Rittenhouse plans to prevent women from gaining the right to vote

In NBC’s Timeless 2×07, the Time Team gets a notification that Rittenhouse jumped to New York City in 1919. Now that they have a fourth seat on the Lifeboat, Flynn (Goran Višnjić) accompanies Lucy (Abigail Spencer), Rufus (Malcolm Barrett), and Wyatt (Matt Lanter) on their mission. Wyatt is not thrilled about bringing Flynn along but Denise (Sakina Jaffrey) makes the final decision for the team. Rittenhouse is recovering from Wyatt infiltrating their base in the prior episode as Connor (Paterson Joseph), Jiya (Claudia Doumit), and even Jessica (Tonya Glanz) try to salvage anything useful they can find about Rittenhouse or their plans.

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Nicholas (Michael Rady) instructs Emma (Annie Wersching) and their team to prevent women from gaining the right to vote to keep women “in their place.” Luckily, for the Time Team, Emma has a personal stake in those orders. Instead, she joins forces with the Time Team to stop their sleeper agent from interfering with history. The sleeper agent goes after Alice Paul (Erica Dasher) and the Time Team recruits the help of Grace Humiston (Sarah Sokolovic), nicknamed “Mrs. Sherlock” for her ability to solve crimes that others cannot. While they try to solve Alice being framed for murder, the sleeper agent kills Alice to prevent her from delivering her speech. Can the Time Team, with the help of Emma and Grace, save history?

Here to discuss the temporary truce between Emma and the team, history finding another voice for women’s suffrage, and that shocking photo that Connor uncovered from Rittenhouse’s computer is our Timeless roundtable:

Isabella (@LadybelleFiske) – Writer, collagist, steward @VT’s oldest “hippie commune,” love kids & animals, Marx Bros, House MD, & history!

Andrew (@AngryRedHead86) – Movie and TV fan, enjoys music and books.

Micheale (@highlandgirl65) – Mom, grad student, writer, and sci-fi/fantasy geek.

River (@MISSYriver) – A single mom with a Fangirl heart and passion for writing.

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

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1. The Time Team finally went together on a mission, with the addition of Flynn. What did you think of the dynamic between the four of them while on the mission?

Isabella (@LadybelleFiske): Many people want to see the original Time Team in action again alone, but I felt that Flynn’s presence added new energy and possibility. It was a little artificial to have Flynn and Rufus interacting so much, but of course, it was funny! When Rufus speaks of being killed by a cowboy, Flynn might have asked him what he was talking about, but there are time limitations and maybe it was not the best moment. I would have liked to see more communication between Lucy and Flynn with the new understanding they had from talking all night. I LIKE the four-way Time Team, not least for the stress Wyatt went through at having Flynn present. It brings more pizazz into the mix.

Andrew (@AngryRedHead86): Rufus and Flynn working together was funny. Especially when Rufus said he was John McClane and Flynn was Hans Gruber. Nice. Wyatt and Flynn seem to have the makings of a new awkward buddy cop comedy.

Micheale (@highlandgirl65): The tension and humor made the dynamics of the new Time Team intriguing and downright funny! I really enjoyed the budding bromance between Flynn and Rufus. My favorite Rufus-ism this week was “Flynn it up!” While Wyatt’s issues with Flynn could have created more problems than it did, it was great to see them working together to protect Lucy, Grace, and the other women at the March.

River (@MISSYriver): I love sassy Flynn and the extra help or gun on missions but I am still wary of a double cross. What I really enjoyed was Lucy keeping her guys in check. The men of 1919 might not know who runs the world, but the Time Team sure knows who’s the boss.

Kalena (@kalenahenden): I think it worked surprisingly well. Since both Wyatt and Flynn provide “muscle”, it made sense to split them up. It also kept Wyatt and Flynn apart, which at this juncture was prudent since the animosity between them is too high. And it allowed both Rufus and Lucy to work through some personal issues.

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2. Emma had her own reasons for joining forces with the Time Team this episode. What was your reaction to her temporary truce?

Isabella: I thought her action was fascinating and was true to her nature. It made me like Emma much better. There are unanswered questions, of course. Why is Emma with Nicholas at all, if she disagrees so much with his dominant WWI-era male position? Why is she in Rittenhouse if this is the way things are going? I suppose she wants to affect the outcome. I felt that she had not been successful in fooling Nicholas. He’s a shrewd character. He seemed to know what Emma was up to, but maybe it was only my perception. What does Emma want out of RH? I have more questions than answers. Maybe she will become a part of the Time Team and possibly be Flynn’s girlfriend at some point in the future? What is the place of women in Rittenhouse anyway?

Andrew: Emma’s not to be trusted, of course. But her story about her past was moving and seemed to be the first time she was not lying to Flynn or the others. I cannot blame Flynn for wanting to shoot her, though.

Micheale: Emma has been so bad this season, but hearing her describe her abusive father and her mother’s bravery made me more sympathetic towards her plight. It was a refreshing change to have her working with the Time Team to ensure the safety of the 19th Amendment (and Lucy). It’s going to be interesting to see how she plays Nicholas in the final three episodes.

River: I was pleased to get more backstory on Emma. She is a brilliant strategist and knew where to get help. She took a risk going to the Time Team, keeping her side of the bargain while going against Nicholas and her own plotting. Emma is not his puppet she is the master controlling the strings and waiting for the right time to make her move.

Kalena: While Emma is one of Rittenhouse’s most devoted servants, it was great to see that she’s not blindly following the cause. Women have and are treated badly. The right to be able to work and support yourself to escape abusive situations is a perfect example of why those rights are needed. It nice to see Emma choose herself at this moment.

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3. Rufus was quite reckless because he knew he wouldn’t die in 1919 from the lack of cowboys. What did you think of his recklessness?

Isabella: Rufus, honey, I want to tell you something: There were cowboys in 1919. My mother was born in that year in Tucson, and there are plenty of them in family photos and historic images as well. The cowboy tradition continued for a long time and even today there are people whose lifestyle centers around cows and horses. Rufus could be killed by a “cowboy” or someone dressed as one in a different time. I worry for him, but realize he can’t stay at home unless they can turn Emma! I am not sure why he is being so careless with his life when he was always so amusingly cautious before (“Don’t run toward the demonic entity!). I hope things work out between Rufus and Jiya. They are cute.

Andrew: Really dumb, which is what Flynn pointed out. Especially since there were still cowboys in 1919. Knowing history is key. Also, Jiya has not been wrong so far with her visions.

Micheale: Rufus had just enough information about his death to be dangerous, as we saw in this week’s episode. He took chances he ordinarily wouldn’t and paid the price by being beaten by a policeman. I was glad to see him have an honest talk with Jiya when they got back about his fears.

River: He was foolish. His actions put everyone at risk including his own bodily harm.

Kalena: I loved it! From day one, Rufus has been the most reluctant member of the Time Team. He’s come a long way from the beginning but he still has a lot of fear to overcome. Watching him completely shed that fear to walk with full confidence was liberating. But I’m glad Flynn was able to talk some sense into him that harm could still befall him, besides death.

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4. Grace Humiston, aka “Mrs. Sherlock,” had quite the deductive skills and ability to read behaviors. What was your favorite thing she pointed out?

Isabella: I love this character and would like to know more about her in real life. My favorite thing was that she knew Lucy and Wyatt were having some kind of truly weird problem with one another. But even better was that she was on the verge of figuring out that they were all from a future time! I would love to see more of her, perhaps in a different era… say she figures it out and wants to join them.

Andrew: When Grace noticed right away that Wyatt and Lucy were having problems with each other. That was hilarious. Grace really was like Sherlock. It was great learning more about her. She seems to be quite a character.

Micheale: I loved how Grace read Wyatt and Lucy like a book! She gave voice to the issues between them so well. I also like how she deduced who the sleeper agent was before the Time Team could figure it out.

River: Lyatt, of course. Wyatt was trying to close to her while she was pulling away. She nailed it on the head. He still needs her close, needs to touch her and comfort her.

Kalena: So many things but my two favorites were the left-handed killer vote and nailing Lucy and Wyatt as a ‘romantic dispute’.

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5. Pretty much everyone can tell there’s something odd about Wyatt and Lucy’s relationship. What did you think of their open and honest conversation and what that means for them moving forward?

Isabella: Well, I’m glad they got a chance to speak. Lucy was incredibly kind to Wyatt considering everything. She told him off, but having heard about this scene in advance I thought it would be a much bigger explosion. They can’t really have a screaming fight under the circumstances, of course. I was surprised that Wyatt wanted to hurt Lucy by kissing Jess so passionately and by glancing at her as he did (very high-school level behavior). Does he not believe her that she and Flynn only talked? She didn’t have to give him this reassurance. It’s obvious to me that Lucy and Wyatt will one day be together again, maybe before the end of season 2, but certainly in the future. Lucy continues to surprise me with her intelligence and capability for change. Very unusual in a character in a show about a time machine!

Andrew: They are partners, but not partners in anything else. Which is what needed to happen. Clearing the air was long overdue. Wyatt really does not have the right to tell Lucy who she sees, though. Leaving the past behind line was right on.

Micheale: I wanted to simultaneously hug Lucy and high five her for telling Wyatt how hard Jessica’s return has been for her. It was obvious that Wyatt loves her, but Lucy is not going to give him a reason to leave Jessica. Wyatt is going to have to make a difficult decision, and soon, I hope!

River: They are in a terrible position and are trying to move forward. I am proud that Lucy yelled at him. She got the chance to say that she was hurt. We all knew it even Wyatt knows but he can’t let her go. Until he makes a clean break in one direction he will always be torn in two. Lucy refuses to hold on any longer and it leaves Wyatt feeling lost. You see it on his face before he walks away.

Kalena: I’m so happy they’ve finally talked about what they are both going through and drew clear personal/work boundaries. They had become so close, it’s hard to abruptly change those behaviors and feelings when the circumstances did. In her heartbreak, Lucy is trying to romanticize Wyatt and Jessica’s relationship as “happily married” to push him away to guard her heart. But the truth is the Logans are completely different people now from even the “Wyatt” Jessica was going to divorce. He needs to acknowledge he’s moved on with Lucy and let Jessica go.

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6. History found another voice in Grace Humiston. Did you expect that she would be the one to speak up for women’s suffrage? Why or why not?

Isabella: I didn’t. I thought Lucy would do it. But this was a great juxtaposition– her apparent scorn for the suffragettes against her sudden outburst in defense of women’s rights. I wonder what the real Grace H. thought? Why would she not be in favor of votes for women, in her position? In general, I thought the many strong female characters in this episode made it excellent and very enjoyable.

Andrew: As many others did, I expected it to be Lucy giving the speech. Grace did not seem to be the type that gives speeches, and she was not part of the movement. Yet in the end, she did the right thing and stepped up big time. Which is all that matters.

Micheale: I really thought Lucy would be the one to deliver the speech that insured the creation of the 19th Amendment, not Grace Humiston. She was clearly of the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” mentality before the march. With Alice Paul’s murder, The Suffrage Movement would have died with her had it not been for Grace.

River: Humiston had to give the speech in my mind, there was no other way. Lucy would have disappeared and a mystery women couldn’t have created a society and keep the movement going. The speech made me cry and is still relevant today, sending a powerful message. I want to know about the original timeline characters. I guess it’s time to do a little research.

Kalena: I was a little surprised Grace stood up. But it showed the power of speech, first that Lucy gave to her as well as seeing the response of the suffragettes to losing their leader. The treatment of women by her fellow officers in the street was horrifying. It made sense that she finally saw their suffering in a new way. I loved that ultimately it was her growing respect for those of her sex that she stood up to be heard.

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7. We have to talk about Connor recovering Jessica’s photo. What was your interpretation of her photo on Rittenhouse’s computer?

Isabella: It could mean anything. Possibly it was to help them find her when they rescued her from her fate as a murder victim. She could be part of Rittenhouse, but my feeling is that she is not– that they are probably using her, though. Wyatt should have been more cautious before bringing her to the bunker. I like Jessica and feel that she will not turn out to be a bad person, though I do think that she and Wyatt will eventually part. Wyatt’s look at Lucy when he was kissing Jessica clearly hurt Lucy’s feelings, but I don’t think it means he’s a bad guy. He’s not very mature in his ability to relate to women. Lucy has the most mature attitude of the three. Didn’t Jessica notice Wyatt’s glance? I doubt it. Is she playing a double game? It’s impossible to say as of yet. We need season 3!

Andrew: Wow! I still want to wait and see what that means. No jumping to conclusions, yet. I need more evidence. However, this is not good, simply because it could also mean Rittenhouse might be targeting her, too.

Micheale: This is a tough one! My first reaction was: Jessica is Rittenhouse, OMG. And she may very well be Rittenhouse. The picture looked like a reflection of Jessica, so I’m not entirely sure what to make of this discovery. As a Lyatt shipper, part of me wants her to be Rittenhouse and part of me doesn’t because I don’t want a scenario where Lucy is Wyatt’s second choice.

River: She was being watched. The angle of the photo tells me she didn’t know she was photographed. I wonder how long has Rittenhouse been watching her and I wonder why. How old is the photo? Where is it taken? I need to know.

Kalena: I have always thought Jessica was Rittenhouse, even in the original timeline. In fact, I’ve long suspected the reason she was murdered in the first place was that she stood up to Rittenhouse and they killed her for it. Also, Carol mentioned that Rittenhouse would never let anything bad happen to her. Why wouldn’t they save other members? Especially ones with close ties to their enemy that could be used to infiltrate and spy on them.

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Final Verdict: History may have changed with Alice’s death, but another spoke up in her place

The Time Team had the assistance of Flynn this episode, even at the disapproval from Wyatt. Emma, surprisingly, kept her word about helping the team take out the sleeper agent. That was the one line she wasn’t willing to cross due to the impact on her personal life. The key player in the success of this mission, however, was Grace. She used her deductive reasoning to uncover the person behind Alice’s murder before any of the others figured it out. If it weren’t for Grace, Lucy might have gotten injured or worse! The Time Team was able to preserve history, even if another person took Alice’s place. The present timeline has changed again and the only one who remembers Alice’s impact on history is Lucy.

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Timeless delivered on another outstanding episode. Spencer and Sokolovic delivered compelling speeches that really resonated with the audience, as well as the other characters in the episode. The history lesson was compelling and changes to the past would have directly impacted the present day. There were twists and turns that we couldn’t predict, which just makes the show that much more addictive! Timeless keeps going bigger and better each episode, from the history to Rittenhouse’s nefarious plans.

In the next episode, Rittenhouse goes back to the day Reagan was shot. The Time Team believes Rittenhouse is planning to change events that day, but they’re surprised to see the sleeper agent has a different target in mind– a young Agent Christopher! The stakes have never been higher because if the sleeper agent were to succeed, there might not be a Time Team to go back to. Fortunately, we only have to wait a week until Timeless returns!

Timeless returns Sunday, May 6th at 10/9c on NBC