Timeless S1E2: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Hawk and I have been slowly watching through episodes of the streaming TV series Timeless that originally aired in 2016-2018. We're not bingeing it; we're watching a couple of episodes a week. Though mostly that's because I've been so busy with work the past several weeks that when I wind down in the evenings I want to do something higher value than watch TV or feel I need to catch up on something else. We've actually watched the first six episodes at this point though my blog, as always is lagging behind— one of those things I'm perpetually trying to catch up on. Here are some thoughts about episode 2, "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln".



The show is settling into a groove of the "Mission of the week" format. In this format each episode tells, and completes, an individual story. It's not completely episodic, though, like comedies that follow the similar "Funny thing that happens this week" format. There are clear, long running story arcs here about the main characters gradually puzzling out what their opponent is up to, gradually learning what their own sponsors are up to, and revealing bits about themselves.

In "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln" the story-within-a-story, the mission of the week, has the characters time-porting back to April 14, 1865, the day when President Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Anyone who's taken an American history class knows the one-line summary: President Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth, a marginal actor angry over the Confederacy's loss in the Civil War. The episode's plot is a cat-and-mouse game where the protagonists are trying to figure out what the villain is trying to change about history. ...And, to a lesser extent, though this one of the long story arcs, why.

Early in the episode I figured the story is about the villain trying to do one of three things:

1. Actually stop the assassination from happening, a surprise move that contradicts the heroes' assumptions and what the show has telegraphed so far, but would be an interesting twist revealing a far more complex set of goals on the part of the villain;


2. Ensure the assassination happens as we know it, for there's a role-reversal in which the heroes or some third party are actually wrecking history and the "villain" is trying to preserve it; or


3. Broaden the assassination by helping Booth and his murky conspirators kill other key government leaders, triggering a major governmental crisis and something akin to a coup.

Pretty much right off I discarded ideas 1 and 2 as too clever. The writers of this show are telegraphing so clearly it's like they're speaking to the camera. I don't expect big twists from them after they've already drawn so many straight lines.

( Episode spoiler. Tap to read... )

It's interesting how this show handles the Time Travel Paradox— how it resolves what happens to characters from/in the present day when the past is changed. I'll write more about this in a separate blog.

Rao's Calabrian Chili Marinara Sauce - Costco Trifecta

A few weeks ago I read in one of my usual haunts on FlyerTalk.com about a new (to me) variety of Rao's pasta sauce. Rao's basic marinara sauce has been a fan favorite among Costco fans for quite some time. I've tried it myself and have been... underwhelmed.

"It tastes like a basic marinara sauce I'd make myself," I lamented to the fan group.

"Yes, that's the entire point!" they assured me. "It's the most like homemade!!11!"

But here's the thing.... For 3x the price of other brands of jarred sauce at Costco, I'd rather actually make homemade. Making marinara sauce isn't even hard.

Thus I was skeptical about this newly available variety, Rao's Homemade Calabrian Chili Marinara. But I have a rule about food: don't hate it 'til you try it.



By the way, Rao's Calabrian Chili variety is even more expensive than their basic stuff. Ounce for ounce this stuff comes out to almost 4x the price of Prego or Classico marinara sauce when Costco has it on sale.

But how did it taste?



I tried it first with a basic pasta. In the bowl (photo above) are gemelli noodles, Rao's Calabrian sauce, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Curious this is a Costco trifecta. The pasta, sauce, and cheese are all from Costco! (The bread with garlic and melted mozzarella cheese you see in the opposite corner is pretty much all ingredients bought at Safeway.)

I've got to say, for all the ambivalence I have about Rao's basic marinara sauce, I am impressed by how good their Calabrian marinara tastes. The Calabrian chilies have a nice, medium-low spice burn. They don't bite at all upfront but provide a nice, sustained heat. Underneath that the sauce has a brighter tomato flavor than Rao's basic variety. I like that aspect of it, too.

As I write this I've now had 4 or 5 dinners with Rao's Calabrian marinara. So far the simplest is the best. After trying it with spinach and cheese ravioli (also bought at Costco!) I've come back to basic pasta garnished with Parmesan cheese.