Episode Recap: Nature

Now, if you’ve been around awhile, you remember Cole's FBI Agent buddy from the 1940’s (and sadly, the 1960s) – Agent Gale.  It turns out that between those two decades, in the 50’s – Agent Gale spent a lot of time chasing down false alarms that he thinks might have something to do with the Army of the 12 Monkeys.  When he goes to one such case, he finds…Cassie and Cole. They’re waiting there because on the “Word of The Witness” map – 1953 has a date called “The Winter of Ash and Blood.”

Agent Gale accompanies Cassie and Cole to Hope Valley, New Jersey. They’re not sure if this is a significant lead, but once there, the pair argues over whether they should tell Agent Gale that he dies in the 1960's. They’re interrupted by a terrible mine explosion that rocks the town and as ash rains down, they know what they've come to see. Agent Gale does a little digging and it turns out that lately, whenever there are major events around the country, people begin to go missing. The logical conclusion? Someone is preying on the grief of those killed. But for what?

Cassie decides to pose as one of the grief stricken widows of the mining accident. In the cemetery, she is approached by "The Missionary," who’s there with his son. Any guesses who the son is? Yes! It’s that old Pallid Man who runs the Army of 12 Monkeys and whistles and sprinkles flower petals around. Cassie convinces The Missionary, played by Christopher Lloyd, that she’s legit grieving and as she, Gale, and Cole arrive at the wake thrown by The Missionary, Cassie can't stand it anymore. Cassie tells Agent Gale the circumstances of his death that he's gunned down outside the Berlin Wall. He’s shocked, but he sends Cole in to the wake, after Cassie and says he’ll cover them from the outside.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Goines has gotten her baby turtle and is now seeing visions of a dead woman, with a slit throat, wearing one of those Witness masks. It’s spooky.  After Deacon convinces her to confront her vision, Jennifer Goines goes to the machine, says she's ready for whatever it is she needs to see, and the dead lady wearing a mask points the way. Jennifer sees a lot of scattered images, but wakes up on the floor surrounded by a spiral of her amazing drawings. Though, these ones are new, and we don’t know what they mean.

Back in the revival tent, as The Missionary calls the room to order, he introduces his wife. And it’s Mantis, one of the Army of the 12 Monkeys that Cole and Cassie faced in the 1940s last season. Remember her? No time to remember, in comes Magdalena, the woman has clearly been carting around "The Witness" for a while. The Witness draws a lot of confusing imagery (he's Primary, see) and offers an image of the person they're supposed to choose. It’s unclear what they’re being chosen for, but soon it’s revealed: these revivals are recruiting tools for the Army of 12 Monkeys. If you’re chosen, you go to the future or past to start working for The Witness. If not, well…the Witness pulls the pin on a can of gas – and the tent is filled with poison. Cassie and Cole narrowly escape as the kid version of The Witness and his pals splinter out of there.

Cassie and Cole are able to latch onto one of the 12 Monkeys splinter suit henchwomen. As she dies, they decide the best plan is to get the suit to Jones, and jump back to this time they have a plan to stop The Witness. But stopping him means killing him. Cassie says she knows that their son is a monster and she knows what they're supposed to do to stop him, but she doesn’t think she can. Cole reminds her that the Army of 12 Monkeys turned their son evil - so he can do it.