[Update] Previously this article mentions the team being stranded in France. A reader quite correctly pointed out that the trio are trapped in the 1754 French Indian war and not the country of France. This has now been corrected. Mike’s Film Talk apologizes for any confusion.
This week in Timeless the trio return to 1930’s rural Arkansas. “The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde” is another example of the team’s rather lenient attempt at keeping history unchanged. In this episode, Flynn is not out to save the deadly duo of redneck bank robbers from being shot down by the famous lawman Frank Hamer and his helpers, he is there to retrieve the Rittenhouse key.
Timeless has, thus far, moved through a fairly wide and impressive time spectrum. After Stranded, left the group in 1754, during the French Indian wars, they moved up to 1969 in Space Race and now have taken a short detour to 1934 on the day that Bonnie and Clyde were to be blasted into oblivion by Hamer and crew.
Apart from taking a moment to focus on America’s more unsavory history, Timeless also manages to make the two homicidal lunatic’s appear to be star-crossed lovers. This week’s adventure includes a brilliant turn from Jacqueline Byers. This talented, and beautiful, actress recently turned heads in Showtime’s w as flaky, yet good natured, groupie Natalie Shin.
Byers is spot on as the poetry writing Parker and she sounded eerily like a young Dolly Parton. It seems that Byers may well be doomed to portray “off the wall” charmers but if that is the case, she manages to do so effortlessly and makes the most of these quirky roles.
“The Last Ride of Bonnie and Clyde” finally sees Sakina Jaffrey’s character, Agent Christopher stepping up to take a more visible role in this time traveling series. The Homeland Security agent has always been the “grownup” of the team and she is now actively working to find out what is behind Connor Mason’s organization.
Rufus attempts to warn the female agent, but like Frank Hamer “back in the day” this agent’s not for turning. (See what we did there? If you missed it, here is a hint, the “Iron Lady.”) Rufus even makes the Hamer connection as he tries to explain to Christopher that her loved ones are now at risk.
The Rittenhouse key is lost to Garcia Flynn. Later, after the infamous couple are killed by Hamer’s team, Flynn takes the key and opens a secret compartment. He retrieves a document, fastened with a wax seal and opens it.
Timeless has finally entered the “will they/won’t they” formula into the series. With Rufus and Jiya as a couple, the urge to throw Wyatt and Lucy together romantically was too much to resist apparently. It does make a certain amount of sense.
Since Preston has been avoiding her “fiancé” like he has the plague and Wyatt still pines over his dead wife, something had to give. The chemistry between the three time travelers has been spot on from day one. Wyatt has only now relaxed enough to really notice his female co-hort in crime.
Flynn looks to be in a position favorable to an allegiance of sorts. After all Rittenhouse is the “big bad” that both teams are against. This penultimate episode, before the midwinter break, could well see a variation of “enemy of my enemy” scenario in the next episode.
Kudos to Jacqueline Byers for killing it as Bonnie Parker and mad props to the writers for finally allowing Sakina Jaffrey to work those impressive dramatic chops on the show.
Timeless airs Monday’s on NBC. Tune in and get caught up in all the nefarious actions of Rittenhouse and co.
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
- John Getz as Benjamin Cahill
Guest starring Jacqueline Byers as Bonnie Parker, Sam Strike as Clyde Barrow, Billy Wickman as Henry Methvin and Chris Mulkey as Frank Hamer.
Mikes Film Talk 