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No word on Vincent in this episode, so I guess he’s laying low for a while. Also no updates, again, on the timeshare Traveler army that is probably coming at the worst time possible for our Team.
This Episode is a completely new storyline featuring Congressman Bishop from Season 1.
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The Team Wants to Blow Something Up
The episode starts with Carly picking up a mysterious brown package from a suspicious (but visually non-threatening) young man that she met online, as Grant drops off a similar package to a young woman he met online.
Apparently, the Travelers intercepted communications from the young woman (who calls herself “SandStorm”) to a bomb-maker (the non-threatening young man who goes by “Helix”) requesting a bomb. Carly poses as SandStorm and picks up the bomb from Helix, and Trevor, posing as Helix, drops of the Traveler-made bomb with SandStorm. The Team is clearly up to something with SandStorm and a bomb (or two), but we don’t know what yet.
Trevor cautions SandStorm to be careful with the bomb, and SandStorm tells Trevor that she knows what she’s doing (she doesn’t, really, though she is pretty smart). Marcy chooses this moment to heckle Philip, comparing the rather abrasive SandStorm to Philip’s new eyedrop-pushing “girlfriend”, Jenny. I guess Philip got over Jenny’s destruction of the notorious racist in Episode 2, but Marcy still isn’t a fan.
Also, the Team need to Kill Congressman Bishop
Grant gets notified to meet with Congressman Bishop from that episode with the plane crash (Season 1, Ep. 9, “Bishop), who is now a Traveler. Bishop tells Grant that he has received orders from The Director to coordinate his own assassination. That’s some impressive dedication to Protocol 1 (“The mission comes first.”), but Bishop is understandably a little unhappy about it.
The Director noticed that Bishop has a heart condition, so instead of saving him with magic future technology (that should be possible,
Philip: Still on drugs, Again
Philip has ramped up his eyedrop
Jenny is living at home with her little sister, Chloe, and her mom. I’m not sure if this means she’s supposed to be
Grant and Kathryn’s Baby is in Danger
Things are still going pretty well between Grant and his wife, Kathryn, who is still swanky-house-sitting for her friend. Grant and Kathryn talk about
Grant and Kathryn go to the OBGYN and get news that Kathryn may have a blood clot that may endanger the baby. Grant freaks out a little bit, and goes to Marcy, asking her for magic future-drugs to help Kathryn, while at the same time revealing to Marcy that he broke Protocol 4. Marcy, very frustrated with Grant’s protocol-breaking, suggests Grant push for an abortion, but Grant refuses to do so. Marcy then, trying to follow protocol, refuses to synthesize a future-drug as it would be yet another protocol breach in the long list of the Team’s protocol breaches.
Philip and the Team Babysit the Terrorist, SandStorm
The Team arranges to have Trevor “bump into” SandStorm at some kind of internet cafe, which I guess is still something that exists somewhere. Philip looks at some stuff online about a corporation (called Galston Agriculture) that deals in genetically modified seeds, and makes sure that SandStorm sees it. Turns out, what a coincidence, that SandStorm works for the Galston Agriculture, and that’s what the bomb is for.
Galston Agriculture is making a (potentially) very dangerous genetically modified seed (called “Seed C589”), and we can assume from the Team’s interest in SandStorm means that this seed is more than potentially dangerous in the future.
SandStorm (who re-introduces herself as Abigail) tells Philip of the dangers of the
Philip and the Team obviously know all of this information already, but they need Abigail for something, so Philip plays half-dumb to get her on the hook. Trevor quickly convinces Abigail to let him help her.
Wasting no time, Trevor brings Abigail back to Team HQ to meet Philip and work on the bombing plan. Philip is friendly but weird with Abigail. It seems like he’s putting on an act, but I’m not sure why or what it’s supposed to be.
Trevor and Philip tell Abigail a bunch of technically horrifying facts they know about the evil Galston seeds, saying the seeds have genes from the Kudzu plant, which is a notoriously hard-to-get-rid-of and fast-spreading weed. Philip says that it “could” take over all arable land in decades, and I’m sure he’s speaking from future experience. There is a funny moment here when Abigail says “Wow, you guys really know your ####.” and Trevor responds “I’m getting an A in Biology”, highlighting, again, how ridiculous it would be for a
Trevor and Abigail have some
“I spent many years very, very close to an old person who had to fight for every breath he took.”
He must be talking about himself before he Traveled. No wonder he’s in such a good mood all the time. Going from the body of a very ill old man into that of a
When Abigail isn’t in the room, Trevor and Philip talk about “the future getting its’ hands dirty” and Philip says “some people have to die”. Okay, so now we know Abigail is supposed to die somewhere in their plan. Ugh.
Congressman Bishop Doesn’t Want To Die, But He’s Kind of Okay With It
Carly, the tactician of the team, is naturally the trigger-puller in the Congressman Bishop assassination
Bishop meets with Grant at the assassination site to scope it out, and Bishop further expresses his displeasure at his impending death. We learn here why the episode is called “11:27”, as that’s the time when a “distraction” (Abigail’s bomb going off in the nearby Galston building) will happen, and when Bishop will be shot by Carly.
Bishop thinks his death is stupid and a waste, questioning The Director’s
Marcy Rebounds with Doctor Awkward
As predicted, Marcy is now
The most awkward doctor in the world (his real name is Dr. Barker, played by Lee Majdoub) sees an interaction between Grant and Marcy at the hospital, and he (almost) manages to ask Marcy out. She finishes his attempt for him and accepts his invitation.
Dr. Barker and Marcy go on their dinner-date and talk about the future, and how fast medicine is advancing. They both really want to help people and have great hope for the future. Hooray! They’re a perfect match!
Dr. Barker and Marcy consummate their non-relationship at Marcy’s place, and I can’t be totally sure about this, but it doesn’t seem like it went super great. Marcy’s obviously rebounding from David.
Assassination/Bomb Day is Here!
It’s finally assassination day, and Bishop gripes again, this time saying his role is “pathetic”, and that he wishes he “never volunteered” as a Traveler, but says that he will still go through with the plan.
Trevor and Philip put the final touches on their Abigail bomb plan in their cool mission-van, and send her into the Galston building to carry it out.
Bishop starts his speech outside, during which he is to be shot by Carly from the rooftop of a nearby building. Aside from Carly, Grant and Marcy are also there to play their respective
Bishop speaks haltingly, continually checking the clock on his phone screen. This is very painful to watch, and the show does a great job of dragging out the minutes, making this tense and stressful.
Abigail looks very suspicious inside the Galston building, nervously tapping her fingers and looking around skittishly. Carly looks through her gun scope at Bishop, waiting for the explosion from Abigail’s bomb as the signal to shoot.
Philip and Trevor watch the time tick down to the bomb detonation in their mission van, and, breaking the silence, Philip tells Trevor that he “doesn’t like it either”, referring to the impending death of Abigail. At that moment, there is a banging on the van.
It’s Abigail, and she’s backing out of the bombing. Without meaning to do so, the Travelers have given her hope for the future, and she no longer feels desperate enough to follow through with her terrorist
Before Trevor and Philip can convince Abigail to continue, she becomes a Messenger of The
Trevor Does as The Director Orders, Philip Doesn’t
With seconds left on the detonation countdown, everyone on the Team (over comm) knows there is no way for Trevor to plant the bomb and survive. Philip is the only member of the Team who is adamantly opposed to Trevor sacrificing himself on The Director’s orders, saying
“Who cares what it said? We’ll find another way!”
Trevor, using Abigail’s employee badge, enters the Galston building and plants the bomb in a bathroom. He sits down across from the bomb and prepares himself for death, saying “So long, guys.” over comm to the Team. Philip desperately works in the mission van, and at the last second disarms the bomb remotely. Trevor messes with the bomb, trying to get it to explode, but it doesn’t.
The Team is forced to improvise without the distraction of the explosion. Bishop, at this point, has had his heart condition catch up to
Grant orders Carly to just shoot Bishop, even though her escape plan is ruined,
The Team re-convenes at Team
The Team’s protocol breaches really have gotten out of control, and I agree with the earlier statement of the, at that point, still-alive Bishop:
“I’m amazed you’re assigned any missions at all, let alone this one.”
Marcy Agrees to Help Grant’s Baby
Before they leave HQ, Marcy takes Grant aside and tells him that she will synthesize the magic future drug to help Kathryn and Grant’s baby, apparently inspired by Philip’s actions to further break the rules. Grant is a bit disturbed by this, but appreciative, maybe realizing how far they have all been going with breaching protocol, and where that could obviously lead: Death by Director.
Trevor is Sad that Abigail is Dead
Trevor appears to be transcribing and preparing to post Abigail’s handwritten manifesto somewhere online. Probably another breach of protocol right there. I guess no one cares anymore.
Marcy and Carly Hang Out on a Rooftop
Marcy hangs out with Carly on the roof of a tall building in the city, not wanting to go home and be alone there with her thoughts after the stressful day, her recent fling there with Doctor Awkward, and her phone containing David’s number.
Marcy talks to Carly about her situation with the baby and Jeff, thinking maybe that Carly actually has feelings for Jeff. Marcy opens up a bit herself, saying she “met a guy” but that she doesn’t “really think there’s anything there.”
While they’re talking, they see an explosion in the distance. It’s in the direction of the Galston building that Abigail and Trevor were supposed to blow up, so they quickly comm Trevor to make sure he’s alive, and he is. Carly exclaims that someone ‘completed their mission’ for them. Hmm. That bomb was still in the trashcan at Galston, and the Team also had a second bomb from Helix. I don’t know what happened, but I guess The Director had it under control.
Philip Gets More High Than Usual and Gets a Messenger
Philip goes to Jenny’s house to receive some comfort from her in the form of those dang eyedrops. Jenny puts a few drops in her own eyes and then like, a million drops in Philip’s eyes. I counted. It was at least 7 in one eye. It was one or two before. After this, Philip just lies on the bed, high as a kite.
Philip awakens from his stupor to see Chloe, Jenny’s little sister, standing in front of him. She’s been
“Traveler 3326, open memory chain 71985VX and store the following sequence:
Biosynthesis of the glycoproteins IgE, IgM, IgD, IgA, IgG. Cleave “H A” protein to form HA-1, HA-2, and fuse with BHK 21-F. Ribonucleic acid compounds mRNA and tRNA”
Yeah. I don’t know what that’s all about, and we don’t hear the entire message before the episode ends. I have a feeling it was quite a bit longer in its entirety.
Traveler 3326 is Philip, so this message was definitely meant for him. What in the world does it mean to “open” a “memory chain”? Does Philip have cybernetic add-ons that enhance his memory or something? It seems likely, considering how amazing his memory is, and how advanced the future technology we’ve seen is. They can separate from their bodies and travel through time, so, yeah. I don’t think Philip having memory-tech in his brain would be a stretch, but this is a total guess on my part.
The thing is, Philip would have needed to have received these enhancements at some point during the series without us knowing, as they would have had to be physically implanted in his new body after he Traveled, just like the comms. We didn’t see that happening, so it makes me wonder what else this “memory chain” business could mean. Philip does seem to be very shocked by the message.
I don’t recall (ha) ever seeing this referenced before, though, so it could be an interesting new piece of information. Maybe there is a lot more going on with our Travelers than we know about. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this season.
