12 Monkeys: Review: Series 1 Episode 3: Cassandra Complex

To locate the only person who knows the location of the Night Room, Cole must travel back to Haiti 2014 – and somehow avoid Cassandra…

It’s becoming ever clearer that this series is going to be dealing with effect and cause in that order, rather than the traditional linear approach. We’ve already had files found missing in 2043 which have to be taken “later” in 2015 or time will be messed up. Now the whole episode is based around Cole ensuring, effectively, that history stays on track – even if he has to take very drastic measures to ensure it – which is ironic, given that his mission is to rewrite his own personal history, and wipe himself out of existence. Anyone who was surprised that Cole takes such action against Dr Henri in 2014 really hasn’t been paying attention to the coldness at the character’s centre.

Although the primary part of the episode is centred around Cole’s trip to 2014 (and what Cassandra was doing there at the time), there’s some intriguing developments in 2043, as we learn that what were previously thought of as impossibilities – Cole going back over a section of history that he’s already been in – are simply things that are “out of the question”. We also get some more of Cole’s backstory in 2043, and meet some characters who clearly have a rather major bone to pick with him – and whom his friend Ramse wants to keep well away from the time travel project, for good reason.

Verdict: A fast-moving hour, in which the world around the leads continues to be fleshed out credibly. 7/10

Paul Simpson