Timeless “The Lost Generation” Spoilers Ahead
The roaring 20’s—the smell of adventure?
Episode Summary | Time in History: Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, and Charles Lindergh. Timeless knows what it’s doing with these guest stars—Brandon Barash, Tiffany Daniels, and Jesse Luken were outstanding. That said, in Timeless “The Lost Generation,” our heroes took a trip to the May 21, 1927: Paris, France once again following Flynn on his quest to destroy Rittenhouse. Only Wyatt was still in detention and replaced by Bam Bam—he tragically doesn’t make it back from the past though. (This is why we break the rules, buddy!) Agent Christopher is replaced and the team, now officially reunited with Wyatt, go rogue in order to fight Rittenhouse? Can we call them Rogue Four? No? Okay, that’s cool.
Timeless’ play on fate vs. free will has become the most enthralling part of the series, layering the characters beautifully in ways only such a theme could. If Lucy comes from a long line of ancestors who were a part of Rittenhouse, does that mean she needs to join it? Is it truly her fate or could she make the choice to rewrite her supposed future? And in exploring this concept, the series ties each of the characters together in ways that feel incredibly organic. In Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms he states that, “the world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” And right now, our Time Team is at that broken place—stronger than they’ve ever been, but concurrently destroyed.
Most Noteworthy Performance:
Between Malcolm Barrett’s fervently executed speech to Hemingway and Matt Lanter’s heartrending cry with Agent Christopher, the choice was difficult enough. But this week, it was Abigail Spencer’s subtle work that took the crown. Abigail Spencer has mastered a number of different roles and she’s frequently a favorite performer here at Marvelous Geeks, but when it comes to Timeless, Spencer has never been more riveting. Battered and broken down—emotionally torn into a million pieces and tactfully, Spencer makes sure the audience could feel every ounce of that agony.
In Timeless “The Lost Generation,” we are given the chance to remember just how much Lucy adored teaching—only instead of the glow we saw on her in the Pilot, the light has been significantly dimmed. It’s not so much about the facts as she put it, but rather the pangs of this job and everything she’s learned dawning on her. Lucy is haunted by the reality of her life, along with the loss of her sister, but she’s a woman on a mission, and the subtle breaks Spencer delivered her scenes with were brilliant.
Where one minute she was geeking out over Ernest Hemingway and Josephine Baker, the next, sadness engulfed her, and her expressiveness told a different story. Whether it was her wearied physicality or the heartache in her eyes piercing through the delicate smiles, Spencer painted Lucy’s pain brilliantly. And when she spoke to Charles Lindbergh, that’s when the ball dropped and the slow, single tear left my eye. Spencer easily makes my heart break every time Lucy talks about Amy, but this moment was different. This was Lucy talking about a time in her life where she didn’t make the choice she wanted. And that haunting, vulnerable moment was crushing to the bone.
Spencer elevated Lucy’s profound sadness in the faintest moment, indicating that her reflective smile was simultaneously that of adoration and longing. Amy’s disappointment and relatively understandable heartache has remained with Lucy all these years. And because her sister was once upon a time her biggest fan, today’s adventures aren’t merely to bring her back, but they’re also to make her proud. Though they aren’t without the absence of explicable failure, the effort is a perpetual presence. And Spencer’s raw delivery of that moment was exceptional.
Most Exquisite Moment: The Time Team is great at many things, but appreciating one another is at the top of that list. And also reunions, they need to be apart longer because good lord, their reunions are gorgeous. A mission without Wyatt was one we hope we never have to see again—even Rufus missed his comments throughout and we’re pretty sure Lucy wasn’t okay with another man calling her “ma’am.” But in that final moment when they were together again, well, never mind, I’m still reeling from it so there are frankly not enough words.
Barrett, Lanter, and Spencer are such stunning scene partners, I was floored by the reunions. In what felt like the moment that’d make Timeless history —hopefully years from now, this scene set it all in motion. Four people (hopefully five later? Someone call Jiya to this meeting!) fighting for the world they live in. And while they may need to protect history to do so, they also need to protect each other. Wyatt says it best when he tells his team that he’s in it for the long haul. He isn’t just the soldier, he’s their protector.
“I fought it for a long time. You can call it fate. Or God. Or the force. But I am meant to do something. I am meant to protect the both of you. I see that now. And I will.”
This moment was huge for Wyatt. (And we totally caught that shout out to the Force, Anakin. Don’t go Vader on us though, Wyatt—please and thank you.) Wyatt’s choice to fight alongside his team in spite of what it means for his future and everything he’s been through has been the ultimate exhibition of his heroism. Wyatt’s a soldier; a soldier who may not have always had a choice, but nevertheless fought tirelessly for something he was told to believe in. And today, willingly that soldier has made a vow to protect Lucy and Rufus. He’s made the decision to stick with this team to the end, and it’s left a lot of us pumped for what’s in store next week.
I’m personally a firm believer in both fate and free will. And to go into an in-depth explanation of the how and why would lead us into a novel, but in this regard, and with Lucy especially, it feels as though we can be certain that she’s to believe in the idea of free will a little bit more. Yes, the journal is officially in her possession, but the words she’ll write are entirely in her control. There’s great power in love, and the comfort Lucy’s found in her team will undoubtedly be something that’ll keep her grounded. And with Wyatt especially—we’re certain that somewhere down the line, he’ll play an even bigger role in her life than the two of them can now imagine.
Wyatt and Lucy have become incredibly vital to one another continuously showcasing that the other’s happiness is of great value to them. Where it was once subtle, today it’s a little more apparent. It’s in the way they embraced—you felt the torment that each of them had been facing, but you also felt the inexplicable serenity. For a moment, everything was okay. For a moment they could just be.
The profound, compelling comfort they’ve found in one another serves as strength and healing in trying times. When Lucy talked about her sister continuously pushing her towards doing what she wants, I couldn’t help but think of her conversation with the team at the bar back in “Stranded.” Lucy’s future isn’t dictated by some journal Flynn showed or her mother’s desire to keep her close, but rather by her own choices. And because it felt as though Amy could get through to Lucy by understanding her deepest desires, we’re certain Wyatt can, too. Thus, maybe when this is all over, Lucy can finally take that teaching job she’s always dreamed of because that’s what she’ll choose to do. But for now, this is their battlefield and though drained and hallowed, together they’re empowered. Timeless “The Lost Generation” proves that together, they can rise. As a team, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish.
Further Thoughts:
- Fun Fact: Josephine Baker was presumably a spy and the International Spy Museum in D.C. is one of the closet places you’ll ever go to.
- WHY AREN’T WE TAKING JIYA ON MISSIONS!? RUFUS, STOP LEAVING YOUR GIRL.
- I love the fact that we can all consecutively agree that no man other than Wyatt is ever allowed to Lucy “ma’am.”
- Why are the guest stars on this show so incredibly fascinating!? Hemingway and Josephine Baker were stars and I’d love to see them back one day.
- While Flynn may run his mouth too much, I can always appreciate the fact that he doesn’t talk to Lucy like she’s a nobody. Flynn sees her potential and Flynn welcomes that. And for that, I can tolerate Flynn. Although the more time passes, the more I feel he may actually be trustworthy one day. Maybe?
- Is anyone else still weirdly suspicious of Lucy’s mom? Sure that journal was a gorgeous gesture, but a part of me wishes she was more skeptical about her meeting her father. If he comes from a long line of powerful ancestors, doesn’t that trigger a few alarms?
- How amazing was Rufus telling Emma to move? Barrett’s proposal was stoic, but sincere with the perfect amount of vulnerability and I really want Emma to work alongside the Time Team.
- Seriously, why did we leave Jiya alone with Mason? Does that not worry anyone else?
- Did that cave remind anyone else of the Indiana Jones ride?
What are your thoughts on Timeless “The Lost Generation?”