Timeless Review: The Darlington 500 (Season 2 Episode 2)

Lucy, Rufus, and Wyatt race (literally) to stop a Rittenhouse bomb in 1955 on Timeless Season 2 Episode 2, “The Darlington 500.”

First, let’s start with Wyatt who is at the center of the main plot thanks to his love of stock car racing and prowess at vintage (for him!) auto-mechanics.

As an aside, I grew up about an hour away from Darlington, SC. My Dad still records the main race every week and I once spent a summer helping my grandmother catalog her extensive collection of Nascar memorabilia. Wyatt’s excitement at experiencing racing history first-hand is both fun to see for the character and also gave me some seriously nostalgic feels!

Matt Lanter does such a good job expressing Wyatt’s enthusiasm it is contagious for viewers and makes his initial interactions with Wendell Scott even more fun to watch. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this episode is seeing Wyatt and Wendell develop a bit of a bromance over cars, fast driving, and running moonshine.

Wyatt out-driving the police with an armed bomb in the trunk feels like a bonkers mash-up of the movie Speed and an old-school Dukes of Hazzard episode, but it works!

The writers are also clearly wasting no time building up Wyatt and Lucy’s romance this season. Therefore, it cannot be a coincidence this episode flips the focus from the relationship between Lucy and her Mother on Timeless Season 2 Episode 1, “The War to End All Wars” to Wyatt and his troubled background with his father.

Previously, Lucy connected with Irene Curie to discuss her parental problems and now Wyatt does the same with Wendell Scott. This is a nice complimentary storyline that gives viewers more background on Wyatt’s character while also making him the ideal person to offer advice and emotional support to Lucy, which then further solidifies their growing connection.

Add all those feels together with a dash of being stuck in close quarters and you get delicious, tension-filled moments where Lucy and Wyatt discuss their family issues, do a bit of face-stroking, and nearly end up kissing.

*Re-watches scene*

*fans self*

Ahem, where were we?

Right. Stop clockblocking Wyatt and Lucy, show! They lurve each other and we need them to make out already.

Moving on!

Once again, Timeless deftly intertwines issues of race into its plot without it overtaking the story or even coming across as too much like an after-school special. Moments such as Rufus being pushed by a white racetrack attendant and Wendell Scott stopping a group of white men from sabotaging his car tells viewers all they need to know about what life is like for African-Americans in 1955 Darlington, SC.

Rufus attempting to give “the nod” to Wendell and the racing legend being totally perplexed by it is incredibly funny. Their conversation in Wendell’s car (while Lucy and Wyatt are in the trunk!) is nicely done and I really like that Rufus seems to learn something from his interactions with Wendell.

When the historical experiences of African-Americans are featured in films and television characters are too often portrayed as victims and/or put-upon individuals who are left to suffer under the poor and unfair conditions they live in. This is not to say African-Americans and other minorities did not suffer tremendous hardships and terrible treatment, but that was not the sum total of their existence or who they were as individuals.

Unfortunately, the trend to often portray them that way can lead to people in the present viewing minorities from the past through this lens.

I think we are seeing that play out a little bit with how Rufus, Lucy, and Wyatt respond to Wendell repeating his goal to one day be a competitive Nascar driver who wins races. They seem to be skeptical of Wendell’s prospects and to even pity him a little for the future they know awaits him.

However, Timeless’ Wendell Scott as written and performed is no victim. His character is given agency and a strong sense of self. As he expresses to Rufus, Lucy, and Wyatt, he is aware he’ll never be allowed to officially win a race but that isn’t going to stop him from succeeding.

Although Timeless does not attempt to minimize Wendell Scott’s unfair treatment, the show does not appear to want the charcters or viewers to feel pity for him either. Instead, Timeless is saying we should feel proud of his accomplishments in spite of the difficulties he faces.

Lightning Round Wrap-Up

Wyatt’s complaint about his 1955 clothing feels like a call-back to Lucy’s comments in the pilot. Although, I find it unfair the characters keep critiquing the historical accuracy of their clothing before I get a chance to.

Also, the writers are really clever to make it a plot point that the team’s resources are minimal, meaning wardrobe accuracy will likely not be 100%. I guess that means I can’t nitpick the outfits going forward. Boo!

Garcia Flynn remembering a random address he found on a Rittenhouse agent is a bit of clunky exposition, but I’ll let it slide since I love almost everything else about this episode.

Yikes, all the southern accents on the bit players were awful.

Both Connor and Agent Christopher made a few poor choices in this episode. No doubt, they will come back to bite at the worst possible time.

Poor Jiya! I really like how the director shot her visions to feel genuinely alarming and scary. It’s very easy to understand how freaked out she must be.

I just realized Lucy’s cray-cray great grandfather and Rittenhouse leader is being played by Alexis Bledel’s love interest from the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants. That’s weird. I wish I could un-know that now.

 

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Timeless airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC.

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