#timeless review

[jbuffyangel]

Timeless 2x11 Reaction: “The Miracle of Christmas Part 1 and 2″

And thus Timeless is officially over. How did the writers fair with the series finale aka The Timeless movie? Pretty freakin’ fantastic.

Let’s dig in...

It’s been several months between Timeless’ Season 2 finale and their series finale tonight, so the writers wisely include a “Previously on Timeless.” We flashback to all their adventures while Unhappy Future Lucy (who looks a little scary if I’m being honest) narrates. It helps because I seriously forgot her mother is dead. (They kill Susanna Thompson on every damn show!)

The beginning is a little jarring because storylines I expected to happen in a season or two are all happening RIGHT NOW. My brain needs time to downshift, but I eventually adjust.

First things first - dealing with the third point in the love triangle, Garcia Flynn. Timeless isn’t interested in drawing out the shipper war because Wyatt and Lucy are kind of a mess. They require some screen time so they are fixed in a realistic manner. 

Scary Future Lucy gives Present Day Lucy and Wyatt her diary. Spoiler alert: Lucy hooks up with Flynn. Spoiler alert: They break up sometime down the road because she is really in love with Wyatt. They play out Lucy and Flynn’s entire relationship in under 3 minutes. I’m not joking when I say they breeze through three to four seasons worth of triangle.

I love Goran Visnjic, and while I adore Lucy and Wyatt, I was never opposed to Lucy and Flynn. I mean yeah he’s a murderer. That’s a real negative, but it’s friggin Goran Visnic. Have you seen this guy? He’s so hot. Where Dr. Luca goes so goes my nation.

Kidding aside, the writers convey the depth of Lucy and Flynn’s relationship with just a few lines, which is an impressive writing achievement. I love how Flynn is all “I can’t believe you date me because I tried to kill you a bunch of times.” HAHAHA. Classic. And true! Ah the joy of television romance. But it ain’t gonna be you Flynn, so mosey along big fella. 

Jessica is not pregnant. UGH. I HATED THIS STORYLINE SO MUCH. 

I appreciate the writers giving it a fast and hard death, but this is one of the ways I think Season 2 went wrong. Timeless is a show that defied the typical television tropes and that’s what made it so interesting in Season 1.  However, I think their Season 2 renewal, and desire to snare more viewers, created a “throw everything, but the kitchen sink” mentality. 

They used every romance trope they could think of in Season 2 to see what would stick. It was just... not good. I don’t blame Timeless anymore than I do any other show that does this (and it’s pretty much all of them). It was just disappointing to see the show move in this direction, when previously they’d been so good at avoiding those kinds of storylines.

Flynn sacrifices himself by going back to 2012 to kill Jessica, so Rufus never dies. REDEMPTION ARC BITCHES!!! YESSSS!! 

Seriously, he is so bad ass. Flynn puts a couple bullets in Jessica (plus one extra to be sure) after a ninja knockdown fight. He knows the effects of traveling to his own timeline will kill him... or something. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Then he watches 2012 Flynn with his beautiful and living family through a window before he dies. 

Flynn leaves a goodbye letter for Lucy that pretty much says he loves her, but he knows she loves Wyatt and he wants her to be happy. So yes, GARCIA FLYNN sacrifices himself for Rufus, ensures Lucy and Wyatt find the happy ending they deserve even though he is in love with Lucy, helps stop Rittenhouse and save the world. I AM SO EMO ABOUT MY BOY RIGHT NOW!

As for Lucy and Wyatt, they tiptoe around each other for most of the two hours. Wyatt thinks she ends up with Flynn and Lucy doesn’t want to be second choice. They are the only two who remember the Jessica history. Dear God, can we all forget too? Everyone is pretty much, “Why aren’t y’all together because y’all were together before and it was perfection?” So meta.

Wyatt almost dies in an explosion while delivering a baby during the fall of North Korea. Yes, you read that correctly. WYATT LOGAN IS HERE TO SAVE NATIONS AND DELIVER BABIES!

Lucy realizes she almost lost Wyatt and they are wasting time worrying about the past. 

This part of the finale feels really predictable to me. There’s no way they are killing off Wyatt, especially after Flynn dies. Lyatt is endgame, so the two characters dancing around it for so long feels like prolonging the inevitable.

“After that explosion I thought you were dead. And for a moment I saw my whole life without you and my world ended Wyatt.”

But damn though, what a speech Lucy gives him. 

Honestly, it is slightly annoying she did most of the talking because Wyatt is the one who screwed up. At least he offers up a “I wanted to pick you Lucy, but I felt I owed Jessica because she was my baby mama” explanation. Of course, we all knew this. 

Lucy accepts Wyatt’s “I am a big pine tree” explanation because facts. Things really get cooking with some Lyatt mistletoe kissing. 

Source:  sisterzelda

Ah, a time honored holiday trope I will never grow tired of. Then they have sex

BUT CUT AWAY TOO SOON! Boo NBC!

Rufus is alive, but doesn’t remember being dead. Jiya remembers Rufus being dead, but he doesn’t remember Jiya living in Chinatown for three years in the 1800s. I think. 

Jiya is concerned she’s no longer the woman Rufus fell in love with (re: see three years of trauma). I argue Rufus fell in love with a bad ass and Jiya is still most certainly one. It is frustrating how quickly they had to go through her physical and emotional trauma from Chinatown. Ugh, this is some seriously important drama that could have been a multiple season deep dive. Stupid cancellation.

Rufus and Jiya realize they are still perfect for each other, because they are perfect for each other. They start a company together and become billionaires saving the world. Jiya’s hair color is extremely pretty in the final scenes too. I feel this is very important detail to include. I heart them. 

Source:  katie-mcgraths

Lucy and Wyatt discuss how they don’t want to become scary Lucy and Wyatt from the future and THEY DON’T BECAUSE OF FLYNN. They get married, Wyatt works for Agent Christopher on special projects, and Lucy is a tenured history professor who focuses on important historical women. BECAUSE THERE AIN’T NO TIME FOR THE MEN! That’s right fellas. Drink your tea and wait your turn.

Unfortunately, Lucy is not able to get her sister Amy back. She gives an poignant speech about grief and loss, which could be the show’s mission statement. This is how you write a series finale:

"Everybody loses someone they love. And no matter how badly they want to they can't get them back. In spite of that they find a way to go on. That's everyone's history." 

What connects all of time is our humanity. We are born. We live. We love. We suffer grief, pain and loss. We find joy. We endure. This is the thread century after century. In the end, we aren’t so different after all. 

THEN LUCY AND WYATT GET MARRIED 

Source: @splitscreen

AND HAVE TWIN GIRLS NAMED FLYNN AND AMY. 

Source: @splitscreen​

ALERT!!!!!!!!!! MULTIPLES CONCEIVED! IT IS THE DREAM! EVERYTHING IS AMAZING!!!! 

The final scene is 2023 Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus traveling to 2014 to tell Garcia Flynn about the time machine. Lucy tells Flynn he doesn’t lose his humanity even though he never gets his family back. He is the hero the team and the world needs in the end. It connects the beginning and end of Timeless so seamlessly. This was probably always going to be the bookend. I just wish we had a few more seasons in between it.

They hint at a future time machine being invented by a young girl Rufus took an interest in at the science fair. The morality of the time machine is debated between Agent Christopher and Connor. She wants to destroy it, but Connor argues they need to keep it so they can stop others from abusing its power. You can’t un-invent something. Someone sooner or later will create the same technology Connor and Rufus did. They have a responsibility to make sure time travel is not abused and another Rittenhouse does not rise. So, the time machine is kept, covered, guarded and waiting.

Do I think we’ll see a resurrected Timeless about this girl and her time machine? No. I don’t. This is the last stop on the Timeless train and, while it was a wonderful ride, it is over. Actors are released from contracts. Writers, producers, crew, etc have all moved on to other gigs. It’s a freaking miracle they even made the movie. (Apropos episode title).

Timeless approached the series finale the correct way, which is what’s important to me. They didn’t leave a bunch of loose ends. The world was saved and I saw all our beloved characters living their happy lives in peace. I need to know these characters are going to be okay, so I can say goodbye. 

Thank you Timeless for the insightful way you approached history, your cast of wonderful characters, humor and unflinching honesty. I look forward to the streaming deal so I can rewatch again and again.

Source:  yasmin-khan

Stray Thoughts

The finale is one EPIC Lucy speech after another. My girl runs this show.

Nobody was dressed appropriately for a North Korea winter. 

It looked like the mother threw her newborn into Wyatt’s arms as her son came running to her. LOL Nice catch, soldier.

"I've loved you since the Alamo." Girl is that ever right. 

Don't mock. Saint Christopher is for REAL. He has helped me out of many jams.

Hahaha. Wyatt said m'am. That's how you know it's the end.

[impendingfascination]

Timeless Series Finale Sends The Show Off Into The Future

It’s rare when a show is canceled that the writers get a chance to finish their story, so ‘Timeless: The Miracle of Christmas’ is a treat for fans.  The episode takes most, if not all, of the hanging strings of the series and ties them off in a nice package.  So nice that there doesn’t really seem by the ending to be anywhere else to go, which makes sense since the series is for now gone.  In the age of streaming though, where old is new and dead is reborn, it does feel like maybe they should have left one window open (other than a quick last minute glimpse at how the whole thing could start again.  That window should have been left closed). 

The problem with the episode is that so much of the drama relies on a bait and switch method.  You are left thinking a character is gone for good, only to find that they somehow avoided their fate.  It was the cliffhanger of season 1, with the team thinking that Lucy had been lost to history only to find she’d been saved by her mother and was unwillingly working for Rittenhouse.  It was the cliffhanger of this last season, with Rufus appearing to be dead and getting that death fairly quickly reversed when Flynn goes back in time and stops Jessica from being recruited into Rittenhouse.  It’s a device the writers love so much they can’t resist doing the same thing with Wyatt though thankfully his moment of supposed death is very brief.  Perhaps this method of storytelling wouldn’t be so intrusive in a series that has a longer timeline that ‘Timeless’ ended up with, but in the relatively short span of two years it ends up feeling overused.

As for the character wrap-ups, everyone ends up exactly where you knew they would end up.  The conclusion of Flynn feels like the most missed opportunity of the show though.  Actually pairing him with Lucy could have added a more epic feel to the series.  Even a reveal that the family he lost and was fighting for was a timeline version where Lucy was, in fact, his wife, paired with the 2023 Lucy telling the 2014 Flynn that no, he would never see his family again could have added a bit more impact than the final story had.  As for Wyatt and Lucy and Rufus and Jiya, there really isn’t much to tell about the conclusion of their stories.  Fans would have likely stormed One Rockefeller Center protesting that the episode be rewritten and reshot if it had gone any other way.  Or at the very least sent a terse text with a sad face and crying emoji.

Rittenhouse feels the most underserved at the end of the ‘Timeless’ run.  What started off as a shadowy organization manipulating time for not entirely clear reasons ends up as one greedy person getting a treasure.   This could have been a good place to use a bait and switch but instead, it almost feels like a plot hole.  A scene of Lucy and her father having a conversation could have fixed this, and probably still would have left enough time for the overly long and completely unnecessary series montage that happens in what feels like the middle of the episode.  

Still, for an episode that gets the not-so-fun job and ending a series, ‘A Christmas Miracle’ performs well.  Sure, there are nit-picky things that would have been nice to have, but nothing that completely derails the show.  Some of the character through lines are a bit underserved but I’m sure the writers had bigger plans that didn’t fit within the second season and final episode.  And who knows.  There is just enough fan interest that we may eventually see a return to the show.

[the-suriel-deserved-better]

Genuine Thoughts On Timeless Season 2 So Far

Since Timeless is on a two-week hiatus (how will I cope) I’ve decided to do a genuine review of the series, looking at everything with as open a mind as possible.

Character Arcs and Developments:

Rufus is really a character who has grown so much since the pilot. When we first met him, he was scared shitless. 

He didn’t want to travel back to any time period for obvious reasons. And yet now we see him trying to help Wyatt in fights. He captains the Lifeboat with a renewed confidence. He’s adapted and become a better version of himself who is better able to handle the situations of the past without freaking out and yet still keeping his loveable, charming, witty personality. (10/10)

Wyatt is developing into a character with a more intricate backstory. He’s slowly letting his walls come down around the team and building bonds with those around him. We see that despite an abusive father, a dark past and a morally grey personality, he is still an understandable, likeable character. As we learn more about him, and his morally grey outlook we see a character that resembles people we know in real life.

His emotional growth is also well worth noting. He has a deeper compassion for his teammates and is striving to remain a rock for them. We can see him trying to adapt this his situation, and despite his temper tantrums in 201 about getting Lucy back (and willing to risk everything to do so), I can’t fault him for very much. (8/10.)

Lucy has clearly developed as well. I still want to know what happened to her during those six weeks with her mother, because whatever went down has impacted her character and I hope the writers bring it up. (Maybe in 206 when Wyatt helps Mama Christopher infiltrate a suspected Rittenhouse base, we’ll learn more and get some Lyatt comfort when he goes to her about it.) Back to Lucy. She’s become more ruthless in hunting down Rittenhouse and after 203 I’ve a feeling she’s going to take more risks, become a little bit more ruthless with Flynn in the bunker who – I doubt – will stop her from taking down every member of Rittenhouse. A certain moral greyness has also entered her characteristics which I’m finding intriguing, especially after she shot that man and later admitted that she didn’t have to, she chose to, for a cause she didn’t even believe in and a loyalty she didn’t have to an organisation she despised. (9/10)

Flynn, oh boy is this going to be interesting. Since we haven’t seen much of his character at this point I’ve little to say except that I think he’s going to cause tensions to rise, be unafraid to point out the obvious and call people out on their bullshit while living with them in the bunker. (?/10)

I’m also starting to feel sympathy for Mason after 202 and yet, like Mama Christopher, I’m annoyed with him for risking everybody’s safety by attending that talk thing. We get to learn more about his character and the writers have managed to make me feel compassion for him after he lost everything. It’s been an impressive feat and because of this, I’m enjoying watching his character grow and develop. (8/10)

Jiya is a character I’m concerned about, but I’ve a feeling she’ll become a stronger plot device in the upcoming episodes. I think she’s become more fleshed out and still managed to remain her own character and not be seen purely as a love interest for Rufus which is always a risk within shows like these. (8/10)

Relationships Between Characters:

Let’s start with the obvious thing. Lyatt. I am a shipper of this ship and I love it. Yes, there are aspects I’m not okay with it. Mainly how fast they moved from being cockblocked and not having shared a kiss beside 109, to now having sex only to be put into rough waters with the return of Jessica.

I think the writers know what they’re doing but I hate love triangles. I find them childish and simply an easy route to creating tension and angst between a ship without having to put too much thought into how to do so. I would much prefer if Jessica had been left alone forever, but I won’t comment too much until I learn more about the who, what, where, why and how of her character.

One main point I have to make is that I think the writers will have to be careful about the amount of Lyatt they put in. A lot of viewers are here for the history stuff first and the romance second if at all. I personally enjoy learning about every nook and cranny in our history, Lyatt, Riya and any further ships are just an added bonus.

Of course, I understand that unlike in season one the writers only have 10 episodes and not 16 which means they’re trying to get as much done as soon as possible. I appreciate it but what happens if we get a season 3?  (8/10)

Speaking of Riya. I’ve no worries that they’ll be okay and it’s honestly a relief to have them so concrete. I almost wish Lyatt was done in a similar fashion, with them simply having small, quiet moments like that forehead kiss in 203 which don’t distract from or take over the main plot and just add to it. I.e. more of how it was done in season one. I don’t think Jiya’s visions are only going to bring the two of them closer together and not drive them apart. As it is at this moment, I think Riya is here to stay and I am here for that. (10/10)

As for platonic relationships, and other ones, Flynn plays a big role in all of them.

I am not a Garcy shipper and based on what I’ve heard, I don’t think I have reasons to start getting involved in that boat. However, I am living for them to form a friendship. I think they’ll bring out different sides of each other. I.e. a more ruthless side to Lucy and possibly a more understanding side to Flynn. (?/10)

Flynn and Rufus will be interesting simply because Flynn almost killed Rufus and Rufus isn’t about to forget that. (?/10)

And, of course, Flynn and Wyatt. These two will clash heads (and maybe fists) this season. As far as I’m aware, Goran has confirmed they have a very uneasy relationship which could lead to a physical fight, but don’t quote me on this. As mentioned above, I think Flynn will call out a lot of bullshit, and I think he’ll do this the most with Wyatt after the whole Jessica thing and Lucy being left heartbroken. This, without a shadow of a doubt, is something I most excited to see. (10/10 regardless of what happens)

Plot and Plot Devices:

I am enjoying the sleeper agents idea, but I think it needs to made into something more serious very soon before it gets boring. The idea that some of them don’t want to leave the past is something I’m noting and has left me wondering how big a part it will play in the season finale. (7.5/10)

Lucy’s Diary isn’t as prevalent a theme as I feel it should be, but knowing our questions will be answered about it and how exactly Lucy gave it to him has me relived and unworried – for now. (7.5/10)

Emma. This is a big thing my mind is mulling over. I’m not sure which team she is playing for. Rittenhouse, herself or something else entirely. My eyes are focused on her because there is no way in hell her character arc is as simple as being a Rittenhouse villain. (9/10)

Overall though, I’m worried about the strength of the plot. It is still good, and it is still engaging but I think we’ve all been focused a bit too much on the Lucy and Wyatt of it all and it’s not a bad thing, but Timeless isn’t a love show, it’s a historical show and if Lyatt keeps taking priority in people’s minds, season two won’t succeed the way season one did. (8/10)

Will It Get Renewed?

If I was basing this answer simply on live views and nothing else but how many people watched… I’d say no. I’d say that the live views are decreasing every episode and that, unless they surge upwards again during 204, we should prepare for the worst.

But I’m not basing it off that, and I don’t think NBC is either (and if they are, the shouldn’t). Timeless has been getting excellent critical acclaim. It still has the potential it had in season one. It is engaging, and it is something for everyone.

Also, the +3 day viewings are really impacting on the show. It is almost doubling, if not doubling, the live views. And the +7 day viewings, regardless of it they’re being counted or not, are even better, bringing the views to over 5 and a half million people. And as far as I’m aware, this isn’t including international views.

And let’s not forget that it trends, without fail, for hours after every episode.

I don’t want to be hopeful and I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up, but I think with a bit of willpower, a bit of work and a pinch of luck, we might get a season 3, and after that, who knows.

My Overall Thoughts:

Season two is better than season one. It still needs work in some areas, and having it only being 10 episodes long is truly impacting on it’s pacing. But I’m not giving up on it after everything we’ve been through as a fandom.

Lyatt could do with taking a leaf out of Riya’s book and be made more low key but with more focus given to small, intimate moments like a certain forehead kiss.The plot needs to be made ever so slightly more critical and “life” altering but for a show that was cancelled, brought back, given a slightly tighter budget, fewer episodes, a dreadful time slot and still working off Nilsen viewings (whatever in God’s name they are) it’s not doing too bad for itself.

There’s always going to be things fans will want to change, but, now is not the time to abandon the show to the wolves. Now is a time to come together as the fandom we once were, put aside any differences, and get Timeless renewed for a season three because there are thousands upon thousands of stories history has waiting for us to here.

[everythingtimeless]

Welcome to EverythingTimeless’ Weekly Roundtable, a sprawling discussion in which your friendly neighborhood Mod Time Team breaks down episodes of our favorite show, Timeless. We can’t promise to be coherent, but we’ll try our best. Lovely header gif courtesy of our pal @lady-demelza.

This week: Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot

Sarah: I think that we should first state that we are currently blogging this from what we consider the present: Wednesday, the 11th of July.

Ann: I hate to break it to you, Sarah. But it is actually the 12th of July.

Sarah: Well, I am in the past. Apparently. Changing it.

Ann: *Lucy screams in the distance*

Sarah: Can we call ourselves The Time Team? Time Team Part II?

Gissane: I like The Time Team Part II!

Ann: So I am actually just now rewatching the pilot (because if there is anything I excel at it's procrastination) and I still die over 2 things right off the bat: the cinematography of this show and MA'AM.

Sarah: That scene? With Lucy, Wyatt, and Kate silhouetted by the fire? Gorgeous.

Gissane: Agreed. It's STUNNING. And good grief, ma'am. Ma'am is everything.

Ann: Omg, for a minute I thought you were talking about /our/ Kate and I was VERY confused.

Kate: Ma'am forever and always. The little battles that Lucy and Wyatt have in that first episode create some great tension.

Ann: I swear she is a little happy when he gets time travel sick. And I appreciate that level of petty.

Sarah: Oh, definitely Ann. In retaliation for that self-satisfied look when she couldn't handle all of the seat belts. Surely.

Kate: He gets that same look when he tells he he needs her very modern bra.

Sarah: Perhaps we should start from the very beginning? I'm told it's the very best place to start.

Ann: The very best.

Kate: Maria Von Trapp was a wise woman.

Sarah: Lucy: First impressions.

Kate: Besides her phenomenal hair game? This woman is incredibly intelligent, but even better, she is witty. But Lucy in that classroom? All confident and full of facts. Leading lady swoon.

Sarah: Leading Lady Swoon™

Gissane: I loved Lucy's excitement! She puts so much heart into everything she does, and she is flat out perfect.

Ann: My first impression of Lucy was OH BUT I LIKE HER. She's a nerd through and through, in that she is hella passionate about history and is basically just Jazzed Beyond Belief about it all.

Sarah: I could definitely do with more of Professor Preston.

Kate: And having trouble with the establishment bros getting tenure? I was indignant on her behalf. But it leads nicely into her struggle to start her own legacy or fulfill her mother's. Which I think if you juxtapose with the last episode makes you go DAYUM.

Gissane: Amen to that, Kate!

Sarah: Definitely, Kate. But is also makes her intelligence and success working as part of the Time Team more satisfying. She's the fricking best.

Kate: She really is.

Gissane: Lucy was so easy to love from the moment she was on screen. Maybe it's because Abigail Spencer is a brilliant gorgeous unicorn, but she just had so much personality.

Ann: It's funny rewatching this after so long, and after being such a fan of everything about it, how different they all were at the beginning. It's like as much as I loved Lucy from the get-go, I did NOT like Wyatt.

Kate: So true. They became such a cohesive and indivisible unit i was hard to go back and see them before.

Sarah: Amen, Ann.

Ann: He was brash, kinda ruthless, and a little unhinged, to be honest.

Sarah: I thought Wyatt was boooorrring.

Ann: The dimples happily remain unchanged, however.

Kate: And besides the ma'am that stopped my heart, I was so very worried that Wyatt was going to be Vanilla Male Lead #950643

Sarah: Yes, Kate. Yes. I was like - Oh. Pretty and Generic.

Gissane: You know what I just realized, we never get a scene of what Wyatt's doing before he gets called in. We have Lucy's life and Rufus', but Wyatt nothing and now I'm very intrigued. Are we even told where he was? My memory is blanking on this.

Sarah: No! You are so right, Goose.

Sarah: We start in medias res on Wyatt.

Kate: I think Wyatt is meant to be the mystery as he is the military man. Shrouded in secret missions and all that.

Sarah: I think it also keeps him as Generic Military Pretty Boy.

Ann: I really expected him to be a cardboard cutout of the media's interpretation of a Super Soldier. As well, this episode did a really good job painting him as such. I was so happy to be surprised later on.

Gissane: And I agree. I didn't have any thoughts on him particularly rather that I didn't care. But then he mentioned his wife's death and I was like oh? Tell me more. Tell me more about the mysteries behind those blue eyes. Please and thank you.

Ann: I am at that scene right now. The whole jail scene with him and Lucy really deepened my interest in all of the characters.

Kate: And Rufus. Rufus is never not just everything and more.

Ann: E V E R Y T H I N G.

Sarah: I think that's one of the aspects of this show that really hooked me: It took character archetypes I thought I knew, and made them real, likable, and interesting.

Gissane: That entire scene in the jail is perfection. I get chills every time I think of Rufus' speech to the guard. Brilliant. EPIC.

Sarah: Fun fact: Malcolm Barrett improvised most of that speech!

Ann: He did?? I didn't know that!

Kate: That scene is even more profound now.

Gissane: That's when Rufus went from aww, what a sweetheart to OH MY GOD, YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO ME.

Sarah: Yeah! Kripke and Ryan talked about it at the screening I went to. He also improvised the "the back of the bus was great" line.

Kate: What this show does with Rufus, giving him this complex, meaty character and actually allowing for discussions of race through history is one of my favorite parts of the show.

Sarah: Yes, Kate.

Gissane: All the awards because that scene was the episode's best -- context and performance wise.

Ann: Hard agree, Kate. And they did it right from the start and kept it up the whole damn season.

Sarah: The moment Rufus says to Mason that it has never been a good time to be a black person in history was when I knew this show was self-aware. You can have fun, you can have irreverence, you can have a family show and still address very real, very important, very serious issues.

Kate: It's a perspective that demands to be told. I could not be happier they were brave enough to.

Sarah: And by Malcolm Barrett, who is the most perfect cinnamon roll as Rufus.

Gissane: This show's self-awareness is what makes it so unique. Time travel? Cool, it's been done a couple of times. But to actually highlight the negativity in history makes it much more unique and intriguing.

Ann: Another thing the show does well? Guest characters you care about. These random, one-off historical people...somehow relevant and fleshed out in 45 minutes every week.

Kate: I could write sonnets about Timeless and their guest characters. Maybe I have and they are hidden in my sock drawer... you don't know.

Sarah: Kate Drummond appears. Could be some sort of Male Brand Strong Female. But is somehow so careful and wonderful

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Delve into the kickass history of the amazing female journalists who could have served as inspiration for the fictional Kate Drummond with this week’s Historical Hour with Hilary, our resident historian!)

Kate: She is ballsy and capable. I love her.

Sarah: Both Lucy and Wyatt's interactions with her.

Ann: Exactly! Kate Drummond was brilliant. Also kickass red lipstick, which is bonus.

Sarah: Are meaningful and lovely.

Gissane: And so dedicated to her work. No distractions. I loved that!

Kate: And I think it is important they chose her, a character she who was fated to die. Because they make us love her and it makes the implications and the desire to change history to save her real for us. Just as it is real for the Time Team.

Sarah: Right, Kate. Contextualizing what it means to change - or not change - history. Kate is someone Lucy admired and had to watch die. Kate is someone Wyatt identified with immediately on a very intimate level - and had to watch die.

Ann: It's so powerful.

Sarah: Wyatt, as we see briefly here, is obsessed with saving his wife because he feels responsible. But in the very first episode, we see him save someone from their "fate" - only to see that effort thwarted minutes later.

Ann: OH A WILD GARCIA APPEARS. Quite literally wild. But also dayuuum.

Sarah: AND WHAT A FINE SPECIMEN HE IS. I will never not love Goran Višnjić.

Gissane: WHAT A COMPLEX SPECIMEN. And now he is someone I literally couldn't for the life of me imagine caring about and yet, here we are.

Kate: I could stare at those broody eyes, flippy hair, and angular cheekbones all the days.

Sarah: He could have chemistry with a piece of anthracite.

Kate: Yes, Goose. I knew the second he was supposed to be our "villain" we were in for a much more layered portrayal of a man with much more to show us.

Ann: That's the brilliance of well-written character-driven stories. I demand more.

Kate: We all did, so much so they were forced to renew it. Hahaha But I digress.

Ann: You also speak the sterling truth. (CONGRATS CLOCKBLOCKERS.)

Kate: (PAT YO SELVES ON THE BACKS, SIRS AND MADAMS)

Gissane: Can I just mention how much I love that fandom name?

Kate: You most certainly can, and I will heartily second it.

Ann: Also can we talk about the supporting cast for a quick second? A Denise Christopher or a Jiya Marri perhaps? Because again with the fleshed out, interesting REAL secondary characters.

Gissane: YES. And right from the start they're both such a presence on screen. You instantly want to know more.

Kate: I love Denise and her no nonsense attitude. I need to you save time guys. You will do it. I will need you again. You will do it. Wonderful, thanks, bye.

Ann: Ha ha ha, exactly!

Kate: And smart, capable Jiya! Rufus was making heart eyes at her in the very first scene and I both understand that on a spiritual level and am here for it.

Ann: Again though, another example of characters I expected them to just leave as cardboard cutouts. But nope. Not Timeless. No simple Hard Liner Bosses or Nerdy Tech Girls here. We get warm, lovely, interesting people.

Sarah: And then he asked her out like a normal person instead of weirdly objectifying her. And then she said yes like a person instead of being some strange Unattainable Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Gissane: Shout it from the rooftops, y'all. From the rooftops!

Sarah: Yes - Annie. We actually get people!

Kate: And these people are women! How often does that happen?!

Ann: This and Wonder Woman? *laughs to keep from crying*

Kate: And women of color, no less. Be still my heart.

Sarah: I think one thing that really struck me upon rewatch was what a STRONG pilot this is. I always give myself the 3 Episode Rule.

Ann: Yes Sarah! I was just thinking that as it concluded. I immediately want to watch 15 more.

Sarah: Which is: Watch 3 episodes of a show before deciding it it's worth a watch. There wasn't huge amounts of obvious exposition. The plot was not throw-away.

Kate: It really had everything I was looking for.

Sarah: We were invested in the characters. And, as a person who is very picky about time travel, it handled that aspect so well.

Ann: I think, aside from Back to the Future, it's one of the only pieces of media that has handled time travel in a way I enjoy. Because OBVIOUSLY Back to the Future.

Kate: You can always tell when writers care about their characters because they give you no choice but to also. And they managed that with all of them which is no easy feat.

Gissane: See I liked the pilot. I didn't LOVE it. Until like the second rewatch after I'd already been invested, but it was just right to keep me wanting more. And then episode two happened. I have never looked back after that.

Ann: Oh man, episode 2. I think that is still my favorite episode.

Kate: I am not emotionally prepared to discuss episode 2. Lock it up, you two.

Ann: Gah, ok. You're right. That's for next week.

Sarah: So if we're going to sum up our feelings on rewatch:

Lady Swoon™

Wild Garcia Yes

Rufus FTW

Ann:

No One Likes Wyatt Yet

Kate:

(except Kate for shallow reasons only)

Sarah: Because that hat. Always the 40s fedora on classy, attractive gentlemen.

Gissane: He should always wear hats.

Kate: Ah yup. I mean all the Timeless men are yummy. I just want them all in various period hats for my viewing pleasure and I am not sorry.

Ann: And you shouldn't be.

Sarah: Never apologize.

Kate: The ladies, too. We are blessed.

Sarah: Any final thoughts on the first episode before we bring this Lifeboat back to dock?

Gissane: It's a damn good pilot when you think of it. So rich and full. And so very promising. I've converted about five of my friends into fans already. I'm stupidly proud of this.

Ann: I've got a question: What time period would you you guys travel to?

Gissane: One cannot simply choose. Nope. Don't make it.

Kate: Time travel questions are hard because being a lady in history could truly suck.

Ann: Yes it could. And probably will?

Kate: But I am not going to pretend like I didn't read all the Jane Austen and wish I wasn't Elizabeth Bennett.

Gissane: S A M E.

Ann: Oh hell yes. Or watch Meet Me in St. Louis and want to wear one of those outfits Judy Garland sports and sing on trolleys?

Sarah: Don't want to go all Owen Wilson on y'all, but send me back to that Lost Generation in Paris 1920s.

Ann: Only if I can drink with Hemingway.

Kate: Obvi.

Sarah: So long as you are Brave and Strong, Annie.

Kate: Can we just quickly pour one out for poor Amy?

Gissane: I wasn't prepared for that one, Kate. BRING AMY BACK.

Kate: Timeless and their twists man. MY HEART STRINGS CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH.

Sarah: *frantically makes buttons and posters* BRING BACK AMY. SAVE AMY 20K17.

Gissane: Seriously. MAKE ALL THE POSTERS.

Kate: They rip her away from us and Lucy and right before the episode with Robert Todd Lincoln. It is too much. I need to rest.

Sarah: May Robert Todd all carry us softly to sleep. Thanks for the great chat, ladies. Cannot wait to really unpack and dig in.

Gissane: Cheers to that. Til next week!

Kate: Agreed. Until next time!

Ann: See you IN THE FUTURE! #godiamsolame

[amandajoyce118]

‘Timeless’ 1x16 ‘The Red Scare’ recap and review

For the ‘Timeless’ season finale, the Time Team heads to the 1950s to try to stop Flynn one last time in ‘The Red Scare.’

All I’m going to say is that Timeless definitely needs a season two. Spoilers in the review!

[impendingfascination]

Hollywoodland Leaves Timeless With A Predictable Outcome

I spent the second half of this episode wondering why ‘Timeless’ decided to answer the ‘will-they-or-won’t-they’ question so early in its history.  Were the producers worried after the temporary cancellation last season that they might not get another chance?  Did it just make good storytelling sense at this moment?  Unfortunately, the answer was to give the introduction of Wyatt’s previously deceased wife more impact.  I don’t know, I’ve never really cared much about the Lucy/Wyatt relationship.  It seemed somewhat bound to happen during the course of the show so there really wasn’t much to invest in it.  Letting Jessica exist again doesn’t really change that either.  It just takes away plot time to no end at this point.  Maybe if this ‘twist had been introduced earlier, but here it just feels pointless.

Things do otherwise happen in this episode, with the main event being Flynn’s ‘escape’ from prison and him ending up working with the team.  Does this mean that Rufus will be staying behind more often now?  Because over the course of this episode it is made abundantly clear that more than 3 people in the time capsule could be a really dangerous thing (though why is never really explained).  Either the show is a character extra or a time capsule short, but having Flynn with the team doesn’t really seem to work just yet.

Jiya’s affliction from being the 4th person in the clearly labeled 3-person limited time capsule gets some work in the episode tonight, but it probably the most frustratingly under-explored plot point of the season so far.  There is something more than Rittenhouse going on here, and yet really all we are given are some brief flashes and the occasional seizure.  Producers, if you are listening, more time on this and less on needless romantic complications.  

[everythingtimeless]

Welcome to EverythingTimeless’ Weekly Roundtable, a sprawling discussion in which your friendly neighborhood Mod Time Team breaks down episodes of our favorite show, Timeless. We can’t promise to be coherent, but we’ll try our best. 

This week: Season 1, Episode 2 - The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Sarah: Friends, family, Time Team. We are gathered here today. To talk about Robert Todd Lincoln. (Right? That’s what we’re here to talk about?) 

Kate: Can I say it is still to soon even if I was supposed to be prepared to? Because, RTL. 

Gissane: That’s exactly what I signed up for. I also think we should make a fan club. Posters. Tees. Mugs. ALL THINGS RTL.

Ann: Girls, we must be PROFESSIONALS about this now. We are SERIOUS bloggers. So we can only squee over Dreamboat Lincoln in due order of the episode conversation.(Also maybe set up a side-side RTL appreciation blog?)

Kate: Maybe? Definitely.

Sarah: Decorum is the name of the game. (What do you think - Robert Toddless? Thinkin’ Lincoln? Todd Team?)

Gissane: Todd Team. YES. Can we be the Todd Team?

Kate: Alright, perhaps we gather what is left of our dignity and start at the top of the episode. I shall begin with the brave opinion that John Wilkes Booth is a toady dumpster fire of a human.

Sarah: Opinion super sustained.

Ann: I always appreciate the complete and utter loathing he inspires.

Gissane: Agreed. Very much agreed.

Sarah: It really does quickly pull you into the episode - something so recognizable and startling.

Ann: It absolutely does.

Kate: Like every time I see Titanic and think they will avoid the huge chunk of floating ice, I saw it and was still somehow shocked he was assassinated? Timeless knows how to deliver the drama, even when we see it coming.

Gissane: Yup, because on a show like this, we somehow hope that it can happen, but at the same time, we know that it shouldn’t. And a huge part of that drama was that amazing debate among the Time Team. It breaks me every single time.

Ann: Well and there is the *actual* chance they can change history, they could right a wrong. And even if we know that would royally fuck up so much more, a part of us still wants to save Abraham Lincoln, you know?

Kate: I love that the team members each have a voice though. Like a passionate though respectful debate about changing the entire course of history because how do you pass up the chance to save Abraham Lincoln?

Gissane: Always save Lincoln. Always.

Sarah: Well, Rufus’s point of view actually makes me cry.Because for him the ramifications of Lincoln’s death are so rooted in his oppression.

Kate: Rufus always providing such an important representation of a perspective rarely entertained.

Sarah: And seeing the hope in the soldier’s eyes as they talked about freedom - devastating.

Ann: That scene where the soldiers asked him to write letters for them? I cried.

Kate: And the whole while Rufus knows what is coming for them historically, so then when he might have a chance to save Abraham which would go a long way in saving them all? Gahhhhh. I am undone.

Gissane: It literally doesn’t matter how many times I watch this episode, I will choke up like a baby every time. I don’t think any episode has gotten to me as much as this has, to be honest.

Sarah: Right Kate - Lucy idolizes Lincoln, Wyatt sees saving Lincoln as proof that fate can and should change - which would in turn save his wife. But to Rufus, he still lives with a piece of that. 

And agreed so much, Giss. One of the soldiers - who had fought for the country, for his freedom - hasn’t seen his wife since she was sold. Timeless took this Lincoln episode seriously, and it shows. 

Kate: Rufus is the character that won’t allow us to conveniently forget the implications of history. HE IS SO IMPORTANT.

Gissane: I feel like we’ll say this every week, but I love how unapologetic this show is in regards to painting the ugliest sides of history to remind viewers of just how awful it was and essentially still is at times.

Sarah: Yes and yes.

Ann: It’s scary how much these lessons both still resonate and beg to be learned, you know?

Gissane: I love that even though we can definitely mess with history, the show still sticks to telling us truths that we may have forgotten upon learning or that may have been concealed from the textbooks.

Kate: Both, so so much Annie. 

Let us take a sojourn to another important little piece of the episode. In which the impeccable Jiya offers to help Lucy figure out what happened to her sister.

Sarah: Here. For. Lady. Friendship.

Gissane: You mean in the second episode of a show two women had a conversation that didn’t revolve around a man!?And it was done so effortlessly, you could tell right away that because both these women are incredibly kind, they’d get along perfectly with one another.

Kate: Meanwhile Conner “I have the sympathy of a plastic bag” Mason is all like, ummm sorry bout your sister maybe not really.

Gissane: Connor “No Chill, No Grace” Mason.

Sarah: Someone did not attend Mason Industries sensitivity training. 

Kate: It tickles me that every time the Time Team returns and reports a disturbance in the history force that Denise and Connor are all like, whatttt? Nooooo. How?!?!?! 

Ann: I also live for Denise’s face every time Connor speaks.

Gissane: She is all of us.

Kate: She wants to hit him so hard. Upside the head, really quickly and repeatedly.

Sarah: Can you imagine, though, finding out that not only is your sister just…not in existence…but the man who you thought was your father was, in fact, not your father…and then you are pushed into a small deathtrap and flung back to the assassination of your country’s greatest leader?

Kate: Also she is engaged to a stranger. Lucy has way more composure than pretty much anyone ever.

Gissane: And we can talk about how Wyatt slams Connor about being a little more sensitive. But in all seriousness, if I was Lucy, I’d lose my head in a heartbeat. Actual QUEEN.

Ann: Oh I would have crumbled immediately, if not sooner. I would have traveled back in time to crumble sooner probably.

Kate: This is where Wyatt really begins to take a stand for his team and I love it. First with assuring Lucy that they would fix the timeline and get her sister back. Then with Rufus, building up his self confidence.

Gissane: YES. I love his moments with Rufus too much to be able to form words.

Kate: Wyatt started becoming more than just a super pretty face with a head that rocks a hat like nobody’s business this episode.

Sarah: It also begins one of my favorite pieces of this stupid (wonderful) show - which is Wyatt helping Lucy with her seat belt. (And Wyatt’s perpetual motion sickness.) 

Ann: Sarah no.

Kate: Yes Sarah. YESSSSSSS. Yep. 

Gissane: SO. MANY. EMOTIONS.

Sarah: I don’t know what I did in a past life to be punished? rewarded? thusly. But I curse and praise some deity.

Ann: I swear to god every time I put on a seatbelt now I am pissed as hell that it’s my hands and not Wyatt Logan’s adjusting the strap for safety.

Kate: Wyatt Logan is the sear belt fastener we all deserve.

But also, and finally going back to where we feverishly began. Lucy and RTL. Going to the Ford Theater. Making eyes at each other. DISCUSS.

Gissane: THE WAY HE WALKS IN. Just. I need to go lay down.On a serious note though, the thing that gets to me is how proud he is to be Abraham Lincoln’s son. He doesn’t feel pressured to live in the shadow, he appreciates it. An absolute babe with a heart of gold? I cannot handle. 

Sarah: It is a beautiful thing.

Kate: I will never get over the anguish in his face when he found Lucy outside of the theater.

Sarah: I think all of it is so lovely in setting this scene - it’s a story we (or, well, we as Americans in this chat) know well. But he helps to humanize it. All of the small details - including the mailroom and the dimly lit theatre and trying to avoid the show (or help Ulysses avoid the show).

Kate: I feel like we think of Abraham Lincoln as ours, you know? Leader of a country through one of the most tumultuous times in our history. But he belonged to others, and this show allowed us to see the imitate cost.

Gissane: Oh man. I have chills. 

Sarah: Yes, Kate. 

Gissane: KATE. SARAH. Wow.

Sarah: Even seeing Ford’s Theatre now, it’s hard to place it back to that time. But I think that Timeless really succeeds. All while weaving an interesting story and building this new relationship between our 3 main nuggets.

Gissane: The first time I ever passed by Ford’s Theatre. I couldn’t describe that feeling even if I tried.

Kate: Yes. It gives new breath and dimension to characters or stories we felt we knew, and draws us into the new stories of this team.

Sarah: There’s a Sephora about 300 feet from Ford’s Theatre now, so it really is worlds removed. It also created a high stakes mission. 

There were several moments where I thought, “Oh damn. Lucy is going to save Lincoln.” And Lucy had to make the choice (Though, in that moment, the chaos made it impossible to save him anyway. And here we see Fate in action once again.)

Gissane: But I also love that she clearly tried towards the end, but it was too late. It was just not meant to be I guess. IT HURTS. 

Kate: And considering she was in the box when it happened. How traumatic. Lucy Preston is so damn strong I cannot.

Sarah: SO strong. (Of course RTL sees that and comes to her immediately after…)

Kate: A small aside. Garcia. We don’t know him yet, his motivations, his past. It is jarring to be attached to him  now (because damnit I am) and go back and see him at his most detached.

Sarah: He was outright terrifying. He killed Lincoln point blank, no hesitation. 

Kate: But I swear there was regret in his eyes when he shot Lincoln, so this is when I started wondering just what the hell he was up to. Or maybe I imagined it because he has really pretty eyessssss.

Gissane: But I feel like Flynn is the kind of man who’d look up to Lincoln in one way or another. If there’s one president that could win even the cruelest hearts, it’s Lincoln.

Sarah: True, Giss.Which makes his desperation all that much more apparent.

Well, friends and Todd Teamers. Final thoughts? 

Kate: Other than poor Lucy, she goes from watching the president be assassinated to an engagement party to a man she is just meeting? Time Travel Whiplash, my friends

Gissane: After this episode, I became Timeless trash. There was no turning back.

Sarah: Mostly I think they’ve started to really carve a few important paths for the show: There seem to be no stakes too high for Garcia. Fate appears to be unavoidable. And time is malleable. 

I cannot wait to see what timeline our friends mess up next - and hopefully we get some Amy-related answers? P.S. I would also not cry about seeing Wyatt shirtless again

Kate: Until Atomic City, location Trash Vegas, my friends.

Gissane: Good day, darling souls! 

Kate: (On to dream about Wyatt shirtless, thanks muchly!) 

[impendingfascination]

‘Timeless : The Red Scare’ Review

WARNING     -    MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS    -    READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Here we are at the season finale for Timeless, and rather wisely, they attempt to tie up as many strings as possible.  The show has been somewhat on the bubble for some weeks now and the ratings don’t seem to be improving.  Better to make a clean an exit as possible than to plan for a second season that might not happen.  

Let’s start with the sudden changing of sides that goes on in this episode on the thinnest of premises.  That Connor Mason has always had a soft spot for Rufus isn’t really questioned, but he’s been so terrified of what Rittenhouse could do to him that he’s sacrificed that friendship to keep himself safe.  I don’t really thinking having enough information to get Rittenhouse arrested would make me change my mind if I was that afraid.  When you are up against an agency that can change time to meet it’s goals, would you really think that having some evidence would really stop them?

Now for the biggest change of heart in the episode - Garcia Flynn.  For the better part of the season he’s been an ill defined character.  We know what his motivations are.  In the end he’s not that different than Lucy or Wyatt, wanting to restore loved ones who have been removed one way or another.  The problem with his change though is that generally this kind of change needs to be a gradual thing.  In a way I guess you could say that it was - Flynn did say in the very first episode that eventually Lucy was going to work with him.  It would have been nice to at least every so often see Flynn questioning what he was doing or show any side of not being a bad guy.  That he isn’t is inferred by the plot, but it would have been nice to paint some of that into the character.  His last minute betrayal leaves room for a second season, but the problem with it is that it leaves his character in essentially the same place, only with Lucy as the enemy instead of Rittenhouse.

Oh for the cliffhangers at the end though.  I had been kind of wondering why the show introduced Emma Whitmore.  She brooded around the background of the few episodes she was in, but we never really knew much about her.  A cliffhanger like that can be juicy, except like I mentioned earlier, it’s looking somewhat doubtful that the show will be back in the fall, so it would have been nice to at least have a hint of this earlier.   The same could be said for Lucy’s mother.  A character that basically served no purpose until the last minutes of the season.  At least Lucy’s unexpected fiance was sorted away without a major reveal.

And so Timeless season one is complete.  All in all it wasn’t a bad show, mostly driven by it’s cast over it’s plot.  There is a lot of potential in the plot, but the show was wildly erratic over the course of 16 episode.  When it really started to gel, the show went on hiatus for a bit and sadly the audience didn’t really come back.  It’ll be interesting to see if it can manage to get renewed.  It is an expensive show to produce compounded by a lawsuit that seems to be moving forward.  Hopefully the reviews will continue in the fall of 2017.