Timeless visits the 1836 Alamo this week chasing Flynn to stop whatever mischief he has planned for the landmark event. It is the day before Travis and all the defenders of the small mission in Texas are overrun by General Santa Anna and his troops. This episode was about more than Flynn and the trio attempting to stop him, though; it was about heroes.
Episodes like “The Alamo” are what makes the very idea of time travel so appealing. The chance to see heroes we were first introduced to in American History 101, or via the auspices of television (“Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier“) and getting to interacted with them is somehow magical.
There is not one school kid in America who has not met the heroes of the Alamo. The story is one that is held to be a sort of template of American patriotism and a willingness to fight to the death for what true patriots believe in.
Freedom.
But heroes come in all shapes and sizes, as Lucy points out in her replication of Colonel Travis’ letter, and we learn that Wyatt is already one. Albeit a reluctant one who flipped a coin and lost.
Timeless uses this episode to highlight what makes and defines a hero. It is a combination of circumstances, personality and a certain amount of dedication to create a hero.
Sometimes, as Davy Crockett points out, it takes someone willing to lead. Even when that someone has to tell a tall tale to become that leader.
The episode starts out with Wyatt learning that he will be replaced. The military man has failed in his own mission. Flynn is still alive and Wyatt is to be replaced.
This removal is put on hold when they learn that Flynn is in Texas the day before the Alamo is overrun. Wyatt is allowed to leave for one last mission.
When the trio arrive, they quickly warn the defenders of the Texas mission about Flynn. Sadly, even being forewarned is not enough to save Colonel Travis from being murdered by Flynn.
The moves appears to be one calculated to take away the significance of the Alamo and the sacrifice of the men who died there. Flynn kills Travis before he can write the letter that galvanized a nation.
Flynn’s interference also has one disturbing side effect. Santa Ana decides to kill all who are in the mission, even the women and children. Flynn is upset by this decision but is in no position to change the general’s mind.
Rufus works on a way to get the non-combatants out of the Alamo. They learn of an aqueduct that runs from the mission to the river. Using Wyatt’s grenades, Rufus blows a hole big enough to get the women, children and John Smith out.
Smith has to leave as he delivers the letter that Travis wrote (which Lucy finished) that will guarantee Texas becomes a reality.
Wyatt suffers flashbacks to a time when he as the sole survivor from another group who fought to the death. He and one other soldier had to flip a coin, the winner (or in Wyatt’s mind, loser) left his men to deliver a valuable piece of intelligence.
“The Alamo” gives the viewer a chance to enjoy, second hand, the reactions of Lucy and Rufus who are getting to meet childhood heroes. Wyatt snappily tells them to stop acting like tourists and get their heads back onto the mission.
For a moment, however, we feel the excitement of hearing a Davy Crockett tall tale being told by the man himself. (The always brilliant and believable character actor Jeff Kober played Crockett so well that Fess Parker must have smiled down from actor’s heaven.)
All the heroic leaders of the Alamo manage to convey that stubborn dedication to a cause that they all shared. The resignation that they would die to prove a point and make a stand for what they all believed. This episode, even without the Wyatt storyline was a season one highlight.
Timeless pulls off a neat trick each week. Sending in the team to not only stop Flynn but to keep any changes to history small enough that the important things are not altered.
By the end of the episode, which may not be a tear jerker but anyone who can watch this one without reaching for a Kleenex must have a heart of stone, Wyatt does not have to leave the team.
Lucy and Rufus stand up for what they believe in; having Wyatt remain a part of the team. Lucy also finds out who her father is while making peach with her mother.
Timeless airs Mondays on NBC. Tune in and enjoy this time traveling show with a difference. Remember to not get too caught up in the historical nitty gritty as this is, after all, entertainment and not a documentary.
Cast:
- Abigail Spencer – Lucy Preston
- Matt Lanter – Wyatt Logan
- Malcolm Barrett – Rufus Carlin
- Goran Visnjic – Garcia Flynn
- Paterson Joseph – Connor Mason
- Sakina Jaffrey – Agent Denise Christopher
- Claudia Doumit – Jiya
- Matt Frewer – Anthony Bruhl
- Susanna Thompson – Carol Preston
Guest starring Jeff Kober as Davy Crockett, Chris Browning as James Bowie, Alex Fernandez as General Santa Anna, David Chisum as William Barret Travis and Sean Michael Kyer as John Smith
Mikes Film Talk 