12 Monkeys: Review: Series 1 Episode 12: Paradox

Cole is reunited with his father…

Of course, this is 12 Monkeys, so it’s not quite as simple as that. In fact, this is one of the most convoluted episodes but ends up explaining a lot of the seemingly random imagery that has permeated the series, as young Cole sees things happening to his father (and his older self) that will live with him for years to come.

Cassie and a younger Jones make for an interesting team-up in 2015, and it’s fascinating to watch what appears to be free will in operation, with people reacting to events that are outwith the normal course of experience, actually slotting everything neatly into place as it needs to be (or so we think). However, with Cole now no longer able to time travel, how much the time zones will interact is going to be very interesting to discover.

There are some great performances across the board in this episode – from the “hostile” (embarrassing) takeover masterminded by Emily Hampshire’s Jennifer to Noah Bean’s Aaron making desperate attempts to get Cassie away from the danger zone – but the honours have to go to Barbara Sukowa as both incarnations of Jones.

There’s no possibility of tying everything up in one hour… so it’s a good thing we’ve got a second season on the way!

Verdict: More pay-offs for those who have stuck with the series, with questions from the very opening scenes starting to be answered. 8/10

Paul Simpson