Watch 'Downton Abbey' Star Brendan Coyle Make His Debut on '12 Monkeys'

As one of the downstairs servants who kept Downton Abbey running through some of the early 20th century’s more seismic changes, Brendan Coyle — who played steadfast valet Mr. Bates — knew to be hyper-aware of the future and how it would alter life as he knew it. That skill set should come in handy for the actor’s newest role on the Syfy time-traveling cult favorite 12 Monkeys, where the main characters bounce back and forth between 2016 and an apocalyptic 2043. Coyle guest stars in the show’s sophomore season premiere, debuting Apr. 18, as ex-bioengineer Dr. Benjamin Kalman, who was instrumental in creating the virus that transforms Earth into a desolate wasteland decades hence.

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This exclusive clip reveals Kalman’s first appearance in the show’s present day continuity, warning a roomful of college students about the dangers of “tampering” with bioengineering. As his lecture winds down he’s approached by time-skipper James Cole (Aaron Stanford), who tries to pull him back in to a life he left behind. “I just become a different man — better,” he insists emphatically. We’ll have to wait and see how the oncoming future puts that resolve to the test.

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12 Monkeys premieres on Apr. 18 at 9 p.m. on Syfy