Cole takes a Billy Pilgrimage through his own story before undoing last week’s carnage, initiating new carnage, and helping set up the third season.

The Plague Doctor masks come off, the Striking Woman reveals the fate of Ramse’s son, Jennifer Goines pees her pants, and the Pallid Man identifies the Witness.

Title: “Memory of Tomorrow”

Directed by David Grossman
Written by Terry Metalas

Aaron Stanford as James Cole
Amanda Schull as Dr. Cassandra Railly
Barbara Sukowa as Katarina Jones
Kirk Acevedo as José Ramse
Emily Hampshire as Jennifer Goines
Brooke Williams as Hannah Jones
Madeleine Stowe as Lillian
Andrew Gillies as Adler
Joey Klein as Charlie
Alisen Down as Striking Woman / Olivia
Tom Noonan as Pallid Man
Ayisha Issa as Emissary
Xavier Schoppel as Acolyte #3
Peter DaCunha as Samuel Ramse
Baby Bump as The Witness

Premise

Cole and Railly celebrate Christmas, 1959, before he meets a homicidal primary who reveals that the Red Forest remains and that Cole can time-travel without the machine.

Last week’s carnage comes undone, Jennifer mangles her way through a speech lifted from (as best as I can determine) Henry V, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, Independence Day, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and we learn the truth behind the Titan facility.

The season ends in 1917, 2045, and 2163. We learn the identity of the Witness, and also why Madelaine Stowe has provided narration this season (apart from her connection to the original film).

High Points

The episode does a remarkable job of shifting time and space, revisiting the previous episode, the series premiere, and points in between, and ending in a couple of new settings. The identity of the witness and the secret of Titan were neither expected nor, in retrospect, surprising.

Low Point

Nothing big here: an alternate method of time-travel would be easy for writers to abuse, but time-travel is easy for writers to abuse, period, so it remains to be seen if having an alternate method presents a problem.

I found some generally effective concepts—badass Dr. Jones, bumbling-for-power Goines—a bit overplayed.

The Scores:

Originality: 3/6

Effects: 5/6

Acting: 5/6

Story: 5/6 The episode kept my interest and explained some of the show’s lingering mysteries. Story-wise, the second half was more than a little bit chaotic, as it tried to move every single player into position for Season Three.

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 6/6 We move through more decades and further forwards and backwards in time than I think has ever been the case for one episode of this show.

Overall: 5/6

In total, “Memory of Tomorrow” receives 34/42