Last time I got to review this show I talked about what a good Pilot it gave us and expanded a little on my hopes that they’d be able to keep it up. Four episodes in, the show has seemingly hit its stride, and though it’s a little early to say that it’s clicking on all cylinders, it really does seem like they know what they’re doing.
I repeat – this is a time travel show that works. That’s less common this year than it was previously, but it’s still worth a cheer (or two).
This episode our heroes take a trip to Nazi Germany, meet a famous British spy, and like always, sorta but not quite save the day.
Let’s talk about “Party at Castle Varlar”
WYATT, THE FANBOY
As the soldier of the group, Wyatt had come off as somewhat one-dimensional till now. He had his moments that made us think he was more – especially with Lucy and Rufus, but all in all, he was very good at maintaining the façade around others. The fact that we knew it was a façade didn’t really matter. It was still easier to connect to the other two members of our trio of time-travelers.
Till this episode, at least. I’m not the biggest Bond fangirl – I enjoy the mindless action as much as the next person, and yet I couldn’t name all the movies, have only read one of the books. Wyatt, however, Wyatt is a fanboy. And it was wonderful to see that, especially in an episode that had its share of deeper moments.
It might seem like a small thing, but I came out of “Party in Castle Varlar” feeling like I had a better grasp of Wyatt than I did before, and that he could be counted on – not just to get Lucy and Rufus out of trouble, not just to deliver a pep talk, but to actually enjoy what’s going on.
Because hey, time travel is meant to be fun. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
DO I HAVE TO CALL IT WUCY?
Let me be honest – I find the name Wucy horrendous. If that’s the ship name we picked, then, fandom, we picked the worst one out there. We have failed this ship. But, that being said, I’m into what the name implies. Because, oh, yes…I’m buying Wyatt/Lucy.
To be fair, I saw it from the start. Maybe because we’re pre-conditioned to look for a ship, or maybe because he sorta didn’t turn the other way while she was taking off her bra in the Pilot until she looked pointedly at him. That’s it, you ask? Well, I don’t need much.
And that’s not even without taking into account what was said in SDCC and NYCC interviews.
The relationship has sort of “progressed” since then. And I use the quotes because I think we could all see, from the beginning, that this was going to be a slow burn. Slow. There’s Lucy’s fiancé, and trust me, when we least expect it – or want it – they’re going to bring back Wyatt’s wife and open up that can of worms.
But we’re not there yet, no. We’re at the discovering each other stage. At the intimate conversations that shape you stage (and by my count, Wyatt has let Lucy in way more than anyone else in recent history, and viceversa), at the defending each other stage, at the worrying about each other way more than you’d worry about a teammate stage, at the jealousy stage, at the little hints stage
For example, Wyatt, we all think she’s perfectly capable of taking care of her own seatbelt. Never stop doing it.
So buckle in, my Wucy peeps. (Seriously, the name. Can we rethink that?). We’re in for quite a ride. And, I, for one, am excited.
THE TEAM
Everyone gets to prove why they’re there in this episode; Wyatt doesn’t hesitate, even if it means killing someone, Lucy knows the little history tidbits that can get them out of trouble, and Rufus is just smarter than everyone else combined.
They make a good team, our three time-traveling heroes. Probably better than the Powers that Be thought they would at first. Certainly better than our still-rather-one-dimensional villain, Garcia Flynn, thought.
And, probably most importantly – and entertaining – they make for a diverse team. Traveling through time is a much different experience for Wyatt than it is for Lucy and Rufus. And the audience is not made just of Wyatt’s, which is why we appreciate a little bit of perspective.
Now all we need is to keep it up – to strengthen the bond between these three. And when they’re strong …well, then those bonds will need to be tested, won’t they?
ALLIES, CONTACTS AND WOMEN
Never trust, says our James Bond, in the form of the writer and creator of the iconic character, Ian Fleming, played in a very convincing manner by Sean Maguire, who most of us remember for his recent turn as Robin Hood in Once Upon A Time.
I wouldn’t have believed it, but Maguire seems like he was born to play this role. He’s suave, charming and deadly in a way that’s not at all contradictory. He hits on Lucy (much to Wyatt’s chagrin and Rufus’s amusement) and yet doesn’t come off at all sleazy, he makes fun of how inconspicuous Rufus is, and yet doesn’t come off as a racist, and he even provides the later with some on point advice about what being a spy means.
Most importantly, he’s not just along for the ride. He helps our heroes, he displays moral fiber, and he kind of makes you want to go read some of Fleming’s books. Or, at least, watch some old Bond movies.
This is the beauty of Timeless – that by traveling to different eras, they can collect a great number of outstanding guest stars to play a great many interesting roles. Maguire has been the best so far by a country mile, but this is just episode four. There’s nowhere to go but up.
RIGHT OR WRONG
But, of course, things can never be easy – or uncomplicated, and Rufus is confronted, at the end of this episode, with the notion that, either he continues to spy on the two people he now considers friends, or his family will be at risk. We can all imagine the choice he’s going to make, and though Wyatt and Lucy are certainly going to be mad when they figure out he’s been spying on them, I also think they’ll understand.
If Timeless wants to throw us a twist, though, they could have Rufus come clean. That would give all three of them a common enemy – another one – and would probably make them all question the same thing Rufus has been questioning from the beginning: Am I on the right side?
We don’t know either. But we’re keen to find out.
NEXT, ON TIMELESS
Timeless airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.