12 Monkeys - The Keys



So, did everyone notice on the, "previously on 12 Monkeys" lead in for "The Keys" it included the firearms training between Cassie and Cole?

Those lead ins can be so prophetic and a little spoilery.  I did a post on "The Cassandra Complex" where I thought it included a little foreshadowing into  Cassie someday shooting Cole.  (You can read that post here.)

Why do I mention this?

Of Monkeys and Milk


We got an extra glimpse into the "monkeys and milk" pre-cog memory that Cole has been experiencing.  We've seen this future memory before where a glass of milk shatters, a gun goes off, and a shadowy figure is standing before us.  This new one includes a splatter of blood so maybe Cole is filling in more of the blanks in his "pre-cog."

The blood is important because of all the tie ins to Cole's nose bleeds, the previous time travelers being torn apart and "The Striking Woman's" reference to, "Most of the blood has washed away."  (I covered my blood discussion in my "Red Forest" post.)

So Dave, what's the tie between Cassie's gun training lead in and the new blood splatter you're asking?

In the pre-cog memory we also get a glimpse of a silhouetted head and we can't quite tell who it is.  (Sorry, I don't have that glimpse available, I'll try to retrieve it soon.)

I think I'm prepared to make the call that the head belongs to Cassie and thanks to our lead in clue she is the one that shoots Cole.  Many of us thought the head belonged to either Cole or Cassie but now with the gun training being revisited along with the new pre-cog, this cements it for me.

So why does Cassie shoot Cole?


I'm not sure!  (Thanks a lot Dave.) But I think it might have something to do with the milk.

This is going to be a stretch and this angle isn't fully formed yet but I'm getting there.  Milk has been used in genetic bio-engineering research and the milk from goats has been genetically modified to produce higher levels of human antimicrobial proteins.  (When I used to read meters for the power company waaay back in the day, I read the meter for one of these facilities that used goats and sheep in either Charlton or Brookfield Ma.  Hmm, there was a lot of security there.)

So the milk tie in goes to genetic research and perhaps someone is working on a cure to fight the M5-10 virus.  Either that, or they are working on a vector for the virus using genetically altered milk.

Cole probably stumbles across this facility or more likely he was brought there because he is immune to the plague.  As for Cassie shooting Cole, I don't know.  Maybe he becomes an "immune vector" and she can't have him leaving the facility?

You don't drink milk to modify genetics but the breaking glass could be symbolic or even evidence of the research.

So what do you think, got milk?

Clocks a Ticking.


We had several references to time and clocks in this episode.  Pretty appropriate for a time travel show.  But these seemed significant if not just fun.

In the above image, Wexler tells Cole of the Army of the 12 Monkeys, Druze heritage and its symbology.  "12 Monkeys like hours on a clock," he said.  

 
I wonder if we can relate the imagery on the smashed plate to the face of a clock?  I'm not sure if we ever saw a full on look at the plate but hopefully it had twelve monkeys on it.  As for the outermost symbols on the plate, they are still a mystery but they are just like the marking on the Pallid Man's medallion.


So, 12 Monkeys like hours on a clock brings new meaning to our intro as the episode opens.


And we also got this nugget from the archeologist (missed his name) referring to the ancient Druze tradition and the "Pact of Time's Custodian."  Seems their plates were used to ground tea and I have been coincidentally referring to the brew that Cassie and Jennifer had to drink and see the Witness as "tea."  (I'm so intuitive for a coffee drinker.)  I'm thinking the drinking of "Time's Tea" allows you to see through time.  Somehow to access memories of events yet to happen and perhaps to see beings like the "The Witness" that exist out of or between time.


Speaking of clock faces, tried as I might I couldn't spot the scratch on Cassie's watch.  Shouldn't it be scratched?  New watch?  The other blew up when Cole put the two watches together?


The eighties were referenced again.  Cole hasn't been there yet but he will.  Goines gave us out first eighties reference and now Wexler chimes in with the Japanese mob from that era.  Cryptic indeed.  Oh, and our virus corpse was dug up in the eighties also.  Do you think Cole will have to make a trip to the Himalayas?



Our guy Cole has become acutely aware of how much time he has left.  He just wants to stop and smell the roses.  Like appreciating art, noshing on yummy hor's doevres and dancing with a pretty lady that smells nice.  If only Cassie had used a Star Wars reference to "Stay on target" when she reminded Cole of the mission.  (He wouldn't have gotten it anyway.)  Schull showed good comic timing in this episode and her dramatic turns are getting better too. 

This romantic interlude leads us too...

Blood Diamond





We had a "Blood Diamond" ending to our episode.  Above is the clip from the end of "Blood Diamond" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly.  In it, Danny Archer tells Maddy Bowen that he is exactly where he is supposed to be and like Cole leaks a little blood.  Leo's character is on a Sat phone and manages to reach Jennifer's Maddy half way across the globe.  It's quite touching and I remember thinking if you can make Jennifer Connelly weep for you it would be something akin to winning the lottery.  (Better if you managed to live through it though!)


A similar scene played out between Cole and Cassie.  (I have a funny story to tell you about "The Keys." You already know it if you follow me on Twitter.)

Cole like Leo was on a Sat phone.


And like Leo's character, he made the lady on the other end across the globe cry for him.

I'm not sure "Blood Diamond" was the inspiration for the ending of "The Keys" but they were pretty close and I have a feeling Cole will get a better fate than Danny Archer experienced.

I have a few more things to say about this episode and I'll be posting them on twitter or Facebook.  Or maybe I'll just add them to this post later.

But the clock is ticking and I'm supposed to watch "Birdman" with my wife this afternoon.

Do you think I can make her cry if I call to tell her I'll be late?

Comments

  1. I theorized the same thing about the tea and accessing the Witness. What about that ending? Does he splinter back to 2043 before the bomb hits?

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    1. I'd have to say he does splinter before the bombs go off Hank. We didn't see the tell tale blinking of the lights but with all that was going on perhaps it wasn't evident enough. I missed Jones and the gang this episode. Let's hope she didn't "miss" Cole and dragged him back to the future.

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  2. I see what you did there, Sir! :P Hehe!

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  3. Tea seems to be a recurring thing in the show, that is certain. What I really want to know is - good grief that would hurt to have boiling water pour over your fingers! Is Cassie made of kryptonite?? Anyway. The focus of this episode (because all the techie stuff goes right by me) (and I watched this episode 3 - yes 3 - times), seemed to really stress the connection between Cassie and Cole, and making choices. Even Wexler made a choice.

    I have a sneaky suspicion we won't see Cole in the next episode, but that it will focus on Cassie, and the effects of Cole's supposed death. (he can't die, he is a major piece in the show). How could he come back? Oy, the ways are numerous and it will likely be a way I haven't thought of (yay). I just hope it isn't an alternate time line thingy, that would be cheap. I'm hoping that he is the same Cole, because I find it would be more interesting for him to find a way to deal with all the cold, nasty things he's has had to do in his life. He is definitely the "damaged hero", but he really was/will be in positions where he didn't have a whole lot of choice.

    Back to Cassie. I'm thinking maybe that flashback of the two when Cole was teaching Cassie to shoot... She made the comment that she was or could be tough (I don't remember now), but she is a very soft character in the show, and compliments Cole in that respect. With Cole "dead", she may well go on a bit of a rampage, or perhaps have new resolve - she is a driven character, to the point where she can be blind, I think. What if she is pushed to the point where she might have to make similar desicions to those Cole has made?

    I really like your theory of Monkeys and the clock. Indeed, lots of time refs were made. Kind of like Alice in Wonderland-ish...

    Anyway. I'm looking forward to the next episode, but I'm not expecting Cole to show up yet. I REALLY hope I'm wrong, but am not expecting it.

    Btw, what a nasty way to end an episode..... :,(

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    1. Tea and sympathy Ingrid?

      I have a picture of Cole rushing to get Cassie's fingers under cold water. Maybe I will post it on Twitter later on today. I wish I could post those picture here but apparently google hasn't made Blogger sophisticated enough.

      If you read Eileen's feedback below you'll see she refers to a synopsis of the next episode wherein the machine core suffers a power drain and Cole is displaced in time. Sent to the eighties and or the Himalayas?

      Cassie without Cole? She did take his "demise" rather hard. She does have Aaron to lean on though. I listened to Hank Otero's 12M podcast and they talked about the "Two wolves" metaphor. Cassie feeds the good wolves in Cole and Aaron. They figured that Cole might feed the bad wolf in Cassie. So maybe you are right about her acting out.

      How would she act out? Well, she doesn't want to end up in jail so challenging the Government might be out for now. Going after Markridge? Maybe. Hunting down the 12 Monkeys Army? Probable. They did abduct her and tried to kill her. I'd go after The Striking Woman and The Witness by extension through her. She'll need Aaron on board though.

      I think we'll have to see Cole a little bit in the next episode just to find out where he is. This could be a 2043 episode what with the teaser I saw. We didn't get to see Jonsey and the gang at all last week. And I want some more Jennifer too!

      Hold on.

      I cheated. I checked Emily Hampshire's IMDB page and she'll be back March 13th for the "Tomorrow" episode. Cheating! But so is time travel.

      Nasty way to end the episode? We had fire burn at Markridge too. Guess we'll have to keep an out out for flames.

      Thanks Ingrid!

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  4. I too think Cole got pulled back just in time. But as the synopsis for the next episode states, he gets stuck in the past due to the core fading. I just wonder if he will be stuck in 2015 or another past.
    In the current webisode the alarm for the machine goes off when Lasky and colleague celebrate the end of the mission. So I don't think we are too far off with our theories.
    Have you seen the ad for Jeep Renegade during the last episodes which showed a short scene of Cole in a mountain area. Do you think this could have something to do with this part of the story?
    I also have my theory about Cole's vision/memory when he has his headaches. Could the glass of milk have fallen to the floor during an incident in his or somebody else's childhood?
    Thanks as always!

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  5. Hi Eileen,
    Oh, I hadn't heard the synopsis for the next episode. Core problems eh? I saw a teaser for Operation Spearhead featuring Ramse and Whitney. I wonder if they'll have to get in bed with what's left of the military to solve their power issues.

    I didn't pick up on the Jeep ad. I have to get up early Saturday mornings so I hit the hay early on Friday and watch 12 Monkeys on the DVR the next afternoon. (And again the next morning.)

    A childhood milk theory? Hmm, it's possible. He seems to be in an institutional environment so maybe he was hospitalized as a kid? He'd have to be conflating the other memories also though. The gunshot, the shadowy figure etc. We'll see.

    Good thoughts Eileen, thank you.

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