“The Miracle of Christmas Part I” is the first part of the two-part series finale of Timeless, though it is also shown as a feature-length episode.
The series got cancelled – again – before season three, but this two-part episode was done to wrap things up. Lucy is writing in her journal, saying she has to remember there was a time before all this happened. She had a mother she trusted and a sister she adored. Then time travel happened. She says that Rufus is dead but there has to be some way to get back what they lost, save the people they love and make everything right. It’s all up to the reader now. They have to change history.
The writer is the Lucy who arrived with Wyatt, in a shiny lifeboat next to their old junker in the bunker, at the end of the season two finale, “Chinatown”. They are from 2023. Connor asks how they are here in their own timeline. The side-effects alone. Future Lucy says they are not immune and Future Wyatt says they don’t have much time. They had no choice. They need Rufus to stop Rittenhouse. She hands the journal over, then gets affected by a headache. They have to go. Wyatt tells Past Them to take the lifeboat Future Them arrived in. Upgrades.
Emma, who killed Lucy’s mother and Keynes in the previous episode, is telling Rittenhouse that they are doing it her way now. No bloodlines, no cult. If that’s why they’re here, walk away. One foolishly does and gets shot in the back. Emma says they need to take our Lucy and her team and Jessica is to pay a visit to their last sleeper.
Lucy and Wyatt are looking through Future Lucy’s journal and Jiya is gushing over the upgraded lifeboat. Joya wants to head back and save Rufus. Connor tells them that going back into their own timelines is dangerous. For all they know, that might have been Future Lucy’s only trip. Flynn says it wasn’t. She came to see him before this all began. Connor says that going back into your own timelines results in pain, insanity then death. Joya is still willing to risk it to save Rufus.
Lucy and Wyatt have discovered that she and Flynn apparently got together. Wyatt gives her some privacy and bumps into Jiya. They have found things, but nothing about Rufus yet. He gives Jiya a present Rufus bought for her in 1981. A Rubik’s Cube.
The alarm goes for January 28, 1848, near Sacramento. Four days before gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. They want to ignore Rittenhouse and go after Rufus, but Christopher convinces them to go. The lifeboat also has autopilot.
When they arrive, Lucy has a go at a man who whistled at her. They don’t see many women, especially pretty ones. Other than the redhead and the blonde. Who didn’t leave straight for the mill. There are wanted posters for all four of them.
Jiya and Lucy are now dressed as men, as that’s less obvious, and they have horses. Lucy talks to Flynn when they stop. He never mentioned them getting together. He didn’t really think it would happen, as he’s not her type. And he nearly killed her a bunch of times. Flynn says the affair ended badly, because her heart belonged to another.
Then the people they stole the horses from arrive. Lucy knows who the leader is; Joaquín Murrieta Carrillo. Guns are drawn by everyone as Carrillo says he will save the bother of them being hung for stealing horses. Lucy points out that the horses are already stolen and Wyatt says they can start shooting and see who wins. But Carrillo won’t know where the gold is then. If they can borrow the horses a bit longer, they will lead him to the gold. This is agreed, and Lucy tells Wyatt that Carrillo is one origin for Zorro.
Jessica has arrived at Sutter’s Mill, where the sleeper has a pail of gold. She takes it from him, though he isn’t entirely willing to hand it over.
Flynn is talking to Carrillo about what happened to the latter. Carrillo’s brother was killed, his wife violated. Now he plans to kill them all. Flynn understands. Really, he does. His family were killed and he did it Carrillo’s way. It didn’t work. You become the people you are after.
Wyatt is reading the journal. He says that Jessica is the reason Rufus is dead. Rittenhouse used Jessica to distract him. To save Rufus, he needs to take Jessica out of the timeline. He will do it and make sure she never sets foot inside the bunker. Everyone but Flynn says they will help. Because Flynn has a different plan.
Christopher wants to destroy the time machines after this is done. Connor, using the atomic bomb as an example, says that someone will build another. And if they destroy theirs, they will have no way of stopping them.
A cliff-hanger ending leading into the series finale, “The Miracle of Christmas Part II”.