12 Monkeys Postmortem: Kirk Acevedo and Travis Fickett on Ramse’s Path, Plus Exclusive First Look at Next Week

12 Monkeys
Ken Woroner/Syfy
12 Monkeys

Spoiler Alert: Stop reading if you have not yet watched Friday’s episode of 12 Monkeys!

As James Cole (Aaron Stanford) keeps jumping through time trying to stop the virus that causes the apocalyptic world he calls home, his bestie has chosen a new, dangerous, complicated path. In this week’s episode of Syfy’s 12 Monkeys, Ramse (Kirk Acevedo) proves he’s willing to do anything to protect the future that ensures his son Sam will exist in 2043… even kill Cole. Incarcerated in 1987, Ramse’s become a new man, with new mysterious friends, and perhaps Cole’s most dangerous enemy. Here in 12 questions 12 Monkeys executive producer Travis Fickett and Acevedo take turns sharing insights into a character with depths we’re just beginning to see.

At what point did you know Ramse was going to get a chance to splinter? Was it something you’d hoped for him to do?
Acevedo:
I didn’t have the luxury of knowing where the character Ramse would be going during the whole season’s arc. I was only informed as I read the scripts week to week.

How did you prepare at first for such an all-encompassing motivation of protecting everyone and what was it like shifting to this new personal one of protecting just one person?
Acevedo: I really just use my imagination and then serve the story.

Ramse and Cole have been through a lot together. Did you and Aaron Stanford do anything off-screen to secure that onscreen bond? And did you do anything to break it down as your characters became true adversaries?
Acevedo: [Laughs] No I didn’t do anything special. I just responded to the conditions and circumstances of the story. Just tried to live in those moments honestly.

12 Monkeys
Syfy

Were you surprised that Ramse chose to go directly against Cole?
Acevedo:
No that’s more fun to play.

In stopping Cole from escaping from jail in 2041 so he had to work with Dr. Jones, Ramse showed a sort of trust and hope in the mission. Do you think he has a similar trust and hope when the mysterious letters start coming to him in prison in 1987? Or is something different going on there?
Fickett: It’s definitely different. I wouldn’t call it trust or hope—but an understanding that he’s part of something strange because of the time travel. Ramse is smart enough to know there are forces at work that are beyond him. But I wouldn’t call it trust or hope—but he does see an opportunity.

Ramse seems to go through a major change in prison that culminates with his confronting his attacker. What do you think has really changed for him?
Acevedo:
Obviously I have a son now and that’s a powerful motivation. Ramse is very much altered by knowing that he has someone worth fighting for.

Olivia says to Ramse that he’s now who he needs to be. What do you think Ramse believes that means?
Fickett:
It means that Ramse can now find out more. Ramse has no interest in helping the 12 Monkeys or joining them—he sees a chance to protect his son’s future and get home. He’s not a true believer or a joiner. That’s not who he is.

Ramse has decided to help bring about the end of the world as we know it. What’s going through his mind when he hears the outbreak has begun?
Acevedo:
I don’t know because I was born in the future.

Do you think seeing the effects of the plague firsthand the way Cole has would make Ramse regret anything?
Acevedo:
No. That’s already happened.

Do you think Ramse sees himself being able to reunite with his son someday or do you think he’s just doing this purely to make sure his son can exist at all.
Acevedo: He wants his son to exist. Having a life with his son is probably too much to ever hope for. But he wants his son to live.

Would you consider Ramse a hero or a bad guy, especially given his recent actions?
Acevedo:
I think he’s just trying to survive and have his son exist. I don’t think he stops to consider the hero/villain aspect of it all.

The Pallid man assures Ramse that his future is his own. Do you think that’s true?
Acevedo:
Hmmm… Well actually only the writers know if Ramse’s future is his own. I think Ramse knows the writing on the wall looks grim whichever ways these scenarios play out.


So what the heck’s next? Can’t wait for next week’s episode? Here’s a sneak peek at some serious Cole drama: