What I’m Watching: 12 Monkeys

12 Monkeys: Season 3, Episode 9 “Thief” (B+)

I couldn’t have imagined how well-suited for this role James Callis would be, and what an episode this was, explaining who the witness is in the most humanizing way possible. The opening scene painted the witness as an eager time traveler who saw so much and was almost bored by its impermanence, and painted this all as much lighter than anything else on the show up to this point has indicated. His vast fortunes helped him to woo Eliza, the woman who quickly became the love of his life, thanks to a showy stunt in a fancy establishment. The flashes to visions of the red forest and to the people in his life dying weren’t nearly as notable as the passion he felt for her, but then when she was killed, everything changed. Watching him travel back in time again and again trying to save her only to see time take her some way or another was a furious chronicle of a descent into darkness. His meetings with both of his parents earlier in their lives were intriguing, yet he never said enough to indicate just who they would become or who he was. Having them find him at the end of the episode as he declared that they were there at the end was ominous, and I’m cautiously curious to see what happens next. After a bit of a messy season, it’s great to see things take on a fascinating new direction. I’m not quite sure what’s going on with Jennifer and her past and future selves giving her advice, but I hope that we see her again in a less oppressive environment.