Timeless (2016–2018): Season 1, Episode 16 - The Red Scare - full transcript

The team chases Flynn to 1954 en route to a once-in-a-generation meeting of Rittenhouse leaders.

Previously on "Timeless"...

Letting Flynn murder through time?

[gunfire]

- That's madness.
- In the beginning,

I thought it was important,

that it could hopefully even
bring my wife back to me,

but no matter what I
do, nothing gets better.

- Hello, beautiful.
- You're engaged

to some doctor you don't even know.

Rittenhouse is in control
of Mason Industries.

We'll have the capability
to pinpoint anyone,



anywhere, anytime you want.

What you are a part of is inhuman.

Rittenhouse isn't a choice. It's blood.

Your grandfather, Ethan
Cahill... he's still alive.

He ran away when he was told.

His father was an aide in the
White House. I remember that.

Did he happen to mention Rittenhouse?

Yeah. Something about
a summit in DC in 1954.

- Aah!
- Oh, my God. Rufus.

We got to get him to a hospital.

You have to get us
back. We don't know how.

You got this, Rufus. Come on.

- What... oh, my God!
- Rufus!

[dramatic music]



♪ ♪

All clear.

[toy gun beeps]

No monsters.

Safe to go to sleep, okay?

- But I'm not tired.
- Oh...

what else is new, hm? [chuckles]

But what if the monsters
come when I'm sleeping?

Well, then, I'll protect you, okay?

I'll always protect you.

[door creaking open]

- Two guys just bailed.
- Which ones?

Carl and...

the guy with the big neck.

Well, can you blame them?

Just one more mission was all I asked.

All of Rittenhouse in
one room, and we end this!

Like we did in Paris is
'27 and Chicago in '31.

So what?

- You want to walk out on me, too?
- No.

Just want to make sure you don't
kill me like you killed Anthony.

[whooshing]

Right there. Right there.

[grunting]

You did it, Rufus. You got us home.

[breathing heavily]

He's lost a lot of blood.

That bullet's pretty deep.

Maybe we should take him to a hospital.

No. No hospitals.

Rittenhouse. They could find us.

I know who we can call.

All right.

Amazingly, from what I can see,

it looks like there's no serious
damage to his internal organs.

He's gonna be okay?

He was shot, Lucy.

I treated him in a warehouse in Oakland

without a medical history, blood work.

He's... he's stable,

but you need to get him to a hospital.

- Got it, Doc. Soon as we can.
- As soon as we...

I think you got to do
better than that, actually.

So I am seriously not supposed
to ask any questions right now?

I get that you're pissed.
You have every right to be.

You disappear for days.
Your mother calls me nonstop.

We didn't know if something...

we were checking local hospitals, Lucy.

- I'm sorry.
- And then when you do call,

you're dressed like freakin' Jackie O,

you got someone's blood on
you, and even then, it's like,

"Patch this guy up and
get the hell out of here."

It is not safe for you
to be here right now,

and I just... you have to go.

- I'm sorry.
- Stop saying you're sorry.

I... I'm sorry. I don't
know what else to say.

- Explain it to me!
- I can't!

I... I can't.

What happened to you, Lucy?

It's like someone stole my fiancée

and replaced her with...

whatever this is.

- Lucy, this isn't you.
- See, that is the thing, Noah.

This is me.

That person that you knew, that
person that you fell in love with,

that wasn't me. That was someone else,

and I wish that I could
explain how or why, but I can't.

But I will never be that person.

It's 'cause of that guy?

Wyatt?

No. No.

No.

Noah, you are incredible,

and you deserve to be with
someone who makes you happy, but...

it's just... it's not me.

[melancholy music]

♪ ♪

When did you guys get here?

- Just now.
- Were you followed?

Wasn't easy getting Jiya out of
there, but no, we're all right.

Hey, guys? We have a problem.

CPU just lit up like a Christmas tree.

Flynn just jumped to 1954, DC.

What's 1954 DC?

That's what Capone was talking about...

some Rittenhouse summit.

Flynn figures he'll get all these
Rittenhouse dicks in one place,

take them out once and for all.

He knows without Rufus,
we can't chase him.

You sure we shouldn't
just let Flynn do it?

- Believe me, part of me wants to.
- Really?

This is the guy that just
tried to have Rufus killed.

He's rabid. He needs to be put down.

But it doesn't mean that he's wrong.

Okay, well, then, how do we stop them?

Rufus?

Are you okay to drive?

- Totally.
- Awesome.

Room's only spinning a little.

- No.
- Okay.

What about you?

Can you help Rufus?

- Be his copilot?
- What?

I've logged over 60
hours in the simulator.

But I've, like... I've died a lot.

- Oh, my God.
- Forget about it.

The Lifeboat's only meant
to carry three people.

Okay, well, what happens with four?

Oh, well, let me just check Wikipedia

for sending an additional
organism through a wormhole.

[alarm chiming]

Got something on the security camera.

I thought you said you weren't followed.

Those aren't government
vehicles. It's Rittenhouse.

Get in the Lifeboat. I'll hold them off.

Rufus, I'm sorry. We got to go.

- I'm coming.
- You can't.

You can't barely stand, much less fly.

We don't have a choice.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[whirring]

Move in!

[men yelling]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

It's funny how things work out.

Days ago, you were
strutting about my offices,

treating me like a
peasant in my own kingdom.

How does it feel...

to be on the other end of the stick?

I'd like my attorney.

I'll get right on that.

I can't believe we made it.

That was...

- Wow.
- Everyone all right?

- Wyatt?
- Yep.

No more seasick than usual.

Whew. Okay.

Any ideas where this
Rittenhouse summit could be?

If I had to pick a place to start,

I'd start with Joe McCarthy.

McCarthy thought that there
were communists everywhere.

State Department, writers, journalists.

He's in the middle of
his most famous hearings,

looking for reds in the army.

The guy's practically
wearing a giant neon sign

that says "Rittenhouse."

Okay. Rufus, you stay here.

Uh, hey, guys?

Not to sound like my mom, but...

is that what you're wearing?

Listen. I'm a busy man.

You know a communist spy in the
military, you tell one of my aides.

Well, I'll tell you what I told them:

that I only trust the great
Senator Joe McCarthy himself.

Where's that accent from, son?

Look. I'll tell you what I know,

but first I need to find
out something from you:

where the Rittenhouse summit is tonight.

- What are you talking about?
- Oh, come on.

I think you're... how
do you like to put it?

A card-carrying member?

I don't know what you're talking about,

and I don't have time for this nonsense.

- Now, if you'll excuse me...
- I wouldn't,

unless you want your
enemies to find out you faked

32 aerial missions to get that
fancy Flying Cross on your wall.

That's a lie.

Not so fun being on the other
side of a witch hunt, is it?

Now, the address, please.

If I tell you,

- I'm a dead man.
- No one will ever find out.

Scout's honor.

On the other hand, if
you don't give it to me...

I don't deserve this.

Crooked press attacks me.

People laughing at me.

Enemies everywhere.

I'm a patriot.

Everyone's the hero of their own story.

Like you.

Going after Rittenhouse...
you'll never win, son.

Oh, we'll see about that.

- I think we're done here.
- Not quite.

I promised you some information.

I'm a man of my word.

Here are your spies.

I dig the '50s.

I don't know... a bunch of
racist, repressed Ward Cleavers.

This whole place is a powder keg.

But the cars are cool.

Oh, yeah.

- A word, please.
- Yeah, can I help you?

FBI.

Russian.

Okay, you just planted that on me.

We heard two commies were here

to disrupt the McCarthy hearings.

So...

I guess this is what recycling
looks like in the '50s.

[both laugh]

Sorry you're missing the
fun part with Wyatt and Lucy.

- What?
- Your eye.

- It's red.
- I was rubbing it.

No, no. It's, like, super, like,

spaghetti-sauce red.

What if this is because we put
four people in the Lifeboat?

Or it's a bloodshot eye.

[dark music]

Don't worry.

Your Wyatt's fine.

And I take it Rufus has recovered too.

I just wanted you to know

when I destroy Rittenhouse
tonight... and I will...

that also includes your grandfather,

Ethan Cahill, which means...

honestly, I'm not sure
what's going to happen to you,

but whatever it is,
it's probably not good.

Why are you telling me this?

I thought you deserved the truth.

So you told me.

What do you want from me? My blessing?

I don't want anything from you.

You don't want anything from me?

Because I think you do. I think
deep down there's some part...

some human part of you

that wants me to stop you.

God, I swear, this game
that we keep playing...

nobody wins, nobody
loses, people keep dying.

What's the body count
so far? And for what?

Okay, now's the time where you
tell me what a monster I am?

I don't think you're a
monster anymore. I used to.

But now I just think that you're sad,

and you're lonely.

I think you're a broken person...

who misses the people that they love,

just like me, just like Wyatt.

Don't talk about my
family like you know them.

You want to stop
Rittenhouse, we'll help you.

But not like this.

How?

You don't know.

Because there is no other way.

Good-bye, Lucy.

[door opens]

I'm Senator Joseph McCarthy.

And you're a communist spy.

- Where's the woman?
- Your wife is fine.

I've suspected a communist
infiltration among our troops

for some time now.

Never imagined one would be so bold

- as to walk right up to my front door.
- Really?

The man with the Eastern European accent

told you I was the communist?

Communism, it's like a cancer.

[scoffs]

Something funny?

No, no. It's just cancer.

[chuckles]

Who are you working with?

You cooperate now, you
give us their names...

you give us those names

or I'll put you up in front
of a Senate subcommittee.

No, you won't...

because you're a coward.

You're arrogant and loud-mouthed

and terrified people will
find out you're a fraud,

just like every bully.

[chuckles softly]

Gentlemen,

why don't we show our Red
friend here some manners?

[both grunting]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[thwacking]

Um, we should go.

Do I even want to know
what happened to McCarthy?

Oh, he'll be fine in an hour... or two.

This is the only way out
so they gotta be here.

Oh... what...

The only problem is now
we're gonna have to find

a new way to the summit.

I saw Flynn.

He said that my grandfather
was going to be there...

Ethan Cahill.

My mother told me that she met him once,

that he was a White House aide.

- I mean, if he's going to the summit...
- We could follow him.

Go.

[door opens]

Go ahead.

Gloat away. It'll pass the time.

I'd love to, but time isn't something

we have a lot of right now.

You need to come with me.

Why the hell would I
go anywhere with you?

Because I've disabled
the security systems,

and the guards still work for me.

They'll look the other way.

- Trust me.
- I'll take my chances.

With what?

There's no due process here.

Please, come with me,

or let your family spend
the rest of their lives

wondering what happened to you.

What is all this?

Right. In their haste
to find our rogue team

and get the Lifeboat back,

Rittenhouse handed me an all-access pass

to government servers.

I am the government, remember?

Not your pathetic
servers, which, by the way,

get hacked by the Russians
on a regular basis.

No. The other servers.

- The ones no one talks about.
- You mean the NSA?

- That's...
- Illegal? Immoral?

Yes. Well, you can thank me later.

But instead of searching for
our intrepid time travelers,

I found... this.

Everything you've ever wanted
to know about Benjamin Cahill.

Enough to convict him seven times over.

See, anyone, even you,
can play the crusading cop,

but I was playing the long game.

Rittenhouse thinks we
were playing checkers

while I was playing 3D chess.

Why are you telling me all this?

Because... you're dull,

but honest.

So you can take this to the
dull, honest authorities.

Why should I believe you
after everything you've done?

Um, because once Jiya
can pilot the Lifeboat,

Rittenhouse is going to eliminate Rufus.

Just...

See, I have no illusions about who I am.

Whatever's coming, I richly deserve it.

But Rufus...

Rufus deserves better.

Rufus is a lot faster
at that, by the way.

[crackling]

[engine turns over]

That's him.

Okay, Grandpa,

where are you going?

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[indistinct conversations]

[jazz music playing]

♪ ♪

How are you?

[indistinct conversations]

Is it just me or is
Rittenhouse way more gay

than I thought it would be?

I don't think this is
the Rittenhouse summit.

I think this might be a gay bar.

Well then what is your grandpa... ohh.

Wyatt,

do you copy? Wyatt!

Would you sit down? You're
gonna bust your stitches.

- I can't reach Wyatt.
- Yeah, that's because he's got

more important things
to worry about than me.

Look. It's not even red anymore. See?

What do you think Lucy and
Wyatt are doing right now?

It's probably a lot like
"Grease," just super violent.

Jiya. Jiya!

So if you exist, that
means Grandpa was, like,

way deep in the closet.

It's 1954.

You'd be arrested for being gay.

He's looking at me like
I'm a piece of meat.

Can't imagine what that's like.

[chuckles]

Excuse me. Are you Ethan? Ethan Cahill?

- No. Sorry. You're mistaken.
- No. We're not cops.

I don't know what you
think you saw here,

but I have a wife and
son to get back to, so...

We know.

His name is Ben.

How do you know that?

Okay, how much do you
want? I've got about $50.

We don't want any money.

We need you to take us
to the Rittenhouse summit.

So you're the one always
begging to time travel.

How's it working out for you?

Jiya, please.

You know, since all this started,

I have almost died... a lot.

And every time,

I think about you.

It's weird. Each time
that when I got back,

I would tell you how I felt, that...

that I love you.

Then I'd come home, and
something stopped me.

I'd get... stupid.

Scared.

So how about we make a deal, okay?

You promise to hang on,

and I promise to stop holding back.

Just...

please.

[shaky breathing]

Jiya?

[dark music]

No. No.

No! Please, no!

You look familiar to me.

My father is in Rittenhouse.

Maybe you've met him before.

This man, Flynn,

he wants to kill
everyone at Rittenhouse.

- Why?
- Rittenhouse murdered his family.

If Rittenhouse finds
out the truth about me...

- They'll kick you out?
- No, they'll kill me too.

[crying] I love my wife.

I love my son. It's just...

it's a bad habit.

It's a sick habit.

I keep trying to stop.

I... I tried the shock therapy.

It's just... it... you know...

There's nothing wrong with you, Ethan.

Nothing.

You know, she's right,
for what it's worth.

Who are you people?

We're people you can trust.

When I was 18, my father
caught me with a... friend.

And after he spent the
better part of an hour

whipping me with his belt,

he sat me down and told me

all about Rittenhouse.

At the time, I thought...

I'd rather he beat me all over again

than be part of something like that.

If this man does destroy
all of Rittenhouse,

I might thank him.

All right, this is it.

Where do you think Flynn is?

Well, if he's trying
to take out the place,

probably the basement.

I need you to distract the guards.

Just the ones at the back
door. You think you can do that?

[indistinct muffled chatter]

He's alone.

I can get the drop on him.

- Flynn.
- [grunts] Lucy!

Wyatt, please.

I'm not here to fight.

I want to help you.

[dramatic music]

Drop it, Flynn.

I'm gonna blow this place
up with all of us in it,

- and it'll be worth it.
- Stop, stop.

Both of you just stop it.

I know that you're not a bad man.

I know that you're hurting.

I know that you don't want to kill
a room full of people upstairs.

I don't want to kill
them. I have to kill them

to put my wife and
child back on this earth.

- It won't work.
- You don't know that

and both of you would do the same.

You're right.

You're right. We would.

We are all so caught up in our grief,

in our past, in our
pain, and we can't let go,

so we just continue to hurt more people.

I prayed to God...

for answers.

[dramatic music]

And he led me here to this.

What if he led you to me?

I know a way that we can
really take out Rittenhouse.

We have to stop trying to fix the past,

and focus on the present.

I need you to hear me out.

I know what to do now.
Please, before it's too late.

The journal...

didn't it say that I was
going to help you one day?

Well, maybe today is that day.

Wyatt...

do you trust me?

♪ ♪

Thank God. Thank God you're here.

We got to get Jiya back
home. She's in the Lifeboat.

- Something happened to her.
- What?

What-what are you talking about?

What the hell is Flynn doing here?

- No, no, no, Rufus, it's okay.
- No, it's not okay.

All right? He had Al Capone shoot me.

- Rufus, he's not here to hurt you.
- Capone?

No, this time I'm not.

[sighs] Rufus, this is Ethan Cahill.

Ethan, this is Rufus.

He pilots the time machine,

and we're from 2017.

This a joke?

This is a fil... film prop, right?

[laughs] You're all insane.

Look. We got to get Jiya back home. Now.

Okay, you guys go ahead. Get Jiya back.

I have to stay here.

What are you talking
about? What do you mean?

I'll go with Flynn in the Mothership.

I need Ethan to see
this thing in action.

Lucy, no. No way.

Look. We already lost you
once. I can not lose you again.

You've trusted me this long.

I just need you to do
it a little longer, okay?

Get Jiya back.

- If you hurt her...
- What?

You'll try and kill me again?

- Be careful.
- Okay.

It'll be okay.

[whirring]

- That's a time machine.
- It's real, Ethan.

All of it.

- But there's more.
- More than that?

Ethan...

I'm your granddaughter.

[chuckles] That's why I
look so familiar to you.

- I know that sounds even crazier...
- My mother.

You're the spitting image
of her when she was young.

Your son Ben...

is gonna grow up to be my father.

He's also gonna grow
up to do terrible things

in the name of Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse wants that time machine.

Can you even imagine what they'd
do with something like that?

What are you asking?

No one can take out Rittenhouse.

We believe that we can,

but we need your help.

It's not going to be easy.

You have to stay inside Rittenhouse.

You're gonna have to live a
double life your whole life.

[sighs]

What do you want me to do?

Ethan never mentioned
a granddaughter before.

Well, we haven't seen each
other in a few years, but...

seems like no time at all.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Hi, Ethan.

Remember us?

Lucy?

I didn't think you'd come.

I'd almost given up.

Sorry it took us so long.

Oh... oh, this is incredible.

You look exactly the same.

Both of you.

The '60s rolled by, the '70s...

sometimes I wondered
if I had dreamt it all.

You... you have no idea...

how often I considered running.

So, what stopped you?

Well, the day my son told me

that he'd fathered a child.

A little girl named Lucy.

It must have been so hard.

[voice shaking] I'm sorry.

You want to know if I did
what you asked me to do?

Uh, son, can you pick
up that clock over there?

Yeah.

[grunts]

That's all?

Open it.

♪ ♪

He didn't just keep
records of Rittenhouse.

- He built us an entire case.
- Yeah.

I come in peace.

It's all right.

He's with us.

Yeah? Are you sure about that?

I didn't believe it either at first,

but he got me out of Mason Industries.

Somewhere underneath all that smarm,

there's an actual heart.

Oh, that's lovely. Thank you.

Lucy, you weren't kidding on the phone.

Look at all this stuff.

Everything that we could possibly need.

But to sort it, to authenticate it

with hard evidence...
that could take years.

Or hours, with my software.

You give me the Rittenhouse names,

I'll give you every phone call they've
made, every email they've ever sent,

every willy pic they've ever sexted.

Would that help?

- How you doing?
- Uh, we both know

whatever happened to me isn't
anything they can fix here.

Okay, take it easy there, tough guy.

We're just gonna sit and watch
season two of "The A-Team"

in its entirety, got it?

Hey, Rufus, back in '54, um...

I couldn't open my eyes,

but I heard everything you said.

What did I say?

I've been waiting 60 years to tell you.

I love you too.

[hopeful music]

♪ ♪

[dark music]

Jiya?

Jiya?

♪ ♪

Jiya. Jiya! Jiya! Jiya!

Where'd you go?

Um...

Excuse me, gentlemen.
You've been reassigned.

But thank you for your service.

- You have the right to remain silent.
- What is this?

Anything you say can and
will be used against you

in a court of law.

[indistinct chatter]

You're alone?

I said I would be.

Do you have it?

It was in Ethan's files.

It's the name of the
person who put the order out

to kill your family, and
the men who carried it out.

Go on one last trip,

get your wife and your daughter back,

and then surrender the Mothership,

or destroy it... I don't care.

But this...

it's over.

Once I get my family back,

I never want to see that machine again.

I almost forgot.

This is for you.

I won't be needing it anymore.

You know, you never told
me where you got it from.

You gave it to me.

[laughs]

- Uh, no, I didn't.
- Well, not yet.

Take it from me: you
age surprisingly well.

What are you talking about?

On your knees! Let me see your hands!

Hands behind your back!
Hold it right there.

- You followed me?
- He's a terrorist, Lucy.

- Just think about what he's done.
- Think about what we've done.

No! No! I trusted you, Lucy.

I trusted you with my family.

- I trusted you with my child!
- I had no idea.

- Keep walking!
- I'm sorry!

Oh, you're sorry? You're sorry?

You have no idea what you've done!

♪ ♪

Run diagnostic check.

Good news.

We've made 42 Rittenhouse arrests
across the globe just today.

Brings our total to 150.
A few are in government.

A surprising number
are corporate lawyers.

And our agents are
on their way right now

to pick up the Mothership.

You should both be very proud.

Hmm.

And Flynn?

I mean, in the end, he did
do the right thing, too.

He'll be tried in a
private military court.

Everything will be by the
book. You have my word.

We couldn't have at least
let him save his family first?

I'm not gonna apologize
for doing my job,

especially considering
the lengths I had to go to

to keep our bargain,
but a deal is a deal.

I've secured permission for
you to take the Lifeboat out

one more time.

Get your mom and Henry Wallace together.

Get your sister back.

[indistinct announcement
over loudspeaker]

So, what about you?

You just go back to Pendleton and...

take up another mission?

- That's how it works.
- Yeah.

Hey.

Thank you.

Thank you for everything.

Eh, we'll stay in touch.

I'll call you if I ever
need a bossy know-it-all.

Yeah, I was thinking about texting you

the next time that I
need a reckless hothead.

Sounds good.

[laughs]

[laughs]

You know, maybe...

maybe Pendleton can wait a little bit.

You think I'm gonna miss the
chance to help you get your sister?

See what all this fuss is about?

I'm really sorry that you won't
be able to get Jessica back.

Maybe we do need to stop
trying to fix the past...

and start looking at the present.

Maybe I do need to be
open to the possibilities.

The possibilities of what?

I don't know.

I just know I'm not really
ready to say good-bye yet.

Ah, the Lifeboat will be
charged and ready to go

in three hours, my friends.

[laughs]

Will you tell Rufus
I'll be back in an hour?

There's just one thing
I have to do first.

Hey, Mom.

Oh, Lucy!

Oh, thank God.

- It's been days. Where have you been?
- I know.

- I have to tell you something.
- You can tell me anything.

Come here.

Here, just... here.

- Here you go.
- All right.

You're gonna think I'm insane,

but you deserve the truth.

- I'm listening.
- [chuckles]

Connor Mason invented a time machine...

and it's real.

Time travel is real,

and when I went on my first mission,

I went to the Hindenburg in 1937,

and when I left, I had a sister,

and when I came back...

she was gone.

Lucy, a sister?

Yes. I have a sister.
You have another daughter,

and her name is Amy, and she is smart,

and she is funny, and she
has a degree in sociology,

and a black belt in karate,
which is super weird,

and she has no idea what she
wants to do with her life,

but oh, my God, does
she know how to live it,

and she is my best friend.

Lucy, this person doesn't exist.

Yes, this person does exist.

If you could remember the way
that we were as a family...

if you woke up one day
and I was suddenly gone,

you would have to do the same thing.

- Do what?
- I have to get her back.

I have to get her back.

And the problem is that...

in the timeline that Amy existed,

you were sick... you were very...

you were very sick.

And I am gonna do everything
that I can to save you,

but time travel is super unpredictable,

and I don't know if
I'm gonna be able to,

so I just want to tell you that I...

I love you.

Oh, sweetheart.

Lucy, you won't lose me.

- I promise.
- [sobs]

Rittenhouse would never allow it.

[dark music]

♪ ♪

What?

Wh... wait, what? [stammers]

- What did you say?
- Rittenhouse...

would never allow you
to take the Lifeboat,

to make me sick...

all to get back some girl

that no one but you
knows or even cares about.

What are you talking about?

- How do you know the name Rittenhouse?
- No, no, no. Just listen.

Just listen.

How do you think I met your father?

We both come from good,

strong Rittenhouse families.

And that almost makes you royalty.

Sweetheart,

you've made me so proud.

You've made everybody so proud.

You have such...

such an incredible future.

And as we speak,

Rittenhouse has an
operative on the Mothership,

and soon they will control everything.

The past and the present...

the future.

And together...

we will change history.

♪ ♪