Rittenhouse retaliates against Mason Industries and enacts their plan for shaping history in Timeless’ season 2 premiere

The season two premiere of NBC’s Timeless picks up right where it left off, with Emma stealing the Mothership and giving control of it to Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse plants a bomb in Mason Industries and only a few narrowly escape with their lives. The episode jumps forward six weeks where Mason Industries is trying to locate Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) and repair the Lifeboat. Denise Christopher (Sakina Jaffrey) secludes the remaining team in a secret bunker to keep the team safe from Rittenhouse. Meanwhile, Lucy fears the worst and assumes everyone died in the explosion at Mason Industries. She is working with her mother Carol (Susanna Thompson) as she attempts to uncover what Rittenhouse is planning for the Mothership. Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), Jiya Marri (Claudia Doumit), and Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph) repair the Lifeboat just in time to discover that the Mothership traveled back in time to France during World War I, and they’ve been there for two days. Not knowing what damage they’ve already caused in 1918, Rufus and Wyatt (Matt Lanter) go back in time and try to catch up to Rittenhouse and get Lucy back.

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Back in 1918, Lucy must prove her loyalty to her mother and Rittenhouse at a great personal cost. Lucy slowly uncovers what Rittenhouse is planning and she even attempts to reason with her mother. Carol and Emma (Annie Wersching) save a mysterious man and recruit a famous figure to help. Wyatt and Rufus have a heartfelt reunion with Lucy, and Lucy enlists their help to stop Carol and Emma. They separate to continue her cover and Rufus addresses the elephant in the room that is Wyatt’s feelings for Lucy. We’re calling it now, Rufus is the captain of the Lyatt ship. Wyatt doesn’t confirm that he loves Lucy, but he doesn’t deny it either. The Time Team attempts to keep history intact, although Rittenhouse doesn’t make it easy for them. Over the course of the episode, Mason Industries pieces together what Rittenhouse might be planning and how difficult it will be to catch up on what they implemented. The worst part is, history would change and they wouldn’t even realize it! They turn to an unlikely ally, Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić), to combat a larger evil.

Here to discuss Rittenhouse’s plans for the past, the possible team-up between Flynn and Mason Industries, and what we’re most hoping to see in season two is our roundtable:

Kalena (@kalenahenden) – Fantasy/sci-fi fangirl, time travel junkie, moderator of RittenhouseTL, and keeper of Where To Watch Timeless Worldwide Masterlist.

Catherine (@Cat_grl6) – Researcher by day, TV addict by night.

Mark (@RenewTimeless) – Husband, dad, businessman, and fanboy.

Amie (@TheForceFangirl) – Proud Jedi-Cat lady who thinks way too much about fictional characters.

Heather (@xoheatherkw) – Quality control scientist, writer for TV After Dark, dog mom, and fangirl extraordinaire.

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1. We got a firsthand look at how Rittenhouse is working on changing history. What were your first impressions of Mason Industries’ new adversary?

Kalena (@kalenahenden): They are savvier than we’ve ever seen. I’m intrigued to find out if those ‘phones’ have hidden features and what Nicholas Keynes thinks of our present.

Catherine (@Cat_grl6): We now know that Rittenhouse has sleeper agents “hidden” through history, which will make them harder to track (but it gives the Time Team more reasons to time travel, so that’s a plus).

Mark (@RenewTimeless): We knew from last season, particularly from Bruhl’s conversation with Lucy in the Karma Chameleon episode, that Rittenhouse was looking to attack key moments in time and create a “reality in their image”. In the season 2 opener, we start learning how they intend to do this by placing sleeper agents in time who, when activated, work to alter history at various “pressure points” in the timeline. I love this as a story concept since I imagine future episodes will now reveal certain historical figures to be Rittenhouse sleeper agents. I can’t wait to see how this storyline develops and who the sleeper agents are!

Amie (@TheForceFangirl): To me, Rittenhouse is being shown as a much darker and depraved adversary this season. Lucy was ready to die to get out of its grips. And when Lucy’s mom tells her this is much bigger than she understands, I believe her, and it made me nervous for the tiny group of time travelers.

Heather (@xoheatherkw): In season one, I actually didn’t believe that Rittenhouse could be that much worse than Flynn for changing history. Turns out, I was wrong! The sleeper agent is actually really smart, and probably difficult for the Time Team to track down. Rittenhouse is very cunning, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their plans (not that I want them to succeed though).

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2. We found out that Rittenhouse wants to make the present more favorable for them. What do you think that would look like?

Kalena: The Rittenhouse elite would live in wealth and privilege, doing whatever they wanted, above the law. While everyone else has strict codes of conduct, few rights or freedoms, and assigned jobs.

Catherine: I guess it would make the present more evil? It’s hard to say. Lucy still wants her sister back and that would never happen if Rittenhouse gets their way.

Mark: From what we know, the world that Rittenhouse wants to create sounds disturbingly similar in some ways to Hitler’s vision of a master race that lived by a narrow set of idealistic principles and that allowed no leeway for diversity or difference of opinion. I can’t think of anything more horrifying than that.

Amie: I am not sure what Rittenhouse’s end goal is here, but I imagine it would be something along the lines of having their people in control. Like a Rittenhouse member as President changing the economy to benefit Rittenhouse’s larger goals worldwide, but honestly, I have no idea what they want and neither does the Time Team, which is the problem!

Heather: It’s hard to imagine if they want America to be better off in terms of economy so they could profit, or if they want to run America into the ground and have more of a dictatorship. Either way, it’s not good. Here’s hoping the Time Team can preserve history as much as possible.

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3. Lucy did what she thought she had to in order to survive her time with Rittenhouse, but planned to blow up the Mothership while they were in it to stop them. What did you think of her drastic measures?

Kalena: Lucy’s despair was completely understandable. Her faith in her mother was shattered. Thinking her friends were dead, the only sliver of hope she had left was to finish the mission they started by any means. Though it was heartbreaking to see her so broken.

Catherine: I think Lucy is very passionate about getting rid of Rittenhouse and would stop at nothing to do that. And even if she wasn’t sure about that decision at first, I think Emma making her shoot the soldier would have helped her make her mind up about it.

Mark: I think she felt she was boxed into a corner with no cards left to play and no help coming from her friends since she believed they were all dead. The only option she saw was to play along with Carol and Emma long enough (including killing the innocent soldier which clearly almost broke her) to get on the mothership with the grenade and sacrifice her own life to bring Rittenhouse down.

Amie: Finding out Lucy had planned a suicide mission as a last resort to escape Rittenhouse was truly heartbreaking. She had lost all hope and was ready to take not only herself, but her mother too. It gives us a good idea of just how depraved Rittenhouse is and what the Time Team is up against.

Heather: My heart broke for Lucy! I was actually pretty impressed that she was willing to take them out even if it meant a suicide mission. The way she saw it was that it was the only way to stop Rittenhouse, especially because she thought she was the only one left.

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4. What was your favorite moment or scene from this episode?

Kalena: The Time Team reuniting in the tent and Lucy and Wyatt’s post-mission conversation and hug which felt like a continuation of what they discussed in the tent. The three of them have so much trust and hope in each other. They’ve been battered but they hold each other up to carry on.

Catherine: When Lucy sees Wyatt again for the first time — that was the best, best, best. And when Lucy sees Rufus too, of course, two seconds later. But it was also amazing when Rufus yelled “Clockblocker”! I had to rewind that to see if he actually said that!

Mark: Okay, I have to give you two. My favorite dramatic moment was when we learn that Lucy’s mom is the granddaughter of Nicholas Keynes. So not only is Lucy Rittenhouse royalty but she’s the great-granddaughter of Rittenhouse’s creator! Second favorite moment – Rufus’s shout-out to CLOCKBLOCKERS!

Amie: My favorite scene from the season 2 premiere was the Time Team’s reunion! When Lucy and Wyatt looked at each other after believing each other were dead, they were speechless, and so was I. And then Rufus and Lucy reunited and it felt like life and hope were breathed back into the show.

Heather: So many favorite moments this episode! My top one was Wyatt and Lucy reuniting! They were both so heartbroken when they thought the other had died. And they were so relieved when they found out they were wrong. A close second was Rufus, Wyatt, and Lucy all reuniting too. And I loved Rufus’s shout out to the Clockblockers!

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5. The last scene showed Denise going to Flynn for help. What are your thoughts on the possible team-up between Flynn and Mason Industries?

Kalena: Flynn’s a wild card but the one thing you can count on is at least he hates Rittenhouse just as much as our Time Team. He could be a powerful ally as a Rittenhouse expert and break their enemies down like a bull in a china shop.

Catherine: I think, I hope, that Flynn will be a valuable resource for the Time Team. I don’t know if he can completely be trusted — we’ll see. Time will tell (pun intended)!

Mark: I’m excited about it, in fact, I think the team-up would take the show to the next level. One of the major themes of season 1 was that as the season went on it was clear that the Time Team and Flynn were both chasing the same thing – the elimination of Rittenhouse. This came to a head in the Benedict Arnold episode when at one point Wyatt and Flynn were fighting back to back against David Rittenhouse’s men. In this season the stakes have been raised with the details of how Rittenhouse intends to change history and it will be more important than ever that the Time Team and Flynn work together to take them down.

Amie: I’m very excited for Flynn to join the Time Team in their battle against Rittenhouse. Flynn knows more about them than anyone else and they will need him. I also found it interesting he will only speak with Lucy. It seems his prediction in season 1 that she and he would be a team may just come true.

Heather: I am so intrigued by this team up! I’ve been rooting for Flynn since the last few episodes of season one and he was really set on getting his family back and leaving the time traveling behind him. So I hope this storyline is an arch that continues his redemption from his destruction of history, and maybe he’ll become a permanent member of Mason Industries (or what’s left of them).

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6. Let’s say that Rittenhouse takes a vacation for a week; if you could go anywhere in time, where and when would you visit?

Kalena: Either the Roman Empire or Marie Antoinette’s French court. It would be fascinating to see the people and politics as well as the fashion, art, and architecture of those times.

Catherine: I would want to meet George Washington during his presidency. And I would only go on a day when I could meet a lot of other Founding Fathers (Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin) which would be tricky but I think I could figure it out. I wouldn’t stay long though because I wouldn’t want to contract any weird diseases!

Mark: Being English and a soccer fan that’s easy. I’d visit Wembley Stadium in London on July 30, 1966. That’s the day England won its only World Cup. And I wouldn’t break any time travel rules either since I wasn’t born (quite!) yet.

Amie: There are a lot of periods in time I’d like to visit, but the responsibility of changing those events to save lives or maintain history as is would be too great. So I’ll stay safe and say I’d like to visit the Gold Rush. To be a part of the pioneers who built the West would be an incredible experience.

Heather: I’m a science nerd, specifically biology and microbiology. So I’d love to see one of the breakthroughs in medicine, such as Jonas Salk when he invented the vaccine for Polio. It was a huge step for modern medicine and the reason why Polio is now eradicated.

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7. What are you most hoping to see in season 2?

Kalena: Lucy and Wyatt exploring their feelings and hopefully beginning a romantic relationship. The Time Team making some progress to take down Rittenhouse. More cool historical figures I didn’t know about! They make history fun!

Catherine: I’m excited about the Salem episode, but I can tell from the previews that I am going to love each episode. I love seeing the cast interact with each other on screen, I love the costumes, learning about history. I love everything about this show!

Mark: 1. #Lyatt to sail already, and 2. An episode 10 cliffhanger and a green light from NBC for season 3!

Amie: For season 2 I am hoping we get ALL the Wyatt and Lucy in love we can handle. These two deserve happiness together after everything they have lost! I also am hoping that Rufus and Conner Mason are able to get back the father/son dynamic they have. Conner messed up, but he deeply cares for Rufus. I can’t wait to see where in history we go next!

Heather: A few things, actually. I want the Lyatt ship to sail! We already know they kiss from the promo, but I just want them to be happy and together by the end of the season. I want the team to get Lucy’s sister back and to stick it to Emma for preventing their interference to get Amy back. And I really want to see this Flynn and Mason Industries collaboration to work out for both parties. Maybe they’ll consider Flynn’s help as time served and let him get his family back too. And then a renewal for season 3!

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Final Verdict: The Time Team is back and the stakes are higher than ever as Rittenhouse plants agents in time

Timeless set up a fantastic premise for this season with higher stakes, a greater evil, and a race against time. The team gets Lucy back after six excruciating weeks of not knowing, and she shares a moment with Wyatt that almost had the Lyatt ship sailing, but they got interrupted. Mason Industries pieces together that Rittenhouse has planted sleeper agents within history, waiting for instructions to wreak havoc on the timeline and mold their present into something else entirely. And Mason Industries is at a disadvantage because they’re hiding in a secret location to prevent an attack from Rittenhouse, which also means that Jiya isn’t getting the medical attention she needs. The team is unable to stop Rittenhouse in one-time travel mission, and history inevitably changed due to Rittenhouse saving someone that should have died. Now they have to follow up on ten different time points that Rittenhouse visited over the last six weeks. The fans are right alongside the Time Team, rooting for the underdog and the right side of history.

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The writers put together a fantastic episode that had the audience guessing right along with the Time Team about what Rittenhouse has planned. The season premiere of Timeless is emotional, smart, and shocking, with a touch of humor. The acting was also fantastic, and our hearts were arching at the reunion between Lucy and Wyatt (and Rufus was there too). Wyatt was unable to give up on Lucy even though logic dictated that he might never see her again. Later we see that Lucy had nearly given up all hope, fearing that everyone from Mason Industries died in the explosion, which only makes their reunion more heart-wrenching.

The team will travel back to 1955, 1941, and 1692 to name a few and we can’t wait to see what season two brings. Mason Industries tries to prevent Rittenhouse’s sleeper agents from impacting history, although it doesn’t go according to plan. In one episode, a young JFK is brought back to 2018 with the Time Team! We’re sure that situation will be difficult to explain to JFK. There’s one particular episode that is a turning point for Wyatt and Lucy (Lyatt) when they share a kiss back in 1941. This season looks jam-packed with adventure, intrigue, romance, and so much more. After a year-long hiatus, we only have to wait one week for the next episode of Timeless.

Timeless returns Sunday, March 18th, 2018 at 10/9c on NBC