Season 1 of Timeless has taken us to major historical events before, such as President Lincoln’s assassination and the Hindenburg disaster. While they’ve faced enemies along the way, none have been as dangerous as those in this episode, “Party at Castle Varlar,” as we’re introduced to some of the most vile villains in history: Nazis. Our favorite time-traveling gang must travel to 1940s Germany to stop Flynn from potentially handing over the atomic bomb to Hitler’s army.
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Finding Flynn
At Mason Industries, Jiya informs Agent Christoper and Mason that she’s found the Mothership, and due to the influx of power in the area, she’s narrowed its location to just a block. Forces are quickly sent to the scene. As Anthony carefully places the atomic bomb into a new container that’s safe for time travel, Flynn’s warehouse is ambushed by Wyatt and other agents. But it’s too late. Despite open fire, Flynn, Anthony and his men escape into the time machine and disappear.
The Mason Industries team narrows the Mothership’s location once again, determining that they’re headed for Germany on December 7, 1944. Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus prepare for the trip, dressing as always in historically accurate clothes, but this time they snatch their new duds from a large room where Mason has organized garments into different eras, each hanging on racks. It’s better to be prepared, he boasts.
Traveling to Nazi Germany
As soon as Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus arrive in the past, a Nazi soldier spots them as their time machine appears. Wyatt quickly shoots him, but the trio soon notice another soldier nearby. Wyatt takes him down too, much to Lucy’s disappointment, and they quickly hide the body and themselves before a convoy of cars approach.
They head toward a well-known Nazi rendezvous locale, a bar called Das Stein Haus. Wyatt and Lucy head inside, while Rufus stays behind to hotwire a car. Before they left in the time machine, Lucy told Wyatt that he’d need to order a certain drink from the bar in order to gain access to Nazi intel, but when he does, the bartender insists that he doesn’t serve that drink. After unsuccessfully trying to appeal to the bartender, Wyatt gives up and orders two whiskeys instead.
Sitting at a table with their drinks, Lucy and Wyatt are approached by a man in a Nazi uniform, who orders them to exit through the back. Once out of the bar, the “Nazi” reveals himself to be a British spy working for the Allied Resistance and shames Lucy and Wyatt for standing out so much in the bar. He soon introduces himself as Ian Fleming, the future author of James Bond.
Making a Plan
After relocating, the team informs Fleming of their mission: to stop Flynn and recover the atomic bomb. Fleming tells them that his intel is finally starting to make sense. The Nazis have been building a launch pad and plan on launching a rocket tonight to hit Belgium while they watch from a party and sip champagne. Before leaving, Fleming pours a glass of wine for each of them. Lucy hesitates to drink, but Fleming convinces her by playfully flirting with her, much to the surprise of Wyatt and Rufus.
Fleming sneaks the trio onto the launch pad to investigate the rocket for the nuclear weapon. Rufus checks it with a Geiger counter but can’t locate it, explaining that the Nazis wouldn’t have enough time to attach the bomb before the event. Soon, a car approaches and the team hides. They see Flynn step out of a car with Wernher von Braun, a man who helped the Nazis but would also later assist the US in its development of a rocket program. Wyatt attempts to shoot Flynn. But von Braun gets in the way of the shot, and Lucy refuses to let him shoot, explaining the significance of the man’s future. Wyatt wonders why, if von Braun is so important to the US, Flynn doesn’t kill him.
Fleming devises a plan to infiltrate the party, and he decides to take Lucy with him, disguised as his secretary. But he orders Rufus and Wyatt to wait outside, as he wouldn’t be able to sneak them in safely. Getting ready for the event, Lucy starts to shake, her nerves getting the better of her. Wyatt comes in and senses her anxiety. He tells her that he’s seen soldiers freak out before in the field and that they either “get over the hump” or crack. Lucy asks him how to get over it, to which he replies that she has to talk it out.
Lucy tells him that she doesn’t think she’s supposed to be there. She tells him a story of how when she was in college, she was going to drop out of her history program and join a band instead. As she was driving to her mother’s house to tell her about her new plans, she failed to notice an oil slick on the road, and her car skidded off the road and into a lake. The water filled up her car, but luckily, someone was driving by and pulled her out. Lucy tells Wyatt that every time she’s in the time machine, she feels like she’s drowning.
Wyatt, in response, opens up about his grandfather, who is likely somewhere nearby fighting Nazis. He tells her that the reason he struggles with letting men like von Braun go is because he feels like he’s failing his grandfather. Wyatt tells her that he’s fighting for him, to make him proud, and that she needs to find something to fight for as well.
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The Party at Castle Varlar
Lucy and Fleming head into the party. Wyatt and Rufus wait outside near the rocket, trying to disarm it. Wyatt observes the party using binoculars and sees Fleming put his hand on Lucy’s. Rufus takes a peek and notes, “Dude, James Bond is hitting on Lucy, and she’s into it.”
Fleming soon spots von Braun and asks Lucy if she can lure him away from the crowded room. She says yes and walks toward him, closing her eyes and readying herself. But Flynn grabs hold of her before she can make it over to von Braun. After Lucy questions him, he reveals that he plans to hand von Braun over to the Russians so that they’ll get a head start in developing their rocket program, making them the first country to land on the moon. Lucy expresses her confusion about why he’s helping all of America’s biggest enemies, and he admits that he doesn’t like working with them. He informs her that one day she’ll understand he’s a patriot.
Fleming stops any further conversation between the two by placing a gun to Flynn’s back. But the Nazis soon gain the upper hand by putting a gun to Lucy’s head. Rufus and Wyatt watch this from their post outside and decide to take action. They arm the rocket and cause a massive explosion that shakes the castle. The event quickly descends into chaos.
Lucy and Fleming escape to another room with von Braun and meet up with Rufus and Wyatt. They block the door, but the Nazis and Flynn try to force their way in. Lucy notices a symbol on the fireplace and remembers why this castle was special: it contains a secret passageway. The team escapes through the fireplace and arrives outside.
Going Home
The next day, the team sends von Braun over to the Allied Forces but not before Rufus speaks with him. He asks him if he ever thinks about all the destruction and death his rockets have caused. Von Braun states that his concern is that the rockets go up, not where they come down. Rufus admits his own struggle with guilt about his part in a great invention — the Mothership.
Soon, the trio says goodbye to Fleming and head back to the present.
At Mason Industries, they detail the events in Germany. Mason excitedly tells them that they just described the plot of Fleming’s book (and future movie) Weapon of Choice. Rufus examines the DVD’s back cover and learns that the three of them are main characters in the plot.
The team speculates what Flynn could be using the atomic bomb for, if his plan wasn’t to hand it over to the Nazis. Mason and Rufus remember that Anthony had once talked about a theoretical use for such a powerful weapon.
Soon, we see Anthony installing the atomic bomb into the Mothership as a battery. He tells Flynn that it could last 3,000 years without him ever having to recharge.
At their headquarters, Rufus tells Mason that he doesn’t want to spy on Lucy and Wyatt anymore. Mason says that Rufus knows how deep he’s in with Rittenhouse and urges him to continue spying on them. Rufus refuses to betray his friends and heads home.
On the road, his car battery dies, shutting his car down completely. A car approaches him from behind, and a mysterious man gets out. Rufus realizes that the man is from Rittenhouse. The man suggests that if Rufus wants his family to stay safe, he needs to continue working for them. As soon as their conversation finishes, Rufus’ car starts back up.
Back at Mason Industries, Lucy confronts Agent Christopher about her work. She tells her that she needs a cover story so she can take a leave of absence from her job. And she says that she wants Mason Industries to figure out a way to bring her sister back into their timeline; otherwise, she’ll walk. She says that she’s found what she’s fighting for: her sister.
What did you think of this episode of Timeless? Was it what you expected? Let us know in the comments section below.
Timeless season 1 airs Monday nights at 10/9c on NBC. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
