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TV Review: Travelers

February 8, 2017 - - -

Travelers

Netflix has been doing a phenomenal job recently with their orignal content. The Marvel series are very good, The OA was entertaining if odd, and Stranger Things was the best television I've seen in years. Recently, we just finished watching the first season of a Netflix original show called Travelers. It's pretty good.

The show's premise sounds like Quantum Leap mixed with The 4400 and Freejack - teams of people are jumping back in time into the bodies of 21st-century individuals who are seconds from death. They then prevent the imminent death and end up in the body of someone whose absence couldn't possibly affect the future via butterfly effect, since that person was supposed to die. The teams then gather and go on-mission... to save the future!

Many centuries into the future, the Earth's population has dwindled to almost nothing -- but the survivors have discovered the key to time travel. Desperate to save humanity, a group enters the 21st century on a mission to avert disaster.

I started watching with modest expectations, but the show grew on me. One character is a 17-year-old kid -- at least, his body is. The personality in him is probably over 100 years old, although it's never specifically stated. The actor does a great job playing a very mature character in a kid's body. Another of my favorites is the social worker, who's great comic relief.

The plot went back and forth and had a few really interesting moments. It's not without holes, but the last episode brought the show in a very 4400 direction that really intrigues me. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they do with season two.