynn and Wyatt never saw eye-to-eye, mainly because Flynn did some unspeakable things for the cause, but mostly, because they both loved the same woman. However, Flynn knew that Wyatt wouldn't be capable of "taking care" of Jessica. 

Flynn's journey back to February 11, 2012, made me question if Jessica ever died in the first place. 

From the looks of it, Rittenhouse placed an agent on the side of the road to keep her safe, so unless I interpreted it wrong, Jessica was never strangled; it was staged!

Did Flynn know that? He never told Wyatt who his wife's killer was because technically, she never died. And in actuality, Flynn was always Jessica's killer when he "restored" the timeline.

But he should have known all of that because of the journal, right? 

The Time Team was given a book that held accounts of the future and they didn't really utilize it. 

I actually felt pretty stupid that it never occurred to me that Rittenhouse was capable of faking Jessica's death in order to manipulate Wyatt. 

Obviously, she had to be Rittenhouse before "dying" and being resurrected. 

The tussle between Flynn and Jessica was nervewracking because we wanted him to win and make it back to the team, but he was also weakened by those same-timeline symptoms. 

I think Lucy's journal had a lot to do with Flynn's selfless decision to kill Jessica and sacrifice himself.

BRB, gotta go help Zorro.

Rufus

• Permalink: BRB, gotta go help Zorro.

Despite Lucy's feelings for him, he knew she would always end up with Wyatt.

So, though I’m sure he could have returned to meet the group after killing Jessica with minimal symptoms, it was truer to his character to make the decision to visit his family one last time. 

His family has been his motivation throughout this war with Rittenhouse, and since nothing would bring them back, he had nothing to live for. 

Personally, in his death, I think Flynn finally got the justice he deserved. 

Some might say he should have gotten the girl, but in the end, that was never Flynn's goal. 

Though he started out as the villain, Flynn's redemption arc was a joy to watch because, until those final moments, we never fully realized he was always the anti-hero. 

Flynn may have not been one of the core travelers, but he was at the center of the storyline; he's the one who set everything into motion. 

His destiny was to save them, save history, and defeat Rittenhouse. 

There was no other ending for Flynn than the ultimate sacrifice; he was always prepared to die.

Emma: Get the Mothership ready.
Random Guy: For?
Emma: Hell.

• Permalink: Hell.

From the get-go, there was always a connection between Lucy and Flynn which is why she entrusted him with the journal in the first place. 

She knew that he needed to a push to believe in himself, steal the Mothership and set everything into motion.

Saving the world isn't for the faint of heart. 

With all the changes to the timelines, it's easy to get all jumbled up, but seeing 2023 Lucy return to 2014 to carry out her mission of giving Flynn the journal really brought the whole story full-circle. 

If she hadn't, Flynn would have never embarked on his mission and thus, their reality in 2023 would have changed. So many things could go wrong at any given moment.

The journal she handed him ensured that everything would happen as it was supposed to lead up to this very moment. 

Only this time, we were on the outside looking in and man, sometimes it's so great to have all the pieces up front. 

Even if you aren't a Lyatt shipper -- Rufus is! -- you have to be pleased with how the writers brought them together while allowing Lucy to remain in full control of her fate and simultaneously honoring her relationship with Flynn. 

It was the safe way to play it without irritating fans but also stayed true to how non-confrontational Lucy was.

Rufus: So the pilot, North Korea, all of it was about her killing us.
Lucy: I mean, it makes sense. Emma wants to get us out of the way.
Jiya: Well, it doesn't get much more out of the way than North Korea in the dead of night.

• Permalink: Well, it doesn't get much more out of the way than North Korea in the dead of night.

We knew Lucy was going to end up with Wyatt -- they were always endgame -- but I'm glad the writers didn't push aside the obvious chemistry and feelings between Lucy and Flynn.

Did anyone else melt at the way he looked at her when she read about their kiss in the journal?

I also admire Flynn for never making a move or acting out of place even though he knew that in the future, he and Lucy were romantically involved. 

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It's uncertain how killing Jessica returned Rufus to their timeline, and honestly, it seemed like the writers didn't really feel like offering up an explanation.

The scene was delivered in a "take it at face-value" way, and I did. 

I was so happy to have Rufus back, I just ignored the logistics of it. 

Understandably, Jessica's death ensured that she wouldn't be alive to shoot Rufus in Chinatown because Chinatown wouldn't exist, but if she was always alive in the original timeline, why would she be Rufus' "life for a life."

Maybe someone can explain this to me so I can better understand! 

Anyways, dying seemed to do Rufus some good because after he returned, he was more confident and easygoing -- you could see it in his dialogue with Lucy, the jokes he cracked and in general, how he carried himself. 

Previously, the Rufus we were familiar with was scared and scarred by his experiences thus lacking general confidence, but it helped that he no longer had any recollection of losing Jiya or dying in battle. 

For all he knew, Wyatt and Lucy were happily together and Jessica never existed. His reality was a lot more positive than Wyatt and Lucy's. 

If you think about it, the only people who can recall the timeline without any interruptions are Jiya, Wyatt and Lucy. Even Agent Christopher and Connor Mason's realities were altered a few times.

The disconnect between Rufus and Jiya was understandable as she was now the person who had gone through her fair share of experiences, seen too much and came out stronger but not unscathed. 

However, this is Jiya and Rufus we're talking about. If their love can't withstand some time traveling mishaps, whose can?

I know there was a Jessica, but he was willing to give her up to find me. And I'll tell ya, the guy likes me, but if he had to give you up, I know for a fact I'd still be dead.

Rufus

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I mentioned that Lucy's decision to choose Wyatt wasn't forced on us as she didn't simply give in the moment Jessica was out of the picture. 

It did help that Flynn erased Jessica from history and thus, Wyatt's poor decisions of choosing his wife over his heart's desire. It made forgiving a lot easier, but they both still remembered what transpired. 

I'm glad they didn't just ignore it and pretend everything was fine between them. 

Lucy took time to process and heal while also letting Wyatt know that she was hurt. 

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I've read a lot of criticisms about Wyatt and how he handled the situation between Lucy and Jessica, but can you blame him?

Wyatt assumed his wife was murdered because of his decisions. He carried that guilt with him so when he found out she had returned, he didn't question it, he blindly accepted it as a second chance. 

It's an unfathomable situation. Lucy being so understanding while being vulnerable speaks volumes to her goodness.

But, I'm also glad she didn't let the heartache stand in the way of her true happiness. 

When she thought he died in the explosion, the fear of losing him proved that her love for him was stronger than any betrayal. Be still my heart. 

Though the finale was seamless, I was mostly pleased with how it never felt like an ending. 

It's almost like an infinite loop -- even though this was the series finale, you find comfort in knowing that the time machine preserves the story. 

Rufus: So, this is weird. In my timeline, you guys are still a couple. You think you'll get back together or what? Because I'm still totally shipping Team Lyatt.
Lucy: What? What's that?
Rufus: You guys are like Han and Leia, Arwen and Aragorn. Bella and Edward?

• Permalink: You guys are like Han and Leia, Arwen and Aragorn. Bella and Edward?

Both installments -- the Gold Rush and North Korea -- could have stood alone and carried the same magic of regular episodes. 

Everything was at stake, no one was safe, and it felt like there were many more stories to be told with this brilliant and charismatic cast at the helm.

And that's because despite closing the chapter, the writers left the final moments fairly open-ended. 

In 2023, we've only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to time travel. 

Hey, Netflix or Hulu, if you're interested in once again resurrecting Timeless and defying all odds, us Clockblockers would be grateful. 

Once you pass over Rittenhouse, you'll see the potential of what could come next. There are plenty of threats if a new time machine were to be built by what could be Rufus' protege, Paulina. 

Jia and Rufus' RIA Industries alone could set the scene for an upcoming season. What a power couple. 

With all these cliffhangers at the forefront, plus Lucy risking everything to save a pregnant Chinese woman, the whole Rittenhouse problem kind of fell to the backburner. 

Rittenhouse used to be a threatening "they," but after Flynn killed Jessica, it turned into a weak "she." And though Emma tried her best to eliminate Lucy and her friends, overall, she wasn't much of a threatening villain. 

To be honest, I had forgotten what Rittenhouse's mission even was. 

When Emma said "screw Rittenhouse's" agenda, I thought to myself: what the hell is their agenda?

No one knows. It started off as a powerful and secret organization that wanted to rule over common folks by disguising tyranny as democracy, but that withered away as most of the prolific members -- Nick, Carol -- were eliminated. 

By the end, Cahill even turned on the society seeing as it got degraded to Emma sitting around and collecting fine art.

Rittenhouse's agenda didn't make or break the show -- we were already too invested in the characters, their experiences and their relationships -- so it could very well go on without it.

As I hoped, Emma and Jessica both got what they deserved, and the rest of the time traveling team could finally breathe again. Bye girl(s).

I'm slightly disappointed Emma didn't turn out to be Lucy's great-grandmother or something, but given the complexities of the timelines, I could see how that could get messy. 

It was only fitting that the series ended on a merry and bright note for every one that actually deserved it. 

Flynn's sacrifices weren't for naught. 

And his wishes of Lucy having a family of her own came true with Wyatt and Lucy's twins, Flynn and Amy. 

Yeah, the tears just kept flowing uncontrollably! 

Speaking of Amy, did anyone think Lucy gave up too easily when it came to finding her sister?

It was such a big deal to her throughout the series, but there were two occasions when the possibility came up -- Emma offered to help and Wyatt said they could attempt it -- and she denied both.

Everybody loses someone that they love. And no matter how badly they want to, they can't get them back. And in spite of that, they find a way to go on. That's everyone's history.

Lucy

• Permalink: Everybody loses someone that they love. And no matter how badly they want to, they can't get...

She chalked it up to not wanting to risk it and in that regard, I can understand it, but you'd think after all they've been through she'd at least attempt it. 

Especially when you consider Amy was an innocent victim. 

However, part of me is glad she gave it up because who knows how Amy's return would have affected the timeline. It could have brought her mother back, Rittenhouse could have re-emerged, or Lucy's whole life could have changed in a flash.

Sorry Amy, you just weren't worth it.

Other Thoughts

• I understand this was a Christmas episode but was it necessary to keep making Christmas references? It felt so unnatural. 

• I did, however, appreciate all the pop-culture references -- Jiya built a Delorean --  and shout-outs to the fandom. They said JAN! If you didn't know, Jan is the Timeless account on Twitter. Also, "heliclockter" is now a thing, okay? Okay. 

• I really wish we could have seen the episode where they traveled back to the Titanic. I have an odd fascination with that sinking ship. Plus, it would have made for some killer costumes. 

• Wyatt stressed multiple times that the Korean War was the coldest his grandfather has ever been. He told the group to bundle up and then you know what they didn't do? Bundle up! Where were their hats? Or gloves? Out of everything in the finale, this was the one thing that angered me the most.

So, that's a wrap ClockBlockers. 

What did you think of the finale? Was it everything you dreamed of? Are you content knowing that Rittenhouse is finally disassembled?

Given all that you know about how easily history can be altered, would you ever time travel?

And were you even the slightest bit saddened when it was time for all of them to hang up their hats and move on with life?

If you're not ready to let go, you can re-watch Timeless online for old time's sake. 

Comment us your feelings below!

Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..