Timeless Review: The Watergate Tape (Season 1 Episode 6)

While this show is still far from being perfect, Timeless Season 1 Episode 6, “The Watergate Tape” is certainly an extremely promising step in the right direction.

This week, the series successfully takes steps toward becoming an interesting, intriguing show worth watching. These little intricate plot twists finally seem to have some meaning this week as they manage to make revelations that the show desperately needed to keep viewers interested.

Up until now, this show has seemed hollow and without any real purpose. It has been mindless entertainment and, while that may make for a fun way to kill some time, it really doesn’t grab a viewers attention. This week is by far the most intriguing and interesting episode to date, even if it may not be the most fun.

This episode makes you think.

On top of that, the revelations made on “The Watergate Tape” serve to interweave the trio’s adventures throughout history with this Rittenhouse plotline that the series has been unsuccessfully trying to make take flight and grab hold of their audience.

This episode marks the very first time anyone cares at all about what Rittenhouse is, what they want, and how their mission pertains to Garcia Flynn and these historical events that he is tampering with.

It also marks the first time Flynn himself shows any promise as a three dimensional villain who is there to do more than just brood and repeatedly deliver cryptic, grumpy remarks. This week, Flynn gets far more screen time to show a little bit more of who he is as a character, what motivates him, and we finally see a bit of personality shine through — and we like what we see.

He definitely deserves to play a more substantial role in the episodes to come, because he’s set up to be one of the more interesting characters on this show.

However, where Garcia Flynn shows promise as a villain, Benjamin Cahill is almost laughable as the face of the mysterious Rittenhouse.

It’s difficult to pinpoint just what it is about him, but he simply is not intimidating in the slightest. His threats fall completely flat. He is not a frightening man by any means, and then, as the cherry on top of the underwhelming sundae, there is a line he delivers to close the episode that just sounds a little bit ridiculous coming from him:

“Guess who just showed up at my house?”

…Really?

Perhaps, like most other aspects of this show, Cahill just needs more screen time to show us what he’s made of.

But, as of now, it kind of looks like he’s made of tin. Or very cheap plastic.

He just is not nearly as intimidating as they want him to be.

All in all, however, this episode is a massive success when compared to the rest of the series thus far, and I sincerely hope that they continue to move in this more plot-heavy direction, rather than revert back taking the route of mindless, yet fun, action.

What did you think of this episode of Timeless? Let me know in the comments below!

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

Timeless airs Monday, 10/9c on NBC.