Timeless “The King of the Delta Blues” Spoilers Ahead
Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, and Lando Calrissian walk into a bar. . .
Episode Summary | Time in History: Over the hills and far away some life changing deals are made. Music is saved and all is well with Robert Johnson’s musical career with the help of Lando Calrissian, in our world known as Connor Mason who’s finally been given the terrifying opportunity to travel in his own time machine. That’s right, the fourth seat is now available, and Connor gets to accompany Rufus, Lucy, and Flynn to 1936 San Antonio.
Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues” was the kind of episode that effortlessly served as proof of the fact that the relationships we have with others are ridiculously important and potent to our growth. And it also served as an acute reminder of the fact that this show’s impeccable with developing its dynamics. They’re all so easy to love, it almost seems surreal. In the case of ensemble casts such as this one, each character deserves the opportunity to shine on their own and through the relationships they’re in. And finally giving Connor Mason that moment in an episode that emphasized the importance of being someone’s fan was an excellent choice. (Kudos to Timeless for the fact that they’ve not had a filler episode so far.)
This week, we’re diving into a time period that would impact music hugely, and that’s easily appreciated here as none of us can imagine a world without music.
Most Noteworthy Performer: I knew we’d get the opportunity to see Conor Mason in a whole new light, and I’m glad it happened sooner than later giving Paterson Joseph plenty of opportunities to layer the character even further.
There’s a childlike innocence to Mason that pops in every now and again revealing that there’s so much more to the character than the reputation he’s got to maintain. And Joseph plays on that innocence beautifully in Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues” by bringing to life such soft, purely evocative excitement in all of his scenes with Johnson.
It became very clear at that moment just how much this man not only cares about people’s gifts, but of preservation. As someone who’s made his own dreams come true, the idea of the world not seeing Johnson’s is unbearable to him. And the utter persistence cobbled with the fire in his eyes as he told Johnson to stand his ground in order to fight for his dreams was sheer genius.
From sweet fanboy bliss, heartbreaking defeat, evocative strength, then compelling excitement, Joseph delivered a wide range of emotions to remind us of just how much has been burning up inside Mason all along. I’m sure I wasn’t the only audience member moved and in awe throughout the whole thing, and I believe we can all agree on the fact that Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues” was one of the strongest episodes thus far. Showcasing such vulnerability in a state of utter sincerity gave Joseph the opportunity to play on a myriad of emotions to which he succeeded in remarkably—and I’m so glad we were able to understand that this is not only a man who’s learning from his mistakes, but he’s so multifaceted, it’s astounding.
Most Exquisite Scene: Fan boys and girls do indeed make an exemplary difference with their passion. Because dreams in any form requires unparalleled, unwavering passion, and where one man’s art is concerned, the Time Team can always make a difference. I was moved beyond words to hear Rufus talk about the fact that he was Connor’s fan before anything else, and that his belief in him is exactly what he had needed during one of the darkest periods of his life.
It was Connor’s very belief in Rufus, the choice to be by him and talk to him that led to the place that they are today. And that’s just it, how often do you watch two grown men in a state of defeated vulnerability communicating through their emotions with one another? These are rare emotions in the world of television and I’m grateful that Timeless isn’t shying away from showing us all the corridors of real human progressions, and the importance of conversation. Much like in last week’s episode, a healthy conversation proved to be the very thing we could all use to find light in our darkness.
Rufus and Connor have come so far from the days when Rufus was a mere fan— they’ve had some ugly patches alongside the good ones sure, but at the end of the day, they’ve reiterated their loyalty to one another in a truly marvelous manner.
Barrett and Joseph were such outstanding scene partners at that moment, each playing off the other’s emotions in a way that appeared to be seemingly effortless. In a scene that’s bound to be remembered for a very long time in Timeless history, two people not only showcased the power of perseverance, but the potency of belief; thereby, reminding the audience of the fact that one person’s belief in another could be the very thing that pushes them towards finding the strength within. And again, we still don’t know too much about Rufus’ past, but we do know that a father figure wasn’t always present until Connor.
We also know that the betrayal Rufus had felt last season (upon learning that there’s more corruption in Mason Industries than he thought possible) broke him in a way he doesn’t often express, and thus, allowing Connor be vulnerable around him reveals that at their core, both men do in fact care about one another profoundly. And in a sense, because Connor was always the kind of father figure Rufus had always needed, this scene fortified their bond even further.
There’s immense strength in honest communication and there’s immense strength in shared vulnerability with belief as its foundation. It allows all parties the opportunity to not only look within themselves for something tangible in the face of hollow defeat, but it allows human beings to understand that despite the image people often attempt to maintain, there’s far more darkness lurking in the face of doubt. And exploring these types of emotions in a healthy, sincere manner evokes inspiration in a way that’s proven to be unbelievably life changing.
It may not always be instant, but sometimes, the right conversation at the right time brings about impeccable epiphanies—I can vouch for this in my own personal life, and we watched it happen in Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues,” too. Because Connor not only convinced Johnson to fight for his dreams, but in doing so, he got to live his right alongside him.
I can’t stress the importance of gender enough on this show because so often men aren’t given the type of opportunities to really show off their excitement. I’m thrilled that we get to see women show off their excitement more than we did in the past, but it’s time we get the men on board, too, and Timeless is thankfully two steps ahead of us giving a glimpse into a type of world that’s rightfully equal.
Give me both men and women freaking out over those they’re a fan of. Give me both men and women freaking out over something awesome that’s happening to him. On this show, emotions aren’t concealed and buried as a number of series tend to do so in their hidden misogyny to emphasize that women are the “emotional ones.” And that’s why the exploration of emotions for both genders is crucial on this show, showcasing that we are in fact equal as human beings as opposed to completely separate entities.
Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues,” much like all the episodes we’ve had so far, gave each character a task important to their journey and their growth. For instance Jiya was given the platform to explore her fears with the new vision that involves Rufus’ fate. Wyatt’s inability to shoot Carol Preston showcased the fact that despite what she’s done, despite his steadfast loyalty to orders, he couldn’t kill her because it’d inflict pain on Lucy. And Lucy made the choice not to grieve alone by allowing Flynn a place in her life to get to know him. And ultimately, while Timeless’ “The King of the Delta Blues” was Connor Mason’s episode to shine, it didn’t fail in allowing the rest of the cast to contribute to the episode’s theme of belief, and the importance of conversation beautifully.
Further Thoughts:
- How great was that scene with everyone finding out Connor had never been on the lifeboat? We weren’t supposed to laugh, but it turned out to be a good moment for one.
- We’re getting closer to defeating Rittenhouse and I can’t wait for the moment where their agenda becomes much clearer because it’s evident at this point that we have no clue the depth of terror we’re in for.
- I would like to take a moment here to scream about what an amazing couple Rufus and Jiya are, so if I may have that much moment, I’ll greatly appreciate it. Once again, we’re back to the importance of honest conversations in any relationship, and I could appreciate both ends of the argument due to the fact that it was handled so well. Rufus has said he doesn’t want to know about her visions, we know this for a fact, but when he realized that it’s taking a toll on her and she needs him to bear the cross alongside her, he gave her the opportunity to speak up. Claudia Doumit and Malcolm Barrett both so exquisite in the aching vulnerability they showcased that spoke volumes on behalf of their love. These two love each other so tremendously, so fiercely, and in that moment of utter fear, the conversations they had with their physicality broke me. I can’t imagine a show where Rufus doesn’t exist, but I can imagine the fact that these two will fight to ensure her vision never becomes a reality. And while I imagine there may be a great deal of sadness as we explore the heavy emotions floating through them both, we can be certain of the fact that both actors will continue to play off one another in an astounding manner.
- Wyatt’s definitely not okay with the fact that Lucy isn’t talking to him, but that’s something I’m okay with because it’ll allow him to understand that not only does he need to make Jessica a priority, but if he’s unable to, if he’s jealous, then perhaps she isn’t the one for him because his heart’s still with another woman. Can’t have your cake and eat it, too, buddy. And I’m ready for what that’ll bring to the table in upcoming episodes because it’s getting harder for him to conceal just how much he misses and loves Lucy.
- How stinking adorable was Lucy’s outfit when they travelled back? Too cute.
Be sure to rewatch the episode again on Hulu, NBC.com, Demand, or on your DVRs without skipping commercials. Hashtag #Timeless every time you tweet (one hashtag, per tweet or it’ll be marked as spam!) — let’s show the network just how fiercely we want this show to stay.
What are your thoughts on Timeless “The King of the Delta Blues?”