12 Monkeys: Review: Series 1 Episode 6: The Red Forest

Cole has to save his own future by saving Cassie…

This episode takes the next logical step for the series by showing how events in our contemporary time can affect the future that Cole comes from – something that he is fighting for, but not if they work out like this. Because Cassie is killed in 2015, she can’t leave the message that starts the whole cycle off, so the 2043 to which Cole returns is very different. Doctor Who fans will give a wry smile at the way that the alternate Ramse is depicted (shades of Nick Courtney at conventions), but I’m not totally sure that the timeline tracks fully – still, hopefully this is a one-off appearance for this version of reality.

There’s a distinct lack of Cassie in the first half of the episode, but that’s more than made up for once a mysterious woman drugs her and she starts to hallucinate about the titular Red Forest. The series is continuing to set up new questions, and this episode poses a lot more – just who and what is the Witness? And how will the timeline be affected by Aaron accepting the truth about Cole?

Although Kirk Acevedo’s alt-Ramse starts a little over the top, both he and the alt-Jones make their mark quickly, and Noah Bean’s reactions to Aaron working with Cole are credible, particularly after he sees Cole splinter.

Verdict: Some clever visuals help keep the story moving at a fast pace. 7/10

Paul Simpson