Sometimes we all need a good reminder that we’re capable of anything. When we’re at our lowest, when we feel like we’ve lost everything, when we want to just stop fighting. But sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that fangirls/fanboys can, in fact, save the world.
In “King of the Delta Blues,” Connor Mason reached a pivotal point in his otherwise shadowed journey as he hit rock bottom and, with the help of a friend, finally decided to start fighting for himself again.
This episode was also a reminder that even at its lowest, a ship can survive. In a shipping world of highs and lows, this is Lyatt’s low. It’s the point where both Lucy and Wyatt believe they’ve lost each other. Where things seem grim and you’re wondering how this could possibly be resolved. But Lyatt will survive and they will resolve their issues. Trust the journey.
Here are 10 moments from Timeless’ sixth episode of season 3, “King of the Delta Blues” that we can’t stop talking about:
1. Jiya Gets a Vision of Rufus Dying
Even the fact that Rufus has been agitating me lately wasn’t enough to feign my reaction to Jiya’s predictable yet still shocking vision that Rufus is going to die. Honestly, this might’ve been the one time when Rufus would’ve been better off not knowing. But I digress. There have been teases of a big decision at season’s end, and I’ve been convinced for some time that it involves Rufus and perhaps even Jiya. And the fact that we only have four episodes left this season is starting to make things very real. If I had to guess, Jiya’s vision is from the season finale or the penultimate episode. Depending on how these writers want to tell this story. It’s risen the stakes exponentially and will certainly make Rufus more hyper-aware and perhaps more in his own than ever. But let’s get one thing straight: Rufus is off limits. If Rufus dies, we riot.
2. Wyatt Realizes He’s Lost Lucy
When it comes to Lyatt’s journey this season, a big part of it falls on Wyatt, who’s put in this position where he feels obligated and intrigued by his past (in Jessica), but also drawn to what the future presents (in Lucy.) Wyatt’s been acting like an idiot. He wanted to make things work with Jessica and have things stay the same with Lucy. But things have changed. Wyatt’s decision has forced Lucy’s hand. “Come on Lucy, I want to know,” Wyatt tells her when she won’t open up about what happened on the mission. She just shuts him down, which good for her. I feel like this was the moment that Wyatt realized that he lost Lucy. That he couldn’t be with Jessica and also expect that Lucy would be put him first. He forfeited the right to be Lucy’s shoulder to lean on, the person she comes to, when you decided to make things work with Jessica. Wyatt can’t be with Jessica and have Lucy, as well. He has to choose what and who he wants. And we all know who he’ll choose because we know the kind of man he is with Jessica (stupid, unbalanced) and the kind of man he is with Lucy (honorable, smart, level-headed.)
3. Wyatt Can’t Shoot Carol Preston
Who would have thought that a Rittenhouse intrusion would’ve given us a mass amount of Lyatt feels? Well, success, Timeless. You managed to make us feel feels in even the most unlikeliest of places. As Wyatt stood in front of Carol Preston, gun aimed at her, the world stood still for a moment. As Agent Christopher instructed Wyatt to take the shot, he stood frozen. And suddenly, realization dawned on Carol. “You can’t do it, can you?” Just as most of the world already knows that Wyatt loves Lucy, now Carol Preston does to. And you bet your ass she’s going to use that as ammo moving forward. Timeless is constantly reminding us just how far these characters have come. Because, let’s be honest, Wyatt the Soldier takes that shot without hesitation. But Wyatt the Man that loves Lucy Preston can’t. He can’t hurt the mother of the woman he loves. Even if he isn’t fully aware of his feelings for Lucy when compared to Jessica right now, his subconscious is fully aware of his love for Lucy and the damage that killing her mother would’ve done.
4. Lucy Befriends Flynn (& a Bottle of Vodka)
Call it the friendship I didn’t know I needed. But Lucy and Flynn’s burgeoning friendship has been one of the more pleasant surprises in these last couple of episodes. It’s a great reminder that not every man/woman relationship has to have romantic implications. Flynn has been so obsessed with Lucy’s journal for so long, and I’m convinced it’s because he sees Lucy as a kindred spirit. Someone that’s experienced the kind of pain that he has. A combination of wanting that connection, friendship, and the desire to help someone that’s spiraling before they do something they can’t take back. This isn’t about romance. This is about friendship and the desire to want to belong somewhere, anywhere. So that final scene where Lucy goes to Flynn’s room, vodka in hand, it’s not romantic. It’s Lucy choosing to accept Flynn’s offer of friendship; it’s Lucy choosing to stop keeping things bottled up. And perhaps it’s the start of a beautiful new friendship.
5. Mason Gets His Fanboy on With Robert Johnson
If there’s one thing that Timeless has made me crave it’s episodes where our Time Team get to fangirl/fanboy over the things they love. Because, honestly, if I were time traveling and got to meet some of my idols, I’d about die. I definitely wouldn’t be coherent. I’d be somewhere between the absolute giddiness of Wyatt, the awestruck Lucy, and the rambling Mason. Getting to see Mason finally take a trip in his own time machine and get to meet one of his idols was something truly special to watch. And getting to see him make a direct impact in his idol’s story — in recording Johnson’s albums after his producer was killed — and watching him listen back to those albums and hear his “yeah” was heartwarming and brought with it a childlike innocence that was beautiful to watch.
6. Wyatt Sends Rittenhouse on the Run
Wyatt’s infiltration of Rittenhouse might not have gone off without a hitch, but for the first time it feels as if the Time Team might’ve gotten a slight upper hand. In invading Rittenhouse, Wyatt forced them to destroy their files and evidence, sure. But he also forced them to flee to God knows where. Knowing this organization this isn’t a definitive blow. But it is something that forces them to regroup in some way. So what’s their next step?
7. “Fanboys don’t save the world.”
Mason’s journey in this episode was one of heartbreak and revelation and acceptance, and it was truly beautiful to watch. Watching Mason’s world crumble in the present, getting to watch him interact with Robert Johnson in the past, and watching Mason decide to just give up made it all the more satisfying when Mason decided to finally start fighting for his life. “Fanboys don’t save the world,” Mason told Rufus. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Heroes are born in circumstance and through actions. Mason got to realize that he, a fan boy, was capable of such a feat. There was a beautiful conversation between him and Rufus where Rufus gave him the encouragement that he’d once given Rufus, which allowed Mason to get a sense of awareness as to the situation. Recognizing that while one chapter of his life might be over, that doesn’t necessarily mean his life is over. Recognizing that if you want something — especially something you’ve lost — you have to fight for it or regret never having given it a shot.
8. Wyatt & Flynn’s Mutual Understanding
How far we’ve come from the times when Wyatt was putting his life on the line to protect Lucy and Rufus from Flynn. Now, Flynn is putting himself out there as a means to protect the team, as Agent Christopher sent Wyatt on a Rittenhouse mission. It’s no secret that Lucy and Rufus haven’t trusted Flynn when he previously escorted them on these missions, and that was certainly put to the test in this episode. But just before Flynn leaves with the team, Wyatt pulled him aside and asked him to “keep them safe.” To which Flynn responded, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And perhaps for the first time, I believe him. I don’t know why because there’s this gut feeling that tells me Flynn wouldn’t hesitate to betray them all if it meant getting his family back. But for now, I’m going to choose to admire the sense of understanding that Wyatt and Flynn shared when it comes to protecting the team — and mainly Lucy.
9. Rufus Adds a Fourth Seat to the Lifeboat
While I find myself privy to the idea of the Lifeboat always being a Lucy/Wyatt/Rufus thing, it makes sense given the expanding team and rising stakes that a fourth seat was added to the Lifeboat. Not that it necessarily means four people have to go every time. Sorry, I loved our three-person time traveling team. But it’s smart given the circumstances. While Rufus has been agitating me lately, this was one of a couple of scenes that temporarily made me forget that. The way he and Jiya embraced after the success. It was cute, but it wasn’t enough to make me forget about how selfish Rufus has been acting lately. How would we know if the fourth seat was a success? Well, nothing bad happened, so I guess it worked?
10. The Joke Gone Wrong
It’s not often that the Timeless writers misstep with certain storylines or character moments. It’s rare, in fact. But that “joke” that Rufus made and how he and Wyatt laughed it off just sits wrong with me. Nevermind that there most assuredly was no “loud sex” happening — perhaps indicating that there’s trouble in paradise or the obvious that they’re behind metal walls. It was the insensitivity of the remark that leaves me feeling agitated. There are so many other ways that Wyatt and Rufus could have and should have had a conversation about how things are going with Jessica. Or how to indicate that things aren’t going necessarily the way Wyatt envisioned. But this is one scene that should’ve never made the final cut.
Timeless airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC.
What were your favorite moments from “King of the Delta Blues?”
