Timeless: Season 2, Episode 2, "The Darlington 500" - Trying to outrun the past at 60+ mph

 



Sometimes Timeless drops our heroes into a less fascinating (rather, less pop history) period, area, or timeframe in history, but when it does just that, it brushes away the need to anchor the episode with an incredibly noteworthy historical celebrity or event, and allows the show to take charge through its characters and quietly put some more time in with world building, or even just to show us what we might have missed in history class. Unless you're Wyatt, of course, because apparently "The Darlington 500" is your jam.

Though to be fair, any episode of Timeless does allow the viewer to spin off and discover more about the period each episode wants to re-create and represent, meaning that quite a bit of research was put into each episode, but leaves just enough for those who are interested to dig deeper. "The Darlington 500" sends our heroes back to the early days of stock car racing (a subject that, like Lucy and Rufus, I have not even one point to start on) to find out why Rittenhouse wants to interfere with history in 1955. It ends up being a little boring and rote, in a good way, to place the danger on some white, faceless automotive executives while having the anchor point of the episode work around African-American racecar driver Wendell Scott.

It's an interesting move so early into the second season of Timeless because by the episode's halfway point, it throws an interesting complication to the series into the mix by challenging history itself. Previously, history was changed because of how Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus had to somehow correct for Flynn's interference; returning home generally brought them at odds between how history really played out, and how the world at large now know the history to be. But now history is at the risk of being changed and remembered incorrectly even by our heroes, due to Rittenhouse's attempts to manipulate history with its sleeper agents. There was no Ryan Millerson who won the first Daytona 500 because history was changed without anyone noticing, and all of Wyatt's memories about him just came to exist because history changed through Rittenhouse manipulation. Using Wendell Scott becomes more interesting as it helps highlight certain parts of history that might not be as visible for the general audience. The contrast is more interesting because Wendell Scott is African-American in contrast to the usual white prominent historical figures of American history, on top of the fact the episode is about NASCAR-style racing in the 1950s, a subject one naturally assumes is predominantly, if not exclusively white. Not the first time Timeless has done it, but it always executes it with aplomb nonetheless.

Much of the episode also works around Wyatt, at this is one of the first times since "Karma Chameleon" that puts him in the spotlight again. "The Darlington 500" puts both Wyatt and Wendell Scott in the same boat as they find many similarities in one another as Wyatt finds himself starstruck at meeting a racing legend. "You guys never asked", as he tells Lucy and Rufus, which puts us in the interesting predicament where Wyatt is finally fleshed out beyond his military background and his sole connection with his late wife, Jessica, and all for the better.

Wyatt also ends up drifting in and out of Lucy's own development too as he begins to care more and more for her romantically. Lucy has been staring up at the ceiling in her bed at night since her return, and he voices his concerns. It's probably only after Wyatt and Wendell Scott talk about their fathers and their illicit, car-based activities that he finds some way to get through to Lucy. As I said previously about the last episode, Timeless unfortunately did not let us see what happened in the interim period between seasons one and two, but here they are working to fill in the gaps. Wyatt's past with his disappointing father helps to shake Lucy out of her rut and move forward, unshackling her from the gravitational pull that is her mother, at least on the personal level, since at least some Rittenhouse employees still have some professional respect for Carol and her family tree.

It's only a small scene at the start of the episode, but it is interesting to see the show start to gear up to transform the Lucy we see now, hopefully, into the Lucy that hails from the future and passes down her journal to Flynn to start him off on his journey. We've seen the journal being gifted from Carol to Lucy, though I'm sure in due time the denouement of one episode will end with Lucy starting to jot down notes and bring said journal to life, now that she seems to be set on the path to stop Rittenhouse once and for all.

As for Jiya and Connor, there's not much to say, though Jiya's affliction seems to have taken a more interesting turn. Is it that she can see the past, or the future, since Rufus' injury was inflicted in the past, but at a 'future' time? Connor, on the other hand, it's likely possible his attempt to resurface in public life and reclaim his reputation is simply working toward some plot movement in the future where he places the heroes in jeopardy, though I would be surprised if something else more interesting comes out of it; in the meantime I found it a rather unexciting development, unfortunately.

Rittenhouse remains a mystery, which is par for the course, though some interesting things did flare up during the episode with what little was offered. I found it a bit disappointing the episode did not dwell longer on the sleeper agent who became (or was already?) Ryan Millerson, and his apparent lapse in dedication to his mission by taking a wife and fathering an unborn child. It would have been interesting to see some cracks in the façade that is Rittenhouse from that perspective, since it is dealt with rather quickly and cleanly, though the mother and child seem to have been a loose end that wasn't tended to. And as for Keynes - sure he is a nut and wants everything he's used to from the turn of the 20th century - but his roadmap for Rittenhouse, at least from how I parsed the final scene (with all the talk of humanity as a whole), felt like taking the seemingly Anglo-American cabal into more global aspirations. Could this mean they might feel more keen to move Timeless away from formative or important moments in American history to other places and times? It makes me wonder if the racism from the late-19th/early-20th century you'd typically find in men like Keynes would have any bearing on what his image of humanity's perfection might look like.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

• The part that made me love the episode - because sometimes Timeless knows and reminds us it's a pulpy adventure show, is the final action sequence with a tense car chase, followed by our heroes narrowly avoiding capture while driving a car strapped with a bomb. Having our heroes burst out in laughter right after is exactly the kind of tone and levity the show needs.

Timeless: Season 2, Episode 1, "The War to End All Wars" - The more things change, the more they stay the same. In a good way.

Part of what makes Timeless such an appealing series for me is the sense of pulpy adventure that's generally missing in television these days (or at least incredibly rare). Having taken in all of the first season in the matter of about a week and a half before the season two premiere, there's a lot to talk about, but I think I will speak about certain aspects of the show piecemeal as I continue to review the show week by week. Although Timeless is a thoroughly episodic show in the way I like, there is also that long-running conspiracy arc that helps drive each episode, and from the season two premiere, it seems the show is still firmly planted in that story engine with little change on the horizon. And sometimes that's for the better.

That isn't to say there haven't been big sea changes - it's one of the first things you see with the destruction of Mason Industries - but it doesn't feel too much like a dramatic status quo change, rather acting as a change of setting to help facilitate character development. Much of the premiere exists mostly to restore the show back to a familiar status quo by the episode's end so it remains to be seen what interesting developments for season two are coming down the line.

There is some interesting setup for the season coming out of the episode as Carol ends up plucking her grandfather from World War 1. Nicolas Keynes appears to be the inspiration for the time travel program that Rittenhouse ends up funding via Mason Industries; having such a prominent conspiratorial figure to direct Rittenhouse, combined with Carol's knowledge of history is bound to be a dangerous path. It stands to reason that Lucy will have to act as the counterbalance to Rittenhouse's activities in season two.

Otherwise, the survivors of the Rittenhouse attack have moved into an off-the-grid, decommissioned military bunker and feels mostly like a change of scenery considering the rest of the Mason Industries workers were not much more than background dressing anyway. The timeskip of six weeks helps the show settle back into a rhythm rather than leaving everything up in chaos, although it would have been a welcome change of pace, even if it betrays the overall episodic structure for a chance for more serial, or at least non-traditional, storytelling for an episode or two. It feels like there would have been material to have been mined about how everyone moved on from Mason Industries, or how Lucy fared in Rittenhouse house arrest under her mother.

"The War to End All Wars" in essence acts somewhat like an origin story for the Rittenhouse we know and provides them with some more depth than simply some shadowy, sinister conspiracy with roots in mostly famous historical figures. There's always been some mystery to them that seems inscrutable, but being about to ground it closer with the conflict between Lucy and Carol and their broader family tree (even if it symbolizes only a branch of Rittenhouse) makes the cabal seem more easier to picture - if not relatable - than a nebulous force. There are so many dynamics at play that can be explored, so having season two seem to focus specifically on Lucy's relatives and their role in Rittenhouse (more so than just simply her grandfather in the finale) will be exciting to see as it unfolds.

As for Flynn, it's a little strange how he's still a factor unless he's going to provide support in some way to decipher Keynes' writing. Hopefully he is a more active presence given his screentime in season one. It also remains a little odd that Annie Wersching and Susanna Thompson are still billed as guest stars seeing as they seem to be the primary antagonist now that it's no longer Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus trying to stop Flynn from wrecking history trying to eliminate Rittenhouse, and it's probably Emma and Carol representing some faction of Rittenhouse (alongside Keynes) trying to mold history in their collective imagine. Maybe Flynn will have to be brought back into the fold as an expert on hunting Rittenhouse.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

• Lucy is probably right, you don't want to smell history, especially back on the battlefields of WW1.
• Not too much to see for Jiya and Mason. Mason has an interesting arc setup for the season, but not much movement; same goes for Jiya who simply still suffers from her condition after returning from the past. And interrupting everyone.
• I really wonder how they would keep that smartphone charged though. Guess it was just for short use over the years. Or the real secret Rittenhouse is keeping from us is a smart phone battery that lasts forever.

Arrow 6x15 "Doppelgänger" - A focus on the past helps to produce a strong episode

 
As Oliver Queen states, sometimes good news is accompanied by bad news. In this case of Arrow, a poor episode (last week's "Collision Course") is followed with a good episode that brings Thea and Roy back into the fray to produce a strong story of the week. "Doppelgänger" works because of a much stronger focus on the main and legacy cast, providing a breath of fresh air after the sordid events on "Collision Course".
 
New Team Arrow is surprisingly absent except for Dinah's larger involvement in the SCPD police force, with Rene having no scenes, and Curtis have a quick scene with Zoe that really doesn't go anywhere or produce anything of note except to remind the audience something happened to Rene last week (despite having it shown in the previously on...). That effectively puts New Team Arrow out of commission for the time being until their involvement is needed. Given the tease and preview for the following episode, it will be at least another week that at least focuses on Thea, which is a nice turnaround for the season moving, even if for a brief series of episodes.
 
"Doppelgänger" is a fairly straightforward episode that moves at a brisk pace and has pretty much a singular purpose, and it is to bring Roy (and by extension Thea) back into the fold, at least for the time being. There's not much to muse on except for the tiny details the show has deemed to insert, with myself hoping they somehow pay off as the Diaz plot comes to fruition. One scene in particular stands out with SCPD Captain Hill giving sound advice to Oliver in order drum up money for the force (and by extension, the city) to the tune of 30 million dollars, as this could easily have been done in secret for the benefit of Diaz.
 
Black Siren posing as Laurel Lance is a very interesting B-plot as we follow Katie Cassidy through the many masks that Earth-2 Laurel has to wear as she moves from confused survivor, to well-meaning and regretful villain, and to dastardly double agent. Quentin finds himself now paired off with Dinah in another smaller plotline to root out crooked cops, giving the dynamics of the cast something interesting as it pits two people with some big odds working with one another for a greater good. There's also a lot of good character work as Oliver and Thea muse about Roy's involvement over the years and subsequent sacrifice.
 
The one big question remains though, is how exactly is Diaz such a mastermind? I'm sure the show will eventually pull back the curtain, though there is already a lot to be shown in "Doppelgänger". A lot of it is probably from surveillance recorded by Cayden James, though there are smaller, finer points - like finding Roy despite no one else being able to locate him - making him seem like a credible threat of his own accord. My main concern is how Diaz incites everything to begin with; he's basically had about a year of lead time from our heroes in the distant background, manipulating events to his liking. Hopefully the writing ends up catching up with the performance, because there is the feeling from my gut this could end up like the situation in season four (and three), where the main villain ends up being portrayed by a fantastic actor, and the performance is outstanding, but the writing doesn't feel up to par.
 
 
Miscellaneous thoughts:

• Fireworks arrow! Although it's probably too much work to think about precisely how it would work.
• The casino fight is welcome and a breath of fresh air to alleyways and warehouses. Tracking the reused arrow in a series of attacks is an interesting way to frame the action, although in this point the action sometimes feels a little lacking in any other meaning except for our heroes to exert some agency on the antagonists.
• A really minor point, but I do like they are still addressing Diggle's need to reclaim the Green Arrow mantle, though the show also is setting it up in a way that Oliver feels as if he can't give it up again for some reason.

Arrow 6x14 "Collision Course" - Not quite the Civil War we were expecting, or looking for

"Collision Course" has a fairly straightforward story but it ends up being a rather weak episode of Arrow. It's not because everyone ends up chasing a false lead, because there is some merit to that if executed properly. Much of the episode centers around everyone hunting down Black Siren thinking she's the cause of, and solution to Star City's financial woes. The inciting incident is an interesting one that carries forward the stories preceding it, but the execution and ramifications are a little lacking at the end of the hour. 

It's an interesting choice to have Black Siren have little to no real ties or evidence to the stolen money, and that she is the only real lead anyone has to go on. A lot of the big movements are tied to Oliver and Dinah, both of whom have their reasons for tackling Black Siren. If the episode is attempting to ape Civil War in some fashion, Oliver and Quentin are the Steve Rogers to Earth-2 Laurel's Bucky, while Dinah is Tony Stark, and I guess Zemo would be Cayden James, in some sense of the analogy. But either way, Laurel is the actor that pits the teams against each other. Oliver is more concerned with using Laurel as a way to get the money back for Star City but holding out some hope she's not as much of a villain everyone thinks she is (and can be trusted), while Dinah is purely out for the sake of vengeance, in the guise of civic duty.

Quentin, in the meanwhile is wholly consumed by his attempt to reform Black Siren into some semblance of his Laurel. In a way it's almost as if it's some kind of new addiction for him, consuming his every action. There is some moment of clarity where he pulls back and grants Earth-2 Laurel her own sense of self-determination. By the episode's end, she has escaped and everyone finally learns she was never any use to save the city, and only for their souls; Quentin wants to see the good in someone like Black Siren, because for him, she is her daughter in many ways but the circumstances she was given, and wants to help her into better ones. The final scene of the episode seemed to signal that Black Siren wants to become Laurel Lance, or at least embrace the identity, though having it cap off the episode seems like a poor choice as it frames the decision as an act of malicious deception instead of someone trying to live up to a better version of themselves. I could be wrong, though, but the direction of it feels more the former than any latter.

Since the start of the Team Arrow split, the show has placed Oliver and Dinah on diametrically opposite ends, and continues into "Collision Course". The main conflict lies between them and how they want to deal with Black Siren. Oliver is somewhat boxed in thinking he can trust Black Siren through Quentin, and the need to recover the extorted city funds. Meanwhile, Dinah is on the warpath and out for vengeance (which I found relatively dull up until the actual confrontation in the woods). There's a lot of talk about lines being crossed by both teams as they try to jockey over one another to find Black Siren first, and plenty of venom between Oliver and Dinah. There's the impression given by the episode that this episode is where there will be no reconciliation between the teams, and no future where both of them will ever work together (or as they claim, even against one another). That will remain to be seen.

The main problem is though both teams try to claim the moral high-ground in their back-and-forth distrust tug-of-war, the show seems to falter when it shows Dinah on her quest to avenge Vincent. There's not much change besides an extra scene or two where she's particularly violent, though she does seem more intent on doing harm and angrier overall. It's not until Dinah has Laurel in her grasp in the woods that either the writing or performance seem to deliver on what the show has been telling us about Dinah. Otherwise it never feels like this need consumes her or bothers her teammates that much except for the odd reminder she's out for revenge. Compare this to Quentin, though he feels unhinged, feels like he has some emotional stake in trying to convince Black Siren she can be a better person. None of the teammates really stand out in the whole split, though both Diggle and Curtis both express some kind of remorse or concern that their feud is going down a dangerous path - though at the end Curtis finds himself with some more resolve that he's joined the right team. Rene has been somewhat relegated to punching bag for Oliver since the reveal that he was the traitor, though it's really just trotted out as an excuse to get everyone angry when no one wants to fix the situation but continues to work with Rene. 

Overall, "Collision Course" feels like a concept that was undercooked - the infighting amongst Star City's vigilante's over Black Siren. New Team Arrow felt like they were saddled with being the antagonist in this episode since they had a smaller stake in Laurel, with much of it tied to Dinah's revenge whereas Oliver and Quentin maintained a stronger connection to Black Siren by the simple fact of the show's history and probably rapport between the actors. By the end of it though, it seems fairly clear that Oliver has gotten Black Siren/Laurel out of his system (and by some extension of it, probably Quentin), though the episode doesn't particularly move anyone else forward, especially on New Team Arrow, anywhere or help to define them stronger. It's perfectly fine for a show to put its heroes on the backfoot, but after "Collision Course", not much was really accomplished from a character standpoint to really feel like it was worth the runtime.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

• Really odd direction in a few spots in this episode, for instance, having Dinah, Rene and Curtis investigate the alleyway in costume, whereas Oliver, Diggle and Felicity came dressed in civvies, or the scene where Dinah crushes the bug after the car chase - or trying to have New Team Arrow tail Oliver and company and immediately get made (because there were no other cars).
• Thea and Quentin's little quest to help Black Siren is at an end, so I am somewhat curious what the show will want to do with them, if they want to do anything with them at all. Willa Holland seems a bit wasted, especially if she doesn't want to wear the costume regularly with the rest of the team now, and the mayoral politics of the show is really just background dressing more than anything. (I mean, Roy is coming back and Thea is in costume next week, but what about after that?)