Simon and Eugene discuss whether and when the show needs to break its own temporal formula, what the advantage might be of having supper in Holly’s time machine, and the effect of temporal physics on the doctrine of act and omission.
Episode Synopsis
Holly Turner is giving a speech at the Institute of Time where she is discussing The Chronology Protection Hypothesis first put forward by Stephen Hawking. Holly maintains that the hypothesis is correct: You can’t rewrite history. Not one line!
Her speech is well-received, but of course, it’s all nonsense because time travel isn’t possible, despite the amazing work her father did in the past.
And then she sees the news. Jeff Slade has been shot by a man named Crowley and is in critical condition awaiting emergency surgery. She finds out when he was shot and uses the time machine to go back and, presumably, prevent Slade from being shot. It’s her day off to be at the Institute of Time, so it doesn’t raise too many eyebrows when she arrives looking for Slade.
Slade has been assigned to a high-profile murder of a famous artist. The only two immediate suspects are the artist’s ex-wife, currently embroiled in an acrimonious legal battle for money, and his art dealer, Levenson.
Holly shows up and wants to tag along, but when she refuses to let Slade use the time machine, he grows suspicious, but he allows her to accompany him anyway.
They visit the ex-wife, and she claims not to have killed him, pointing a finger at Levenson. Holly questions her about Crowley, a name unassociated with this case and unknown to Slade, his suspicions are aroused even further.
Slade spots the time watch on Holly’s wrist and calls the Institute of Time, learning that she’s still there. He confronts her, and eventually, she tells him he’ll be shot at 6:00 PM today by Crowley.
They visit Levenson, who claims to have no further stake in the artist, and he, too, has never heard of Crowley. Outside the store, Holly spots Crowley from the mug shot shown on TV. Slade gives chase, but he escapes.
Now, Slade is going after Crowley. First, he breaks into his apartment but finds nothing connecting him to the murdered artist. Crowley returns, so Slade arrests him. He can have him held for 24 hours without charging him, that will keep Slade safe, and time will be changed.
Morris and the Chief Inspector have had a break in the case. They found threatening letters from the ex-wife, and a search of her place finds blood-stained clothing and a painting stolen from the crime scene. They arrest her, but when they find Slade has arrested someone else with no apparent cause, they let him loose.
Crowley, a career criminal and not the brightest firefly in the swarm, immediately proceeds with his completely unrelated plan to rob a jeweler that just happens to be next door to Levenson’s art dealership. Slade and Holly, also nearby, hear gunshots and rush to the scene just as Crowley tries to escape into Levenson’s shop, taking him and a family hostage.
Seeing Slade outside, he demands that Slade be the officer that comes in to negotiate… as the clock ticks inexorably toward 6:00 PM. Slade cannot refuse, and he sends Holly back to the time machine.
Inside, Slade gets the jump on Crowley, killing him, only to have Levenson shoot Slade because it’s been exposed that he’s hiding the artist’s painting, which have vastly increased in value now that Levenson murdered him.
Holly synchronizes with the present and rushes to the hospital just in time to see Levenson trying to finish off Slade. Slade, however, isn’t actually hurt and jumps Levenson, subduing him.
It was all a ruse to get hard evidence on Levenson… I mean, apart from the hard evidence of actually telling Slade, a police officer, that he did the murder and had the paintings, and then shot said police officer to cover it up, thinking him dead, but he was wrong, then lying about what happened to a police investigation.
The Chronology Protection Hypothesis has been proven once again.
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