This week 12 Monkeys was a complete knockout. So much happened that it’s hard to believe there are only two episodes left in Season One! In addition to being awesome, “Shonin” was a complicated episode to say the least, so let’s dive right into the recap.
It’s 1987 and we’re in Tokyo, Japan. Ramse successfully splinters for the first time taking the jump that was prepped for Cole; he’s disoriented and Cole arrives right after him. Ramse notices that Cole is looking for him and is able to duck out of sight and hide. Meanwhile, inside a Tokyo nightclub, Goines sits in a VIP section talking to a Japanese businessman. The Origin is wheeled into the middle of the club (Ha! That’s ridiculous!) and Goines inspects the body and decides it’s not worth the $500,000 asking price. As Goines walks to the bathroom, Cole intercepts him and asks him about the virus. However, Cole quickly realizes that Goines hasn’t even dreamed up the virus yet and doesn’t realize that there is a virus inside the frozen body. Cole tells him that he’s going to make him destroy the virus but Ramse jumps out of nowhere and tackles Cole. The two fight causing a huge mess in the middle of the club and after a knock down, drag out incredible fight sequence. They are broken up and Goines asks the business man how they settle fights, prompting him to throw a switchblade in the middle of Ramse and Cole. Ultimately, Ramse stabs Cole and Goines decides to buy The Origin after all, adding insult to injury to Cole who is dying. Goines also allows Ramse to live which brought an end to a major WTF scene.
Ramse is behind bars talking to a lawyer. He doesn’t have a social security number or proof of being a US Citizen so he stays in jail for at least another year until we jump to 1988. Ramse is getting the snot beat out of him in the prison yard and he receives a letter in his cell. It’s from someone named “Olivia” and she knows of his circumstances, that he’s a time traveler and wants to work with him to ensure that Ramse’s son would not be erased. A few years later, we learn that Ramse is still in jail but Olivia is sending him books and things to make his time in jail more peaceful. She encourages him to write about the world that he knows and to try and maintain peace. A few years later, Ramse is being tormented in the prison yard by the same large man who has it out for him. Then, he tells the other prisoners that his tormenter is a snitch and has betrayed them all so naturally, the prisoners finish Ramse’s dirty work for him.
Later, in 1995, a guard comes in with clothes that were sent to Ramse along with the pendant that Jennifer Goines gave him in the previous episode in 2043. He is also delivered a US Passport. Ramse joins Olivia at a beautiful estate in Virginia. Olivia is the woman who has been taunting Cassie and The Pallid Man (Tom Noonan) along with others arrive to shake Ramse’s hand and says, “It’s an honor to witness this.” Holy cow. Is Ramse The Witness?! Olivia takes Ramse and The Pallid Man’s amulets and joins them together causing a huge reaction that causes all of the trees on the property to turn red (The Red Forest!)
In 2011, Ramse is still with Olivia. He’s not doing well and she tries to comfort him. They come face to face with Goines who is a bit startled when he recognizes Ramse from Tokyo but he denies it. Jennifer Goines wats outside his office to speak with him, not quite crazy yet. Two years later in 2013, Olivia reveals that they haven’t found The Night Room yet but they’re looking for “a scientist” who knows. In 2013, Olivia tells Ramse that Henry has been murdered by James Cole before he could be interviewed about the location of The Night Room. Every step that Cole makes, Ramse is one ahead telling The Army of the 12 Monkeys his next move.
Goines goes to visit Jennifer in the mental hospital under the impression that she killed the people in The Night Room. He sifts through her drawings and finds one of the face of the symbol of the 12 Monkeys. He reacts badly and lets her know that he thinks it’s best that she stay in the hospital for a while. Even though it’s confirmed to him that Jennifer wasn’t responsible for what happened in The Night Room, he leaves her there anyway, thus explaining why Jennifer hates her father so much.
In 2015, we learn that Ramse and Olivia have orchestrated everything that we’ve seen so far. We also learned–or can assume–that Aaron has agreed to cooperate with her but she’s not so sure if she could convince Cassie. Olivia is also concerned about the threat of Cole but Ramse insists that he’s dead.
Back at Cassie’s place, Aaron is having a bit of a breakdown. He shows up drunk convinced that the future is doomed but Cassie still has hope that Cole will come through but Aaron knows better. Senator Royce has let him go ahead of announcing his Presidential run and Aaron has learned that Olivia is in charge of a private sector project involving widespread pandemic.
Later, Jennifer Goines is being ushered up the stairs of the fancy estate in Virginia. She’s being held captive there since she got out of the asylum. Olivia comes upstairs and talks to her in her bedroom. She offers her a mother figure and Jennifer breaks down. It’s what she has always wanted to hear but outside the doors we learned that it’s a ploy created by Ramse and The Pallid Man.
Back in 2043, we finally learned what happened to Cole when he was stabbed in 1987: Jones ordered him to be splintered into 2015. JONES IS A SMART LADY!!! While her colleague warns her that doing that jump could cause the tether to break and they could lose Cole forever, she sees no other choice. He splinters just in time to avoid being executed by one of the businessman’s henchmen. Later that night, Whitley enters with liquor and offers her a drink. He breaks the news that Cole has been lost; the tether was broken. Jones isn’t ready to give up on the mission and Whitley is at the end of his rope. He takes his men away from the compound leaving Jones and her scientist friend alone in the chamber. She’s going to die there, alone if need be, as her friend leaves her by herself at the machine.
In 2015, Cassie enters her apartment to find blood on the way to the kitchen. As he is bleeding out on the kitchen floor, he tells Cassie that he knows why The Army of the 12 Monkeys was one step ahead the whole time and who The Witness is Ramse.
Holy. Sh*t.
This series is getting crazy. Crazy! With only two episodes to go I cannot wait to see how they wrap the first season up! Will Ramse survive? Will Cole accomplish his mission? How does the Goines family continue to play into all of this? Tune in next Friday night for the penultimate episode of 12 Monkeys on Syfy.
