12 Monkeys, “The Keys,” is written by Sean Tretta and directed by John Badham. Tretta is a relative newcomer with a few low budget horror films to his credit while Badham has a long resume, including Nikita, Supernatural, Psych, and a couple movies you might have heard of – Saturday Night Fever and Short Circuit to name two! Both of those movies may have helped in shooting this episode. Once again, it is a fast paced episode that had me on the edge of my seat, and it ends with a pretty gigantic cliffhanger.
This episode once again features some really interesting time loops. However, both Cassie (Amanda Schull) and Cole (Aaron Stanford) are still feeling the effects from what they went through in the last episode. In fact, even Cassie begins to notice that Cole isn’t looking too good.
More pieces of the puzzle start to come together. We find out who Adam Wexler (Ari Millen) is, and the pottery in the picture that Cole found is from the Druze religion. Wexler gives Cole a reason to go to 1987. Cassie runs into someone we met in the “Pilot” who becomes a reluctant ally. Amanda and Cole are a bit out of step in this episode so that when one is in a hurry the other is not. The episode does a good job of incorporating real world horror like bio-weapons and hacking.
I’m really enjoying how the show is able to play with time to create the same disorientation the characters feel. It does get a bit harder to do advance previews as part of the fun of the episodes is not knowing how things come together! I can say that for the first time, all the action takes place in the “present.” Both Schull and Stanford once again deliver exceptional performances. I’ll leave you with a few lines of dialogue to puzzle over.
“Take this hand here and give me that hand and just rock back and forth.”
“Doesn’t reset anything. It just turns us back into animals.”
“There’s not a chance in Hell you’re on your feet when this is over.”
“I’m just worried about my tux.”
“We’re here. Let’s just be here.”
I think you’ll be surprised by “The Keys” that the title is referring to. And with the cliffhanger they leave us on, I can’t imagine the torture they’re going to subject us to at the end of the season! Don’t forget to tune in to
12 Monkeys on Friday, March 27 at 9/8c on Syfy!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
