When Timeless is delivering jaw dropping twists and pushing us to our emotional limits, it’s easy to forget that Timeless can be really, damn fun.
Even when Timeless is just having so good ol’ fashioned fun, there are stakes and there are lessons to be learned. We are, after all, continuing to journey through history. And this week’s episode introduced us to Wendell Scott, one of NASCAR’s first African American racers. We also met another sleeper agent as we were tossed into the world of NASCAR, you know, Wyatt’s dreamland (besides the one that consists of him and Lucy.) Speaking of, we’re getting a little tired of these “almost kisses.” We’re ready for — and need — a real kiss. Please.
Here are 10 moments from Timeless’ second episode of season 2, “The Darlington 500” that we can’t stop talking about:
1. The Trunk Scene (aka “Hang on to me”)
Lucy and Wyatt got all kinds of close in this second episode — both physically and emotionally. And it all happened in the trunk of an old car. (Yes, that callback to Wyatt’s past is not lost on me. How he used to feel terrified and alone in that trunk and now, with Lucy, he feels calm and loved.) Everything from the “hang on to me” to the conversation about learning a parent isn’t the hero you thought there were to that almost kiss, this was a scene that left me all kinds of emotionally compromised. Lucy and Wyatt work because of that trusting foundation they’ve cultivated. Their relationship has been built from the ground up, developing that friendship, that trust, that respect, that love. It makes moments like this not only organic but earned. And don’t even talk to me about that almost kiss. I swear, is this going to be a regular occurrence? I don’t know how many almost kisses I can take before my fangirl heart gives out.
2. Wyatt Opens Up About His Father (“He didn’t do it out of love”)
The characters we know and love have all been shaped by their experiences. Good experiences and bad experiences. And when we get to learn more about them, that’s a real treat for a viewer. We got some more insight into Wyatt’s childhood in this episode, which included more details about his “son of a bitch” father. Wyatt’s dad used to throw him in the trunk of his old chevy, drive around until he scared the s**t out of him, and would then make Wyatt fix the car while his dad sat back drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and laughing at him. Who does that to a child? Who does that to their child? Wyatt had had enough at 15, which was when he stole his dad’s car and seemingly never looked back. Getting to know that side of Wyatt and then seeing his reaction when he knew Lucy and Rufus had heard his story, was equally satisfying and heartbreaking. Wyatt looked embarrassed when he realized they’d heard about that part of his life. Almost as if he was afraid they would look down on him because he’s damaged. But we know that’s not the case. Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus are a family. And they accept every part of each other.
3. “What’s too tough for everyone else is just right for us.”
Something that Timeless does so well — among the countless other things it does — is tackle the issue of racism throughout history. And they handle it the right way. Having the Time Team being compromised of a white man, a black man, and a woman opens this show up to addressing so many things in history that need to be addressed. Racism is a key one. One that we’ve seen before, have seen in this episode, and will see again in the future. Because racism is something that has been a part of this history for so long. Getting to see Rufus and Wendell bond over their struggles was satisfying. Because even though Wendell was living through racism in the 1950s, Rufus is living through it in 2018. Wendell knows that he won’t get the glory for his racing wins. But he’s doing it because he wants to be the best. He has a rough road ahead of him, but, as he says, “What’s too tough for everyone else is just right for us.” They’ve experienced hardships. And they’ll experience more. But they’re strong enough to fight that hate with love and dedication.
4. Wyatt nerding out about NASCAR
It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with Wyatt Logan since last season. But somehow Timeless made me fall even more in love with him, which I didn’t know was possible. As a sports addict myself, watching Wyatt nerding out about NASCAR was everything I didn’t know I needed. I loved everything about it as a NASCAR fan myself. The way his face lit up as he took in the scene, the cars, and got to meet his idols made me heart full. And I couldn’t stop smiling at an idiot at enchanted, fanboy Wyatt. Watching Wyatt and Wendell talking about cars while Lucy and Rufus gawk at them like they’re having a stroke reminded me of Lizzie and myself doing the same about football. I love that this show can be fun and can let the characters have fun even when the looming threat of Rittenhouse is very real and very terrifying.
5. Jiya’s vision about Rufus comes true
As if our sweet Jiya hasn’t been through enough now she’s getting visions…of the future. And they’re terrifying. And they’re implications and complications even more so. You can see how Jiya is struggling with this internally. She hasn’t come clean to anyone about her visions just yet, and that’s got to be a really tough thing. It’s almost as if she wants to believe it’s all in her head; that she’s imagining it. But she saw Rufus hurt his arm. And we saw — and she saw — that he hurt that same arm in the same way. The initial vision itself was terrifying. But then getting to see it in real life and know that Jiya saw that happening was just chilling. What the hell is happening to Jiya?
6. That fun, thrilling car chase
This episode was the perfect reminder that Timeless can be really, f***king fun. And if we hadn’t gotten Wyatt driving one of those cars, it would’ve been a wasted opportunity. That car chase was everything that Timeless does well and more. While it acknowledges the seriousness of the content it’s dealing with, it also knows that it can’t take itself too seriously. Sometimes you just have to let loose and have fun. Watching Wyatt get to live out his childhood dream — racing in a stock car at the beginning of NASCAR — was so satisfying to watch. It was thrilling, badass, terrifying, and hysterical all at the same time. Timeless knows exactly what to give us at each and every turn. And the end of the chase — Rufus’ terrified look and Wyatt and Lucy laughing hysterically — remind you just how amazing this show, this cast, and these moments are.
7. Rittenhouse’s grand plan of “perfection everlasting”
No doubt the big mystery of season 2 — besides when Lucy and Wyatt will hook up without being interrupted — is what the hell Rittenhouse has in store for the world and history as we know it. While we still don’t have much to go off in that department, that whole scene with Nicholas Keynes — who just got a hell of a lot more terrifying — and his grand plan of creating “perfection everlasting” is downright chilling. His plan to take what Rittenhouse deems is “the best of us” and then destroying what they consider to be the “worst.” Basically, they want to rewrite history as we know it.
8. Rittenhouse already changed history
When Wyatt was going on about Ryan Millerson being the golden boy of NASCAR, I found myself scratching my head. As a NASCAR fan, there’s no Ryan Millerson that I know about. I just thought Timeless was creating their own history. Until Rufus started asking more about him. This stock car driver that came out of nowhere. This stock car driver that was planted by Rittenhouse. And our Time Team had no idea. Which is scary to imagine what else they’ve changed and what else they’ll change without our Time Team knowing. Rittenhouse has an agenda — a terrifying endgame — and who knows what they’ve already done. And something tells me their going to start messing with our Time Team. (It’s going to be Jessica, isn’t it? They’re going to bring her back?)
9. “I know sports history, too.”
There are no words for how much I love Lucy Preston. She’s a smart, beautiful, courageous woman that is too pure for this world. She’s so incredibly resourceful when it comes to these historical moments, but when she started running off the history of stock car racing and NASCAR, my jaw dropped. Similar to Wyatt’s. “I know sports history, too.” God, I love her. Not to mention Wyatt was staring at her like he wanted to grab her and kiss her right then adn there. Same, Wyatt. Same. That’s how it felt when you started nerding out about NASCAR. Please, Timeless writers, give us more sports history so Wyatt can geek out some more and I can fawn over him.
10. Wendell Scott, real life Han Solo
I absolutely love getting to meet these historical figures in history. Getting to meet George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Katherine Johnson and Judith Campbell has been truly incredible. But getting to meet a historical sports figure was something that I’ve been waiting for. And Wendell Scott, one of the first African American stock car drivers in NASCAR, was a true treat to meet. He was determined, he was badass, he was the best, and he understood what he had to endure in order to live out his dream. He was, as Rufus called him, a real life Han Solo.
Timeless airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC and is streaming on NBC.com and HULU.
