Timeless
“The Miracle of Christmas,
Parts 1 & 2” (Episode 211; 212)
December 20, 2018

Then:

“You guys wanna get Rufus back or what?” ~ Future (short hair) Lucy

Now:

The (series?) finale of Timeless …

(This is a detailed, blow by blow recap & review of the two hour movie so it’s All Spoilers, Beware)

Before the episode begins proper, Future Lucy recaps the two seasons of this wonderful show, committing the Time Team’s journeys to the Journal that Flynn always predicted Lucy would write.

The episode begins where the season 2 finale left off, with Rufus dead and future versions of Lucy and Wyatt appearing in the bunker, rocking a spiffy looking version of the Lifeboat.

The Future Team explains that they’re from 2023 and have returned to the “now” because the present versions of Lucy and Wyatt need to get Rufus back in order to stop Rittenhouse.

Yes, yes, Rittenhouse is still a thing 5 years from now. Also, Jessica was lying to Wyatt about being pregnant … cause she’s EVIL! (boo).

Using the Journal, Present Lucy and Wyatt can figure out how to get Rufus back (Yay!)

But Future Lucy and Wyatt have to bounce now without giving any more information, because the side effects of meeting themselves in the timeline is already starting to wreak havoc on Lucy. (Boo)

Before they leave, Future Wyatt tells the Present Team to use their suped up Future Lifeboat – they’ve made improvements in the last 5 years. Also, Merry Christmas! (Yay!)

Title Card.

We come back to the Rittenhouse Lair.  Emma is fortifying her henchman, literally killing a member that was maybe having second thoughts on her brand of rule. Jessica is still here and still on board with Team Nasty Pants. She’s on board with Emma’s plan to kill Lucy and the Time Team. Jessica and Emma agree it’s time to visit their last sleeper agent!

Time Team Bunker.  Wyatt is having a sad about how very horrible Jessica is – who lies about being pregnant?!?! – but Lucy has some perspective to give, Rittenhouse is Le Horrible and they’ll do anything to get what they want. The duo hunker down with the Journal; time to focus on getting Rufus back! First, some memory dwelling as we see page after page of mementos from the Time Team’s missions over the years.  Meanwhile, in the main hangar, Jiya is nerding out over the improvements to the Lifeboat. It’s got advanced re-entry stabilization AND Templar Cylinders. SCIENCE! Agent Christopher compliments Jiya, assuming she’s the one who probably ends up making the modifications in the future – Timelines are confusing!

Jiya is all hot to trot to jump back into their own timelines to rescue Rufus and Connor has to slow her roll, remember how we just saw Future Lucy’s head almost explode. Like 5 minutes ago. Which is when Garcia enters the room to mention that Future Lucy has entered her own timeline before … when she gave him the Journal back on Christmas Eve, 2014. So, you know, you can do it more than once!  Connor can’t believe what he’s hearing and rattles off the side effects of time traveling to your own timeline which, like the best prescriptions on the market today, end in insanity and/or death. Whelp.

Jiya is a honey badger though and doesn’t give a fuck; if Lucy and Wyatt are willing to risk their lives to save Rufus, so is she.

Back in the bedroom, Lyatt continue their stroll down memory lane, complete with Wyatt apologizing for the whole “choosing Jessica over Lucy” thing.  Lucy finds a page about the titanic … this mission hasn’t happened yet.  Flipping ahead, she sees that at some point Flynn kisses her and she’s into it – she kisses him back. Timeline Spoilers! Wyatt excuses himself at this point cause he really doesn’t want to think about the Garcia/Lucy kissing.

In the galley, Jiya – who is tweaking like she’s on speed – accosts Wyatt if they found anything in the Journal yet. Also, why were the Future Team so obtuse to not just tell them how to find Rufus. Ugh! I feel you, girl.

Wyatt diffuses Jiya with a Christmas present Rufus got her back in 1981. Wyatt gives it to Jiya because he knows that Rufus would want her to have it. It’s a Rubik’s Cube in the original packaging.

“Rufus always told me there was no puzzle you can’t solve.”

I’m not crying, you’re crying!  SHUT UP!

Our emotions are interrupted by the Buzzer that indicates a time jump has happened.

The whole team assembles in the hangar.   Rittenhouse has jumped to January 28, 1848, Sacramento, California. Lucy helpfully adds that this is 4 days after gold has been discovered in California – the start of the Gold Rush, the thing that eventually makes California a state.  Wyatt is all, “let Rittenhouse have the gold, we need to focus on finding Rufus.” But Agent Christopher isn’t hearing that noise.

“Listen, when the Mothership jumps, we chase it. That’s been protocol since Day 1.”

They all think she’s mad but Christopher defends her position, “the world needs saving, it’s what Rufus would want.” Which, clearly ends all arguments.  Lucy, Wyatt, Jiya and Flynn pile into the Lifeboat and head off. (FYI, the Lifeboat now has auto pilot so anyone can fly it … in case that becomes important later).

Coloma, California. The Time Team walks through the dusty western streets of Coloma and notice that history still seems to be on track.  After a catcalling gross man mentions a redhead and blond coming into town earlier today and now the hottie that is Lucy, the Time Team knows they are on the right track.  Their decision what to do next is made for them when they notice Wanted Posters hanging with each of their faces. Time to steal some horses and ride off to Sutter’s Mill (where the gold was found).

The team rides out on horseback and decide to take a quick break under a tree.  Flynn and Lucy banter a bit about her clothes (she’s hiding her woman-ness) and then Lucy gets down to business … he knows what’s in the Journal and yet, never mentioned them getting together. He hems and haws and in the end, says if she reads on, the affair ends badly. Garcia tells Lucy her heart always belonged to another as he takes a long look at Wyatt.

Their reverie is interrupted (people are always being interrupted on this show as they are getting real about their feelings) by the arrival of Joaquin Murrieta (Paul Lincoln Alayo). Seems the Time team stole their horses from this guy and Lucy helpfully explains, he leads like the most murderous gang of bandits in the West. Whoopsies.   Murrieta explains that they hang people in the West for stealing horses but he’s not looking to wait.  Everyone pulls a gun on everyone and we head to commercials.

Fun Fact: Joaquin Murrieta is a real historical person. Called the “The Robin Hood of the West,” From Wikipedia:

“The popular legend of Joaquin Murrieta is that of a peace-loving man driven to seek revenge when he and his brother were falsely accused of stealing a mule. His brother was hanged and Joaquin horsewhipped. His young wife was gang raped and in one version she died in Joaquin’s arms. Swearing revenge, Joaquin hunted down all who had violated his sweetheart. He embarked on a short but violent career that brought death to his Anglo tormentors. The state of California then offered a reward of up to $5,000 for Joaquin “dead or alive.” He was reportedly killed in 1853, but the news of his death were disputed and myths later formed about him and his possible survival.

“In 1919, Johnston McCulley supposedly received his inspiration for his fictional character Don Diego de la Vega—better known as Zorro—from the 1854 book entitled The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta: The Celebrated California Bandit by John Rollin Ridge.”

We come back from commercials still in the standoff.  Jiya challenges Murrieta because the horses they stole seem to be stolen themselves … Wyatt and Lucy propose a deal that Murietta not shoot them and let them use the horses a bit longer and, in exchange, they’ll tell Murietta where all the gold is. Murietta agrees and they set off. Wyatt can’t believe Lucy didn’t mention that Murietta is freaking Zorro and she replies that she was more pre-occupied with the almost dying part just now.  Let’s ride!

Back at Sutter’s Mill, Jessica meets with the Rittenhouse Sleeper Agent. He’s not happy to be dealing with Emma’s underling but Jessica is quite convincing. Convincing in so far as she knees him in the balls, steals his bucket of gold nuggets, and then pulls a gun on him. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

That night, as the Time Team makes camp, Garcia and Murietta make small talk. In Spanish, Joaquin explains the legend of Murietta as noted above and he vows vengeance until every man that did them wrong is dead. Garcia is uniquely sympathetic to Murietta’s plight.  But, he tries to explain to Murietta, in the end, the blood lust makes you as bad as the men you’re hunting. Vengeance doesn’t solve the problems the way you think it will.

Around the camp fire, Wyatt tells the team that the more he reads the Journal, the more he realizes that Jessica is the reason Rufus is dead. By bringing her into the Bunker, into their lives, the events were set in motion that killed Rufus. SO, Wyatt’s plan is to go back into his timeline and remove Jessica from it – thereby saving Rufus. Lucy and then Jiya say that he won’t go alone and Garcia makes the good point that if they all die trying to save Rufus, who will be left to stop Rittenhouse from destroying the world?!? Good question, Garcia!

Back in the Present, Emma hands Jessica a case of gold bars. She instructs her to hide half of it and use the other half to hire henchwomen for their cause. Emma? She’s headed to 1950 Korea to hire a new sleeper agent.

“Take care of the gold, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Back in 1848, Garcia hops in the Lifeboat and sets a date and location of February 11, 2012 (my birthday!) and San Diego, California. He hits auto pilot and away he goes! What are you up to, Flynn?!?

Commercials.

The next day, the Time Team, minus Flynn, ride into Sutter’s Mill which fulfills their end of the bargain to Murietta. He and his men leave to get to gold mining and even let the team keep the horses. Alone, the Time Team is almost immediately captured – locals noticed their Wanted Posters. Time to get paid, y’all!

In the present, Connor stops Agent Christopher from decorating the bunker with Christmas lights. There is nothing to celebrate until Rufus is back, he says. They snipe at each other about the right way to stop Rittenhouse and how it’s Connor’s fault any of this is happening to begin with. He doesn’t deny it but when Denise tells him that they have to destroy the time machines, he objects – the technology is out there, someone else will build a time machine and fuck with history. If they get rid of their time machines, who will be able to stop said person in the future?

February 11, 2012, San Diego, California. Garcia calmly walks up to a man standing watch. The guy sees him and asks if “they” sent Flynn to “protect her too”? Garcia confirms the “they” is Rittenhouse and then shoots the man dead.  Cut to 2012 Wyatt and Jessica driving and arguing about the notorious fight in the bar. She gets a text, presumably from the guy she’s messing with that’s not Wyatt, and he starts grabbing for the phone. She demands he pull over, she gets out of the car and tells him she’ll walk. He protests a bit and then drives off. She starts dialing a number and the phone of the dead Rittenhouse agent begins to ring. This is when she notices Flynn who is doubled over, starting to feel the exploding brain effects from being in the timeline. He feebly raises his gun to shoot her and she goes on the attack. Fight Fight Fight and Flynn eventually is able to put a couple of bullets in Jessica.  He stumbles to his feet (he’s full on nose bleeding at this point) and pops another “good measure” into her dead body. He walks off, I guess to the Lifeboat.

1848.  Wyatt, Lucy and Jiya are tied up in a barn and lamenting the location of Flynn and/or Murietta. Anyone that might be able to save them.  Jiya and Lucy discuss the historical differences on whether Murietta is really killed by California rangers in 1853 and that’s when they start hearing a commotion outside. Thinking its Flynn come to save them, imagine their surprise when Rufus comes bursting through the door!

“Merry Christmas, you filthy animals!”

Commercials!

Hugs all around for the newly not dead Comrade! Rufus is very confused as he was not aware he died in Chinatown in 1888. No time to explain, they have to go help Zorro! Alone, Lucy and Wyatt work out that Flynn stole the Lifeboat to kill Jessica which caused the return of Rufus … who I guess has actually been on the trip with them the whole time? Time travel is wonky.  Wyatt has a momentary sad at Jessica’s death and then an even more sad when he realizes this action from Flynn is probably the catalyst for him and Lucy getting together. Lucy tells Wyatt that she doesn’t end up with Flynn but Rufus hurries them from outside.

Again with the interrupting when people are getting their feelings on!

Lucy finds a letter in her Journal but we don’t get to see what it says … yet.

Outside, Rufus explains he killed the Rittenhouse Sleeper while Murietta and his men rounded up the rest of the bad guys. Murietta offers them a cut of his gold but Jiya tells him they just need his horses.  Wyatt notices Lucy lagging behind and goes to her. The letter she was reading … it’s from Flynn:

“My Dear Lucy. If you’re reading this, I guess I didn’t make it back. Maybe that’s for the best when you think about what I have done in the past. To the team. To you. We both wanted to stop Rittenhouse but somehow, you didn’t let it destroy you the way I did. So, if anyone’s expendable on this team, it’s me. Tell Rufus he can thank me later. I have to admit, I don’t hate the guy.

I regret the pain I caused you Lucy and maybe by doing this, I can find a small way to make things right so you can have the future you deserve. I know with time, you’ll forgive Wyatt because you love him. And deep down, you know he was just trying to do the right thing.

Now you get everything you want in life. I hope you can be happy. And one day, I hope you get to have a family of your own. And I hope you get your sister back. There’s somethings in the Journal, I never could figure them out. But, it’s led us this far.

One good thing in my life. The one thing I couldn’t hate after I lost my family. Never give up trying to save the world from Rittenhouse and then, maybe, you can save the ones you love. Well, I guess I’ll see you Christmas Eve, 2014.  You know the place.

All my love. Flynn.”

As Flynn voiceovers the above letter, this is what we see: In the present, Flynn, really not doing well with the Timeline effects, crawls into the Lifeboat and sets the date and location back to January 28, 1848, Sacramento, California. He hits the auto pilot and then jumps out. The Lifeboat leaves. Flynn heads to his family home where he spies on “2012 Garcia” with his wife and daughter. He smiles a sad smile and walks away.  In the past, we see the four remaining members of the Time Team riding off on horseback towards the Lifeboat.

Present Day, Time Team Bunker. Agent Christopher sums up the events of the last few minutes in case anyone missed what happened. She continues that their Flynn was found dead by the dunes near the ocean. Wyatt looks at the autopsy photo and it is their guy.  Rufus realizes that Flynn sacrificed himself and Wyatt, Jessica, to bring him back.  Lucy, by the way, is sitting away from the group on the stairs leading to the Lifeboat. Connor proposes a toast and everyone (but Lucy) drinks to Flynn’s memory. Wyatt sums it up, perfectly:

“He had our backs. He sacrificed his life so we could defeat Rittenhouse together. Let’s not let him down. We owe him that.”

To Garcia! RIP Flynn!

Rittenhouse Lair. Emma, just returned from 1950 Korea, is calling after Jessica. A Rittenhouse Henchmen tells Emma he doesn’t know no Jessica and she realizes the Time Team must have changed history somehow. She checks her safe and it’s empty. She calls for the Mothership to be made ready, it’s time to bring some “Hell!”

Commercials!

Korea, December 24, 1950.  Emma approaches Lt. Langford (Zachary Bostrom), U.S. Marines. He begs off that he doesn’t need any kind of insurance she’s selling but she opens her case of gold bars. Sure about that? She mentions the medical bills of his daughter, Margaret, and how the polio thing is tough. Don’t worry how I know, I know, she tells Langford. I mean, who can say no to two gold bricks? In return, she just asks for one small big favor.

Present Day, Time Team Bunker. As they get ready for bed, Jiya catches Rufus up on the revised history of Joaquin Murrieta, after striking rich with gold, he became a successful horse rancher with his wife. “Kind of killed Zorro in his crib, huh?” Oh, we missed you, Rufus! He hops into bed and starts making kissy faces with Jiya but then notices scars on her body from her time living in 1880s Chinatown. She REALLY doesn’t want to talk about her experiences and really doesn’t even want to be touched right now. She flips over and “goes to sleep.”  Rufus looks sad and worried that he can’t help her.

Elsewhere in the bunker, we learn that in this new, no Jessica, timeline Wyatt and Lucy are actually together so they share a room. He tells Lucy he’ll crash on the couch but she says there is no need. They talk about Flynn a bit and she appreciates the kind words he said in the toast. Wyatt is still trying to grasp that Flynn was Jessica’s killer all along and that in the end, he was trying to save Wyatt’s life, not send him into a spiral of depression and anger (I may have paraphrased his quote there).

Lucy tells Wyatt that she’s been reading the Journal to see if there is a way to save Amy, her sister, because Flynn hinted there might be but she also acknowledges that they need to focus on stopping Rittenhouse first because if they don’t … “we’ll become those people that pay us a visit,” Wyatt finishes for her.  They agree they don’t want to become those future versions, they didn’t look very happy. But, Lucy wonders how they can ever unknow all they know.

The time jump alarm blares.

The team assembles in the Hangar and Connor tells them that the Mothership has jumped to December 24, 1950. Lucy says that’s the last days of the Hungnam Evacuation from Korea at the end of the Korean War. Wyatt adds that the date is just after the “Frozen Chosin,” a battle his grandfather fought in.  This is a reference to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, a decisive battle in the Korean War which lasted from November 27 to December 13, 1950. The battle was fought amidst unrelenting cold, negative temperatures.

Lucy worries that Rittenhouse may be trying to remove Wyatt from the timeline but he doesn’t think so, his grandfather, having been wounded, was already on his way home by December 24. Lucy and Wyatt give everyone a history lesson on the last days of the Korean War, a time Wyatt refers to as “the Dunkirk of the Korean War” with tons of refugees fleeing Korea after the Chinese Communists entered the war against the UN. Lucy explains the “Miracle of Christmas.”

The Time Team (including Jiya) saddles up; time to stop Emma and be home in for Christmas.

“Bundle up. It’s going to be cold.”

December 24, 1950. The Time team is making their way from the Lifeboat. Rufus wonders which refugees might be on the boat that’s attracting Emma and Lucy just offers a future president of South Korea.

In the present, Connor is wondering the same thing as Rufus. Why the Korean War?  Agent Christopher assures Connor that Emma is crazy but also a genius, there is a reason for choosing the Korean War. A revised history pops up on Connor’s computer screen and we see an article detailing the deaths of four Americans in Korea on Christmas Day. We see grainy photos of the Time Team very very dead. Ruh Roh.

Back in 1950, the Time Team comes up on the remnants of a skirmish.  They hear a helicopter going by overhead and Wyatt posits they are airlifting people to Hungnam port.  A voice calls to them. A military man, he tells the team that he’s got the last chopper out of here so they should jump on board. They go with him and as he turns, we see it’s Langford, the newest Rittenhouse Sleeper Agent!

END OF PART 1!

Part 2 opens in the aftermath of a crashed helicopter. Lucy wakes Wyatt and tells him that he wrestled the controls of the helicopter from Langford’s hands. Doing that, probably saved all four of the Time Team. Langford is dead and Jiya’s got a busted leg but otherwise, Time Team is good. Wyatt confirms the refugee ship sailed like it was supposed to so they surmise this entire thing was a ploy from Emma to kill the Time Team.  They set out to get back to the Lifeboat and go home.

Present. Connor and Agent Christopher squabble over what to do next … Connor doesn’t want to just accept that they’re dead.  Agent Christopher brainstorms that they should steal borrow Rittenhouse’s Mothership and pilot to get to the Time Team before the Communist Chinese troops do (those same troops that will kill them on Christmas Day). Excellent Plan!

Back in 1950 Korea, Rufus is trying to get the downlow on Wyatt and Lucy, in his timeline, they’re still a thing and he likes that …

“You think you’ll get back together or what? Because I’m still totally shipping Team Lyatt.”

Lucy isn’t on social media, apparently, doesn’t understand what this means. Really Lucy?!? Rufus tries to explain what this means using classic pop culture couples … it should be pretty obvious even without context, Lucy! Anyway, she doesn’t want to be Wyatt’s sloppy seconds to Jessica. Rufus calls her crazy and that Wyatt would move heaven and Earth to be with her.

As the Time Team enters town, they see the last set of refugees trying to get out of town before the Chinese march into town and communist North Korea is born. Wyatt doesn’t sugar coat it for them – there are thousands of Chinese between them and the Lifeboat so survival … not great right now. Worst.Christmas.Ever.

Commercials.

The Time Team comes upon an abandoned Army ambulance. Unfortunately, it’s currently dead dead dead.  The promise of transport and heat is too attractive for Rufus to pass up and he convinces Wyatt to work on bringing it back to life. The ladies head into a nearby Church to try and stave off frostbite. The Church is full of Korean women, quietly sitting. Praying, I suppose. Inside, Jiya talks about how much she loves Rufus but worries that she’s too different now than the woman he remembers – that the three years in Chinatown changed her in a permanent (and negative) way.

One of the Korean women in the Church, who is super pregnant B T Dubs, sits in front of Lucy and Jiya and tells them to shut it, there are informants everywhere.  Cue the suspicious Korean man who looks back at them … suspiciously.  He then leaves the Church … suspiciously.  The Korean woman, who’s name is Yong Hi (spelling), asks them what they are even doing there — all the Americans were supposed to be gone. Lucy says they’re war correspondents that got separated from their unit but can’t come up with convincing pop culture names and introduces them as Lucy and Jiya.

This is a sign of hopelessness! I don’t like it! Buck up, Lucy!!!

Yong Hi explains she’s there to pray because her husband, a journalist who asked too many questions, and son are both trying to evacuate. So, she sits and waits to hear if they made it.  Her hope is that their forces push the enemy back and then her husband and son can come home.

Outside, Rufus needs to talk about the timeline break. He can’t fathom Jessica being alive (or him being dead) or that his memories are so different from Wyatt’s following the Hollywood mission. Also, he is still processing Jiya formerly being a year younger than him but now, she’s two years older (time travel … wonky). No worries, though, because he likes the older women! Hell Yeah, Rufus. High Five! Wyatt stops working on the ambulance and apologizes to Rufus. In his calculus, his trusting Jessica, even after Rufus warned him against it, is the proximate cause of Jiya having to live three Hellish years in Chinatown. Why are you telling me this, Rufus asks? Because, Wyatt says, he feels like he’d be lying if he didn’t.

The ambulance starts up and Rufus tells Wyatt he forgives him.  Which is exactly when they see a mess of North Korean soldiers marching towards them. “That’s not good.”   They enter the Church to get the ladies and Lucy is all, “we have to take the super pregnant lady to the Hungnam port.” Wyatt is incredulous – the Lifeboat is 10 miles North and the Port, 8 miles South. The math doesn’t work where they get out of this alive.

“What’s the point of saving history if we don’t save the people in it.”

Jiya and Rufus are on the side of second chances and taking the lady, and so Wyatt doesn’t really have a choice.  The Time Team, together with the super pregnant Yong Hi, hustle out the back door into the now running ambulance as the soldiers enter the Church. The soldiers, hearing the ambulance driving away, open fire as we head to Commercials! Who fires on an ambulance? Monsters!

Everyone escaped unharmed but traffic is slow going as the streets are crowded with people trying to escape and general mulling around. Inside the ambulance , Yong Hi doesn’t actually want to get on any boat – her family is coming home in a few days and she has to be here for them when they return. What if it’s now a few days, Lucy suggests? Get on a boat and you can catch up with the fam somewhere else.  Rufus notices Jiya holding a St. Christopher medal and asks about it. She tells she found it in the Church; Rufus returned to her, how could her faith not be restored!

Present Day, Rittenhouse Lair. Emma is looking at a history book and sees the picture of the dead Time Team. Satisfied that her Christmas prayers have been answered, she closes the book and begins playing with some jewelry on her desk.

Which is when Benjamin Cahill (John Getz) enters her office. He doesn’t look terribly pleased. For her part, Emma looks terrified! She asks how, A. he got out of prison and B. found her. He replies that Rittenhouse always finds a way and duh, he knows every Rittenhouse owned property on the West Coast. Process of elimination led him to “this dump.”

Cahill gives Emma a tongue lashing about allowing Rittenhouse, the most powerful secret society the world has ever known, to fall into disrepair while she commits art theft and exacts revenge. “You’re greedy. And selfish.” Emma replies that she’s been called worse.  For real.  Cahill tells Emma that he just came to say good bye.  Enter Agent Christopher, her gun raised and steady! “Just give me a reason, Emma!” Fuck Yeah!

Emma is disgusted that Cahill sold them out and he says that he’s getting a chance to save his daughter AND give his son protection and immunity.  Win Win!

“It’s a family thing, Emma. Something you’ll never have or understand.”

Sick burn, Benjamin Cahill! Emma looks like she might vomit.

1950, Korea.  Yong Hi is telling everyone how she’s a history teacher but that gig is getting tougher by the day with the regime wanting only their filtered version of history being taught. Lucy tells her she was once a history teacher too. Yong Hi isn’t doing so well. Which is exactly when the ambulance dies. Wyatt tells them they’re only about a mile to Port so they should walk it. Seems like a bad idea with the super pregnant lady but Lucy relents. Like 5 steps into the walk, Yong Hi goes into full on labor. Wyatt has some basic experience with birthing babies but Lucy suggests maybe running to the Port and bringing back a doctor isn’t the worst idea. She and Rufus head off as Wyatt and Jiya stay with, the now in labor, Yong Hi.

In the Port, Rufus can’t believe this bustling port of bodies is going to be bombed in just  a few hours. Lucy see two men and credits them as being the master minds that get everyone out safely,  Colonel Edward H. Forney and Dr. Hyun Bong-Hak.  Introducing herself as a war correspondent and Rufus as a private, she asks Forney to spare a doctor for the pregnant lady giving birth a mile away.  He can’t spare anyone but Bong-Hak offers his assistance. Forney reminds them of when the last boat is leaving.

Back at birthing, Wyatt tells Jiya that this baby is coming, doctor or no, and tells her to go to the ambulance and find supplies.  Back in Port, Lucy and Rufus see the bombing has begun as a massive explosion goes off in the general direction of where Wyatt, Jiya and Yong Hi are located.

Wyatt! Jiya! Commercials!

We come back and Lucy and Rufus arrive on the scene but there is no one where they were left and devastation from the bombing is all around. Abigail Spencer earns her goddamn paycheck when she begins to lose her mind screaming for Wyatt. But, no worries, he’s safe. And he’s got himself a baby! A baby girl as a matter of fact. Jiya, with a just delivered a baby Yong Hi come following behind him.  I get a cold and don’t leave bed for a week. Yong Hi just delivered a baby and she’s walking around?!?

Back in Port, the team is marveling at Wyatt’s birthing skills and Lucy wants to know what else she doesn’t know about him?!? Yong Hi starts trying to stop her wheelchair that Doc is pushing because she’s not leaving without her family. No worries on that front, either, because her husband and son are still here. YAY! Happy Family Reunion. Lucy and Wyatt say their goodbyes to the Korean family. Rufus informs the Time Team that all the trucks in the Port are wired to explode after the last boat leaves so, there is no truck for them to use.

Cut to the Time Team walking in the cold dark, walking in the cold dark, walking in the cold dark. Wyatt notices a dead nun and stops the team. He surmises that the Chinese have them surrounded and they decide to hide in the Church from earlier. I think ti’s the one from earlier anyway. Inside, Wyatt says that if they’re discovered, he can hold off the Chinese with whatever bullets they have left but then …

Jiya tells Rufus to have some faith. Rufus is trying but hard to believe in a God that would let the nun get killed in the snow. Jiya smiles and Rufus is happy to know that she still laughs at his jokes. He tells her that there is no one else he’d rather be facing a bloody thirsty army of Communists with than her. They kiss. Awww, these two.

Somewhere else in the Church, Wyatt comes to sit with Lucy, she is having a case of the Mondays what with their assured death and all. Wyatt reminds her that they have to leave it up to fate. Something he learned from her.  He mentions that timing really is everything in life. Lucy is ready to talk about feelings.

“After that explosion, I thought you were dead. And for a moment, I saw my whole life without you. And my world ended, Wyatt. I just kept thinking about all this time we had wasted. Just wasting so much time, and all of a sudden, there you were … and I knew … I had fallen in love with you.”

Lucy faces Wyatt and tells him she loves him. She’s loved him since the Alamo. Since they kissed during the Bonnie & Clyde mission. “Since that night in Hollywood.” Wyatt tells her that he wanted to choose her but felt like he couldn’t. But that’s all fixed now and Lucy reminds him the only thing between is the past that only the two of them remember.

“I don’t care about the past anymore. And we might not have a future. Maybe all that matters is right now.”

They kiss. Like really kiss. Finally! Church bells ring as Christmas Day begins. Outside, there is a commotion and lights are blaring through the slats in the Church door.  Wyatt draws his gun and opens up.

Outside, Agent Christopher and Emma have descender from the Mothership. Happy Reunion!! Denise tells them that she couldn’t leave them to die on Christmas PLUS, girlfriend wanted to time travel at least once.

All eyes turn to Emma.

“What no hug? What would Jesus do?”

Line of the episode? Maybe. Emma and Rufus banter a bit as they do, these two banterers of the show. Emma begins to pick her handcuff locks as Jiya goes on about the St. Christopher Medal and Agent Christopher finding them. She’s such a dork – her and Rufus really belong together. Emma frees herself and takes some steps towards … where did she think she was going to go? Wyatt’s and Agent Christopher’s guns are up in a flash and Emma is all, “I can bring Amy back!” Lucy approaches her and calls her a liar. Emma says she can undo what she did which she only did on the orders of Lucy’s mother, FYI.  She tells Lucy they can be an unstoppable team making history whatever they want!

Lucy thinks long and hard before answering but in the end, she can’t trust Emma. Right Call! She tells the group to shoot Emma if she takes another step towards the Mothership. Problem solved because all of a sudden, a bullet hits Emma and she’s down. The Communists are on them and the Time Team book it for the Mothership. They escape in time and we see Emma’s lifeless body left laying on the ground.

Commercials!

We come back to Wyatt and Lucy buckling themselves into the Lifeboat. Rufus and everyone else are taking the Mothership back. They talk about why their Future Selves came back – so Rufus could save them all? So their lives would turn out different in the future?  There is a nice callback to the beginning of the series as Wyatt tightens Lucy’s straps and gives her a “ma’am.” He looks at her and tells her they can go get Amy now. They’ve got both time machines, they can do it.

Without hesitation, Lucy gives him a hard no. She says she’s thankful they got Rufus back but on the whole, look at the damage caused by people using the time machines to bring back things they’ve lost. Nope, not worth the slippery slope of ending up like her mom or Emma.

“Everybody loses someone that they love. And no matter how badly they want to, they can’t get them back. And in spite of that, they find a way to go on. That’s everyone’s history.”

Wyatt enters a date for the present and hits the auto-pilot. “Looks like we’ll be home for Christmas after all,” Wyatt says. The couple holds hands as the Lifeboat takes off.

Present Day, Time Team Bunker. The Mothership and Lifeboat arrive home safely.  Connor is pleased to see them together (is this the first time they’ve been next to each other … ever?). Rufus is super stoked about having (successfully) flown the Mothership and Jiya and him are smiling like school kids. What next, Jiya asks? Rufus starts joking about having to find a new job and place to live and coming back from the dead again (recall, his family thinks he’s been dead) but it moves to the serious when he awkwardly intimates he’d like to move in with Jiya. Awww, these two. They kiss some more.

In the other bedroom, Lucy fills Wyatt in on Yong Hi’s life. She lived to a nice old age and her daughter (the one Wyatt birthed) became a teacher just like her mom.  These two find themselves standing under some mistletoe (naughty, Agent Christopher) and begin to kiss. Lucy stops and remarks that this is the first time they’ve ever kissed in the present …which makes it seem more real, somehow.  Wyatt says they should make up for lost time and we head to commercial as Lyatt falls into bed tangled up together.

Commercials.

In the hangar, Agent Christopher is handing out knitted scarves as presents. After some light mocking of the gift (because, Rufus and Wyatt are men and don’t wear knitted scarves, I guess), Lucy raises her glass. She toasts to stopping Rittenhouse.

“We won.”

The cheers and take a sip. Agent Christopher says they’re attachment is now at a close except for Wyatt. He’s been officially assigned to “Special projects” with Agent Christopher. Wyatt remarks that there is no one he’d rather report to.  Denise makes her way over to a somber looking Connor. He chastises her ugly Christmas sweater and she asks why he’s so grumpy. He produces a small shard, the only remaining piece of the Mother Ship. She gives her condolences but he admits that it was too powerful a weapon to be in anyone’s hands.

Connor remarks that it’s time to take apart the lifeboat but not so fast, buddy. Recalling his words from the first hour, Agent Christopher tells everyone that the Lifeboat is being kept in tact, in the bunker, under an armed guard. If someone built a time machine once, it’ll happen again and they may need the Lifeboat before long.  Cut to Rufus and Jiya throwing a tarp over the Lifeboat.

Palo Alto, California. December 21, 2023. We’re at a University and Professor Lucy Preston is walking with some students. We learn she’s been teaching history tinged with her personal experiences and also, has only covered women because, who’s got time for men, really. She parts with her students and joins Wyatt and their twin daughters, Amy and Flynn, who are playing “boot camp” a short distance away. We learn Lucy got tenure (YAY, nice call back to the beginning of the show) and these two are heading somewhere …

Cut to Rufus and Jiya, founders of Riya Industries, at a school science fair. Rufus is nerding at over a project and it’s clear that Jiya is the face of their company as she is asked for an autograph (Rufus wanted to be the mysterious one in the background).  He tells her it’s time to do the thing and she threatens him if anything bad happens to him …

The Time Team Bunker. Agent Christopher joins Wyatt and Lucy in the Hangar. She announces the twins are in their PJs and ready for their sleepover. Connor joins them and there are hugs and reminiscences over past missions. Denise asks if they’re ready to save the world one more time and Lucy says they kind of have to be or else, this could all disappear.

Rufus and Jiya arrive. More hugs! Apparently, Lucy didn’t know Rufus was coming.

“The three of us started it, so, let’s finish it.”

Wyatt promises nothing will go wrong. They get in and they get out.

Commercials!

Sao Paulo, Brazil. December 24, 2014.  Lucy approaches a drunk and despondent looking Garcia Flynn. She sits next time and starts laying it all out for him.  He’s enraged that Connor actually built the time machine but she tries to calm him down with the facts she needs to present. There isn’t much time.  Lucy is already starting to feel the head explosion affects caused by entering your timeline.

Lucy warns Flynn about all of the sacrifice he will have to make and how people won’t believe him and will think him a terrorist, including Lucy (at first). She tells him that he’ll think he has but wants him to know that he’ll never lose his humanity.  He asks after his family and she tells him that he won’t get them back but he will be a hero, maybe the greatest hero of them all. Lucy tells him that he’s going to need her help but can’t continue because of the head pounding.  She hands over the journal as tears well in her eyes.

“You are going to save history.”

She kisses him on the cheek and books it out of there with Wyatt and Rufus. Flynn begins to thumb through the Journal.

An awesome cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time (by Joseph William Morgan featuring Shadow Royale – see below for the recording) kicks in on the soundtrack and we see Garcia Flynn put on his Mason Industries uniform; we see him steal the Mothership; we see the Time Team going through all of their missions; two seasons worth of memories in a few seconds.

The Time Team returns to the bunker in 2023. All is at is it should be.

But we’re not done yet. Cut to a teenager’s bedroom. The girl, Paulina (Marika Dumancas) is being called to dinner. She’s scribbling furiously in her notebook. She gets up to leave for dinner and we pull in tight on her work. Looks like Paulina has been busy making calculations for her own time machine. Thought: Is Paulina the granddaughter (or great granddaughter) of Yong Hi – we learned from Lucy that her daughter had two children. 

And scene.

In case you’re interested, here is that version of Time After Time …

 

Thoughts.

This show is so fucking good. Of all the shows that get cancelled, this one hurts more than most, because Timeless is smart and funny and interesting. It’s so well crafted, written and acted.  It respects its viewers because it demands they pay attention. But watching never feels like work.

Week after week, Timeless gave us engrossing stories that were affecting and emotional and full of heart and intelligence. You feel better about yourself after watching Timeless because the show makes you better.

And this finale movie was no different. Complete with two interesting points in history as the backdrop, one in the old West and one in the middle of a frozen warzone, we got to (maybe?) say goodbye to this Time Team that we have come to love and care about. As the characters themselves lost and found each other and found a way to make their peace and say their goodbyes (for now if not, based on that final scene, forever), this two hour Timeless finale allowed us, the viewers, the Clockblockers, to say a proper “until later” because I never want to say goodbye.

I hope someone swoops in and picks this show up – it would be perfect on basic cable or a streaming service with a bulked up budget. But, if it doesn’t and this is the end, this is the very best end that every fan could have hoped for. Out storylines were wrapped up in a bow with plenty of fan service and happy endings as the flourish around the present.

Thank you to Erik Kripke, Shawn Ryan, and the unbelievably talented cast and crew, for giving us 28 wonderful hours of perfect stories that we will get to cherish forever.